XTERRA National Snowshoe Championship!

6 March: 60 min bike, leg strength
7 March: 30 min bike in the AM
8 March: 10 mi run, including some gnarly hills
9 March: XTERRA 2008 NATIONAL SNOWSHOE CHAMPIONSHIP!!!

Stupid 10 Mile Run--Work tired me out so badly that I slept for 10 hours straight without even moving. In the morning I ran with some guys from the medical group, with whom I am running the Bataan Death March with at the end of this month. I am still crossing my fingers AND my toes that this thing is going to fall through. They said we were going to run an "easy 10 mile run at around 8:00-8:30 pace." No, we didn't do that. Not at all. We ran 8:30 for about 1/4 mile, and then we hovered around 7:10. And then the hills... I just let them go. I was dying. It was so bad that I started crying while we were running. I was SO angry! My self-confidence was pretty much ZERO. Afterward I went home and slept for 5 more hours. My body was grade-A messed up. And then...

Snowshoe Championship--The next morning I woke up after the time change and prepared for a super fun day. I was 100% spent from the previous day, but I didn't care. I just wanted to say that I competed in a National Championship in something! Ping-pong didn't work out, so snowshoeing was it.

The race was super fun. I thought the course was tough, as my snowshoes are GIANT and were too long and wide to fit on the path completely. My feet and the stabilizing muscles in my lower legs KILL today. I thought about buying some of the crazy light/small snowshoes, but that wouldn't be as hard core! I had a GREAT time, and I didn't do too badly.

My goals for the race were:
-Not to finish last (i.e. beat at least one woman in the 50+ year age group)
-Finish w/in 30 minutes of the winner
-Run my heart out!

Mission Accomplished!

Victory!!!!

XTERRA 2008 National Snowshoe Championship at Snowbasin, UT

Random Stuff...

18 Feb: Rest
19 Feb: 30 min bike
20 Feb: Rest
21 Feb: 60 min bike, strength workout, abs
22 Feb: 5 mi run, core, strength workout
23 Feb: 18+ mi
24 Feb: Core workout
25-26 Feb: Rest
27 Feb: 30 min run
28 Feb: 60 min bike, core
29 Feb: Rest
1 Mar: 13 mi
2 Mar: Rest
3 Mar: 60 min bike, core
4 Mar: 60 min run, arms
5 Mar: 4 mi run

Boston Marathon--I didn't register in time, so I was shut out this year. This was supposed to be Boston #5 in a row, but nooooooo! I'm so stupid. I already have a plane ticket. I'll go if my boyfriend can go, as we were going to stay at his parents' house. Otherwise I'll use it to travel to FL to visit him in May.

Running Group--I found a group to run with! We run at 6:00AM on Saturdays (ouch). I'm the youngest one by about 25 years, and I'm the only woman. I think almost all of them have run the Wasatch 100, which I can't even comprehend. One dude ran seven 100 mile races last summer! I like running so early because: I can run from my house, I can still make it to services at 10:00, I have time to visit my patient at the Hospice, and it forces me to take a really good Shabbat nap and not feel guilty.

Hospice--I was assigned a patient to visit. She's really young, only 59 years old. She was in a nursing home this past weekend, and I went to visit her. She isn't really with it anymore, and she kept weeping. It broke my heart. I think the hardest thing I have ever had to do was leave here there so I could drive home before the snow became too bad. I am going to need some support to do this volunteering...

Bataan Death March--Yes, my squadron commander pretty much coerced me into doing it. It should be fun ("fun"), but I am worried about making the 4:30 goal that our team captain wants to achieve... I need to buy some THICK wool socks.

Marriage--Colin and I have decided to get married in Maryland this December. We want a very small, quiet Jewish ceremony with the rabbi we adore. We are SO excited. Isn't he adorable?

Pain management--I really hope this gets better... Sometimes the pain in my abdomen is so bad I can't even work, think, sleep, eat, stand up, or sit up straight. I believe that it will get better though.

Snowshoe Nationals--This weekend at Snowbasin!!!! WOO HOO!!!! (I just don't want to come in last place, and I want a cool t-shirt.)

Work--We've had exercises at work, and most of us have worked 14+ days this past week so far, including getting called at 3:30AM to come in. It's hard to muster the energy to run after such a long day in a gas mask. But the job is interesting, and I love the Air Force.

Colin and Steph enjoying white sand in FL