Tillamook Burn 50K

 One night in December around 10 PM I returned from a lovely time at book club and found a text on my phone from Heather.  It basically said, The Tillamook 50K is filling up.  If you want to sign up you should do it now. 
I was in such a cheerful mood after a couple of hours of chatting with amazing women so I started to consider it.  Brandon was super supportive of the idea so after 5 minutes of thinking I got on the computer and signed myself up.
I didn't get nervous until a week or so later when Heather sent me a copy of her training plan.  The weekly mileage started at 32 and over a few months built all the way up to 56 miles.  When I looked at it I burst into tears.
But, one by one with the support of my family and my running buddies I checked one workout off the list at a time.  We met on rainy, freezing, dark mornings and wore our headlamps and we also enjoyed beautiful sunny days on the trails.  We ran on the road and up the buttes.  We laughed a lot, and we definitely hurt.  We told stories and talked each other through our deepest fears.  Sometimes I had to go alone and sometimes I pushed Ike in the stroller.  I learned about different fueling plans and anti-chafing gels.  I was sore and tired and felt so proud of how strong my mind and body could be. 
I found so much joy in spending time outside in beautiful spaces and in the well earned tiredness of my muscles.
I loved it.
The race was gorgeous.  It was so hard.  It was so long.  And it was so much fun.

Tillamook Cheese Factory

Cape Kiwanda

 I was so sad to retire these shoes.  They have fought the good fight and deserve a heroes welcome in wherever good shoes go after they have run their last mile.

Brandon took the kids to Utah for Hayden's wedding so I was left in Eugene on my own for 2 whole days.  It has been a lovely adventure being alone.  Mostly I have just wasted it binge watching TV and reading.  I walked over to Hideaway Bakery.  Some places are just special and this is one of them.

 I was saved from solitary by sweet friends and we had an adventurous meal at Market of Choice. 

 Running a race like that puts you in a reflective mood and I just feel so grateful for my life.  I keep saying that this period of time that we are living in Eugene again is like a bonus level in a video game.  I am like Mario running around grabbing gold coins.  My pockets are full of golden memories of food, family, friends, and one beautiful city.