A short bout with stomach flu last weekend left me sleepless and without appetite... not good for running. Plus, my running buddy also got the crud and had to miss our workouts :( After taking off a couple days, I slowly got back on the horse with some stationary bicycling and stadiums. But Run Like Hell is this weekend, so I'd better be running again! Brad and I went to Cook Park at dusk Sunday for some trail running. We made a big loop from the water-treatment plant, through the butterfly garden, under the trestle, across the river, through the woods and around Tualatin Community Park. The weather was perfect and I was doing great - felt good and was going much faster than normal - doing just over 9-minute miles. But at about 2.15 miles, a got a stabbing pain in the right side of my diaphragm and was stopped in my tracks. I tried to walk it off and breathe through it, but several attempts at running again failed. Eventually, I forced myself to run slowly. Soon, I was focused on the finish line and picking up my speed.Without planning, our loop was 3.12 miles... a near-perfect 5K! Even after walking a portion, I clocked it in 30:03. I was disappointed that I was temporarily sidelined by a cramp, but I was really happy with my time. :)
Brad was asked to write a bit for last week's NFC newsletter. I'm so proud of my husband for being a strong, brave, passionate person who loves being in God's creation. And he's also not afraid to talk to the whole world about pooping on a mountain :)
Here's his article:
It's Monday morning and I'm sitting at my desk reading through e-mails from co-workers who are stressing about deadlines and asking for project updates. All I can think about is how yesterday I was high on a rock face overlooking miles of rugged peaks, freezing and exhausted. Completely focused on the moment, and loving every minute of it.
And now I'm here, sitting at a desk in a building with artificial light and heat and air conditioning and a café full of hot food just steps from where I sit. I don't even know what the weather's doing outside.
My head is spinning. I actually feel a bit dizzy as I come down from the euphoria of my latest adventure. All this everyday stuff seems so trivial in contrast, but I know that by the end of the week I will be engrossed in it once again like all these crazy "normal" people.
During the spring and summer months I spend as many weekends as possible in the mountains. Usually my time is spent climbing, backpacking, or camping.
In the mountains I find escape from the stresses of life, such as house chores, social commitments, shipping deadlines, and broken equipment (which I deal with a lot at work).
Instead I'm focusing on such things as: What's the absolute minimum amount of gear I can make do with on this trip? Am I running low on water? When and where am I going to poop? Are those storm clouds headed this way? Are those cute marmots we took pictures of during the day going to raid our food stash at night and leave us miles from civilization with nothing to eat?
There are many experiences to be had in the mountains. They can be a place to find challenges and test your physical and mental limits, or they can be a place to find solace and renewal. Often this entire range of experience can be covered in one 24-hour period.
As someone drawn to the physical and mental challenges found in the mountains, the types of trips I most enjoy don’t leave much time for reflection, but I find that once I return from a trip I have a much keener sense of what’s important and what is not.
The stark contrast of dealing with the basics for survival and then returning to civilization often spawns an inventory-taking process that helps me refocus my energies and frees me from getting caught up in things that aren’t directly related to God’s plan for my life.
These outings serve as a helpful reminder to me that the things I worry about during the week are a very small part of life and that the things that often seem urgent and important to me are not always what are urgent and important to God.
It’s easy to get caught up in the distractions of modern life and discover that God has simply been squeezed out. Are you simply pushed and pulled by the demands of daily living, or are you guided by a sense of purpose?
I would encourage you to step out of your normal environment and take some time to assess the kinds of things you waste energy worrying about.
Matthew 6:25-34 provides a good reminder of what we should and should not be concerned with. (The Message is my favorite paraphrase because the imagery reflects things I have experienced in the alpine environment.)
Kickin' it old school was this year's homecoming theme. We were told to pick any decade and go for it. CE2 chose '80s neon for our float.
Plus, we HAD to dye our hair Tigard green!
What an awesome group: Paul, Josepha, Alex, Skyler, Stephanie, Ashley, Liz, Myanna, Sue, Ava and Andy!
My little friends, Noah and Emma (and father Michael), also joined the fun:
Wait, wait... my glasses!
I hope Kendra was OK with her 3-year-old having green hair ;)
More to come: Brad was on the parade route and snapped some action shots.Homecoming '09Homecoming '08:)
I took advantage of a morning senior meeting and made muffins while CE2ers were learning about caps and gowns and other fun graduation stuff.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.1 can (8 0z) crushed pineapple1 c sour cream1 egg1/4 c butter, melted1 1/2 c flour1 c oats1/2 c sugar1 T baking powder1 t cinnamon1/2 t nutmeg1/2 t salt1 c raisins (optional)1. In a large bowl, combine pineapple, sour cream, egg and butter. Blend well.2. In another bowl, combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and raisins. Add to pineapple mixture and stir just until moist.3. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin. Bake 30-35 minutes.~~~~~~~The recipe said it makes 12 muffins, so I doubled it to make sure all the hungry CE2 mouths would be fed. I filled 24 cups and still had enough for another 12! So on the last batch I added some dried cranberries to see if it was better with or without.
These babies turned out very moist and sweet. Most who tried both thought the with-cranberries were best.
Overheard in CE2:"These are REALLY good""I don't usually like pineapple but I like these""Can I have another??""THANK YOU, Liz!!""Wednesday is my favorite day":)
My other favorite THS group: the marching band. The band was joined by players from Twality and Fowler middle schools... a great recruiting tool.
YAY CE2!!!
Out of candy, Skyler started bustin' a move. Hilarious!
Kickin' it old school!
SOOO fun :)
A short bout with stomach flu last weekend left me sleepless and without appetite... not good for running. Plus, my running buddy also got the crud and had to miss our workouts :( After taking off a couple days, I slowly got back on the horse with some stationary bicycling and stadiums. 
And now I'm here, sitting at a desk in a building with artificial light and heat and air conditioning and a café full of hot food just steps from where I sit. I don't even know what the weather's doing outside.
In the mountains I find escape from the stresses of life, such as house chores, social commitments, shipping deadlines, and broken equipment (which I deal with a lot at work).
As someone drawn to the physical and mental challenges found in the mountains, the types of trips I most enjoy don’t leave much time for reflection, but I find that once I return from a trip I have a much keener sense of what’s important and what is not.
I would encourage you to step out of your normal environment and take some time to assess the kinds of things you waste energy worrying about.
Plus, we HAD to dye our hair Tigard green!
What an awesome group: Paul, Josepha, Alex, Skyler, Stephanie, Ashley, Liz, Myanna, Sue, Ava and Andy!
My little friends, Noah and Emma (and father Michael), also joined the fun:
Wait, wait... my glasses!
I hope Kendra was OK with her 3-year-old having green hair ;)
More to come: Brad was on the parade route and snapped some action shots.
"... We met at Mark’s house in Vancouver at 5 a.m. and loaded up the car in the dark before beginning the long drive to Darrington, Wash. Introductions took place in a dark driveway followed by a dark car ride. It was strange meeting people in person for the first time and not actually seeing them for a couple hours..."
I took advantage of a morning senior meeting and made muffins while CE2ers were learning about caps and gowns and other fun graduation stuff.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
These babies turned out very moist and sweet. Most who tried both thought the with-cranberries were best.
Overheard in CE2: