Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Cyclobenzaprin, Percocet, and Chlorzoxazone...


I know, sounds like a good time, right. Well, as your friendly family doctor could tell you, anyone taking those three meds probably has a very painful back. Very, very, very painful. And probably isn't running. At all. Barely walking, probably. Most likely wishing they hadn't been born when they twist their back the wrong way.

Sometimes I just want to trade this body in for a new model.

RACES FOR WEEK OF JANUARY 5th TO JANUARY 11th

January 10th / Frenchman's Bar 9, 6 and 3 mile runs / Vancouver, WA

January 11th / Cascade Half Marathon and 10k / Turner, OR

January 11th / Maui Paradise Marathon, Half Marathon and 5k (Hey, a guy can dream, can't he?) / Maui, HI

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

It's that time of year...


Yesterday, I saw a woman running down the sidewalk past Reser Stadium in her soccer cleats.

Oh, did I mention we have snow and ice on the sidewalks here in Corvallis? Yep. The city that has white Christmas as often as Phoenix has some of the white stuff. Will it hang around until the 25th?

Get tough, get cold, and get out there and run.

RACES FOR WEEK OF DECEMBER 29th TO JANUARY 4th

December 31st / First Run 2009 5k / Portland, OR

December 31st / Year to Year Run 5k / Longview, WA

December 31st/January 1st / First Run 10k and 5k (two runs) / Eugene, OR

January 1st / Padden Resolution 2.6 mile Run and Polar Bear Swim / Bellingham, WA

January 1st / Capitol Mile / Salem, OR

January 1st / Pooch and Pal 1.5 mile run and Thunder Run 5k (races run back to back) / Pasco, WA

January 1st / New Years Day Hangover Run 9 or 4 mile / Lewiston, ID

January 1st / Resolution Run 5k and Polar Bear Swim / Seattle, WA

January 1st / Y2K9 Run, 20.09k and 10k / Forest Grove, OR

January 3rd / Lake Samish Runs, 13.1 and 6.5 miles / Bellingham, WA

January 4th / Kitsap YMCA Resolution Run 5k / Bremerton, WA

Sunday, December 7, 2008

New Year, here I come!


Between the move from Sedro-Woolley to Corvallis and the job hunt and the house hunt and the apartment hunt, I think I ran in about two races last year and didn't do a single tri. Man, that's sad. But 2009 is gonna be a whole different story! It's time to embrace my Masters-ness and try to set some PR's. I'm looking to race in 20-25 races this year. Get ready, get set, and go!


RACES FOR WEEK OF DECEMBER 22nd TO DECEMBER 28th

December 22nd / Tour de Lights 5k / Bonney Lake, WA

That's it. One race. On a Monday night. But you get to see Christmas lights. Get out there and run.

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Not gonna happen...again


Another year of dismal, dismal failure at Nanowrimo for the artist known as Scott Lommers. It's no secret why: the first week of the month and the last week of the month were just horrible. The Thanksgiving weekend will always be tough, so clearly, for 2009, I'm going to have to concentrate on starting faster and getting about 20,000 words done in the first week.

Ah well...

RACES FOR WEEK OF DECEMBER 15th TO DECEMBER 21st

December 19th / Northern Lights Winter Solstice Headlamp Run 5 mile / Sedro-Woolley, WA

December 20th / Ferndale Flat and Fast 10k / Ferndale, WA

December 20th / Lampson Cable Bridge Run 10k and 5k / Pasco, WA

December 21st / Christmas Marathon, Half-Marathon, 10 mile, 10k, 5k / Olympia, WA

December 21st / Winter Solstice Run 5k / Eugene, OR

Saturday, November 22, 2008

100 Posts Old...



and I'm feeling every one of them. So this is post number 100 on The Two R's. Wow.

In other news, I'm way behind on my Nanowrimo novel, but I've got one last big push in me this weekend. By Sunday night, we'll know if there's any hope at all.

Let's Run.

RACES FOR WEEK OF DECEMBER 8th TO DECEMBER 14th

December 13th / Jingle Bells Runs 8k and 5k / Eugene, OR

December 13th / Winter Solstice Fun Run 5k / Bainbridge Island, WA

December 13th / Jingle Bell Run 4 mile / Bellingham, WA

December 13th / Run Rudolph Run 5k / Edmonds, WA

December 13th / Mosier Twin Tunnels 12k and 5k Runs / Hood River, OR

December 13th / Christmas Rush Fun Run 10k and 5k / Kent, WA

December 13th / Jingle Bell Run 5k / Spokane, WA

December 13th / Toys for Tots Airport Run 10k and 5k / Arlington, WA

December 14th / 12K's of Christmas Holiday Run 12k and 5k / Kirkland, WA

December 14th / Jingle Bell Run 5k / Seattle, WA

Sunday, November 16, 2008

It's Jingle Time...



Well, not that Jingle actually...

It's the time of year that the Arthritis Foundation Jingle Bell Runs start popping up on the calendar! Yeah, nothing like running and making an annoying noise early in the morning all at the same time.

RACES FOR WEEK OF DECEMBER 1st TO DECEMBER 7th

December 6th / Ridgefield Holiday 10k and 5k runs / Ridgefield, WA

December 6th / Fairhaven Frosty 10k and 5k runs / Bellingham, WA

December 6th / Skagit Jingle Bell Run 4 mile / Mt. Vernon, WA

December 6th / Bend Jingle Bell Run 5k / Bend, OR

December 6th / Wondergirl 5k / Seattle, WA

December 7th / Beaver Fun Run 5k / Corvallis, OR

December 7th / Portland Jingle Bell Run 5k / Portland, OR

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Where have all the writers gone?


