Running Archive

On Friday September 23^rd, 2011 at 6am I would embark on a journey I had begun just 3 times before and had finished only twice before. A 100-mile endurance run is something that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Perhaps having had 3 previous experiences to weigh on my nerves was a good thing.

According to the Awol Guide the Appalachian Trail is now 2,184.2 miles long for 2012. Each year diversions etc add a bit of distance to it. Just like Everest grows taller each year the AT grows longer. So the easiest time to do it is now. Not when you cash in your 401k.

I recently had the opportunity to travel to Bhutan to do an expedition with my husband and some other trekkers. The trip itself was a chance of a lifetime. Because there is only one airport and one airline with limited flights, this isolated country is hard to reach.

I just finished a six day trek on the Inca Trail with Peruvian Olympian Roberto Carcelen and World Champion cross-country skier Martin Koukal.  The two of them were using Peru's vast network of Andean mountain trails as some extreme training for the upcoming ski season.  I was coming along just for the adventure.

The technical definition of a “runner’s high” or the “endorphin rush” is the release of endorphins and other chemicals brought on by pain, exertion, danger, or other forms of stress. In most runners it occurs after strenuous exercise at an intense threshold for a prolonged period and usually entails varying degrees of pain and suffering to get there...

Yes, I did spend a grand total of 20.5 hours in Montana last weekend to run the Don’t Fence Me In Trail Run.  Yes, with the 2 hour drive to the airport, 3 flights to get from North Carolina to Montana, and the same to get back home, I spent much more time traveling than in the state of Montana.  But it was worth the trip, I had a great time.

If there is a place on this planet we call Earth that reminds me of what a different planet may look like or even better if there is a place where little elves and gnomes may exist, it could be here: The Enchantment Lakes in Wenatchee National Forest.

The Wasatch Mountains rise abruptly to the east of the Salt Lake Valley creating a very defined line between sprawling sub-divisions and wild mountain terrain. Little Cottonwood Canyon is one of the many canyons cut into the Wasatch. Known widely for it's world class skiing, Little Cottonwood Canyon is also home to some of the finest rock climbing, bouldering, ice climbing, mountain biking, and mountain running around.

Point Reyes National Seashore is located about an hour north of San Francisco. Here lies a stretch of road-free coastline that is virtually unimpacted by humans. Aside from natural forces, it largely looks the way it did hundreds of years ago.