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.

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!

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

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!

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?

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.

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!

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

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.

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