A little over a week ago, I ran my first marathon. That means I have entered the period known in fanatical exercise circles as “recovery.” Conventional wisdom here dictates that I refrain from distance running for two to three glorious weeks, thus allowing my body to fully recover from the ordeal of marathoning and, ideally, preventing injuries. Continue reading “Rest and recovery for the wicked”
I am supposed to be training for the marathon I signed up for three months ago, when I thought maybe all I needed to really motivate myself to get after it was a concrete goal. The race, which is to take place in the neighborhood of 10,000 feet elevation, and which I now deeply regret signing up for, is in three days. Here is how I’ve been getting ready. Continue reading “List: Things I totally believe count as training”
Rationally, I know I’m an intelligent, educated, conscientious woman with a strong work ethic and the savvy to handle most challenges you might throw my way, but I spend a good portion of every day fighting the insidious effects of Impostor Syndrome, which can basically be summed up like so: At any moment, a slip of the tongue, some small past error I’ve made, could tip everyone off that I am, in point of fact, a complete fraud.
I check my watch for the umpteenth time, confirming that it’s still not quite eight o’clock on this muggy weekday morning. Despite the knot in my stomach, I sip my still-hot coffee. I’m leaning against an ancient van emblazoned with colorful logos, and sometime in the next hour, I’ll be addressing fifty volunteers who’ve shown up to maintain a popular hiking trail. Continue reading “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me”
Spoiler alert: we don’t just talk about ill-fitting gear and the challenges of peeing outside. There are plenty of gross jokes. Our conversations would definitely pass the Bechdel test.
This year, I got a head start on the answer to my perennial springtime question: How am I going to take advantage of the extra day off for Memorial Day weekend? I started considering my options in the midst of ski season. Continue reading “Ladies’ night out”
my alaskan odyssey 