I have Landed in SV - Friday Nov 24

I finally make it to Sun Valley and get in the car about 8pm. My sister and
family look wiped out. I'm amped up. I am ready for motivation book camp with my
sister. As I'm looking around the car and they are listless. And what's worse
is we are heading straight to their house. Panicked, "what about running up
dollar?" Elise, "did it." "Late night sledding?" "We did it?" "Weights?" "Done. "
"No. No. No. That's why I'm here. Workout. You’re my motivation. I'm in training.
I've been bragging. You guys are my Nike commercial. My sister points to her
husband, herself, and my nephews with a circular motion and says "This Nike
commercial starts at 4am and ends at 8pm. Your a budlite commercial!" I protest
"No. I did everything to get here. The bird. Remember the bird? One run?" She
says half joking, "Mark. Stop the car she can run home. " They laugh. But as
soon as my two nephews heard the news you would have thought they we're about
to watch the Olympics. Their little arms shot in the air. They began to cheer.
"Auntie Jill is running home!!!!" (and if any of you have nephews are nieces you
know you will do anything to be the hero. You are not passed bribery, endless toys
or cash flow - so when their eyes lit up. I start taking off my jacket. They stop the car.

Mark's says, "what's shoe are you wearing?
"Uggs."
"Don't do it. May cost you a day of boarding."
To me. No brainer. Nephews? So Elise and Mark start laughing as I exit the car.
Elise is like, “other side of the road where there is a sidewalk. "
So there they are following me. Opposite side of the road. Same direction all windows down.

I started out too fast. Probably my fastest sprint to date and the finish line was not a quarter mile out. Mark yells out, "you started way too fast out of the gate you will never keep this pace."
All laughter in the car.

Except Mitch. He screams, "Auntie Jill in twenty yards you will turn
left on a corner. You have a long down hill you can keep this pace."

I'm trying but my lungs are on fire. What is wrong? Little to no air in entering my
lungs but I keep thinking down hill coming. And then there it is. Glorious! My
stride even quickens. But lung status same.

Mark yells out the window again, "how does 6 thousand feet feel on the lungs?"

more laughter.

Then it’s Clint’s turn, "Auntie Jill your butt jiggles when you run" and the car stops. I look back to see them now gasping for air and laughing in hysterics. So now I have three
hecklers and one love completely routing for me.

My downhill is about to end the car comes back up and still just laughter. I want to laugh with him but breathing is sharper.

Mitch leans over Clint out the window and yells, "Auntie Jill after
the light there is a trail. You will even beat my dad home. Trust the trail it
gets really dark..” And sure enough I see the trail. AWESOME! I hear marks car speeding up to beat me. Mitch yells again, “It ends up at by our house. It will get really
dark." And the car is almost too far in the distance but I hear, "I love you
Auntie Jill. Trust the trail.........”

I am still sprinting and that big light is illuminating the sky. So I still feel great. But the trail isn't ending. Then true to his words it went completely dark. Black. And all I hear in my head "trust the trail.” So I am running blindly. And then there finally there is light again
from their home. I still have a bit to go but I hear the lights and the sound of a car.
I'm close. I just come out the trail right in front of their car.

Elise, Mark, and Clint are still laughing. Elise said “I can’t remember laughing that hard!”

Mitchie got out of the car to high five me.
I would do anything to make him smile. I love him! I would also do anything to make my family laugh.

I can't sleep

I told myself only blog when I exercise.. . but it's 1:23 am and I can't sleep (well I can never sleep) but I have these thoughts in my head so in order to blog I had to jog in place for five minutes and do 3 jumping jacks... It would have been way more but I kicked the chair... My legs are longer than I thought.. Why can't I run faster? Anyway that is not why I was jogging in place for that question. I was thinking about what pedals AV had on his bike when he was riding and then I thought about that bird that was killed today by the plane - I assume it didn't survive... oh my gosh I need sleep and better depth perception that killed my toe.
jumping jacks...
does anybody really ever do them any more?

laughing and crying at the same time

I got up early this morning, packed, and then went for an incredible workout -not so I could feel guilt free on thanks giving -but the workout was a preliminary to a long weekend with my sister in Sun Valley, who is non stop play hard girl and you just got to be prepared.