Yes, I know the blog has been pretty slow lately, but I'm trying to write this Nanowrimo novel, you see. Don't worry, I'll still get the race calendars up, but probably not much else for November.

Although I do have something to discuss today! What's with all the talented writers dropping down into the young adult ranks? Are the publisher's just desperate to find the next Harry Potter? Surely there's no more money in the Young Adult and Children's market than there is in the Adult market...is there?

Two of my all-time favorites are doing a LOT of this, to the point where they barely write adult novels anymore. Yes, I'm talking to you Pete Hautman and Rick Riordan. Others trying their hand at young adult novels are Ridley Pearson, Dave Barry and Carl Hiaasen. What the heck is going on?

Why I remember when I was a kid...you had to go straight from Encyclopedia Brown to Stephen King with no stops in between. If that was good enough for us, then why do these modern kids get all these quality writers working just for them?!

You damn kids! Get off my lawn!

Saturday, November 8, 2008

I'm behind...again...


Yes, I realize I'm more than a little bit behind on my word count for Nanowrimo, but never fear! I had to spend the first four days of the month working on an article for RaceCenter Magazine. Now that I've finished that, I've got nothing going on for the rest of the month but writing! And I've got my first weekend - always a high point in any young man's life. Of course, I've also got the kids since Jen has a show in Port Townsend this weekend. Not exactly the quiet time that aspiring writers look for.

RACES FOR WEEK OF NOVEMBER 24th TO NOVEMBER 30th

November 27th / Oregon Mid-Valley Road Race 5.2 and 3.75 mile runs / Albany, OR

November 27th / Osborne Aquatic Center Turkey Trot 5k / Corvallis, OR

November 27th / American Red Cross Turkey Trot 5k / Kennewick, WA

November 27th / Mosier Twin Tunnel 12k and 5k / Hood River, OR

November 27th / The Centre at Norpoint Turkey Trot 5k / Tacoma, WA

November 27th / Give n' Gobble 10k and 5k / Sherwood, OR

November 27th / Thanks and Giving Challenge 12k and 5k / Wenatchee, WA

November 30th / Seattle Marathon, Half-Marathon / Seattle, WA

Thanks to the American Red Cross Benton-Franklin Chapter, for that good lookin' bird. I can't wait for T-Day, my favorite holiday of the year!

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

The first excerpt is up!



That's right, the first excerpt from my nanowrimo novel is up. Head on over and check it out. Then come back over here and tell me what you think.

Unless you hate it, then for God's sake, keep it to yourself.

Hey, I stole the photo from here. Please go over to Yvette's and say "Thank You" for me. No, I'm not sure how they got Domino, took her picture, then brought her back without us noticing.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Costs about $59.94 too much...


Oh boy, the Nike+ SportBand. Where do I start? Oh, I know...IT'S A PIECE OF JUNK. Sorry about that, but really, it's just not good. Don't get me wrong, I'm a Nike+ fan. I've never had any problems with my Nike+ that hooks to the iPod and I like running with it. So I thought, "Hey, that SportBand looks pretty cool, I think I'll give it a try." And $59.95 later, I was hooked up. And all was well for about two months, then...the screen seemed to fog up a bit, and the pixels came and went, and the charge wouldn't hold for longer than about 10 minutes, and, well, finally it just died. A three month life span. Twenty bucks a month. That's a little expensive for my taste.

When I called Nike to complain, I realized that the SportBand has serious issues. Even though I have no receipt and no proof of when I bought it, they took it back for a refund (a voucher to Nike.com, which is fine with me) with absolutely no arguement whatsoever. They seem to be getting a lot of those kinds of calls on the SportBand, she was shocked by nothing I said. I've since looked online a bit, and the SportBand definitely has issues.

Back to the Nike+ on the iPod for me.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

One more day...


Only one more day until November and then I'll be writing a novel instead of doing my full-time, almost-minimum-wage-plus-awesome-benefits job of informing the world about races to run in the NW, sooooo...we better do another race calendar before it's too late.

But first, let's talk playground equipment. Now Corvallis is pretty much on the cutting edge in parks, trails, and playground equipment, but (and this is a big but) in Avery Park, there's some old-school equipment. I'm talking Spanish Inquisition, old-school equipment. Check out that medieval torture device in the photo - that's solid steel, my friends. No safety plastic or rubber equipment here. If you can get through that "toy" without skinned knees, cut elbows, and a black eye, you're more spry than my kids. "Payton! If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times, don't torture your sister in the Metal Hive of Terror!"

RACES FOR WEEK OF NOVEMBER 17th TO NOVEMBER 23rd

November 22nd / EWEB Run to Stay Warm Half-Marathon, 10k and 5k / Eugene, OR

November 22nd / GBRC Turkey Trot 5k / Bellingham, WA

November 22nd / Turkey Trot 4 Mile run / Clarkston, WA


Gotta be one of the slowest running weeks of the year...good luck finding a race to run.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Two...Days...


Holy moly...there's no time to mess around now. Nanowrimo is two stinking days away. If you don't have a semi-plot in mind by now, you really need to hustle it along. After a few minor alterations to my plot, I'm all but ready. The only thing holding me back at this point is that I have a RaceCenter article due on Nov. 3rd. DOH! That's all right; i know I can't start any more slowly than I did last year. In case you've missed it the last six times I've mentioned it, here's the direct link to my Nanowrimo page.

