Mount Whitney - high above the Lower 48.

We were a rag tag group of climbers, three of us came from Folsom - Gary, Brandon, and myself; two from LA - GENE and Jason; and one mustached mountain man from Mountain House State Forest - Rick.  Rick does forest management at a California State forest. The group's climbing experience was thin with only Gene and I having relevant experience. What they lacked in experience though the rest of the group compensated with determination and a lot of laughs.

The trip started with an ominous tone as Brandon forgot the most essential piece of gear, his boots. Luckily we were only 10 minutes up the road so we doubled back, then onward to pick up Gary. It only took leaving the neighborhood before Gary asserted that he forgot his boots too. Newbies!

Gary, Brandon, and I rocked out to sweet country tunes heading south down US 395 towards Mount Whitney - the miles ticked off quickly as we passed numerous small towns and the turn-off to Mammoth.  We rolled into Bishop, an hour away from the Whitney Portal, with our minds on our last real meal before facing the mountain.  After consulting the Yelp! machine, we settled on a little BBQ spot called the Holy Smoke Texas Style Barbecue.  When the hostess greeted us with a big Texas drawl, we knew we had hit pay dirt.  Out came delicious cuts of beef brisket, half chicken breasts, pulled pork, and ribs along with tasty sides of mac'n'cheese, baked beans, 'slaw, cornbread, and apple cobbler.  We ate, then ate some more.  There were delicious BBQ sauces along with the meal and we even tempted fate by trying the ghost pepper based sauce.  It brought the punch but it was more Oscar de la Hoya than Mike Tyson.  No standing 8 counts were given out as we continued through and polished off the meal.  Holy Smoke was a good choice for our last meal before facing the mountain.

Pre-game meal at Holy Smoke and the Ghost Pepper sauce!

Onward we continued south and made out way to the Whitney Portal well after dark.  The chosen rendezvous spot was in the "overflow parking lot, near the port-o-potties" according to Gene.  Classic.  Everyone else was there with Rick just getting settled and Gene and Jason already set up with their parking lot sleeping bags next to the car.  Gene was rudely awakened by me as we got the run-down of the plan.  Gene was our guide as he'd been to Whitney's summit a handful of times before.

That night the plan was to get some terrible sleep in the parking lot and get started in the morning - no rush on day 1 as we just had 8 miles to cover by mid-afternoon.  The sleep went as expected (rather horribly) yet everyone was in good spirits as we put our packs together in the early morning light and readied for the hike.  A quick stop at the trail head pack scale and we were off.  Gene weighed in with the heaviest pack at 36 pounds and mine was just behind at 33 pounds - rather light.  Others' packs were between 25 and 33 pounds.  Off we went.

Getting packed up.

My expectations were that this hike was going to be relatively straightforward and easier than both Rainier and Shasta.  Besides being slightly less gained elevation than Shasta, we would not need any ice gear and were forecast to have relatively benign weather.  Additionally, I'd been hiking all summer long with numerous strenuous day hikes and various other activities - I felt like my body was at it's peak for the year, perhaps ever.  Would expectations play out?

Look at these guys! From left to right - Gary, Rick, Jason, Gene, Me, and Brandon

We made steady progress throughout the morning, stopping at nearby Lone Pine Lake as a quick aside and at a few spots for snacks.  Weather was really good, sunny and in the 50s, as we hiked through the alpine forests loaded mainly with pine.  Great vistas of the below valley were abundant as we continued to gain elevation.  The trip couldn't have started any better.

Great views and sunny skies on the way up

As we gained elevation, we made our way above the treeline around 11,000 ft. and into the exposed hills guarding Whitney's summit.  Base camp was attained around 2:30 PM and we found a suitable spot for setting up our one-night camp.  Boom, tents came out, water got filled; we could smell the summit.  Soon, the mountain began to have her presence become known.  Winds picked up and the temperature dropped.  As the sun dropped below the ridge line around 5 PM, the temperatures plummeted into the 30s and the winds began howling.  We started to realize that it was going to be a very cold night.  Quickly, our MRE dinners were assembled and scarfed in an attempt to stay warm.  Then, one-by-one, as we were all freezing in the evening twilight and howling winds we retreated to the relative warmth of our tents and mummy sleeping bags.  The last of us were in our beds by 6 o'clock at the very latest.  The night would not be kind.

