Running? Boring?

Messing around before Hood to Coast in Oregon 2011

First W-I-N

I wasn't that great of a runner in high school.  I was more of a mid-to-back-of-the-pack kinda girl.  (Though I tried really hard!) So needless to say, it never crossed my mind that I might ever win a race.  On this particular day, we were running a race on our home course at Letsjelusche (HARD course....anyone concur?!) on a Monday.  Odd day for a race.  And for whatever reason, I just felt awesome.  Amazing! I hung out behind the top 3 girls for most of the race until maybe there were 600 meters left.  At this point, my coach started yelling at me: "ADDIE!!! If you win this race, this will be the BEST thing that ever happened to you!!!!!" I must also point out that the three girls in front of me were all on my team.  Why I was chosen for this dose of encouragement was beyond me.  My first thought was doubt.  Would this REALLY be the best thing that ever happened to me? I really hope not.  BUT I think I can win!  Using my sprinter background, I powered past my competition for my very first win.  Was it the best thing that has ever happened to me? No.  But it was a cool moment.


Run-In with the Police

When I lived in Scottsbluff, I used to get up every morning at 5am to run with my friend Caleigh.  And I mean EVERY morning.  All year around.  I remember that this particular run was in winter as it was snowy on the ground.  Caleigh and I had certain routes, usually out-and-back, that we ran from our homes.  We usually shot for about 5 miles.  Anyway, I lived on the cusp of the countryside, so many of our miles were on country roads where homes and people were sparse.    After we'd been out about 2.5 miles and were getting ready to head back, a dog joined us.  Normally when this would happen, it would hang on for a little bit, lose interest, and head on home.  This dog, however, did not.  It came back alllll the way to my house.  As we were finishing up our run, a police car pulled into my driveway.  The officer got out, approached us, and asked what we were doing.  We were a little confused, but explained that we were just finishing up our morning run.  He told us that someone had seen us out running and called him to come investigate as we apparently looked suspicious.  Anyway, it worked out well for us as he loaded the dog back up and (hopefully) took it back to its owner.


Early morning Interruption

Another run with my friend Caleigh.  This morning, we had started our run from her house, which was also pretty close to the country.  As we were completing yet another out and back course, we noticed a car maybe a mile or so driving down the road from its bright headlights.  All of a sudden, they shut off. We didn't think too much of this and continued moving forward.  (It probably had just turned off.  No matter that was no road to actually turn off.)  It was really dark mind you.  All of a sudden, Caleigh shouted, "THERE'S THE CAR!!!" It was only about 5 feet in front of us.  We screamed, turned around, and started dashing home.  (What do you expect? We ARE girls, of course!)  After a minute or two (maybe a little less time, maybe a little longer...when you are scared, it's hard to measure time), the headlights came back on and started coming towards us.  Now we were really, really scared.  Really scared.  As I mentioned, we were running on country roads, so not much cover or places to hide.  EXCEPT the cemetery directly to our left.  In a move perfect for a horror movie, we ran into the graveyard and found tombstones to hide behind.  The car slowly made its way past us.  We hid for awhile longer before finally getting the nerve to make it the rest of the way home.  What were they doing at 5am? Drug deal? Spending personal time with a significant other? No idea.  Don't want to know.


13 mile walk? Let's do it!

We all know that injuries are no fun.  In fact, when running is part of your daily routine, it more than stinks.  I don't remember the particular nature of this injury, only that walking didn't hurt me...only the extra pressure of actually running did.  So back in the day before I was married and had kids (i.e. had more TIME), I decided if I couldn't run 13 miles, I'd go on a walk.  With my trusty GPS, I power-walked along the country road.  I did this for about 10 miles before I got so bored that I didn't care if jogging the last 3 made my injury worse.  Total time: 2 hours and 53 minutes.


I have run thousands of miles, so these are only a few of my memorable moments while out there grinding.  I have seen tons of cool animals, including foxes, a bald eagle, deer, turtles, etc.  I have met tons of amazing people while running.  Is it boring? Hardly.