Unite to Write on Nov. 1st!

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Why are you INSIDE!






It's almost November...and it's 70 degrees outside (no, really), the trees are absolutely gorgeous and there's no reason to be inside. Get out there and run or bike or walk or skip...whatever - just enjoy it while you can.

Maybe run a race...

RACES FOR WEEK OF NOVEMBER 10th TO NOVEMBER 16th

November 15th / Ref Runs for Riverview Turkey Trots 10k and 5k / Carnation, WA

November 15th / Turkey Trot 5k / Vancouver, WA

November 15th / Snoqualmie Ridge Turkey Trot 5k / Snoqualmie, WA

November 16th / Winter Pineapple Classic 5k / Seattle, WA

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Ten Days Away!


Ten more days until Nanowrimo. See my page here. Now that we're starting to get close, I'm actually thinking about changing the tone of my novel! NOOOOOOO! Maybe even a whole new plot! AGGGGGHHHHHHHH!

It's the waiting that's doing it to me. It's killing me. If it wasn't totally against the rules, I'd start writing now, just so I wouldn't keep second-guessing myself on what I'm going to write. Every day when I have a few free minutes, my brain wanders away..."what if we just played it this way....what if we change the main character from a girl to a guy...what if...what if?????" I'm dying here.

Bring it on already!

Sunday, October 19, 2008

I'm totally slobberknocked...


I had NO idea that Kona Bikes were based out of Ferndale, Washington. Are you kidding me? Ferndale? Why didn't anyone ever tell me this? If you did not hear, I recently purchased a Kona Fire Mountain (see above) before I even realized they were based out of the NW. I really just bought it because it rode much nicer than the Trek or the Giant that I test-drove on the same day.

So now I have a road bike (Softride) and a mountain bike (Kona) that were made from companies based within ten miles of each other up in Washington state. How cool is that?

Thursday, October 16, 2008

TWO WEEKS!


That's right, we're two weeks away from November. Two weeks away from writing your 50,000 word novel for Nanowrimo. Are you ready? I think I am. I've got a plot, a bit of an outline (well, more like a number of "scenes" running through my head) and a "what the hell" attitude. Yep, I'm ready.

I'm also ready to run a race...I think. My ankle is getting better and better, but I'm in such horrible shape now that it may take a while to get all the way back. Dixon Recreation Center, here I come!

RACES FOR WEEK OF NOVEMBER 3rd TO NOVEMBER 9th

November 8th / Go Deep 20k / North Vancouver, B.C.

November 8th / Footworx Fowl Fun Run 10k and 2 mile runs / Mount Vernon, WA

November 8th / Lithia Loop Trail Marathon / Ashland, OR

November 8th / Columbia River Classic 10 and 2 mile runs / Richland, WA

November 8th / Lifeforce Challenge 10k and 5k / Eugene, OR

November 8th / Run for Darfur 5k / Tualatin, OR

November 9th / Padden Mudfest 7 mile run / Bellingham, WA

Photo is of the indoor lap track at Dixon Rec. Center on campus at OSU. Yes, I've already purchased my staff membership for Dixon. I never thought I'd be able to live the IMA life again, but there you go.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

I'm HUGE in Troutdale...


I know, it's not quite like saying I'm huge in Japan, but I'll take what I can get. See, you can sign up on Google to track your website hits, and obviously most of mine come from Oregon, Washington and Idaho, in that order (the hits I get from India, New Zealand, and Sweden - yeah, I'm not sure about those). And where do the huge majority come from in Oregon? My hometown, Corvallis? Nope. The biggest city, Portland? Not even close. Troutdale? That's a big "Yes, sir!" Why Troutdale, you ask? Does my Mother live there? Strangely enough, no. In fact, I don't believe I know anyone in Troutdale, but man, they love The Two R's there!

So here's my shout-out to the lovely city of Troutdale. Go you mighty, um, Trouts? No, wait...(quickly runs to Google to see what the Troutdale High mascot is)...Go you Mighty Raiders of Reynolds High in Troutdale! May you run, and write, upstream quickly in the future!

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Winter? Already?


Yep, it's becoming that time of year again. Try as I might, I could only find three races for the weekend...THREE...and it will get even worse as we get into the non-holiday weeks of Nov., Dec., and Jan. But that just means it's a perfect time for you to win an award! Fewer racers - Yahhh! Hand me over that ribbon now and save time!

RACES FOR WEEK OF OCTOBER 22nd TO NOVEMBER 2nd

November 1st / Zeitgeist Half-Marathon / Boise, ID

November 1st / Doc Sears Fall Classic 5 mile run / Lewiston, ID (AND IT'S FREE!!)

November 2nd / Pace Race 5k / Kirkland, WA

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Release the Hounds!





Today was dog day at Otter Beach (the outdoor pools at the Osbourne Aquatic Center). Since the outdoor pools are now closed until next Spring, five bucks got you and your dog into the pool to take a dip.

There were about 150 dogs there. It was utter bedlam. I loved it.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Nice view...


Jen and I took Jingle up to St. Mary's Peak, about 20 minutes outside of Corvallis. Very nice. If you're looking for a tough, hilly, sometimes downright nasty, workout, take your mountain bike or your trail running shoes and hit the thin air up there.

RACES FOR WEEK OF OCTOBER 20th TO OCTOBER 26th

October 25th / Pumpkin Push 5k / Seattle, WA

October 25th / Columbia River Power Marathon / Umatilla, OR

October 25th / Prison Break Half-Marathon, 10k and 5k / Boise, ID

October 25th / Marine Park Costume 4 mile Run / Vancouver, WA

October 25th / Ghostmuster Fun Run 10k and 5k / Tenino, WA

October 26th / McDonald Forest Cross Country 15k and 5k / Corvallis, OR

October 26th / Tri-Cities Marathon / Richland, WA

October 26th / Spooky 12k Trail Run / Port Gamble, WA

October 26th / Soaring Eagle Park 10 mile and 5.1 mile Trail Runs / Sammamish, WA

October 26th / James Cunningham Seawall 9.5k Run / Vancouver, B.C.

October 26th / Race for the End of Domestic Violence 10k and 5k / Bellingham, WA

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Adams Elementary Invitational Triathlon...


No, those bikes aren't waiting for triathletes to come running in from the swim - they're actually waiting for the students at Adams Elementary to come out and ride them home. It's unbelievable how many people ride bikes in this town. Corvallis has a population of about 55,000 and over 55 miles of bike trails and bike lanes. And do they ever get used. There are people biking on the trails every minute of every hour of every day...and that extends right down to the K-5 students at Adams.

Build it and they will come.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Hey, hey, hey, it's some new ink...


That's right, the October/November/December issue (let's just call it the "winter" issue) of RaceCenter is out. And what do you know, Sr. Writer Scott Lommers has another article in it. How did I fool Editor Brook Gardner into making me a Sr. Writer? Andrew Jackson has yet to let me down, my friends.

So in this issue, I dial up a little something called "Running on Superstition," which is, oddly, an article on Running...and Superstition. It's got a nice little story about my brother in there...we'll see if he reads it. I'm not going to mention it to him, that's for sure.

What else is in the issue? Well, there's "Toe-Roping," "Running with Purpose," and "Girls on the Run." All quality stuff, if not all from Sr. Writers on the RaceCenter staff. But you know where to find that, right?

Also, I notice a photo of a pretty young women named "Jami" on page 43. And, I must add, it is not the first time I've seen "Jami" in the pages of RaceCenter. I'm a-thinkin' Editor Brook has a little crush on this "Jami."

Or maybe she knows the power of a Jackson as well. She might just be the new RaceCenter Sr. Cute Runner Girl in the Photos. It's a prestigious position, believe you-me.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

It's a Corvallis Festivus Miracle!


After many, many, many (I really can't empahsize the "many" part enough) attempts to interest Payton in bikes and biking, and an equal number of failures, the move to Corvallis was apparently all we ever needed to do. Payton is now riding his brand new bike to and from school, around the lake by our apartment, and over the Trex pathways in the wetlands surrounding our apartment. In fact, he's becoming one of "those" kids that wants to go ride his bike every second of every day.

Where did this bike-loving kid come from? We're not sure, but we like him, so we've decided to keep him.


RACES FOR WEEK OF OCTOBER 13th TO OCTOBER 19th

October 18th / Pre's X-C Challenge 7k, 5k, and 3k / Eugene, OR

October 18th / Howl and Scream Scram 10k and 5k / Richland, WA

October 18th / Mt. Erie Road and Trail Runs, 3.6 and 2.5 mile / Anacortes, WA

October 18th / Chelan Chase 5k / Chelan, WA

October 18th / Free to Breathe 5k / Tacoma, WA

October 18th / Lewis-Clark Half-Marathon / Clarkston, ID

October 18th / Barkley Autumn Trail Run 8k / Bellingham, WA

October 19th / Oktoberfest Brewski-Daddle / Vancouver, B.C.

October 19th / Rippling River Run / Eugene, OR

October 19th / Beaver Fever Duathlon / Philomath, OR

October 19th / Run Like Hell Half-Marathon, 10k, and 5k / Portland, OR

October 19th / Girlfriend's Half-Marathon / Vancouver, WA

Saturday, September 27, 2008

34 Days Until Nanowrimo!


Start cooking those plots. Just over a month now until the actual writing starts for National Novel Writing Month. Don't make the mistake I made last year and wait until November to try to figure out your plot. November is for writing - not plotting!

For inspiration, here's a little writing from the old WoolleyScott.com site. This one was called "Carson the Liberator" and was originally posted on April 21, 2007. Enjoy.

CARSON THE LIBERATOR
So Carson and I are at the trial-size Sedro Woolley Library and, as usual, we stroll past the sign stating “Please do not leave your children unattended.” Yep, sure, whatever.

“OK, Carson, I’m going to go look for some books. I’ll be right back,” I say, with oddly no foreshadowing whatsoever.

After grabbing two books over in the mystery section (an Elmore Leonard that I’ve read two or three times before and a Randy Wayne White that’s new to me), I head back over to the children’s section and see the librarian chatting with Carson.

“Hi,” I say, wondering what fantastic behavior the librarian will compliment Carson on, while at the same time handing me a well-deserved back-handed compliment on my superior parenting skills.

“Hi,” the librarian says. “I was just asking your daughter where she put the Zoobooks magazines that she had liberated some pages from.”

That sounded vaguely un-complimentish. “Liberated how, exactly?” I ask.

“Well, she ripped out a few pages.”

Carson pulled up the two Zoobooks magazines to display the ripped out center “to-do” pages. “Oh, we let her rip those pages out at home,” I explain helpfully. “Obviously, I didn’t want her ripping them out here, but we don’t bother with the ‘to-do’ pages at home.”

