It’s a 2.4 mile swim, then a 112 mile bike ride, followed by a full marathon.  You know the cyclists that do century bike rides?  And the runners that do marathons?  Imagine doing both of those in one day AFTER swimming 2.4 miles.  That’s an Ironman.

See this?

That’s an Ironman, too.

Last weekend, my friend Julie and I drove to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, to watch our friend Kara compete in Ironman CDA.  It was the most amazing, humbling, exhausting, mind-blowing, utterly overwhelming event I’ve ever witnessed.

We made a few signs:

(In case it isn’t clear, Kara is a University of Oregon alum)

Then, we found a course map and made sure to be at all the right places in all the right times. This involved getting up at 4 AM to get to Coeur d’Alene Lake to watch the swim:

This is what 2400 swimmers starting at the exact same moment looks like.

She finished both 1.2-mile laps in about 1 hour and 30 minutes total:

Then it was onto the bike:

She’s on Mile 112 at this point.  Looks pretty good, eh?

After 7 and a half hours on the bike and transitioning to the run, she still looked like she was just out for a Sunday afternoon jog:

It was incredible.  She crossed the finish line at 10:35 PM, after 140.6 miles and 15 and a half hours:

Congratulations, Kara.  I am so, so proud and happy for you.

Now, welcome back to the world of the socially-active and well-rested.

(Special thanks go to Kara’s boyfriend Todd – pictured above in orange – for taking the really great photos).

But we also try to get the true North-Central Oregon “Experience” as often as possible. Last summer we were two of the most enthusiastic participants in Umatilla Landing Days (note: actually only lasts one day) and have since attended a library/city hall grand opening (yep – same building) and explored the so-called “Nature Trails” the Army Corps of Engineers built by the banks of the Columbia (details for another post). We’ve even driven to Pendleton to visit the Pendleton Woolen Mills and hope to pick some Hermiston watermelons this summer.

So this past weekend, Galen suggested we drive up to Tri-Cities to check out their Indoor Football League team, the Fever. He noted that they would be facing off against the Outlaws from Billings, MT. I was obviously going to be rooting on the Fever.

For those of you who don’t know what makes IFL football different from the football you’re used to, here’s what you need to know:

• the field is 50 yards long by 28 yards wide.



• “dasher boards” made of high-density foam mark the sidelines, which helps remind the crowd that this field has a day job as a hockey rink
• the goal posts are skinnier (10 feet wide by 20 feet tall) and hung from the arena ceiling
• each team may have one coach on the field during play (but not IN play, obviously). I’m assuming this is because they can’t pace anywhere else.



• kickoffs are made from the goal line
• each team has 8 players on the field



• field goals are still 3 points, but drop-kick field goals are 4 points

So, you know, pretty much like the weirdest, most foreign and fake-looking version of football you can think of. You half expect Mickey Mouse to be out there in a jersey. But that’s where you’re in for a treat:

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you: Torch!

Yep, the Fever’s mascot is a giant football with arms and legs, wearing a Fever jersey and a ‘do rag with flames on it.  I combined these two photos to try to give you an idea of his dancing, but there’s really no way to describe a dancing football with T-Rex arms and a permanent open-mouthed scowl – you just have to see it for yourself.  Galen and I took about 18 photos of Torch because everything he did was amazing.

Then we decided we needed to meet him.  We chased him around the stadium for about 15 minutes.  It was sort of like a real-world version of Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?  We were asking people if they’d seen him and following their leads.  Occasionally we’d pop into the stadium to search for him and try to get to wherever he was – but he somehow disappeared as soon as we got there.  When we finally found him, he was walking away from us and we didn’t know how to get his attention.  He had some sort of handler or agent with him, so I said, “Hey, guys!”  But they didn’t hear me.  I looked to Galen for help, but he was clearly starstruck and unable to speak.  I tried again.  “Hey… Torch!”  He turned around.

We’ve got the Fever.

Today I ran an 8k race. See this bridge?

I ran across it. See this one?

Ran across it, too.

Pretty awesome, huh?

The reason I chose this race when I was making my new year’s resolution was because it combined two of my favorite parts of Portland – awesome bridges and delicious craft beer. Needless to say, it’s called “Bridge to Brews.” Basically, the route is from the Widmer brewery (a few blocks from my apartment), over the Freemont/I-405 Bridge, through Northwest Portland and back over the Broadway Bridge to the brewery. Running over the Freemont bridge was especially cool because it’s not pedestrian-accessible normally. They stopped traffic for us!

I had originally decided my goal for today would be to finish the race in under 70 minutes. Then I realized that if I kept the same pace I did in the 5k last month, I should have been able to finish in 65 minutes, so I made that my new goal. The final scores aren’t available online yet, but I’m pretty sure I finished the race in just under an hour. Which means I not only beat my goal, but I held a faster pace this time on a much more difficult (and more uphill!) course.

