Trails for Two

nkrichards wrote:I knew you meant 100...and yes you can do it!!!!!

ounce wrote:Personally, I thought he was on drugs.  But hey, go for it with all the gusto and hit a homer.  I know, it's not a running metaphor, but the Astros won the division, last night, so it was the best I could do.

We'll be here to spur you on from a distance and encourage you to get Alec to be a pacer!

nkrichards wrote:I would actually consider committing to spend some time cheering...volunteering...or even pacing if Mark ran!  It's close and not a bad time of year for me to sneak away for part of a day...

Hahahaaha! (Note frantic, maniacal edge to laughter) You guys are great!

I *did* mean 100, and I'm pretty sure I wasn't on drugs. Sleep deprivation after the late-night volunteer shift, maybe. 

Cheering, volunteering, crewing, pacing... all would be great, and are just a few of the logistics that'd need to be coordinated if I were to commit to The Year of Living Dangerously  A few of others? Let's see. Weight loss. Strength work. Nutrition problem solving. Gear selection and testing. And, oh yeah, training. That's going to be the trickiest part. My promotion at work jacked my hours into "normal" work hours, so I don't have big blocks of unsupervised time I was previously able to fill with running. Now, I'm pretty much going from 5 a.m. until 7 p.m. Clearly, to make this work, I'll have to figure something out. At least I have a year to get ready, right?

There's other scheduling complications to consider. One intermediate step on the way that could work out well is the Elijah Bristow 24 Hour Race, the FULL time period. Alita wants to do 50 miles in 24 hours (a very achievable goal), which would make a great extended training period and practice session for running in the dark for hours and hours. (Actually, we run in the dark a lot, but not on trails, so maybe it won't seem that weird.) BUT that race happens very close to the time to when Alec is graduating from high school, and obviously we can't skip out on graduation for a race... I suppose.

This will definitely mean that Alita and I will have to go back to doing some of our runs separately. That's how we trained for the 12-hour at Elijah Bristow, and it worked out pretty well. So there are some possibilities there.

In truth, NEXT school year would be easier for me, at least, since I get Alita out the door at 5:50 a.m. and don't have to be to work until 9 a.m. Now, just enough of that time is filled with getting Alec ready for school to leave me very little time to run more than a couple of miles. But when he's off at college? I could easily sneak in a 90 minute run. So there's that.

Still, the inspiration isn't next year, it's now. So let's see where this takes us.

Mark B wrote:

nkrichards wrote:I knew you meant 100...and yes you can do it!!!!!

ounce wrote:Personally, I thought he was on drugs.  But hey, go for it with all the gusto and hit a homer.  I know, it's not a running metaphor, but the Astros won the division, last night, so it was the best I could do.

We'll be here to spur you on from a distance and encourage you to get Alec to be a pacer!

nkrichards wrote:I would actually consider committing to spend some time cheering...volunteering...or even pacing if Mark ran!  It's close and not a bad time of year for me to sneak away for part of a day...

Hahahaaha! (Note frantic, maniacal edge to laughter) You guys are great!

I *did* mean 100, and I'm pretty sure I wasn't on drugs. Sleep deprivation after the late-night volunteer shift, maybe. 

Cheering, volunteering, crewing, pacing... all would be great, and are just a few of the logistics that'd need to be coordinated if I were to commit to The Year of Living Dangerously  A few of others? Let's see. Weight loss. Strength work. Nutrition problem solving. Gear selection and testing. And, oh yeah, training. That's going to be the trickiest part. My promotion at work jacked my hours into "normal" work hours, so I don't have big blocks of unsupervised time I was previously able to fill with running. Now, I'm pretty much going from 5 a.m. until 7 p.m. Clearly, to make this work, I'll have to figure something out. At least I have a year to get ready, right?

There's other scheduling complications to consider. One intermediate step on the way that could work out well is the Elijah Bristow 24 Hour Race, the FULL time period. Alita wants to do 50 miles in 24 hours (a very achievable goal), which would make a great extended training period and practice session for running in the dark for hours and hours. (Actually, we run in the dark a lot, but not on trails, so maybe it won't seem that weird.) BUT that race happens very close to the time to when Alec is graduating from high school, and obviously we can't skip out on graduation for a race... I suppose.