“I see,” the librarian says, looking at me like not only does my progeny destroy public property, but she also has parents that let her look at the pictures while she throws away the “learning” part of the magazine.

“I’m really sorry,” I try.

“Not a problem,” she says, this time with a look that clearly says I’m not the first white trash parent she’s dealt with today and I probably won’t be the last.

Ah, parenting; every minute is a new reward in itself.

Monday, September 22, 2008

No, that's not a Duck...it's a Beaver...with feathers


So we noticed just before we sent Carson off to school today that she was wearing her Pink Oregon Ducks Hoodie. Oh boy. Of course, we had purchased said sweatshirt way back when Eugene was still in the running for "the city that we're going to be in for the next 13 years" before we ultimately decided on Corvallis as our destination. So we stared at Carson for a moment, thinking of the 40-50% of the Adams Elementary students that wear their OSU Beaver gear on a daily basis...then I remembered that she's got anywhere from two inches to two feet on the rest of the students in her kindergarten class..."Carson, if anyone gives you any grief about your Ducks shirt, just sit on them," I said.

She nodded, and we were on our way.

RACES FOR WEEK OF OCTOBER 6th TO OCTOBER 12th

October 11th / Domestic Violence Awareness 10k and 5k / Salem, OR

October 11th / ORRC Blue Lake Runs 15k and 5k / Troutdale, OR

October 11th / Fall Frolic Foot Race 10k and 5k / Kennewick, WA

October 11th / Autumn Leaf Run 10k and 5k / Omak, WA

October 12th / Gresham Jazz Run Half-Marathon, 10k and 5k/ Gresham, OR

October 12th / Victoria Marathon, Half-Marathon and 8k / Victoria, B.C.

October 12th / Great Pumpkin Run 10k and 5k / Corvallis, OR

October 12th / RunningShoes.com Duathlon / Bellingham, WA

October 12th / UW Dawg Dash 10k and 5k / Seattle, WA

October 12th / Spokane Marathon, Half-Marathon and 5 mile run / Spokane, WA

October 12th / Sun City Half-Marathon and 5k / Yakima, WA

October 12th / Bog Jog 10k and 5k / Grayland, WA

October 12th / Great Columbia Crossing 10k / Astoria, OR

October 12th / Miles for Midwives 2.8 mile run / Seattle, WA

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

High-falutin brownies!


What, you mean you don't mix your brownies in a 10 pound cut-crystal bowl? Why not?

OK, fine, we still can't seem to find the moving box with the mixing bowls in it...are you happy now?

It seems inevitable that we'll be getting into the true fall weather here soon and will be running races in the rain, but for now, it's sun, sun, and more sun. Don't let it go to waste - get out there a enter a race.

RACES FOR WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 29th TO OCTOBER 5th

October 4th / Lava Bear Open 5k / Bend, OR

October 4th / Mighty Oaks Acorn 5k Run / Corvallis, OR

October 4th / Grape Crush Rush 5k / Kennewick, WA

October 4th / Octoberfest Triathlon and Duathlon / Elma, WA

October 4th / Mud Mountain Dam 5k Run / Enumclaw, WA

October 4th / One Meal, One Hope 5k / Seattle, WA

October 4th / K-Rod Memorial 5k Run / Vancouver, WA

October 4th / Leavenworth Oktoberfest Marathon and Half-Marathon / Leavenworth, WA

October 4th / Portland Marathon, Half-Marathon, 10k and 5k / Portland, OR

October 5th / City of Trees Marathon and Half-Marathon / Boise, ID

October 5th / Fallen Leaf 5k Run for SIDS / Spokane, WA

October 5th / Walk/Run for Hope 5k / Seattle, WA

October 5th / Haunted Hustle 10k and 5k / Puyallup, WA

October 5th / Rotary Run at Salmon Days 10k and 5k / Issaquah, WA

Saturday, September 13, 2008

247 Straight Days of Sunshine!


Wow, we've been in Corvallis for about two weeks now (one week in the Best Western and one week in the apartment) and we haven't seen a cloud yet. I mean, we haven't seen a cloud. It's been quite an introduction to our new home. Every day has been somewhere in between 80 and 92 degrees for the past 14 days. Now I know why they keep the outdoor pools and play areas (Otter Beach) open all through September at the Osbourne Aquatic Center. Man, the kids and I love us some Osbourne Aquatic Center.

The ankle, you ask? I'm hoping to attend a nice Halloween race as my first race back. If you know of a good one in the Valley, let me know.

RACES FOR WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 22nd TO SEPTEMBER 28th

September 26th and 27 / Endurance Festival (Just about every kind of run and bike race you can think of) / Pocatello, ID

September 27th / Sumner Rotary Run 5k / Sumner, WA

September 27th/ Cascade Lake Run 10k and 5k / Cascade, ID

September 27 / Arlington Airport Run for Hope 10k and 5k / Arlington, WA

September 27th / Northwest X-C Classic 5k / Eugene, OR

September 27th / Autumn Classic Triathlon and Duathlon / Elma, WA

September 27th / One Race One Village 5k/ Seattle, WA

September 27th / Walla Walla Crush 5k / Walla Walla, WA

September 28th / Corvallis Fall Festival 10k and 5k / Corvallis, OR

September 28th / Mosier Twin Tunnels 12k and 5k / Hood River, OR

September 28th / Bellingham Bay Marathon, Half-Marathon and 5k / Bellingham, WA

September 28th / Alki Beach Run 5k / Seattle, WA

September 28th / EdgeRace 5k / Edgewood, WA

September 28th/ TTTS Race For Hope 5k / Kirkland, WA

Thanks to the EdgeRace for the photo. Note the runners in full football uniforms...if you can't outrun the guys in the full football uniforms and helmets, it might be time to kick the training up a notch.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Do what I say, not what I do...


