...I will have run an actual marathon. Next Sunday I'm registered to run in the Portland Marathon. Running a 26.2 mile roadrace is one of those "life goals" that I've always had tucked away in the back of my head, but I've never been much of a runner. I would run to stay in shape and get a cardio workout in, but I've only run a few actual roadraces and I didn't ever run track or cross country in high school. But once I finished up the bar exam in July I figured that I had two free months (August and September) leading up to the Portland Marathon and I thought I'd give it a shot.
There has certainly been ups and downs with the training, but it was great to be living in Eugene and being able to take advantage of their great running paths and the entire "culture of running" that saturates that city. My training has taken a bit of a hit since moving to Seattle, as I've had a few nagging injuries and have been preoccupied with other minor responsibilities like setting up our house, but I think I'll be able to finish. I've decided to not have any finish time goal in mind before starting, but rather just try to enjoy the experience and finish while still being able to stand. I'm thankful that I've recruited a team of pace runners who have agreed to run a few miles with me along the course.
Some thoughts on training for a marathon:
-Although running is, by its nature, a solitary endeavor, I think training with a partner or in a group would make things alot easier. I've trained in complete isolation, but if I could've had my druthers I would've trained with someone. There's tremendous moral support to be gained just by running next to someone.
-Rest is just as important as pounding out miles upon miles. I don't have the ideal body type for running (long and lean), so my knees, calves, ankles, and feets all take a big beating when I'm out on the pavement for hours.
-Four pieces of equipment that have made this whole venture a lot more bearable:
1. Nike Haul Sunglasses - besides offering sun protection, keeps the bugs and wind out of my eyes. Sometimes they can get fogged up, which is annoying, but that's only usually when it is raining. They double as "earphone holders" to help keep the music going.
2. Ipod Shuffle - I've got a really diverse mix of music on there and I really notice a difference when I don't run with music.
3. Nike Sportsband - this thing is flat-out great. Nike just came out with it awhile ago and it syncs with a chip in my shoe and gives me a read-out of mileage, pace, chrono (stopwatch), and calories burned, which I don't really use. I bring it home after a run and plug it into my computer and it gives me a mile-by-mile breakdown of the run. It's been awesome.
4. Ultimate Direction belt - allows me to bring some water and energy gel on the longer runs - a necessity when your legs start to feel like they're made of concrete.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Pictures from the last week or so
Loading up the truck outside our house in Eugene
Drew saying goodbye to his great teacher in Eugene, Mrs. Ferry. Note the t-shirt that has been signed by his classmates.
With Brian and Peder at the Duck game against Boise State. Great game, bummer result.
Missi and me at the Duck game.
Drew saying goodbye to his best buddy Griffin. Notice that Drew is packing heat.
Sam saying goodbye to her best friend Chloe.
Three generations at Fuddrucker's: Maggie, Sam, and Missi
Drew outside his school for his first day.
Where are we going to put all this stuff!?
Sam is going to school for the first time!
She'll alway be daddy's little girl!
One very happy mom and one very excited little girl.
I have to admit that I stole this photo idea from my friend Ryan.
Sam was very excited about the huge dollhouse in the classroom.
First Post From Seattle
Whew...So we made it. We're here in Newcastle, a suburb on the eastside of Seattle, and we're slowly settling in to our life here. Here's a satellite view of our house.
Here's a VERY brief update of our week:
Sunday - after a very crazy morning, we managed to leave Eugene only 45 minutes late. It would've been a whole lot later without some great help packing and cleaning from our friends the Wallaces. Thanks Ben and Lisa! With an extremely full trailer and two cars, we headed north. We stopped in Portland to have lunch at Fuddrucker's with some friends and family. After lunch, we visited with grandparents at my parent's house, and then continued north. After a stop in Vancouver to see my sister and brother-in-law, we continued into Washington. We finally made it to the house around 8:30PM. The kid's picked out their rooms while Missi picked up Mexican takeout for dinner.
Monday - Missi got the kids registered in their respective schools while I did a few things around the house and went for a run. There wasn't a lot to do as we didn't have the majority of our things. It was definitely nice to be able to come into a house that was very clean!
Tuesday - the moving truck arrived! As stuff was off-loaded, I kept on thinking to myself, "Where are we going to put all this stuff?" Even though this house is much larger than our Eugene house, it has alot less storage. We're going to need to get creative! Thankfully nothing was broken in transit and the moving crew we had was great. They were finished up by noon. Drew went to school for his first day and he seemed to enjoy it.