This will definitely mean that Alita and I will have to go back to doing some of our runs separately. That's how we trained for the 12-hour at Elijah Bristow, and it worked out pretty well. So there are some possibilities there.

In truth, NEXT school year would be easier for me, at least, since I get Alita out the door at 5:50 a.m. and don't have to be to work until 9 a.m. Now, just enough of that time is filled with getting Alec ready for school to leave me very little time to run more than a couple of miles. But when he's off at college? I could easily sneak in a 90 minute run. So there's that.

Still, the inspiration isn't next year, it's now. So let's see where this takes us.

I just took a look at the race course.  Wow...looks awesome.  I'm definitely interested in helping in any way I can if you end up deciding to commit.

Kids do tend to complicate life.  We found that once the kids were all out of the house we were able to sneak away for overnight horse camping trips and all kinds of fun things.  Then we got grandkids and we're stuck closer to home again.  Oh well...it's worth it.

It's exciting to hear you're looking forward and making plans that include running...

Truly a diabolical scheme.  Whipping you on!   

Congrats on Alex's college acceptance!  I guess that is the one he wishes to attend?

Wowza, I've been terrible about checking in here lately. Sorry! Doing lots of things ... just not running.

ounce wrote:Truly a diabolical scheme.  Whipping you on!   

Flog, on, Ounce. I need all the motivation I can get! This new job (not so new, but getting more involved) is making free time for running a rare thing, indeed. Add in having to take the spawn out for driving practice and whatnot, and it's suddenly hard to find time to be more active. 

I know, I know. The point is not to find the time. The point is to MAKE it. I'll figure it out. Soon, I hope.

ounce wrote:SCZ zone


Ah, Mark, do you have time to send the offspring back through high school to get another $2K scholarship before next year?

Oh, if it worked that way! There's a scholarship to kids of newspaper employees that I'm pretty sure we can get, and some other things. We'll be on a scholarship hunt for the foreseeable future because, dang! College is a lot more expensive than when I went. Of course, it's cheaper when you get it in the original Greek, from Socrates himself, teaching while astride a dinosaur. 

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:Congrats on Alex's college acceptance!  I guess that is the one he wishes to attend?

Thanks! I'd say that he's 99.9% sure he wants to attend Washington State University in Pullman. (There's a WSU branch campus a few miles from our house here in Vancouver, but amazingly enough, he seems to want to be 358 miles away from Mom and Dad. Go figure!) 

We are going to make a campus visit later this month to Western Washington University up in Bellingham, between Seattle and Vancouver BC, if only to help him be sure of his choice. I doubt that it'll do anything other than solidify his preference for WSU, but that's okay. Still, Alec likes gloomy skies and rain, and that's pretty much what Bellingham has going for it -- while Pullman is blue skies, sunshine and cold winters.

So how long is the drive from Couvie to Pullman?  We are replete with flat and slow rolls between here and Fort Worth (250 miles), along with 75 mph signage, so 3-1/2 hours is average.  I wanted to be in a town with a discernible Fall, Winter, and Spring, but not too far from my mom's cooking.

ounce wrote:So how long is the drive from Couvie to Pullman?  We are replete with flat and slow rolls between here and Fort Worth (250 miles), along with 75 mph signage, so 3-1/2 hours is average.  I wanted to be in a town with a discernible Fall, Winter, and Spring, but not too far from my mom's cooking.

It's about a six-hour drive, though it feels longer. You go and go and go and go and finally make the turnoff at the last stretch of highway, feeling like you're almost there... and it says 89 more miles to go. 

The upside is that a chunk of that drive is through the Columbia River Gorge, which is one of the more scenic things on the planet. 

Pullman definitely bills itself as a place with four seasons. They get snow and cold in the winter. Alec says he likes the cold, so we'll see.