...for I am still not running. The ankle seems to have finally turned the corner this week (it'll be four weeks tomorrow since I injured it), and I'm not limping at last. But I'm still not running. I think maybe one more week, and I can give it a try. Until then, get out there and run one for me. Thanks.

RACES FOR WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 15th TO SEPTEMBER 21st

September 20th / Kirkland Triathlon for Kids / Kirkland, WA

September 20th / Steve Prefontaine Memorial 10k / Coos Bay, OR

September 20th / St. Luke's Women's Fitness Celebration 5k for Women and Children / Boise, ID

September 20th / Run 4 US 10k and 5k / Tacoma, WA

September 20th / Cobb Street Harvest Run 8k/ Roseburg, OR

September 20th / Shore to Shore Marathon, Half-Marathon, and 10k / Chelan, WA

September 20th / Baker Lake 50k / Concrete, WA

September 20th / Run Wild 8k and 5k / Eatonville, WA

September 20th / Late Summer Madness Sprint Triathlon / Vancouver, WA

September 21st / Kirkland Triathlon at Carillon Point / Kirkland, WA

September 21st/ Mutha's Nature 51k, 25k, and 10k Trail Runs / North Vancouver, B.C.

September 21st / Fremont Oktoberfest Brew Ha-Ha 5k / Seattle, WA

September 21st / Salmon Run 10k and 5k / Leavenworth, WA

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Get those pencils sharpened right up...


...because NaNoWriMo is right around the corner. You don't know what NaNoWriMo is?!? Are you kidding me? Well, let me illuminate your dimness. NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month, which just happens to be from November 1st to November 30th. It was created for anyone and everyone on this world to sit down and write a 50,000+ word novel, on any topic that strikes your fancy. No, really. Check it out here. And if you think that it's too early to start thinking about it on September 9th, take it from someone who only made it to about 20,000 words last November because he was to busy spending the first two weeks of the month thinking about the plot.

THINK ABOUT THE PLOT IN SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER - WRITE THE STINKING THING IN NOVEMBER!

That's my one and only piece of writing advice for you. Now about your Amish Lesbian Vampire Romance Murder Mystery...I think it's got potential. Maybe just a little tweak here and there. Good luck.

Monday, September 1, 2008

We're here...no, really.


After a little vacation at the dunes in Florence, we've officially arrived in Corvallis. Just enough time to let Payton try on a new haircut before heading to school on Wednesday. But only Payton! Apparently, they ease their kindergartners into school...by not making them go to school for the first four days! Slackers. So Carson gets to hang out for yet another week while her poor brother has to go back to school.

RACES FOR WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 8th TO SEPTEMBER 14th

September 13th / Black Diamond Half-Iron, Olympic and Sprint Triathlons plus Half-Marathon Run / Enumclaw, WA

September 13th / Salmon Marathon / Salmon, ID

September 13th / Tri-Trail Challange / Eugene, OR

September 13th / Timberline Marathon Trail Run / Government Camp, OR

September 13th / Oktoberfest 10k and 5k / Mt. Angel, OR

September 13th / Fairhaven Runners Waterfront 15k / Bellingham, WA

September 13th / Grand Columbian Iron, Half-Iron and Olympic Triathlons / Grand Coulee, WA

September 13th / MLPD Run for Your Life 10k and 5k / Moses Lake, WA

September 13th / The Ridge Run Half-Marathon and Tater 5k / Ridgefield, WA

September 13th / Agros 5k Fun Run / Seattle, WA

September 13th / Flowing Lake Triathlon / Snohomish, WA

September 14th / Pine Mountain Hillclimb 11.5 mile run / Bend, OR

September 14th / Run for Sustainable Schools / Eugene, OR

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Giant Mutant Bunny...reprise


Another "Best of" from the old WoolleyScott.com site.

Enjoy.


Giant Mutant Bunny Attacks Dogs!


So I took my son, Payton, to the mall this weekend and, of course, the Easter Bunny was there. Well, not the real Easter Bunny (although my son asked where he lived and the best I could come up with was “the South Pole, so he doesn’t get in Santa’s way”), but the 6 foot tall, ratty-looking Easter Bunny with the Temp inside cursing life and charging $14.95 for a photo opportunity. Now, since I have a rule, which goes something like this, “No purchases over $9.99 of items that neither Father nor Son will remember buying a week from now,” I had to refrain from purchasing the aforementioned photo. Seeing the forlorn look on Jr’s face, the Easter Bunny did give him a free pair of large, white, cardboard bunny ears, which were immediately applied to said head.

From the mall, we traveled directly to the comic book store downtown, because I had promised Jr. a new comic book for successfully completing a potty-training mission (let’s not go there). If you’ve been to a comic store lately, you know that there are approximately 8,045 violent, sexually-charged comics written for adults and almost two written for children under the age of five, so rarely do we have a lot to choose from. Nevertheless, we plodded into the store. Now, I must mention that this store, like countless other book stores, has live-in pets; in this case, two wonderful, elderly dogs.

Immediately upon entering, the short, fat dog turned tail and bolted into the back room. The tall, skinny dog stared us down for a moment, then started barking at the top of his lungs while moving backwards and knocking into people standing at the counter. It took me a moment to make sense of it, but then it hit me. The bunny ears! My son was a walking, talking, three-foot tall bunny out of the dogs’ worst nightmares. You could almost see the thought bubbles over their heads: “But I just chase bunnies in my dreams! I’ve never even CAUGHT one!”

