Girls Gone Wildwood

21 July 2012 An impromptu decision to spend the weekend at the coast (Susan) meant that we were scrambling for running ideas. We had planned to run a Bald Mountain/ Ramona Falls route that Ann had scoped out, so I started to look for something that was halfway between the coast and Portland. I would've driven back to the city if I had to-- there was no way I would get 20 miles in by myself at the coast. View from the top, at Bell Camp Road I found a description of the Gales Creek route ( PDF map here ) in an old email newsletter from Portland Running Company. They started including a trail feature in each issue, so I've been saving them for just such an occasion. Then I mapped it, and it turned out to be an hour and twenty minutes drive from where I was staying-- nearly as long as driving home to Portland! Dana, Ann & Susan-- we crested the hard part! Still, a new trail was alluring, so we went with it. Ann and I met at the trailhead, which was a little confusi...

My sister got married this weekend, and of course my dad was in town. The wedding was in the afternoon which gave me a few hours to take him on a 10 miler in Forest Park. I didn't want to do anything too hilly, since 100 feet is a good hill around his house. We did one of our standard Thurman / Leif / Wildwood loops. He absolutely loved it and totally understood why Susan and I raved about Forest Park all the time. I wish he was staying in town longer so I could of taken him to the other end of the park, which is our favorite. But I have to save something for his next visit! Susan showing Dad the new Forest Park maps Just in case you forget End of the run

Susan sent this to me today: Wild Woman Marathon If weren't already planning on running 26 a few days before this, I would be really tempted to run it. Maybe next year!

Last weekend I went to Michigan to visit my dad and family. My dad and I always run together when I come to visit, I told him this time I wanted to do a 20 mile trail run with him. He lives on Gun Lake which has quite a few good running trails around it, but I wasn't sure if there was 20 miles worth of trails. My dad said that we would be running on the North Country Trail . North Country Trail marker I had never heard of the North Country Trail, living in the Pacific Northwest I am very familiar with the Pacific Crest Trail and of course I know about the Appalachian Trail . The North Country Trail is the longest scenic trail in the US, running across 7 states, totaling over 4,600 miles. The plan was to drop the car off 20 miles down the trail from the house and run home. Michigan like a lot of the country is having a very hot summer, while Oregon isn't and I wasn't quite acclimated to the heat, so we decided to shorten the run to 14 miles. We started the run in ...

Do normal people sign-up for a 50k only 6 weeks from the race date? Well for some reason after our 24 mile run this weekend we thought it would be a good idea. We are now officially signed up for PCT Buncker to Bonneville !

A few years ago when I started training for my first half marathon, I was doing all my training by myself. I finally asked Susan if she wanted to run with me at work. Susan was a seasoned runner; I was a yogi, cyclist and snowboarder but not a runner, though I was able to keep up with her on our 4 mile lunch runs. Part of me was convinced that she was just running slower to humor me. She had been telling me that every weekend she ran with a great group of people and that I should join them. It took me several weeks (maybe a month) to finally agree to meet them for a run. I was convinced they were going to be super fast, and I would end up turning around and running back to my car. The run was scheduled for a Sunday morning, and I spend way too much time on Saturday coming with weird scenarios in my head about these "super fast runners" and how they were going to leave me. I was proud of myself Sunday that I got into the car and drove across town to meet everyone. Well tha...

I'll start by proclaiming that this was one of the best runs of my life. It began with two strokes of genius. First, Ann and I took Monday off work to fit in a long run so that we could go out to the Gorge, try a new route, and not be rushed for time. Second, Ann planned the run on Eagle Creek trail (440)-- a scenic, well-graded path past breath-taking waterfalls, uphill for 11 miles (plus an additional 1/10 mile to a lovely waterfall) to our turnaround (about 3,100 ft of elevation gain), at which point it would be all downhill.  As I said, brilliant. Eagle Creek trail map The weather was perfect (mostly cloudy, mid-low 60s), company scintillating (Ann!), and I couldn't have asked for more. We had to walk several places where the path was rocky, narrow, wet and slick, and of course when I wanted to stop and take photos of the gorgeous scenery. I was pretty tired by 11.2 miles when we sat down to eat, but the delicious potatoes Ann made and the vegan brownie I brought r...