Keeping Up With Time - Summer Races and Camping

 If there's one thing I know for sure about time, it's that it runs faster than me!  I know the phrase is overused but that's because it is truth!  Time flies!  I can't believe I am in the last dying throes of summer break.  I am staring down the busy, crazy, school supply aisle and I see Fall on the other end. Really, where did time go and when will it stop flying past me, brazenly leaving me in it's dust as it scurries to the finish line?  Have you seen those shirts that say, "You've been chicked" or "you've been skirted" on the back?  They're meant to rub it in to men that they've been passed by a girl in a race.  Well, I feel like Time is flying past me and needs a shirt like that.  It would say something like, "You've been clocked!" or maybe, "You've been calendared!" Hmm ... I'm sure someone else could think of something a little more clever but you get the idea.  I feel like Time is rubbing it in my face that it's faster than me and I can't keep up. Nope. Time is chasing at the heels of September and I'm still back keeping a nice walking pace with June.  So, let's go with that, my race with June!

 I ran the North Olympic Discovery Marathon in Port Angeles.  I ran this race back in 2011 as my second marathon.  It was hot that year in a location that is supposed to be relatively cool compared to the rest of Western Washington.  I was disappointed in the finish time the heat dumped on me.  This year was supposed to be a redemption year.  Guess what?  It was hot, hotter than in 2011.  And my time?  It was slow, slower than in 2011.  It was a super well organized race and I love all the aid stations and volunteers.  Seriously, those folks rocked!  They had water and ice and spray stations galore but the heat was intolerable, already in the mid 70's at the start and near 90 by the time we finished.  I walked so much in this race.  Fortunately, I had a friend to keep me company and other friendly faces along the way to leap frog along with so it was at least fun, as far as camaraderie goes, even if it was a new Personal Worst. 

I look like I'm having a great time, right?  Like, heat?  What heat?  

Ah, a cool shower!

My husband ran this race, too.  He finished an hour ahead of me.  He tolerates heat so much better than me!

But don't let him fool you into thinking this was easy for him.  Here's his finish photo.  He looks ready to be DONE.  (He's gonna kill me when he finds out I posted this photo)

Here I am arriving at the finish, with my friend, Jen.  Don't we look happy and energetic? This race was a piece of cake! Ha.  We're such good actresses.  

In July we did our annual 4th of July race, The Yankee Doodle Dash.  Last year my dad did it for the first time, as did my friend Kristy.  This year I talked them both into doing it again and also managed to talk my daughter into doing the 5K with her grandpa.  It's a great way to start out the holiday with all it's good food.  Extra bonus was that this year, for the first time in quite awhile, it was actually somewhat cool out!  Hurray for the sun staying hidden!  My husband snagged himself a nice little PR.  Kristy and I ran together and got passed by a walker.  He was fast!  We were not Yes, we ran most of it (we took a few planned walk breaks) and he still was faster than us.  But we didn't care.  We enjoyed the course, Kristy took a photo of a house she liked, and we spent the time talking.  We all know, in a 10K, talking pace isn't racing pace and if you're taking photos of a house, you're not really interested in a PR.  Yep, I like running this race for fun.  Ha, I'm saying that about a lot of races lately but if racing can't be fun then why bother?  My husband would disagree.  He always runs with purpose and a goal to do his best.  No shame in that!  It's awesome! But me, sometimes I aim for a PR, or as close to one as possible, and other times, most of the time, I simply aim to run for the pure joy and experience of it!

My dad and daughter

Kristy and me at the finish of the 10K

My family - look at that!  We're all in jackets before the race start! 

Cheer crew - my mom and son

July didn't have any big races because we had a nice long vacation/camping trip to Oregon in the middle of the month.  We had 10 days to visit my mother in law near Portland, camp along the Oregon Coast at Fort Stevens with day trips to Seaside, Cannon Beach and a zipline tour, camp along the Gorge and Columbia River, and finally end up at Mt. St. Helen's.  There was some beautiful scenery, a bit of shopping, lots of eating, some running, some more eating, some being eaten by mosquitoes (they were terrible at Fort Stevens which was a shame because it was full of beautiful running trails), some hiking and did I mention ziplining?  That was by far the best experience.  My husband and I did it in Hawaii and the kids have been super jealous ever since so we booked a tour with HighLife Adventures in Warrenton, OR.  They loved it.  We loved it.  The kids enjoyed the line across the lake and we all chose some form of water contact, my son chose the Super Soaker which meant they essentially let him drop completely in the lake like a rock being skipped across the surface. The rest of us chose more conservative contact, hands trailing for my daughter and myself and feet trailing for my husband. The best part was at the end though when we did the Zwing.  They attach you to a 20ft cord and have you jump off the high platform.  The long cord creates a swinging action all the way across the last, long, zipline.  It was so much fun.  I'd do it again in a heartbeat.  I am really a bit afraid of heights when it comes to walking along a steep ledge (hiking, for instance) where one misstep can send you catapulting down rocks and trees to a bloody and messy end.  Well, that's how my mind imagines it anyway, but tie me up to some cord and straps and tell me to jump off a high platform and I'm your woman!  One of these days I'm jumping from a plane.  A marathoner has to have something on her bucket list, right? 

My husband

Me

Jonah

Ariel

Me on the Zwing!

Wheee!!!!

 As I said, we also had fun camping in various locations and I will now enchant (bore?) you with some of the gorgeous and fun photos from our trip.

Fort Stevens had miles of paved trails to run or bike.  We got a 7 mile run in together with no loops or out and backs.

I made my husband take a running selfie with me for my Skirt Sports Ambassador responsibilities.  He was a good sport.

This is the Peter Iredale wreck  I love how this photo turned out.  It's hard to go wrong with beach photos.

We had the best view at our spot in Memaloose State Park.  Breathtaking!  

Our little home away from home.  This is Memaloose State Park.

Jonah can't resist the spread arm photo opp any more than I could.

Hiking with the family along the Old Railroad Trail near Mt. Hood, OR.

This was the friendliest squirrel!  He was so not afraid of us, even running up the steps of our camper to peer inside.  He wanted Chris's sunflower seeds.

Mt. St. Helen's.

I got a little trail run in at our campground.  

The campground trail was a maze of turns and I knew I'd get lost so I made arrows out of sticks at every turn to point me back in the right direction.

There you have it!  I'm getting closer to catching up with Time!  I've now blogged about June and July!  I'll add in some August fun soon and before I know it, I'll be into Fall!  Let's just hope Time hasn't rounded the corner to Christmas by then.