About five minutes after I asked my son to please remove his ears, the dogs finally gathered the courage to come sniff us. I offered my apologies, but they were still a bit miffed, I could tell.

Friday, August 22, 2008

Thanks for the outstanding Olympic Tri coverage...


Kudos to NBC and their wonderful Triathlon coverage - I stayed up until two a.m. on the night that they had it listed in the schedule and...nothing. Apparently, since no U.S. racers won a medal, they figured "why bother?" Thanks for nothing.

Just an unbelievable number of triathlons on Sept 6th and 7th. Get out there and race one!

RACES FOR WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 1st TO SEPTEMBER 7th

September 1st / Labor Day 5k / Lewiston, ID

September 1st / Labor Day Triathlon and Duathlon / Elma, WA

September 6th / Aluminum Man Olympic and Sprint Triathlon / The Dalles, OR

September 6th / Black Hills Triathlon and Duathlon / Olympia, WA

September 6th / Palouse Sprint Triathlon / Moscow, ID

September 6th / Skamania Performing Arts 5k / Bonneville Dam, OR

September 6th / Dayton Fiesta 10k and 5k Run / Dayton, OR

September 6th / Uncle Joe 50k Ultra / Newport, WA

September 6th / The MAC Dash Triathon / Madras, OR

September 6th / Camano View Dash 10k and 5k / Camano Island, WA

September 6th / Columbia Crossing 1.5 mile river swim / Pasco, WA

September 6th / America's Vancouver Triathlon, Duathlon, 10k and 5k / Vancouver, WA

September 7th / Escape from the Gorge Triathlon / Cascade Locks, OR

September 7th / Skagit Flats Marathon and Half-Marathon / Burlington, WA

September 7th / Lincoln City Sprint Triathlon / Lincoln City, OR

September 7th / Escape From the Rock Sprint Triathlon / Seattle, WA

September 7th / Subaru Women's Sprint Triathlon / Federal Way, WA

September 7th / Bank to Bay 10k and 5k / Tacoma, WA

September 7th / Pints to Pasta 10k / Portland, OR

September 7th / Aflac Iron Girl 10k and 5k / Seattle, WA

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Sigh...


I see a lot, a LOT, of swimming in my future. The ankle that I just slightly tweaked while running at Chip Ross Park is now majorly tweaked. I stepped on a rock while running on West Wapato Rd. and turned it but good. Now it's swollen, tender, hurtful...it's an Elvis song on the end of my leg.

So Corvallis pool, here I come. I see a good 3 to 4 weeks of swimming for this one.

Sigh...

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Holy moly, where's a indoor treadmill?!?!


For those runners out there that think treadmills are a sorry excuse for training, let me introduce you to the Yakima Valley in mid-August. It's supposed to be 99 degrees today, then 102 tomorrow and 103 on Saturday. Yeah, a treadmill inside a climate-controlled athletic club, right around 68 degrees, would feel pretty good right now.

RACES FOR WEEK OF AUGUST 25th TO AUGUST 31th

August 30th / Scoggins Valley Olympic and Sprint Triathlon - Duathlon / Forest Grove, OR

August 30th / Umpqua Ultimate Olympic and Sprint Triathlon, Duathlon, and 10k and 5k runs / Sutherlin, OR

August 30th / Titanium Man Olympic Triathlon / Richland, WA

August 30th / Lake Padden 10.35 mile run / Bellingham, WA

August 31st / Nike+ The Human Race 10k / Portland, OR

August 31st / Oregon Trout City of Portland Olympic and Sprint Triathlon / Portland, OR

August 31st / Steve Braun Memorial Triathlon / Orcas Island, WA

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Finally...


Yes, finally. I've got a new article out there on the racks. It's in the August issue of RaceCenter magazine and it's titled "Keeping Pace with Technology" or something equally dorky. But it's a good read, I'm sure. Well, I'm not completely sure because I usually just skim them. Hey, I wrote it once, I should know what it says without having to read it again. Of course, I would always read my Northwest Runner articles all the way through just to see how the Editor there mangled it this time.

By the way, if a store makes you pay for your RaceCenter magazine, just keep looking around. I've picked up copies in a number of different stores and about 50% of the stores charge for the magazine and about 50% give them away. Don't ask me why...I don't know.

Monday, August 4, 2008

Hittin' the Chip Ross Wall...




Apparently, Chip Ross is Latin for "Holy crap, will this 89 degree uphill never end!?!" Yes, I ran (well, who's kidding whom), I sort of ran-walked up and down the main trail at the Chip Ross Park in Corvallis today. That's some steep stuff right there. Was it worth it? Check out those photos...yeah, it was worth it. I almost broke my ankle trying to check out the view while I was running. "Kids. Always stop and walk before you gaze at the view!"

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Curse you Burgerville!



I have no home, no fitness club, no bike (it's in storage) and no energy.

I do have 21 Burgerville locations between Sedro-Woolley and Corvallis that have free wi-fi so I can update my blog and try to find employment.

I'm just about as fat as I could possibly be.

(we've got to find a place to live in Corvallis...fast)

Monday, July 28, 2008

Here we go again...Best Western Ahoy!


Yeah, the picture is the Palm Desert Best Western in California...the Best Western that I'm sitting in right now looks almost exactly nothing like that one.

