Home again, gone again

I'm sitting at SeaTac waiting for a flight to Lynchburg, VA to visit HORTON and to run in the Hellgate 100k which begins Friday night (Saturday morning) at 12:01am. Made it home safe and sound after visiting Hal & Carly in Ashland and Stacy in Portland. The Rogue Valley Running Company is looking good! Hal has moved in to that store and business seems to be moving along great for them. I joined the Thursday night store run which was a nice loop through town and the park. Always fun to visit with these two - they are headed to Sunmart for the 50 miler (Hal) and 50k (Carly's longest run to date!) this weekend - GOOD LUCK GUYS!

In Portland I stopped by the Montrail office and scored a sample pair of the new Nitrus (it's nice having big feet sometimes, I'm men's sample size), and signed my year to be a part of the Montrail/Nathan Ultrarunning team. Good to visit with Paul and see the faces that shaped the beginning of this year again in much happier places now.

I met Stacy at her place, it is always great to meet up with friends that have known you through thick and thin. We went out for a yummy Mexican dinner - try this the next time you make enchiladas: Butternut Squash filling with a peanut/mole sauce. Delicious. The conversation ran well into the evening and continued on our mellow run around the city the next morning.

Home that afternoon! What a wonderful place to be. I must admit I felt a bit silly; as I drove into the city (you know that rise in I-5 where you look out over downtown) the magnitude of this summer and fall, all that has happened, all I've experienced... it all hit me and (bashfully) I got a bit emotional. I am SO very thankful for this time, the people that have supported me along the way, the fact that I ran into no adversity and am safely back in Seattle. My advice to anyone that has even the most remote thought about taking off for something like this, may it be a week, a month or a year... DO IT! You will not regret it. And if I can offer any ideas/suggestions on places to visit, pointers on making the trip easier, packing tricks I am more than happy to do so. All I ask is that your travels include a visit to Seattle so that I may host you, let you clean up, do laundry, share your stories and let me feed you a good meal before sending you on your way.

Happy Holidays! Enjoy the decorations and Holiday spirit!