Before:

Galen and Mego

After:

Jess and Mego

Needless to say, I’m feeling pretty good about myself today. My legs are a different story, but hey, it was worth it. There were definitely points during the race when I realized I was actually feeling good. “Enjoying myself” seems a bit strong… But I definitely felt good and didn’t really want to stop for most of the race. Which is exactly what I never thought I would feel. So I consider this a win.

What’s next? I’m hoping to continue running a few times a week, but just for a half hour or so. Then maybe I’ll do a couple 5k’s every year to keep it up. The 8k was a great goal, but I think I’m more of a 5k girl. This has given me SO MUCH respect for my friends who have done marathons, relays and triathlons that put my race to shame. I won’t be signing up for Hood to Coast anytime soon, but I’m happy to have made it to a place where running doesn’t sound like the worst form of punishment possible.

Don’t mess with Montana!

Visiting Jess in her new city:

Hanging out with Galen:

Playing with the kiddos:

Soaking up the sun:

Umm… and “base-ball” or whatever this is:

Go Giants!

Anyway, I have also discovered some other non-sports-related brackets this year that have helped me waste time during the month of March.  First, there was the Cakes vs. Pies competition (Go Ice Cream Cake!).  Then there was the Bracket of Evil (I still can’t believe that Prop 8 and Glenn Beck didn’t make it out of the first round).  But then Galen introduced me to the Name of the Year competition, and I’m hooked.

Here’s the deal.  These guys collect nominations all year long for the Name of the Year.  Then they verify that the nominees were born with that name and didn’t choose it (legal name-changers and nicknames not allowed).   Then they arrange them in a bracket, with each of the four regions named after past winners – Bulltron, Sithole, Dragonwagon and Crotchtangle, and let the competition begin.  Want to know how they seed the names?  Listen to the podcast.

To see a list of past winners, including my faves, Honka Monka and Barkevious Mingo, check out the Names of the Year.

Galen and I spent the weekend in Arizona with his family (photos and stories coming soon!) and he asked his siblings and parents to fill out their own bracket while we were on vacation.  I’ve got mine here… But I was just thinking I’d open it up to all of you.  Who would be in your final four?

Note: The competition has already started.  Go to the Name of the Year Blog homepage to check in on its progress AFTER YOU VOTE on your final four in the comments section.  NO CHEATING!  DAD, I MEAN IT!

I realize this is not a fast pace, but my only goal was to run the whole way, and I did! In the time it took me to run 5k, Galen ran the 8k.  We were proud, exhausted and (very quickly) cold:

So we went to a pub, ate lots of food, drank black-and-tans (it was a St. Patrick’s day-themed race) and then I came home and napped while Galen tried to entertain himself. Turns out it wasn’t as rough of a morning for him.

I definitely have a ways to go before the 8k in a month, but as you can see, my enthusiasm was overwhelming this morning at 7 AM (6 AM, if it weren’t for Daylight Savings!):

(Yes, that’s frost on the windows. It was THAT cold.)

But I digress.  The 8k race I’ve been planning to run is on April 18th.  I decided I needed a warm up race between now and then, so I signed up for a 5k on this coming Sunday.     My ONLY goal for Sunday is to run the whole time.  It may take me an hour, but I’m going to try my hardest never to walk, even though my “tired run” is slower than my walking pace.

So I thought this would be a good time to update you, Internet, on the things that I’ve learned.  In case anyone else is thinking about taking up running because they hate it and they want to be overly prepared before embarking on such an adventure.  (A.K.A. The list I Wish I’d Had Two Months Ago):

Gear:

• Shoes.  I’ve learned these are very important.  I spent $100 on my running shoes, which is about $80 more than I wanted to spend, but it was totally worth it.  I went to Portland Running Company, where the sales guy watched me run up and down the block in various shoes until we were both comfortable and happy with the result.  (I actually left the place horribly embarrassed not only by the size of my feet, as usual, but by the way he said, “Oh interesting.  Usually people with flat feet pronate, but since you’re also pigeon-toed, it looks like you actually supinate.”  It may be interesting to you, sir.  To me, it just makes my feet more freakish.)  Anyway, I’m very, very happy with my shoes and the sales people were super nice and helpful.  It’s not their fault I have a foot complex.
• Long sleeved Nike Dri-Fit under shirt.  I know there are millions of brands that make these moisture-wicking shirts, but I happen to live closer to a Nike outlet than a grocery store, so it’s the easiest place for me to shop.  I love running outside even when it’s chilly and/or raining, so this is a must.  Although, if you’re like me and do laundry rather infrequently due to inconvenient laundromat hours, I might recommend buying a few of these shirts.  The smell after a use or two is downright foul.
• iPod shuffle.  Perfect little thing for listening to those Couch to 5k podcasts I was telling you about.  I have a big iPod, too, but bought a shuffle for running.  You can get them pretty cheap on the refurbished Apple website.  They’re so light and easy to run with and mine even clips to my clothes.
• Nike running watch.  Galen got me this for my birthday and it’s great.  It has tons of features I haven’t even figured out yet.  Plus it’s so sleek and cute.