Brandon and I hunkered down in our two man tent with Gene and Jason in another with Rick and Gary in a third.  Our agreed-upon plan was to wake up at 4 AM and start the summit climb.  At best, I got 3 hours of sleep that night even though we were in our tent for more than 10 hours as the wind howled and whipped the tent into our faces.  Halfway through the fitful night I felt the pillow portion of my sleeping bag and felt nothing but ice.  I assumed that condensation was freezing on the bags.  I pulled my head into the sleeping bag like a scared turtle.  As I watched my watch tick down to 4 AM and waited huddled inside my sleeping bag, I worried about my hiking companions who were even less prepared than me and probably colder.  It was maybe 2 AM at this point; two more hours of waiting and shivering before I would poke my head out of the sleeping bag and see that Brandon and I were covered with a light dusting of super dry snow.  Anything outside of the sleeping bags was frozen and cold.  Luckily I had put my boots and most of my gear inside of my pack so it was sheltered under the tent vestibule and at least dry.  Brandon's boots had a half inch of snow inside them.  The wind was still whipping, keeping everyone awake, I got up and checked on everyone.  Everyone was alive, cold, and not ready to start the hike.  We agreed that 2 more hours of huddling and shivering in our respective tents would be enough to time to perhaps wait out the storm and warm up slightly.  Back into the tent and turtle position in my sleeping bag I went.  At this point I was starting to have pessimistic thoughts that not everyone would be able to make a summit attempt.

Whitney bathed in the first rays of morning sun ... and the cold shade that we needed to escape!

Fortuitously the wind abated and air temperatures slowly began to rise with the coming dawn.  Our group was able to get a little bit of sleep with our delayed departure and the improving weather.  We emerged from our tents after 6 and this time everyone agreed that we would depart soon.  The gathering of day packs and consuming of calories commenced as we began preparing for the day.  Although it had warmed slightly and the wind calmed, it was still in the 20's and felt colder in the shade of the mountain.  We saw headlamps working their way up the 90+ switchbacks and thousands of vertical feet waiting to greet us after our miserable night.  We began the switchbacks, going up to meet the sun's rays as they slowly descended the mountain to meet us.  The thought of the sunshine on my face and warming my body pushed me onward at a fast pace.  Quickly we spread out with myself taking the lead followed by Gary, Rick, Gene, Jason, and Brandon.  As we climbed, I observed Brandon and Jason falling behind.  I began worrying when 10 minutes had passed and Brandon and Jason did not resume the climb.  I did the last thing I wanted to do, turn around and descend, telling the others to continue as we would try to meet them higher on the mountain.

The snow that tormented us all night.  Frigid.

I got down to Brandon and Jason.  Brandon was struggling with classic symptoms of altitude sickness, he wasn't able to warm up, had slight headache, couldn't feel his hands or feet.  We got him some aspirin, fluids, and calories and waited to see if he would feel better.  I sent Jason up the mountain and waited with Brandon.  After 10 mins or so and some encouragement from me, we started at a slow pace up the mountain.  Moving would help Brandon warm up and the sun above would really help.  I took Brandon's pack, carrying both of ours, as we trudged along.  I felt really good and slowly Brandon began to regain strength.  We reached the sun and Brandon really picked up the pace - it was clear he had fought through the altitude sickness and we were going to be fine.  He took his pack back and we continued up to meet the others just before the Trail Crest at 13,600 ft.

Gene at the Trail Crest.

At the Trail Crest, we took a break.  Here we were only 900 vertical feet from the summit yet still about 2 miles away.  Two miles at these altitudes is no picnic but very achievable.  From the Trail Crest I put it into high gear.  We were on the backside of the mountain and tip-toeing along icy loose rocks.  I passed the 3 "windows" with views back to the front side of the mountain and below valley.  The backside views were of the Sequoia National Forest; we could see the John Muir trail cutting up the ridge to meet the Mount Whitney Trail.  The last couple of miles ticked off and finally I saw the Mount Whitney hut as the trail flattened to the summit.  I was there and threw off my pack.  Whitney had been more of  a challenge than I'd anticipated but at the end we would all make it to the highest point in the continental United States at 14,506 feet, just a hundred feet higher than Mount Rainier.

That's my boot!  Victory!

Traditional victory summit beer!  The highest bud light consumed on that day in the Continental US!