Wednesday - Sam got to attend her first day of school! I'll do a separate post on this, but needless to say, it was a big event. Missi and I spent the free afternoon doing some shopping and trying to get acquainted with the area.
Thursday - We all had lunch with Drew at school and continued to unpack the house. Missi, Sam and I all went for a run together and after Drew got home from school we went to the local library and got library cards and checked out a bunch of stuff. After the library, Missi headed out to Portland for her girl's weekend.
Friday - I spent the morning running a few errands with Sam and then got her off to school. I went for a run while she was in school and after Drew got home, they all played with their new neighbor friend. All was well until Sam got "bonked" and we had to come inside for some "downtime." After dinner, we all went to the local grocery store to get stocked up on some of the staples we had been missing.
Some observations from the first week here:
- The weather feels alot different. With the marine air, I almost feel like I'm at the Oregon Coast. It is definitely "sweatshirt" weather.
- Drew's school is going to be great. The school is only 3 years old, so the building is beautiful and has an amazing view of Lake Washington. His teacher seems really nice and he seems to be adjusting well. There is a really involved and committed parent support organization, which I think is a hallmark of a successful school.
- Our neighborhood is incredible. In 5 days here I've met more neighbors than I met in 3 years of living in Eugene and we're all looking forward to the neighborhood "Crime Watch" BBQ that will be Sunday afternoon on the street in front of our house. One neighbor even brought over flowers and everyone has been SO welcoming. Our next-door neighbor knocked on our door this morning around 7:45AM to let us know that Zeke had escaped our yard and then he went to help me find him.
- It's very hilly around here. I was used to running along the river in Eugene, where it was very flat and easy on my legs. Around here, even the flattest sections of roads are "rolling" at best. I ran along Lake Washington today and even that terrain had a lot of hills.
- Either we've been lucky (my hunch) or Seattle's notorious traffic has been taking a "vacation" to welcome us to the city. We haven't had hit any real gridlock during our first week.
- Zeke absolutely loves our new yard. It's fun to see him romp around in the backyard. There are also lots of dogs in the neighborhood and he's been having fun "getting to know them."
Here's a VERY brief update of our week:
Sunday - after a very crazy morning, we managed to leave Eugene only 45 minutes late. It would've been a whole lot later without some great help packing and cleaning from our friends the Wallaces. Thanks Ben and Lisa! With an extremely full trailer and two cars, we headed north. We stopped in Portland to have lunch at Fuddrucker's with some friends and family. After lunch, we visited with grandparents at my parent's house, and then continued north. After a stop in Vancouver to see my sister and brother-in-law, we continued into Washington. We finally made it to the house around 8:30PM. The kid's picked out their rooms while Missi picked up Mexican takeout for dinner.
Monday - Missi got the kids registered in their respective schools while I did a few things around the house and went for a run. There wasn't a lot to do as we didn't have the majority of our things. It was definitely nice to be able to come into a house that was very clean!
Tuesday - the moving truck arrived! As stuff was off-loaded, I kept on thinking to myself, "Where are we going to put all this stuff?" Even though this house is much larger than our Eugene house, it has alot less storage. We're going to need to get creative! Thankfully nothing was broken in transit and the moving crew we had was great. They were finished up by noon. Drew went to school for his first day and he seemed to enjoy it.
Wednesday - Sam got to attend her first day of school! I'll do a separate post on this, but needless to say, it was a big event. Missi and I spent the free afternoon doing some shopping and trying to get acquainted with the area.
Thursday - We all had lunch with Drew at school and continued to unpack the house. Missi, Sam and I all went for a run together and after Drew got home from school we went to the local library and got library cards and checked out a bunch of stuff. After the library, Missi headed out to Portland for her girl's weekend.
Friday - I spent the morning running a few errands with Sam and then got her off to school. I went for a run while she was in school and after Drew got home, they all played with their new neighbor friend. All was well until Sam got "bonked" and we had to come inside for some "downtime." After dinner, we all went to the local grocery store to get stocked up on some of the staples we had been missing.
Some observations from the first week here:
- The weather feels alot different. With the marine air, I almost feel like I'm at the Oregon Coast. It is definitely "sweatshirt" weather.
- Drew's school is going to be great. The school is only 3 years old, so the building is beautiful and has an amazing view of Lake Washington. His teacher seems really nice and he seems to be adjusting well. There is a really involved and committed parent support organization, which I think is a hallmark of a successful school.
