I am an adventure seeking wife and mother first! Travel, and endorphins are my best friends. I will try anything once, unless I know
I would be in danger. I have a crazy love of God, running, triathlon, the outdoors, dirt, wine, friends, good Vegan food, Yoga,
animals, happiness, and life! I truly believe the only limits in life are the ones set by ourselves. So get out there and expand the limits!!
~~Only she who attempts the absurd can achieve the impossible.


Tuesday, July 17, 2012

All the Whining was Worth the Wine- Fueled by Fine Wine 1/2 Marathon


These hills are NO JOKE!
One of the most challenging, fun, beautiful and wine-filled ½ marathons I have even run; Fueled By Fine Wine ½ Marathon in Dundee Hills, Oregon.

This was the 3rd year for this ½, and my 3rd time running it.  Every year, the course has changed, the wine has changed, and the excitement and good times have changed. 

This year was no exception.

This is a fantastically run event.  Moved this year from its original venue to the beautiful Stoller Vineyard.  The space was opened up a bit for the start/finish.   The course this year took us past some of the most incredible vineyards. The views were outstanding.  The course was just as challenging as ever.  Every year, I think they could not make it hillier, but somehow this happens.  Some of the climbs were just outrageous!  The downhills were brutal on the quads, knees, ankles and ego.  Several times we thought, “What goes up…” This course defies the norm.  Just because we were running up, did not mean, we were going to head down.
Greg rocking out this tough 1/2

Running right through the vineyards
Making it fun!

The beautiful Dundee Hills, Oregon
The Gorgeous Domaine Serene
I ran this year with our dear friend who lives in the Portland area, and the Hubs.  His first time.  OH BOY!! He was a FBFW virgin.  He definitely felt the brutality.  HAHA!  A lot of the course this year was run on gravel, jory soil through the vineyards and grassy fields, even one area that was a single track/horse trail through a vineyard, and some amazing forested areas.  I love trail running, so this, I think, was by far my favorite course thus far.
The aide stations were fun and filled with enthusiastic volunteers.  I loved the station at Winter's Hill Vineyard.  Music and fun people all drinking mimosas!!  Where else do you get that on a racecourse??

Winter's Hill Vineyard




All of the challenge of this course was worth the pay off when we would stop to look around.  Sweeping views of the valley, extraordinary vineyards as far as the eye could see.  


The after party was so much fun.  A lot more wineries this year awaited us in a covered tent area, pouring generous amounts of wine for tasting.  Great food was available.  The area of Stoller Vineyards that we finished was right in the outer part of the vineyard.  Vines were growing, right next to where we sat on blankets, eating lunch, wine tasting, and sitting in the sun in the after-glow of an incredible race.

Playin' around on the tractor. 


After the race, we had the opportunity to visit some of the best wineries in the Dundee Hills area.   Which of course resulted in, bringing quite a few bottles of wine back home with us.





McMenamins....like walking through Alice in Wonderland!


Multnomah Falls


Monday, July 9, 2012

Missoula 1/2 Marathon-The Best in the Wild West


There is nothing like when the sun rises over the mountain ranges above Missoula Montana.  Majestic and purple in the early morning, with rays of golden, blaze daring to peak out from behind them.  It is quite spectacular, and something to behold.
This is the view that you will get as you take part in the Missoula Marathon and ½ Marathon.
I had the pleasure of running the ½ Marathon this year.  I ran in 2009, and have been wanting to get back ever since.
From start to finish this race is top notch.  The expo is located in the gorgeous, riverside, Caras Park.  It is run so smoothly, as you check in to pick up your race packet.  This year a great drawstring backpack, with your timing chip, your T-shirt, and a welcome pamphlet.  No fliers, advertisements, or coupons for cool stuff you ask?  This year, in trying to keep their event “green” they partnered with Virtual Race Bags.  Registered runners then were able to view and link to their sponsors through an email sent to us, and/or through a QR Code to download or print their coupons of choice.  This is SUCH a wonderful idea.  How many races have we all been to, with coupon flyers in our bags that go unused?  What a great way to pick and chose the coupon of your choice while not filling our land fills with wasted paper. 
Bravo, Missoula Marathon and Virtual Race Bags!!!
  The expo was also filled with venders, and very friendly people to assist and help in any way possible.
The morning of the race runs smoothly as well.  Busses pick up runners on 2 sides of the road, for Full runners, and ½ runners.  We waited in line no more than 5-7 minutes, before we loaded the bus to take us to our start.  There we could drop our gear bags into numbered boxes, which were then transported to the finish line.
It was exciting waiting at the start with 3000 other runners.  The announcer was hilarious, as he stood atop scaffolding in his tights, with his underwear on the outside.  Yes, this is true!  He took us through a warm-up, we all stood in silence to hear our National Anthem, and then an incredible fireworks display covered the morning sky above us.  Beautiful explosions of blue, pink, purple in the dawn sky to send us on our way.
This course…. I can’t even begin to articulate the beauty of this course.  It is by far one of the most spectacular courses I have run.  The mountain ranges, which are the backdrop of this entire route, are unimaginable.  As you start, the sun is just coming up, bronzing the mountain ranges.  The course, which is fairly flat, winds along next to the Bitterroot and Clark Fork Rivers.  There is something so serene about this course.  Winding through country roads, farmland, residential neighborhoods, you see wildlife, birds, cows and horses running though their pastures.  Just extraordinary scenery.
  The spectators along the routes are tremendous!  Out in the early morning, with their coffee and cowbell in hand to cheer you along.  The aid stations are plentiful, 17 for the full and 10 for the ½, at about every 2-miles, and hopping with excited volunteers, adults, teenagers, football teams etc just waiting for you to pick up your H2O, Gatorade, Cliff Gel, and gummy bears.  There was even one man out in his front yard, under a white canopy, playing his Grand Piano for us!!
The finish line.  You can hear it for quite some time as you are closing in.  As you come off of 4th St and round the corner onto Higgins Ave the streets are lined with spectators.  Heading over the bridge (which is down hill) the party grows with enthusiastic spectators, yelling, screaming, cheering, until you see the balloon arch awaiting your arrival.  The announcer, somehow, calls every name and where you are from as you cross that finish line to claim your medal. 
This years medals were horseshoes, with a runner inside.  Big, and beautiful!!