A lot of happy faces at the summit

The rest of the group trickled in and we enjoyed lots of snacks and of course some traditional victory beers.  We were behind schedule so we did not linger too long.  Down the mountain we went.  Between the summit and the trail crest, I had to make a bathroom stop which proved to be most satisfying, my first experience with a wag bag.  It was all downhill from there as we made good time down the mountain to our camp and got all the gear re-packed.  I hung out with Gene and Jason on the descent as we fell behind Rick, Gary, and Brandon.  I snapped a lot of pictures and enjoyed the sun on my face and increasing oxygen as we descended.

Third 14,000+ ft. summit under my belt.  Also, an 'E'.

Back to the vehicles by 5:30, we headed to Lone Pine for our victory meal.  Old fashioned milkshakes (with the metal cup) and hefty burgers were consumed, recovering our calorie deficits.  A 6 hour drive awaited Brandon, Gary, and I; we would arrive back in Folsom just before 1 AM.
What a trip.  We dealt with considerable adversity yet overcame.  It was great to introduce 4 new hikers to some serious climbing.  I was challenged more than I thought mainly because of a lack of sleep and colder than expected temperatures.  Since the hike, I've bought more cold-weather gear for the next adventure.  The down jacket is a piece of gear one should never be without.

Our group was awesome.  So many laughs shared and grit shown when things got tough.  I wouldn't have it any other way; well, except for maybe those howling winds, unexpected snow, and frozen sleeping bag.  Now, which adventure is next ...  stay tuned.

Many more pictures on Picasa.
https://picasaweb.google.com/115426733602360079088/MountWhitneySummitSeptember2013?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Circumventing Mt. Rainier on the Wonderland Trail

Well, it's been much too long since I've posted to this blog ... WAY TOO LONG!  Life is busy and only getting busier but I am going to try to find more time to post at least occasionally!  Without further ado ...

One of the coolest life adventures to date was to go around Mt. Rainier in September, 2011.  I'd already achieved the summit many years ago so now I guess it was time for me to go around Rainier right?!?  My hiking amigo, Gene, and I actually planned this trip reasonably well; we had food cached, reasonable hiking distances, and all the necessary gear to cover the 6 day, 92 mile clockwise walk around the raddest mountain in the Pacific Northwest, if not the World.

About to take the first Wonderland Trail steps

Day 1 (14.7 miles):  The Elder Bero (Dad) escorted Gene and I to the White River Ranger's Station to get our permits then to hit the trail.  Surprisingly at whatever ungodly time it was that morning there was another hiker, a single young lady, in line getting her permit too and taking her sweet time!  Gene and I were chomping at the bit to get the day started but were waiting for Ms. Chatty to move along.  :)  Finally, we got our permits, and after a  few ceremonial pictures we took our first steps on the trail just a few miles south of the White River Campground on the North-East section of the Wonderland Trail.

Dad and Brent at Panhandle Gap

Dad joined Gene and I on the first segment of the trail which unexpectedly turned out to be some of the best trail of the entire trip.  This area is called Summerland and it is G-L-O-R-I-O-U-S.  A slight incline took us up the Fryingpan Creek bed to amazing views of Mt. Rainier.  We made quick work of the trail gaining the Summerland rock house then Panhandle Gap by lunch; along the way Dad used his super-human vision to point out bear and other big game to us.  If he were on the whole trip with us I bet we would have seen a lot more game!

At Panhandle Gap, we at lunch together then said farewell to Dad.  He headed back to car while we we just beginning our long journey.  More expansive views and perfect weather accompanied us along the way to Indian Bar.  The Summerland / Indian Bar portion of the hike is the portion that I most want to hike again - hopefully sometime soon.

Amazing views on the way to Indian Bar.

We saw some mountain goat on the way down from Panhandle Gap to Indian Bar.  After Panhandle Gap, there were very few hikers and it felt like we were off all on our own.  The afternoon went by slowly as we really dug into the hike and made our way through some up-and-down terrain to the Nickle Creek campground.

Looking back at Rainier from above Indian Bar; this is a Lord of the Rings like view right!?!  Insane.

I'm pretty sure we were the only group at Nickle Creek that night - after a good day's hike it really made little difference but it did drive home the point that we were out in the wilderness and were somewhat alone.