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:So how long is the drive from Couvie to Pullman?  We are replete with flat and slow rolls between here and Fort Worth (250 miles), along with 75 mph signage, so 3-1/2 hours is average.  I wanted to be in a town with a discernible Fall, Winter, and Spring, but not too far from my mom's cooking.

It's about a six-hour drive, though it feels longer. You go and go and go and go and finally make the turnoff at the last stretch of highway, feeling like you're almost there... and it says 89 more miles to go. 

The upside is that a chunk of that drive is through the Columbia River Gorge, which is one of the more scenic things on the planet. 

Pullman definitely bills itself as a place with four seasons. They get snow and cold in the winter. Alec says he likes the cold, so we'll see.

Consider yourself lucky...Katie chose Florida Tech!  And that drive is probably one of the most scenic drives in the country.  You can always stop for a hike or at least a snack at the base of a waterfall on the way.  Watch for the bighorn sheep.  We see them often.

Hope you are able to get back into a routine that includes running.

How's Alita feeling?  I think of her often...especially when you don't mention running with her.

Enjoy these last days of gorgeous weather!

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:So how long is the drive from Couvie to Pullman?  We are replete with flat and slow rolls between here and Fort Worth (250 miles), along with 75 mph signage, so 3-1/2 hours is average.  I wanted to be in a town with a discernible Fall, Winter, and Spring, but not too far from my mom's cooking.

It's about a six-hour drive, though it feels longer. You go and go and go and go and finally make the turnoff at the last stretch of highway, feeling like you're almost there... and it says 89 more miles to go. 

The upside is that a chunk of that drive is through the Columbia River Gorge, which is one of the more scenic things on the planet. 

Pullman definitely bills itself as a place with four seasons. They get snow and cold in the winter. Alec says he likes the cold, so we'll see.

Consider yourself lucky...Katie chose Florida Tech!  And that drive is probably one of the most scenic drives in the country.  You can always stop for a hike or at least a snack at the base of a waterfall on the way.  Watch for the bighorn sheep.  We see them often.

Hope you are able to get back into a routine that includes running.

How's Alita feeling?  I think of her often...especially when you don't mention running with her.

Enjoy these last days of gorgeous weather!

Bighorn sheep in the gorge? Ooo! Something to watch for. Well, maybe for my passengers to watch for.. 

Alita is doing okay. She's back in school, which amps up the stress level a lot, especially since they still don't have a contract and the district is playing hardball. (And they negotiated away their right to strike.) We're still trying to figure out the best way to get moving again, because we both want to.

Of course, at the rate we're going, we'll be ready to go just when the autumn rains kick in. At least we won't have to worry about overheating!

I've been battling a very irritating cold the past few days. All post-nasal drip and very sore throat. It's kept me away from work, which was distressing to me because, heaven help me, I seem to WANT to go to work now. Weird, right?

I'm hoping the majority of this stupid bug passes quickly, since we're driving up to Bellingham tomorrow afternoon so Alec can attend a preview session at Western Washington University. It's probably just going to affirm his decision to attend Washington State, but that's okay. We just want to make sure.

And Shannon chose Boston University - that was 10 hrs from Cleveland but across a very snowy NY state that was always an interesting December drive.  She would have been 18 hrs from Atlanta so yup, she chose to go far from home, but it was the right choice.  You might not realize it, but you know that Alec will be fine.

Hope you're feeling better.

Hope Alita continues to do well and gets a contract sooner rather than later.

Don't worry about Alec.  He'll do fine...and so will you parents!  Independence is a good thing.

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:And Shannon chose Boston University - that was 10 hrs from Cleveland but across a very snowy NY state that was always an interesting December drive.  She would have been 18 hrs from Atlanta so yup, she chose to go far from home, but it was the right choice.  You might not realize it, but you know that Alec will be fine.

Whee! A 10-hour drive would be quite the haul. We're excited for Alec. He's always been kind of a homebody, so his wanting to step out on his own is a big step.

Oh, and he definitely is going to Washington State University. We visited a different college this weekend (Western Washington University in Bellingham), and even though the campus was gorgeous, he was turned off by the speakers so much that we cut the day short and drove home. We confirmed with WSU that night. Go Cougs! 
 

nkrichards wrote:Hope you're feeling better.