We had plans to snowshoe up dollar mt. late night after dinner, tomorrow snowboard by day following an early early morning sledding with the boys (my adorable nephews)- they also ski while we board. She loves hitting the gym, then running, taking the boys late night ice skating, back to snow shoeing.. and next day repeat!

Also her love for fine food, wine and the spa makes it even more glorious.

I hop out of the car at the airport literally dragging my bag, with all its snowboard gear and electronics it is heavier then me . I get to the counter and give the lady my confirmation and she said, "The plane was hit by a bird -and the plane was damaged. No flights out." I'm kind of in shock and say, "Like a flipping Terradactyl (pterodacty?) What bird could possibly destroy a plane?" ."

Then she went on to say, "Tomorrow we can put you on Delta's plane... and then her words just went blurry when it got to about three or four transfers with multiple carriers.

I am grateful (and most importantly)
1. no one was hurt
2. That I wasn't on that plane when the it was hit by a bird..

I want my sister's contagious non stop NIKE commercial life. I would love to be with my little nephews and my sister. My other sister is at Whistler. If I had any car but a mini I would be driving right now to whistler…

I am trying again tomorrow! I need motivation...to run... or just run so I get motivated

5k vs 50K

Sunday, November 19, 2006

I am so proud of Hart! Holy cow! Just taking the 50k down!

I am saddened to say my 5k (which just merely a 0 off) was disastrous.

I am sick as a dog, had a small accident, and I do EVERYTHING but rest. The exact opposite advice of my coach (lesson learned "good grasshopper")

It was pouring! Pouring! Pouring! I couldn't sleep at all Saturday night so I watched Saw 2 until 2:30 am -to awake at 7 (and the words awake is to be taken lightly because there was never a real sleep).

Razor blades of fire are in my throat.

But this is when I think "Do you really bow out of 5k race for the sniffles, achy and lack of sleep or am I being a pansy?"However this was Ben first run (I think he said since he was a track star in school) and I knew he was driving a long way to get there. I kept saying "should I run with you guys, should I run?" just yeep yeep yeep of whiner.

D was like where the hek is your competitive nature? Well it came out alright, but not for my own race but for the boys crossing the finish line.

So I think, well just good practice of suffering and being miserable. Just run, don't stop. I think it was slowest time yet to date at 9 minute mile.

As I ran something instantly felt pushed on my toe, and thoughts again "do you really stop for 3 miles.. just keep going?" and I could feel the blood sloshing -the only way I knew the difference from the water in my shoes was it was warmer. I hate to say it - but once I accepted the pain I welcomed the warmness. Blood or not.

At the end. they began to announce they were pulling down the finish cones and getting ready for the tots (and this where the competitive nature came in)

I thought I was being motivation and inspirational but apparently D and Ben said I sounded different.

My perspective.. when I heard the race was a near end, I ran backwards trying to find the boys.

D's perspective - He was telling Ben that is was most important to pace himself at this point because he needed to exert his efforts and run over the finish line. I ran up to them and simply said "go go go, they are taking down the finish, sprint it out, sprint it out and began running beside them still speaking (they said yelling).

D and Ben's perspective "you f-ers. hurry up. The finish line is almost down and the tots are running what are you picnic-ing for? RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN" either way you have it, they ran it out. D said his pep talk to Ben was all for not with my "motivational speech."

He was surprised to hear my time. I then without completely whining and waiting for the most appropriate time (over dinner) took off my shoe. He was like "holy sh+t" he said that couldn't happen today. Your toe looks like a hammer hit it. The skin around the toe is missing too with a blood blister to boot. I am used to toe injuries; this is an all new breed.

we had that age old question, "why risk that for 3 miles? or do say how can you quit when you know it's only 3 miles?"

today I sucked. shamed.

Pineapple Classic

and it was Classic Nov 11

My team was fantastic. I will add more when I get some photos.

We sprinted our hearts out, only to be stopped at a 30 minute obstacle.
I had to be gently reminded by my teammates., it was for fun.
This looked like the best obstacle AND it was for fun - not the olympics.

Anyway we had to carry a pineapple at all times. I would have loved more obstacles.
No backpacks were allowed to carry the pineapple.