- Our neighborhood is incredible. In 5 days here I've met more neighbors than I met in 3 years of living in Eugene and we're all looking forward to the neighborhood "Crime Watch" BBQ that will be Sunday afternoon on the street in front of our house. One neighbor even brought over flowers and everyone has been SO welcoming. Our next-door neighbor knocked on our door this morning around 7:45AM to let us know that Zeke had escaped our yard and then he went to help me find him.
- It's very hilly around here. I was used to running along the river in Eugene, where it was very flat and easy on my legs. Around here, even the flattest sections of roads are "rolling" at best. I ran along Lake Washington today and even that terrain had a lot of hills.
- Either we've been lucky (my hunch) or Seattle's notorious traffic has been taking a "vacation" to welcome us to the city. We haven't had hit any real gridlock during our first week.
- Zeke absolutely loves our new yard. It's fun to see him romp around in the backyard. There are also lots of dogs in the neighborhood and he's been having fun "getting to know them."
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Last Blog Post From Eugene?
Well, the day has finally arrived. Tomorrow morning a team of movers will come to pack up our house for the move to Seattle. And with that, the computer will be unplugged and I won't have an internet connection. As I've been packing boxes today, I've been mulling over a bunch of things that I wanted to write in a blog post about leaving Eugene...a farewell of sorts.
But to be honest, there's just so much bouncing around in my head that it would take me a long time to refine it down to a few coherent paragraphs and now, at 11:11pm, I'm feeling pretty exhausted from the day and am ready to collapse into bed.
Perhaps when we get up to the Emerald City I'll have the time and energy to post my thoughts about this move. It's not gonna be easy to leave this great town...
But to be honest, there's just so much bouncing around in my head that it would take me a long time to refine it down to a few coherent paragraphs and now, at 11:11pm, I'm feeling pretty exhausted from the day and am ready to collapse into bed.
Perhaps when we get up to the Emerald City I'll have the time and energy to post my thoughts about this move. It's not gonna be easy to leave this great town...
Monday, September 15, 2008
Mt. Adams Recap
I just returned from one of the best weekends I've had in quite awhile.
When I started planning this "guy's weekend" climb up Mt. Adams many months ago, I obviously had high hopes, but they were tempered by the reality that climbing mountains is tough work and anytime you put 6 different guys together out in the woods, things can get a bit "tenuous."
Well, my high hopes and expectations were exceeded this past weekend. Aside from a brushfire that closed the freeway caused us to sit on I-84 for a few hours, I can't really think of anything that went wrong on this trip.
Because I took over 250 photos in 3 days, I'll save my feeble attempts to wax poetic about the beauty of nature or the sense of accomplishment one receives from succeeding at a challenging endeavor, and instead I'll just let the photos describe the incredible time we had.
One of the best parts of the weekend was having my buddy Adam fly in from Austin, TX to join us.
With the trucks all packed, we're ready to go conquer the mountain!
Our trip up to camp was delayed by a few hours because a brushfire in Hood River shut down I-84. Jeff's truck is the red Toyota Tundra with the door open.
Mt. Adams loomed large in the distance as we came in on the road from Trout Lake.
Adam and I were on dinner duty Friday night. The menu included spaghetti, meatballs, and Caesar salad.
It was comforting to know that the rainbow headlamp made another appearance this year.
Nothing says fun like the 'ol "rubber snake and plastic spider in the sleeping bag" trick.
Heading out for the climb at 3:30AM. Why does Jeff (in the red jacket) look so happy and awake?
Adam performs his pre-climbing ritual dance (sort of like a haka)
An alpine sunrise is a site to behold.
Making my way up the first glacier.
Jeff sits in quiet contemplation (either that or he's just catching his breath).
Jesse at "Piker's Peak" - the false summit. Notice Adam laying on the ground behind him.
Craig is heading up the mountain. After struggling up a very tough and very scary route on South Sister last year (for his first climbing experience), Craig owned Mt. Adams this year as he just motored right up to the top. It was very impressive.
Taking a break before the final summit push.
Jeff, Jesse and Sean at the top.
Because of the unbelievably great weather, Mt. Rainier made a nice background for summit photos like this one (perhaps the mountain was beckoning us to try to come climb it?!?).
Adam put in a Texas-sized effort to get up that mountain and he was rewarded by achieving the summit.
Check out the second field to the bottom. That's the elevation the GPS was reading at the top: 12,246 (my guide book lists the official height as 12,252, which is taken from a survey marker on top of a small Forest Service cabin/shelter that has remained on the summit for over 100 years).
WE DID IT!