Hope Alita continues to do well and gets a contract sooner rather than later.

Don't worry about Alec.  He'll do fine...and so will you parents!  Independence is a good thing.

One of things we like about Pullman is that it provides a lot of independence with enough of a safety net to ease him in to adulthood. 

My cold is lingering but isn't as bad. I tend to startle my family, though, when I erupt in terrible sounds when my body spontaneously tries to clear out the mucus. They'll be glad when that's over. 

Yay for Alec.  Believe me - they just know and when they do, we know it was the right choice.  No idea where Pullman is - but I might be coming to Spokane in December- so there is that - lol.

Hope you get better soon!

If I remember correctly, he's thinking environmental sciences or something like that?  And 4 legitimate seasons?  Y'all don't get that now?

Is he more "YES!" about next year or "Ohhhhh, crap." after accepting in stone?

Oh, quit goldbricking, Mr Editor!  Did y'all hire a Bidness Editor?

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:Yay for Alec.  Believe me - they just know and when they do, we know it was the right choice.  No idea where Pullman is - but I might be coming to Spokane in December- so there is that - lol.

Hope you get better soon!

Pullman isn't exactly in the big print on most maps, so I made one for ya. 




It is *this* close to Idaho. The sprawling metropolis of Moscow, Idaho, is just on the other side of the border. It was quite a popular place with WSU students before Idaho raised the drinking age to 21.

We agree this is the right choice for him. We're already looking at dorm possibilities 

ounce wrote:If I remember correctly, he's thinking environmental sciences or something like that?  And 4 legitimate seasons?  Y'all don't get that now?

Is he more "YES!" about next year or "Ohhhhh, crap." after accepting in stone?

Oh, quit goldbricking, Mr Editor!  Did y'all hire a Bidness Editor?

He switched it up a bit. He's interested in anthropology/archaeology but also in biology. They can actually fit together, which is amazing.

He's pretty pleased about next year but it's a long time from now. He did joke that he could now screw off all senior year with impunity. We may or may not have found his joke amusing. (Still gotta graduate, and keep grades up for scholarships and all that.)

Yes, we hired a business editor. And a business writer. And promoted a reporter to assistant metro editor. And now we're looking for an environment reporter and a news assistant. Keeping busy! No time to goldbrick.

Mark B wrote:

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:Yay for Alec.  Believe me - they just know and when they do, we know it was the right choice.  No idea where Pullman is - but I might be coming to Spokane in December- so there is that - lol.

Hope you get better soon!

Pullman isn't exactly in the big print on most maps, so I made one for ya. 




It is *this* close to Idaho. The sprawling metropolis of Moscow, Idaho, is just on the other side of the border. It was quite a popular place with WSU students before Idaho raised the drinking age to 21.

We agree this is the right choice for him. We're already looking at dorm possibilities 

ounce wrote:If I remember correctly, he's thinking environmental sciences or something like that?  And 4 legitimate seasons?  Y'all don't get that now?

Is he more "YES!" about next year or "Ohhhhh, crap." after accepting in stone?

Oh, quit goldbricking, Mr Editor!  Did y'all hire a Bidness Editor?

He switched it up a bit. He's interested in anthropology/archaeology but also in biology. They can actually fit together, which is amazing.

He's pretty pleased about next year but it's a long time from now. He did joke that he could now screw off all senior year with impunity. We may or may not have found his joke amusing. (Still gotta graduate, and keep grades up for scholarships and all that.)

Yes, we hired a business editor. And a business writer. And promoted a reporter to assistant metro editor. And now we're looking for an environment reporter and a news assistant. Keeping busy! No time to goldbrick.

Haha...Marty and my brother used top make beer runs to Idaho.

Katie went to a summer science camp in Moscow and when Mom and I drove up to get her we went on an awesome hot air balloon ride.

The big horn sheep are on your drive up the Columbia River Gorge.  Once you pass the John Day River keep a lookout.  We don't see them every time but do see them often.  They are often much lower down and closer to the hwy than you would expect.