So as I climb up a rope-y square something, I kept getting details how to do it. I wanted to whisper back, you should see me flip over a barbed wire fence... our soccer team we often kicked the ball over the fence and it was my favorite to jump over the fastest - this talent also got me handcuffed when I was 22 years old and at a Vegas Dead Show for climbing the fence - no one was even over yet and I landed on the other side, and I was like face to face with the police - who eventually let me go when the mob finally reached the top and the fence fell... any way.. I didn't even want to climb the fence, or break in but when i saw the race for the fence, something (competitive) snapped in me. (and trust me I don't feel like a winner when I realized the rest of the crowd was lacking shoes, on heavy drugs, and were eating the grill cheese at the same time)

anyway back to the pineapple.. finally we decided to stick it in my hood, so from the back I look like a yellow jacket headless girl with pineapple leaves -stems -or whatever they were.

It was great fun.

I loved my teammates. I will post pictures as soon as I get them

now this is friendship

Thursday November 9th

My workout got hijacked by a salsa teacher when entering my gym. She said, "Jill come to salsa it wil be fun." me always the yes man (it's the number one rule of improv -always say yes and live in the moment -unless it's immoral. ) And since the very last time I did salsa I had the biggest workout of my life, so I thought this would be fun. As it turned out it was fun but not a workout. Afterward I rode indoor bike for 35 minutes to work up a sweat.

Then I remember 10 things different about my salsa class at Laura's party

1. I had just broken my elbow
2. It was the hottest day of the year July 23 -wearing a cast
3. Sweating my ass off because of the cast
4. Took zero pain medicine so I could have a drink - causing sweat to bead on my brow and upper lip
5. My nerves in my arm felt raw and I wanted to be fun - that is about 200 calories right there - smiling when you want to die
6. Did I mention I my arm was broken and in a cast? :)
7. After our lesson we created a bunny hop salsa dance practice
8. It was a hard cast so I couldn't touch my face or lift a drink with my left arm which makes it hard to double fist or to do tequila shots
9. I didn't bitch one time because it was my friends party and I think holding in swear words when your in pain can cause you to use extra energy.
10. But alas I have true friends so when they watched me struggle with my dilema- I couldn't put salt on my left hand or bring a shot class to my mouth with left hand- they followed suit -

belly belly

tonights workout we rocked.
heavier weights and no relaxing in between ... again hitting every body part and frying them.
then my ab report - wish there was music to this piece.. cuz it's my focus.. and I want to see if it will make a difference.. not the music, the ab workout..
I will try again
and then the ab report "du du du dua du.."
doesn't work
any way
kings chair - 105
round ball sit ups 120
and crunches 150

i kind of feel my stomach muscles are seperated from my ribs..or is that the way it always is.. either way.. i hurt...

then rode the indoor bike for 35 minutes with a 5 minute cool down.

i need more. more. more

Trauma

AV broke his leg Saturday riding his rode bike turning a corner. I went to visit him in Harbor View last night. It was so sad. He looked awful (I hope he doesn't read my blog) but most of all, you could feel a spirit crushed. One that has many races planned ahead and most importantly, running, biking, swimming, anything adventure or racing is his life. I usually have something to say but I had nothing. Nothing except, “glad you’re not dead." I am sure those were the most non comforting words one can hear because it means that is the only thing that is worse is death. Which isn’t true, its just the only thing that came out of my mouth.

And if to make his trauma any worse, they put him next to a guy who was either yelling on the phone, yelling at the nurse and doctor, or making awful noises. Why would they put two trauma patients together? Yes Aaron would be the ideal roommate so the other person could gather their thoughts but this guy was a maniac.

I finally just broke and said, "I know it's about your leg but that guy is killing me. I don't know how you can take him. I hate him." Aaron slowly reaches for an ear plug and lifts it. He then says, "It doesn't really help"

So when I left I felt ill. He was white. I was white. The place was lonely yet full of extremely hurt people -and the involuntary psych ward.

When I walked into the room, I didn’t even look at the first patient to give all the privacy I could. Then after hearing him yelling at the dr. I knew I had to check him out. He was screaming “I am not staying here. I am running out of here. I am giving you an ultimatum. I need to walk now. I am leaving.” While the dr. politely said, “We don’t want you moving, esp. walking and we can review again in the morning.”

So given the drama in the trauma room, I walked out slowly full on staring at his roommate.