P.S. To the five other guys who joined me on this trip: Jesse, Jeff, Adam, Craig, and Sean - thanks so much for an incredible weekend and I'm already looking forward to next year!
When I started planning this "guy's weekend" climb up Mt. Adams many months ago, I obviously had high hopes, but they were tempered by the reality that climbing mountains is tough work and anytime you put 6 different guys together out in the woods, things can get a bit "tenuous."
Well, my high hopes and expectations were exceeded this past weekend. Aside from a brushfire that closed the freeway caused us to sit on I-84 for a few hours, I can't really think of anything that went wrong on this trip.
Because I took over 250 photos in 3 days, I'll save my feeble attempts to wax poetic about the beauty of nature or the sense of accomplishment one receives from succeeding at a challenging endeavor, and instead I'll just let the photos describe the incredible time we had.
One of the best parts of the weekend was having my buddy Adam fly in from Austin, TX to join us.
With the trucks all packed, we're ready to go conquer the mountain!
Our trip up to camp was delayed by a few hours because a brushfire in Hood River shut down I-84. Jeff's truck is the red Toyota Tundra with the door open.
Mt. Adams loomed large in the distance as we came in on the road from Trout Lake.
Adam and I were on dinner duty Friday night. The menu included spaghetti, meatballs, and Caesar salad.
It was comforting to know that the rainbow headlamp made another appearance this year.
Nothing says fun like the 'ol "rubber snake and plastic spider in the sleeping bag" trick.
Heading out for the climb at 3:30AM. Why does Jeff (in the red jacket) look so happy and awake?
Adam performs his pre-climbing ritual dance (sort of like a haka)
An alpine sunrise is a site to behold.
Making my way up the first glacier.
Jeff sits in quiet contemplation (either that or he's just catching his breath).
Jesse at "Piker's Peak" - the false summit. Notice Adam laying on the ground behind him.
Craig is heading up the mountain. After struggling up a very tough and very scary route on South Sister last year (for his first climbing experience), Craig owned Mt. Adams this year as he just motored right up to the top. It was very impressive.
Taking a break before the final summit push.
Jeff, Jesse and Sean at the top.
Because of the unbelievably great weather, Mt. Rainier made a nice background for summit photos like this one (perhaps the mountain was beckoning us to try to come climb it?!?).
Adam put in a Texas-sized effort to get up that mountain and he was rewarded by achieving the summit.
Check out the second field to the bottom. That's the elevation the GPS was reading at the top: 12,246 (my guide book lists the official height as 12,252, which is taken from a survey marker on top of a small Forest Service cabin/shelter that has remained on the summit for over 100 years).
WE DID IT!
P.S. To the five other guys who joined me on this trip: Jesse, Jeff, Adam, Craig, and Sean - thanks so much for an incredible weekend and I'm already looking forward to next year!
You know it's probably time to shave when...
...your daughter tells you, "Dad, you look like a cat because you have whiskers coming out of your face."
You know you sweat a lot when...
...you come back from a run and your daughter asks you, "Dad, did you just run through a sprinkler for awhile?"
Congratulations!
The Oregon Bar Exam results from the July 2008 exam were released on Friday. Congrats to those of my classmates who passed and best wishes as you embark on your legal careers!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Off to Climb Mt. Adams
I'm off to conquer Mt. Adams with a group of my closest friends. I should have lots of photos to post next week!
Friday, September 05, 2008
Have You Ever Run With an Olympian?
I read somewhere today that 1 out of every 3 people in WORLD tuned in to the recent Beijing Olympic Games. But how many people actually get to stand toe-to-toe with an Olympian and run a race against them? I would venture to guess that very few people have had such an experience.
But, last night Drew and Sam had the chance to run in a "race" with University of Oregon track star and American Olympian Andrew Wheating.
By way of background, we went to the "Meet the Champions" cross country meet last night at Alton Baker Park and on Pre's Trail. The Duck women tied in a dual meet against Oregon State and the "Men of Oregon" absolutely destroyed Portland State in their race. After the cross country meet, there was a kid's fun run that both Drew and Sam ran in. Right before the kids took off, Oregon track and cross country coach Vin Lananna said to the starter, "Excuse me, I've got a young man here who would like to run in the fun run. His name is Andy Wheating and he just got back from a trip to China." Both Drew and Sam did a great job of running the whole race (Drew finished fourth overall), and Sam finished just in front of Wheating, who gave her a high-5 right after they crossed the finish line. It was a really fun night! These are the types of events that we'll definitely miss when we move to Seattle.
The Duck men's cross country team dominated the entire race.
Drew and Sam stretching out before the fun run.