We've had a few showers in the last couple days but they've been light.  I heard Portland got a good drenching...

Happy Birthday!

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:Yay for Alec.  Believe me - they just know and when they do, we know it was the right choice.  No idea where Pullman is - but I might be coming to Spokane in December- so there is that - lol.

Hope you get better soon!

Pullman isn't exactly in the big print on most maps, so I made one for ya. 




It is *this* close to Idaho. The sprawling metropolis of Moscow, Idaho, is just on the other side of the border. It was quite a popular place with WSU students before Idaho raised the drinking age to 21.

We agree this is the right choice for him. We're already looking at dorm possibilities 

ounce wrote:If I remember correctly, he's thinking environmental sciences or something like that?  And 4 legitimate seasons?  Y'all don't get that now?

Is he more "YES!" about next year or "Ohhhhh, crap." after accepting in stone?

Oh, quit goldbricking, Mr Editor!  Did y'all hire a Bidness Editor?

He switched it up a bit. He's interested in anthropology/archaeology but also in biology. They can actually fit together, which is amazing.

He's pretty pleased about next year but it's a long time from now. He did joke that he could now screw off all senior year with impunity. We may or may not have found his joke amusing. (Still gotta graduate, and keep grades up for scholarships and all that.)

Yes, we hired a business editor. And a business writer. And promoted a reporter to assistant metro editor. And now we're looking for an environment reporter and a news assistant. Keeping busy! No time to goldbrick.

Haha...Marty and my brother used top make beer runs to Idaho.

Katie went to a summer science camp in Moscow and when Mom and I drove up to get her we went on an awesome hot air balloon ride.

The big horn sheep are on your drive up the Columbia River Gorge.  Once you pass the John Day River keep a lookout.  We don't see them every time but do see them often.  They are often much lower down and closer to the hwy than you would expect.

We've had a few showers in the last couple days but they've been light.  I heard Portland got a good drenching...

So I guess Alec gets a watered down version of Senioritis.

I remember those beer running days in high school.  In the 70's, you couldn't get Coors in Houston, but you could in Fort Worth/Dallas.  My brother would (at my request) bring home a few cases of Coors and I would sell it to my buddies in high school for $2.50/6 pack or $8/case.  Ah, free enterprise!

And happy birfday, Mark, to the oldest barefoot runner I know!

What?  A birthday?  And a new age group?

Has it really been 5 years since you earned your "50 rock" on the trails of Mt. Hood?

Hope you and Alita find an awesome way to celebrate.

ounce wrote:

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:Yay for Alec.  Believe me - they just know and when they do, we know it was the right choice.  No idea where Pullman is - but I might be coming to Spokane in December- so there is that - lol.

Hope you get better soon!

Pullman isn't exactly in the big print on most maps, so I made one for ya. 




It is *this* close to Idaho. The sprawling metropolis of Moscow, Idaho, is just on the other side of the border. It was quite a popular place with WSU students before Idaho raised the drinking age to 21.

We agree this is the right choice for him. We're already looking at dorm possibilities 

ounce wrote:If I remember correctly, he's thinking environmental sciences or something like that?  And 4 legitimate seasons?  Y'all don't get that now?

Is he more "YES!" about next year or "Ohhhhh, crap." after accepting in stone?

Oh, quit goldbricking, Mr Editor!  Did y'all hire a Bidness Editor?

He switched it up a bit. He's interested in anthropology/archaeology but also in biology. They can actually fit together, which is amazing.

He's pretty pleased about next year but it's a long time from now. He did joke that he could now screw off all senior year with impunity. We may or may not have found his joke amusing. (Still gotta graduate, and keep grades up for scholarships and all that.)

Yes, we hired a business editor. And a business writer. And promoted a reporter to assistant metro editor. And now we're looking for an environment reporter and a news assistant. Keeping busy! No time to goldbrick.

Haha...Marty and my brother used top make beer runs to Idaho.