“GREAT GASP-Y!” the guy had broken neck, back and skull. He was in so many braces, he looked locked down to the bed. He couldn’t even lift his head up. I thought why this Dr. is even wasting his time telling him he can’t leave? My reply would be– “if you really think you can walk out of here, you are welcome to go.” –um, that could be why I am not a Dr. But still! It was rather comic like - a very FAR SIDE image.

I keep thinking about it so I went for a workout at lunch to get it off my mind.
I went to abs class
Afterwards I did 60 king chair
And a hundred on the ball crunches.

Still have that lonely awful image of that room and AV.

feast or famine

Sitting at Kevin and Julie's home years ago with D we viewed pictures of Kevin and Julie climbing Mt. Rainer - I wish I saw those pictures today I would have an even more appreciation for them. (That sentence would be beautifully followed by a "because after I climbed Mt. Rainer I could really appreciate their perseverance) but instead my appreciation comes from “after I climbed dollar mountain in snowshoes I know what suffering is” -its climbing the bunny hill for kids in Sun Valley.

However when viewing their pictures Kevin and Julie all bundled up and Julie was missing her ski goggles D says, "Why aren't you wearing goggles?" Kevin replies, "she lost hers." and d said "dude that is messed up. You should have given yours to her." and I can simply say at that moment, in my heart of hearts I know D would have given me his goggles. He would pass over his PFD, his air in oxygen tank and to any woman drowning on the boat D would step aside and give his spot in the rescue boat. BUT there is one thing for sure he won't die of, and that is starvation. If its you or him that gets the last supper, trust me, it's him.

Today at the gym he says "you look weak, what did you eat today?" I said, "Nothing." he replies "that’s not smart. You need to eat. Don't lift anymore I am grabbing you a power bar." I thought wow I must look bad, I am stressed haven't slept since Friday, can't really eat, D is making this look like 911 and he comes back unwraps the bar and looks at it and serious chomped not only the first bite but like 80 percent of it.

I had this other experience with him once before when there was no food in the home and we had one little lasagna to heat up. Well after he began eating it, he waved his hand over mouth, like indication "very hot very very hot" cuz my number one hate in life is burning my tongue. Then he continued to eat it quite rapidly and doing that thing in your mouth when it's too hot, you almost like eat and breath air in so its not touching anything in your mouth, that is when I got suspicious -his acting skills were weak, and there I was looking at near empty lasagna. So I dove in and it was luke warm (at best).

However I will give credit where credit is due and he kicked my ass again in the gym. Our workout was the most difficult yet. Hitting every body part, tripled our lunges, and doubled our stomach work out. I let go of a lot of stress, was able to eat and I will sleep tonight, if I can get my legs to quit twitching.

RUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

I ran last night in the rain and mud and loved it.I love running in the trails. It was a short run about 4.6 miles in 50 minutes. two stops. pee (see is ths important?) well maybe and matt mentioned my shoes were untied. the only shoes without yanks.

I did also come with a million outfits and was like "ok, I know part of the training doesn't come with clothing decisions but I refused to be too COLD or TOO HOT for a teammate perspective - which was crazy cuz when we met I was a wee late...and he was standing in the rain. He ran there.. um, I drove to run.

So I told him, "i think i would rather be someone well prepared and not be changing ... like last beast my leg warmers fell down and literally over my shoes I suffered through it, and i had a sweater issue (it was really a jacket)... but next race, no outfit problems. i can suffer thru cold or if I can switch and run, but I am working all this out befor racing"

however, my goals for races and life seem so simple.
be prepared clothes wise.
never give up
shoes laces won't happen again
those leg warmers OUT
and have fun with my friends when running or racing
run more with my sister
get on my bike
have fun and only chose people to train with the same way i would chose a poker or drinking buddy, someone fun (and funny), nice, honest and speaks highly of their friends.
all this is for fun, yes? I am having a blast.

one last thing, i must admit I love over prepared then under prepared (except for prime rib) but my point, going from 15 to 50 miles on a mt bike, yes accomplishment, but it would have been nice to be comfortable riding a lot longer. It just put fire under me and all of sudden I can't get out and ride or run enough - it's dreary out and I workout today.... will it be in the gym.. or outside..I vote outside.. I shall see what happens.

I have a benefit tomorrow night I rallied performers for. I love benefits. Fund Raisers. I love it. To run for a good cause, now that is a great idea... I LOVE IT ALL.

Hart also sent me a great email today and I am all fired up.