Serious Heavy Metal


The post race festivities are impressive.  First, a race photo taken at the finish that you claim later FOR FREE, then a food area, full of volunteers to serve you, pasta salads, several fruits, bagels and breads, frozen fruit bars (which are SO tasty), and fig cookies.  Water and sports drink are also available.  Back into Caras Park, they do an awards ceremony, and have free beer from Big Sky Brewing (one of my faces)
 
A little bling and a little beer!

My finish time for the ½ marathon was 1:57.  Not a PR for me, but it was a course PR.  I felt great the entire way.  Stuck to my hydration plan of having water at every other aide station and sticking to my Infinit Napalm.  It worked amazingly well.  I had zero GI issues, and had great energy the entire time.  The only thing I may do different next year, other than possibly running the full marathon would be to stop and take some photos.  All too often, I get so caught up in my pace and a PR, that I forget to “stop and smell the roses.” 
This is a course that you can do both….you can definitely set a PR, due to the fact that it is flat and fast, but if that’s not what you are after, then it has tremendous beauty to take in.

This is truly a race you wouldn’t want to pass up!


I think I have been known to say this a time or two!

True Beauty


Great FREE race photos

Happy Finishers!

Playing in the River at Council Grove
My friend running into the finish with her Pup!

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Search and Rescue





I haven’t sat down to write in some time.  The other day, doing a long run in the sunshine, I thought….where have I gone?  It then dawned on me, “Paula has been a little lost.”

Getting too caught up “life”....  Not really my style.
I learned years ago that there are things I cannot, should not, and honestly really do not want to:  Control. 
Life is so much easier, happier and joyful when I just live and let God have the control He should.  Needed a reminder of that.

As most of you know, I had a few races this year that I was planning.  Some I have done, some not, and some I had decided to let go of until another year.  I got into a serious FUNK this winter/spring.  Not wanting to do a whole lot.  It happens.  I just don’t think a lot of people realize it happens.  Not sure if it was necessarily depression, (I'm not into labels)  just a lack of wanting to train.   I was not completely couch bound, just not into my normal routine.  I had decided that I was going to take this year off from racing.  I had a few minor set backs through the winter that tried to side-line me.  One serious cold that hung on for weeks it seemed and then a diagnosis from my Dr of a “sluggish” thyroid.  I knew something wasn’t right.  My serious tiredness, sometimes utterly exhausted, my inability to get and stay warm, I just felt “off.”  Long story short, we are working on getting that back on track. 
Also as women, we tend to want to “fix things” in our lives or get caught up in things that we shouldn’t.  That is NOT how I roll…but for a few months, I allowed my self to get swallowed up into aspects that were not mine to dwell over and control.   Mentally and physically I needed to get back to myself.  I am not a “worrier” not a “follower” not a “drama queen” not a “gossiper” not a “downer” not a “complainer”  If things aren’t RIGHT in my life, I change, adapt, and let go, to allow God to take over.

Send Search and Recue out to find Paula, please!

Thank goodness the Life Boat showed up!

Fast forward to now.  Mind changed on racing, and moving forward with training.  I decided to dive in and hire a coach.  That has given me some focus.  A plan.  I am right back where I love to be.  Training hard everyday, back to my yoga practice, back to having my quiet time.  God needed to remind me that in the quiet, is where He is.  When I get too busy doing “stuff” I have a hard time hearing His still, small, voice.  I allowed unnecessary busyness to sneak in where it shouldn’t be, and was not invited to be.
I am on track training for Ironman Canada.  Have a ½ marathon this Sunday, Missoula Marathon (in Missoula Montana) and next Sunday, Fueled By Fine Wine ½ (in Dundee Hills/Portland, Oregon) which will fulfill the criteria to become a Half Fanatic, on track for the Chicago Marathon in October (shout out to my RMM girls that are joining me) and have a lot of fun travel and adventure coming up. 

Now that I am in the life raft…I am allowing God to lull my life me back to where I love to be.  IN the raft, drifting with the current.  Slowed down, enjoying the moment, loving the quiet, not sweating the small stuff, getting rid of the “busy,” inviting in the joy, laughing, meditating on His greatness, accepting His grace, enjoying every day that I have left of this fabulous life.

It’s going to be an amazing summer!

~Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."  Matthew 11:28-30 The Message