Tools:

• In addition to the Couch to 5k Podcasts, I’d highly recommend checking out MapMyRun.com and FavoriteRun.com.  They’re both websites created to help people find good running routes in their areas.  In my opinion, MapMyRun is easier to use when you want to figure out how long your run was or if you want to make up your own route.  FavoriteRun is easier to navigate, however, if you’re looking for run routes that someone else suggested.  Either way, they’re good tools.

So, armed with this gear and these tools, I head into the world of 5k races.  Wish me luck.  And if you see a tall, awkward girl running like Phoebe from Friends in downtown Portland on Sunday morning (or afternoon, for that matter), please don’t tell her how unnaturally large her feet are.

No seriously, I hate running. Not just like I don’t enjoy it, but while I’m running, I just hate everything. I can’t say the word “hate” enough.

But after watching all my friends run races and triathlons, I decided I should give running another try. So I looked up races in the Portland area and found one that sounded fun (a run over the Fremont Bridge with free beer at the end for all participants – right up my alley). The only problem was that it’s 8k instead of 5, which is what I had planned to do. But it’s in April, so hopefully I have enough time to gear up.

Anyway, the reason I’m telling you all this, Internet, is because I found this really cool program that I’m sure everyone knew about except me… It’s called Couch to 5k. The best way I can describe it is using the metaphor of lifting weights. If I wanted to bench press 100 pounds by April, it would be stupid for me to just go to the gym every day and max out on the bench. I would probably hurt myself, first of all, and if I didn’t I would most certainly not look forward to the ritual. The best way to do it would be to do 10-20 reps of a lighter weight (say… the bar?) and increase the weight gradually over time. That way I would get stronger every day and in the end bench pressing 100 pounds wouldn’t make me feel like I want to die. And maybe along the way I would start to enjoy the feeling I got from the weight lifting, since it was challenging but not impossibly difficult.

Same thing here. I run 3 times a week for a half hour. Each run is broken up into running and walking intervals. In the beginning, It was one minute running, one walking, one running, etc. Then each week the running periods get longer and the walking intervals get shorter. Pretty soon (from what I’m told), I’ll be running 5k without even realizing it. Okay, that might be a stretch.

But it’s great. And there’s a bunch of different podcasts you can download to make it super easy. I’m into Podrunner Intervals, because they include music with BPMs that speed up when you’re supposed to be running and because they have a training system for an 8k, too. But there’s a whole bunch of Couch to 5k podcasts available if you want something different.

Anyway, after 4 weeks, I’m still enthusiastic. I would highly recommend it. And that means a lot coming from someone who hates running.

Blazers Game: Check.

Bad family photo: Double check.

This has gone well.

“Do you know who LeGarrette Blount is?” the man with the microphone said, as a woman with a video camera on her shoulder appeared behind him.

The tall girl with curls, knowing full well who Mr. Blount was, pretended to punch the man with the microphone.

“Yes!” the man with the microphone said as his face lit up. “We need a woman’s opinion on him. What are your thoughts?”

The tall girl with curls was confused. Her thoughts? He was old news. Those were her thoughts.

The man with the microphone recognized her confusion and said, “It was just announced an hour ago that he will be playing for Oregon this weekend. Originally he was suspended for the full year, but they changed their mind and have reinstated him.” Then the woman with the video camera put her eye behind the viewfinder and pointed the lens at the tall girl with curls.

It was at that minute that the tall girl with curls put her finger horizontally in between her lips and moved it up and down repeatedly for a few minutes, making a funny noise.

After the tall girl with curls and the coworker-friend had talked to the man with the microphone for a few minutes, they turned and started back for their office. On the way back, they discussed LeGarrette Blount in detail. They both had fairly strong opinions, mostly agreeing with each other. The tall girl with curls said that her problem wasn’t with the suspension or the length of it, but the fact that the University of Oregon changed their mind. It wasn’t fair, she said, to give him a harsh penalty when everyone’s emotions were high and the public was calling for punishment… and then reduce it when everyone had forgotten about the incident and moved on with their football-watching lives. The tall girl with curls believed that if the penalty warranted was two months’ suspension, then that’s what should have been imposed from the beginning. If you ground your kid for a week and then let them go out the next day, she said, all they (and their little brothers and sisters) learn is that whatever you say is not necessarily for sure.

The coworker-friend agreed. She was also pretty sure the University of Oregon probably had a change of heart after they lost to Stanford last weekend. Also, everyone seemed to think that if Blount was suspended for his entire senior season, that would be the end of his career. The coworker-friend, however, thought that lots of NFL teams wouldn’t have any qualms about drafting him, regardless of the punch heard ’round the world.

Then the tall girl with the curls and her coworker-friend looked at each other and said, “Why couldn’t the man with the microphone and the woman with the video camera have followed us and filmed THAT intelligent conversation?!?!”

The Tall Girl with the Curls and the Coworker-Friend Express Their Opinions