Indian Bar Shelter

Day 2 (18 miles):  From Nickle Creek, we continued the Wonderland past Box Canyon (Port-O-Potties!) along some overgrown trail through Steven's Canyon towards Louise Lake.  On our way, we say a Black Bear and cub at just 50 or 75 yards away scampering away - I think Gene soiled himself.  :)  Then, shortly after that, we ran into an interesting solo hiker.  He was an older guy, probably in his 50's and he'd been out hiking in Rainier National Park for 17 or so days, mainly in terrible stormy weather all by himself.  I love the outdoors but I don't think I'd ever want that experience, especially by myself.  He was enjoying the last couple days of sunshine though.  As a side-note, the weather during our hike was ideal, no significant rain for 6 straight days, yet it rained hard the night before our trip and the night after our trip.  Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good!

Green Day! Crazy Solo Hiker dude took this picture

 We continued and came across the Reflection Lakes - which are really, really awesome and I recommend everyone to visit here - a road passes nearby.  Then, on the way from the Reflection Lakes to Longmire Gene and I ran into another unforgettable character.  As we descended some thick trail, we heard some rustling about 10 yards off the trail.  We came upon a solo woman who who had on some kind of butcher's apron and possibly I imagined a machete in her hands because she was scary!  She said she'd been out in the wilderness for nearly 30 days but had only traveled a total of 50 miles; she had been spending the majority of her time meditating in nature and was almost ready to rejoin society.  Whew, that was weird; we pushed on with all of our appendages.

Reflection Lakes - Wow!

Nisqually River Crossing

Soon we were in familiar territory near Narada Falls and Longmire.  At Longmire (running water!  bathrooms!) we took lunch, a break, and retrieved our first food cache.  The end of day two was a tough climb up to Pyramid Camp.  One boot in front of the other ...

At Pyramid Camp, Gene made his famous spam and pasta which was ridiculously delicious since we'd only been eating dried fruit and trail mix for 2 days.

That evening there was another group in Pyramid Creek who we chatted with.  It was a couple about our age and the guy worked at Bungee and was working on all the designs of the vehicles for some new video game.  They seemed pretty cool and their hiking plan had them at the same camp in a couple days so we looked forward to chatting with them again.  They must've had trouble keeping the pace because we never did see them again ...  hopefully the butcher lady didn't catch up with them!

Day 3 (15.7 miles): In the hiking groove now, Gene and I were up early and hitting the trail at first light.  Today though would be in my opinion the most difficult day of hiking considering the elevation and that we were in the very middle of the hike - the newness had wore off slightly and we still had a long, long way to go.  Physically we were tired and mentally we needed to stay focused.  Also, this part of the trail was extremely deserted and we saw only 1 or 2 other hikers all day.

Indian Henry Patrol Cabin

From Pyramid Creek we made our way to Indian Henrys Hunting Grounds which was an awesome alpine meadow and came across an empty Patrol Cabin up there.  There were some great views at the alpine meadow, lots of wildflowers, green fields, and views of Rainier through the clouds.  Also, we were about halfway around the Wonderland at this point and we ran into the young lady who was in front of us in line at the check in ranger's station on day 1.  She was going around counter-clockwise and was making remarkable time.  Impressed.

There was some rugged terrain on this side and we passed very close to our first glacier of the trip, the Tahoma.  Emerald Ridge provided grand views despite Rainier veiled in the clouds.

The glacial debris of the retreating Tahoma Glacier

We arrived at our destination for the day, the North Puyallup Camp, in good time and yet again we were completely alone.  I had not spent much time on the west side of Rainier but quickly learned that it is the lonely side of the mountain.  Also, there are thicker, more dense forests which makes the trail more secluded.  Gene and I went through our nightly ritual of eating & preparing dinner, freshening up with a moist body wipe (essential piece of geaer!), preparing the next day's water, and squaring off in some spirited Magic the Gathering battles!  :)  Haha - Thanks Gene for teaching me Magic, now I have achieved "Super Nerd" status!

Brent at the North Puyallup, in good spirits and memorable scenery at the end of day 3!

Day 4 (15.2 miles):  Five minutes out of camp, one of the coolest things on the trip happened.  We were out really early in the dark forest at a time when the night had not yet completely given over the sky to the morning.  In the early light a big adult owl came swooping down the trail directly at us and just past our heads.  The owl's orange eyes glowed as it silently swooped through the air.  It was spectacular and a fitting way to start the day which was basically a long walk through a mysterious, scary forest.  The trees were dense and huge with frisbee-sized, occasionally neon-colored fungi coming off tree trunks from a few feet off the ground to a hundred of feet up the trees.  Through the forest we went towards another high alpine meadow area called the Golden Lakes, named as such for their golden colored reflection at sunrise and sunset.  From here, we experienced a long descent to the South Mowich River.  Gene and I entertained ourselves by trying to name every single student in our senior class at Bellarmine Prep - Out of the 220 or so classmates I think we named well over half, not bad!  It was a good way to pass the time as we exited the scary mushroom forest.