Katie went to a summer science camp in Moscow and when Mom and I drove up to get her we went on an awesome hot air balloon ride.

The big horn sheep are on your drive up the Columbia River Gorge.  Once you pass the John Day River keep a lookout.  We don't see them every time but do see them often.  They are often much lower down and closer to the hwy than you would expect.

We've had a few showers in the last couple days but they've been light.  I heard Portland got a good drenching...

So I guess Alec gets a watered down version of Senioritis.

I remember those beer running days in high school.  In the 70's, you couldn't get Coors in Houston, but you could in Fort Worth/Dallas.  My brother would (at my request) bring home a few cases of Coors and I would sell it to my buddies in high school for $2.50/6 pack or $8/case.  Ah, free enterprise!

And happy birfday, Mark, to the oldest barefoot runner I know!

Thanks, Doug! Yes, watered down if he knows what's good for him. His GPA is *just* high enough to quality for a merit scholarship. If he drops the ball, lots of $$ goes away. Nobody wants that.

nkrichards wrote:What?  A birthday?  And a new age group?

Has it really been 5 years since you earned your "50 rock" on the trails of Mt. Hood?

Hope you and Alita find an awesome way to celebrate.

Yes! A birthday! A new age group, too! 

And yes, it's been 5 years since the 50 miler. Hard to believe.

We had a quiet evening at home last night, since we both worked a little late. But we did have margaritas... 

So are the Portland nightly skirmishes still ongoing?  Please give some context and if Couv feels like emulation is necessary.

Great Ceasar's Ghost!  What's happenin' up there??

Ounce wrote:So are the Portland nightly skirmishes still ongoing?  Please give some context and if Couv feels like emulation is necessary.

Great Ceasar's Ghost!  What's happenin' up there??

What's happening, at least for the past three weeks, is one the nastier colds I've ever had. It finally drove me to the doctor this week, where I was diagnosed with bronchitis and a sinus infection that both required antibiotics. Oops! Maybe powering through it wasn't the best idea I ever had. One of these days soon, I hope, I won't be producing gallons of sputum, depositing bushels of biohazard tissues and hacking my head off. 

Other than that, the Portland brawls have stayed in Portland, but there is a Vancouver connection. The guy who organizes the right-wing side of the demonstrations, which draws white nationalist types (or "western chauvinists," as they like to call themselves) and then antifa folks who are just dying to punch a nazi, is from... you guessed it... my fair city. Thanks a lot, dude. Move somewhere else.

One thing about the trip to the doctor was a mandatory weigh in. Yipes. Gonna have to work on that.

Uh-oh...that doesn't sound good.  Hope you're feeling better now that you're on antibiotics.  There are some really nasty bugs out there this year!  I started to feel yucky on Monday so I'm not even a week into this yet.  I hate to waste a trip to the doctor if it's just a virus but....

Back to work and lunch time walks yet?

Mark B wrote:

Ounce wrote:So are the Portland nightly skirmishes still ongoing?  Please give some context and if Couv feels like emulation is necessary.

Great Ceasar's Ghost!  What's happenin' up there??

What's happening, at least for the past three weeks, is one the nastier colds I've ever had. It finally drove me to the doctor this week, where I was diagnosed with bronchitis and a sinus infection that both required antibiotics. Oops! Maybe powering through it wasn't the best idea I ever had. One of these days soon, I hope, I won't be producing gallons of sputum, depositing bushels of biohazard tissues and hacking my head off. 

Other than that, the Portland brawls have stayed in Portland, but there is a Vancouver connection. The guy who organizes the right-wing side of the demonstrations, which draws white nationalist types (or "western chauvinists," as they like to call themselves) and then antifa folks who are just dying to punch a nazi, is from... you guessed it... my fair city. Thanks a lot, dude. Move somewhere else.

One thing about the trip to the doctor was a mandatory weigh in. Yipes. Gonna have to work on that.

Can we look forward to an investigative mole report in the local newspaper, Perry White?

Did you have to take your biohazard to a processing facility that incinerates such nasties?

Now that you have attain the weight from where you can lose, enjoy the holidays!