I'm in some kind of odd Groundhog Day cycle here...once again, I'm at a Oregon Best Western, this time the Albany Best Western in...well, in Albany. Which is about 10 minutes away from Corvallis. Where Jen and I will be searching for a rental house tomorrow. Yeah, a rental. It doesn't look like the perma-house is going to happen in time for school, so we've got to get in something and get down here. Then we hope the real and actual house will happen in the next 3-6 months. Wish us luck...

RACES FOR WEEK OF AUGUST 18th TO AUGUST 24th

August 23rd / Hell's Gate Duathlon / Lewiston, ID

August 23rd / Run-a-Muk 10k and 5k / Monroe, WA

August 23rd / Kelly Butte Classic 8k / Springfield, OR

August 23rd / Clyde Hill Circle the Hill 4 mile run / Clyde Hill, WA

August 23rd / Lake Sammamish Triathlon / Issaquah, WA

August 23rd / Major Megan McClung Memorial Run 10k and 5k / Oak Harbor, WA

August 23rd / Cutthroat Classic 11.1 mile trail run / Pacific Crest Trail

August 23rd / Run Like a Dog 5k / Olympia, WA

August 23rd / Run for Your Rights 5k / Bellingham, WA

August 23rd / Run to End Hunger 5k / Mt. Vernon, WA

August 24th / Heart of the Sound Triathlon / Vashon Island, WA

August 24th / Apple Capital Olympic and Sprint Triathlons / Wenatchee, WA

August 24th / PB Shuffle 5k / Shoreline, WA

Friday, July 25, 2008

Let a Man Handle This...reprise


After many complaints...well, actually no one complained, but I think about it a lot so...I've decided to add a little more writing to The Two R's! After all, it's supposed to be about Running and Writing, except about 90% of the posts are about running. So, starting with this post, and every once in a while in the future, I will toss in a "very special, watch with your whole family, serious-Blossom type episode" best of writing piece from the old Woolley Scott dot Com site.

Let's start with a little something I called "Let a Man Handle This", originally posted on November 11, 2006.

LET A MAN HANDLE THIS

Yes, that would be me...the man. Just wanted to make that clear.

So after about the 14th time that Payton shoved his hand down his pants today, Jen finally felt she had to speak up.

“What are you doing?” Jen asked.

“Nothing,” Payton replied. Wisely, in my opinion.

“Why do you keep putting your hand down your pants?” Jen asked.

“My underwear are too loose.”

“What?”

“My underwear are too loose. I have to fix my pee-pee.”

“What?” Jen asked again.

Listening in the kitchen, I could have stepped in at this point and advised Jen to cut her losses, but that really isn’t my preferred method of parenting...or husbanding, as the case may be. Sink or swim, I say. Live and let live, I say. This is what you get for turning my underwear pink in the wash and forcing me to speed-dress at the club to limit my embarrasment, I say.

“I have to adjust my pee-pee,” Payton repeated patiently. “My underwear are too loose and it just goes where ever it wants.”

“I hope not,” Jen said.

Me too, I thought.

“It does,” Payton said. “Dad understands. He’s done it before.”

Oh, boy.

“Scott!” Jen yelled. “Could you please tell Payton to keep his hand out of his pants, please?”

The double-please is not a good sign.

I ducked my head into the living room. “It’s a guy thing. Don’t worry about it. Pee-pees sometimes have to be adjusted. Don’t you ever watch professional baseball?”

Payton nodded sagely. “See?” He said to his mother.

I ducked back into the kitchen before Jen’s crook-eye could get me.

It’s no wonder there are so few of us SAHD’s...most mothers would rather have all fathers at work six or seven days out of the week. At least.

They call me the Two-Gun Kid...



Well, I've officially become what I detest...not just a cell phone dork, but a dork with two cell phones. Since my old reliable cell phone had a 360 area code, I thought I better get another one with a 541, e.g. "look at me, I actually am living in Corvallis...as far as you know", area code for job hunting down in Oregon. So now I wander around with a cell phone in each pocket of my trusty cargo shorts and basically feel like an idiot. Not only that, but the new Best Life magazine (basically, Men's Health for Rich Snobs - don't ask me why I get it because I really don't know) has an article warning men about carrying their cell phones in their pockets right next to their...well, you know...tallywhacker. And I've got one in each pocket! He's surrounded! It's a good thing I'm done having kids, because I'm probably done having kids.

RACES FOR WEEK OF AUGUST 11th TO AUGUST 17th

August 15th / Aquaman Duathlon / Richland, WA

August 16th / Rush Sprint and Intermediate Triathlon / Rexburg, ID

August 16th / Emerald City Open Water Swim / Seattle, WA

August 16th / Friday Harbor 8.8k Loop Run / Friday Harbor, WA

August 16th / Covey Run 10k and Talking Rain 5k / Woodinville, WA

August 16th / Bonney Lake Days Five Mile Run / Bonney Lake, WA

August 16th / Titanium Man Jr. Triathlon (for 7-12 year olds) / Richland, WA

August 16th / Beaver Lake Triathlon / Sammamish, WA

August 17th / Hulaman Half-Iron Triathlon / Gaston, OR

August 17th / Light at the End of the Tunnel Marathon (Fast, downhill course!) / Snoqualmie Pass, WA

August 17th / Mt. Hood Jazz Run 5k / Gresham, OR

August 17 / Danskin Women's Triathlon (I'm not really big on the whole "one gender-only" race thing, but this one is so popular, I'll make an exception) / Seattle, WA