Clearly this is the scary mushroom forest!

Crossing the South Mowich River in the mid afternoon, Gene and I saw people again after what seemed like a couple days.  We had a snack and then ended the day with a grueling 3.4 mile, very steep trudge up to Mowich Lake.  A tuna-powered Gene doinated this section and I was doing my best to keep him in sight.  The tuna-boost was insurmountable though as he left me in the dust here.  I was NOT tuna-powered so maybe that explains my performance.

At Mowich we retrieved our last food cache from the bear box at the Patrol Cabin and set up camp.  Successful, long day - only two days left!



Day 5 (13.2 miles): Day 5 was one of our shortest distance days but also had two of the most grueling ascents, one up to Spray Park and the second up to Mystic Camp.  At Mowich, there is a choice presented to the Wonderland hiker to continue to descent towards the Ipsut Creek Campground or to ascend Spray Park.  Gene and I chose the later, shorter route to stay closer to Mt. Rainier; we were rewarded with some pristine hiking and great panoramic views.

Spray Falls

Shortly out of Mowich we went slightly off the trail to check out Spray Falls.  I nearly had to rescue Gene who tried to cross the raging stream below the falls to get to the other side for a better photo op.  It was a good excursion from the trail.  Then, we made the climb up to Spray Park.  It was a really nice area with some great views and another perfect high alpine meadow.  Some bugs up there but those are expected!  After Spray Park was a steep descent to the Carbon River crossing; on the way we ran into the first rangers we'd seen on the trail and they checked our permits.  It's amazing how popular Mt. Rainier is yet how few people we saw during the trip; the only "busy" spots were Longmire and Sunrise.

Rainier from Spray Park

 
The Carbon River crossing is over a really long suspension bridge, followed by the steepest portion of the Wonderland trail up past Dick Creek.  We had this section during the early afternoon and baked in the sun as we made our way up the trail alongside the Carbon Glacier.  Sweat poured out of me and I was happy to make it to the high alpine meadow with some shade as we approached Mystic Lake and Mystic Camp, our destination for the night.  There were a handful of other campers in Mystic.  Our last day was on tap so we got a good night's rest after our ritual of making dinner, preparing water, freshening up, and Magic The Gathering for entertainment.

The Carbon Glacier

Day 6 (14.7 miles):  Last day!  Gene and I made great time, our packs were light with less food as we made our way past the Winthrop Glacier to Skyscraper Pass (awesome) and the Burroughs Mountains.  There were lots of people, mainly day-hikers, as we came within a few miles of Sunrise; it was a nice change from the uninhabited trail we were accustomed to.  Again, we had great weather and kept a steady pace.  We had originally planned to stop at Sunrise for some prepared food at the Visitor's Center kitchen, but we had plenty of supplies and were making great time, so we just used the Visitor Center bathrooms and contacted Dad for our return ride.

I did a good job making Gene look like a giant in this picture
from Skyscraper Pass!

We continued on to the steep descent from Sunrise to the White River Campground which Gene and I had done 10+ years earlier during a grueling 23 mile jaunt that included the Mt. Fremont Lookout and the Owyhigh Lakes.  Once we made it to the White River Campground it was a quick 1.5 mile flat stroll to our starting point and had completed the trail by mid-afternoon, earlier than expected.  It was awesome to see that starting sign again.   We waited for Dad to show up, munching on our leftover snacks, re-aquainting ourselves to not wearing a 40 pound pack, and reveling in the accomplishment. What a great feeling!

More Wonderland Trail Pictures (Brent's Picasa)

We're there man! Sporting our Victory Red!