Drew and Sam walking to the starting line.
Vin Lananna (with the beard and USA Olympic Team backpack) and Andrew Wheating (in the yellow shirt) before the fun run.
And they're off! You can see Drew right in the middle of the photo.
Drew is finishing strong.
Here comes Sam down the homestretch!
Sam (in the pink) and Andrew Wheating finishing the race. Notice the mustard-yellow VW van in the background; how very "Eugene" is that?
Drew and Andrew Wheating
Wheating was a hit with the local media as well as the kids.
Wheating's fellow UO track star and Olympian Galen Rupp was also at the meet signing autographs and giving interviews.
But, last night Drew and Sam had the chance to run in a "race" with University of Oregon track star and American Olympian Andrew Wheating.
By way of background, we went to the "Meet the Champions" cross country meet last night at Alton Baker Park and on Pre's Trail. The Duck women tied in a dual meet against Oregon State and the "Men of Oregon" absolutely destroyed Portland State in their race. After the cross country meet, there was a kid's fun run that both Drew and Sam ran in. Right before the kids took off, Oregon track and cross country coach Vin Lananna said to the starter, "Excuse me, I've got a young man here who would like to run in the fun run. His name is Andy Wheating and he just got back from a trip to China." Both Drew and Sam did a great job of running the whole race (Drew finished fourth overall), and Sam finished just in front of Wheating, who gave her a high-5 right after they crossed the finish line. It was a really fun night! These are the types of events that we'll definitely miss when we move to Seattle.
The Duck men's cross country team dominated the entire race.
Drew and Sam stretching out before the fun run.
Drew and Sam walking to the starting line.
Vin Lananna (with the beard and USA Olympic Team backpack) and Andrew Wheating (in the yellow shirt) before the fun run.
And they're off! You can see Drew right in the middle of the photo.
Drew is finishing strong.
Here comes Sam down the homestretch!
Sam (in the pink) and Andrew Wheating finishing the race. Notice the mustard-yellow VW van in the background; how very "Eugene" is that?
Drew and Andrew Wheating
Wheating was a hit with the local media as well as the kids.
Wheating's fellow UO track star and Olympian Galen Rupp was also at the meet signing autographs and giving interviews.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Drew's First Day of School
Our son started third grade today! This will definitely be a year of growth for Drew, both literally and figuratively. In just over two weeks, he will leave the comfort of his friends here in Eugene and start a new school up in Seattle. Here are two pictures taken this morning before I took him to school.
Monday, September 01, 2008
Climbing Diamond Peak
I climbed Diamond Peak today with my buddy Matt. It was a great climb and I can't think of many better ways to spend a Labor Day than "laboring" up the side of a mountain. At 8750', I would describe this climb as "strenuous" but not overly challenging- it was about 9.5 miles round trip and we gained around 4000' of elevation. The weather was just about picture perfect and Matt's GPS helped us from becoming lost. Diamond Peak is about 90 minutes outside of Eugene and it's a mountain I've wanted to climb for awhile now. I was grateful for the opportunity to get up to the summit before we head north to the Emerald City in just over two weeks.
This is Matt thinking "If I only had my fishing pole right now!" as he ponders Marie Lake
This is a view from the false summit looking up the ridge leading to the true summit. We saw 7 people all day, all of whom we ran into either on the summit or along this ridgeline.
Climbing the final ridge to the summit. You'll notice that there were still scant amounts of snow on the ground.
The view from the summit
Behind that smile he is probably thinking, "What did I let Wilson get me into this time!" (In all seriousness, Matt was an awesome hiking/climbing partner and he kept up both a great pace and lively banter. He even was able to whip up some tuna fish on top of the mountain!)
Behind that smile he is probably thinking, "Wow...my legs are really sore."
Thankfully there were a few other people on top to snap this picture of us.
This is Matt thinking "If I only had my fishing pole right now!" as he ponders Marie Lake
This is a view from the false summit looking up the ridge leading to the true summit. We saw 7 people all day, all of whom we ran into either on the summit or along this ridgeline.
Climbing the final ridge to the summit. You'll notice that there were still scant amounts of snow on the ground.
The view from the summit
Behind that smile he is probably thinking, "What did I let Wilson get me into this time!" (In all seriousness, Matt was an awesome hiking/climbing partner and he kept up both a great pace and lively banter. He even was able to whip up some tuna fish on top of the mountain!)
Behind that smile he is probably thinking, "Wow...my legs are really sore."
Thankfully there were a few other people on top to snap this picture of us.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)