Brent's Best of Wonderland:
Best Trail Food: Spicy Dried Mangos, Gene's Famous Spam Pasta
Best Camp: Mystic Camp
Best Section of Trail: Summerland / Indian Bar
Next Best Sections of Trail: Golden Lakes, Spray Park
Best way to pass the time: Continue walking!
Best Views: Summerland, Reflection Lakes
Best piece of gear: Indestructible Spork/Knife Combo, odor-absorbing boxer briefs
Best encounters on the trip: The Medidating Butcher Lady, Counterclockwise Solo Hiker Girl, Black Bear and Cub, Bungee Couple
Most Unexpected: The Scary Mushroom Forest, perfect weather
Interesting Fact: Only a couple hundred people complete the Wonderland Trail every year while around 10,000 attempt to summit Mt. Rainier.

The Wonderland

Wonderland Trail Profile Map with a cumulative 22,000 ft. of elevation gain, and of course the accompanying 22,000 ft. of elevation loss!

26.2

Update December 2010

Back in May, 2010 I started training for the December 2010 California International Marathon.  It was an experience I'll never forget, although maybe never repeat.  I was religious in my training and worked my way up to some very long solidary runs, reaching about 23 miles.  I was able to taper for nearly 3 full weeks heading into the marathon and had a couple small tune-up runs with the Folsom Half Marathon a few weeks prior and the Sacramento Turkey Trot 10 days prior.  I BLAZED the turkey trot, logging a time of just over 42 minutes for the 10 k race (6:55 min/mile).

The day of the marathon was P-E-R-F-E-C-T.  It had been threatening rain all week but on the morning of the marathon it all cleared up and the sun started peeking through the clouds.  Temps were expected to be in the 50's, just about perfect for the race.  I was carbo loaded thanks to a delicious spaghetti dinner prepared by Laura the previous night. 

An iPod, snacks, and energy gels filled my pockets as I waited anxiously at the starting line.  When the starting horn fired I was off, along with 9,000 other hopeful runners.  We surged in a hoard down a 5 lane road blocked off for us for the half mile then turned onto a long and flat two lane country road, heading West from Folsom to Sacramento.  It was crowded in the first two miles with some people surging ahead and others obviously starting too far in front and falling quickly behind other runners.  I was zipping along at just under 8 minutes per mile avoiding those falling off the pace. 

After a few miles I settled into my race groove which kept me at about an 8 minute per mile pace. I passed the time rocking out with Jason Aldean and other country superstars, watching other runners, and soaking in the crowds.  As a runner you definitely get a boost from the crowd energy and excitement of the day -- and all the nice snacks and drinks handed out by volunteers along the way.

I kept surging along, but then miles 17 through 21 were strenuous; my pace dropped off probably 20 seconds per mile and I was starting to labor.  I think that because of all my training my body was able to push through this and I picked the pace back up in the final 5 miles.  Running shirtless a la the Incredible Hulk I ran full sprint the last 200 meters, releasing my inner beast with war whoops and various other displays of manliness.

I crossed the line at a time I was really happy with, 3 hours, 31 minutes and 51 seconds for a 8 minute, 3 second per mile pace.  Not bad for a first timer!  I exceeded my own expectations when I set out to train for this thing and I will always consider it a big life accomplishment.

During the marathon, I had great support from my girlfriend, Laura, her friend Brooke, and Laura's Dad, Alan.  The ladies made signs promising beer at the finish line and one particularly special sign with a "B" inside of a Superman polygon. 

Will I run again???  Perhaps -- I've since been on a few short runs and one 14 mile slow run.  Maybe I'll run again at the end of 2011 ... until then I'm going to devote my fitness energy to something different .... stay tuned.

Official Results:
http://www.flashresults.com/2011_Meets/CIM/searchind/


June 2010 Post:

 Today I signed up for the California International Marathon (CIM)! I'm really excited for this and have been training for a couple months. Running a marathon is something I've wanted to do for a while, one of those personal accomplishments I'd better get done in my youth. It's all about the journey. The training isn't necessarily fun, but it is good. The long runs TAKE A LONG TIME; I prefer morning runs so waking up at 5:30 or 6 o'clock takes extra motivation and commitment. That feeling of accomplishment during the last miles of the run makes it all worthwhile; the adrenaline on race day should give an extra kick too.


One of my favorite things about the training is the time to just think; there's not a whole lot is happening out there at 6 in the morning except me running with my iPod. It's the perfect time to reflect on what is going on and the important people in my life. Oh, and you know I'm listening to country music when I run ... a techno country mix ... that's what I need.

My goal is to finish strong and run about an 8 minute per mile pace.

26.2 miles, one stride at a time.