Mountain Mother Runner

In 2016, the Fragrance Lake Half Marathon/10k was my first race of the year AND my very first trail race! I chose it with six weeks to train, with majority of my runs having to be on a treadmill due to the magic of drop-in childcare. I ended doing much better than I had expected, in fact, I finished in 1:13:17 as the second place overall female! Even though I REALLY wanted to try the half marathon distance this year, it would’ve been silly to even attempt that challenge at my current fitness level. Standing with the First and Second overall Females! Girl power! A major difference this year was the ability to go run out on the trails, in addition to the gym, during my “extremely casual” training plan. We also had a family member spending time with us, so they could stay with Eisley during naptime while I could go running. I am very thankful! Another big difference was the weather this winter. We had icy conditions, below freezing temperatures, and tons of snow that seemed like it...

A few months ago, I planned out my tentative race schedule for the year. One race per month seemed fairly realistic between my husband’s schedule and me relying on him to watch Eisley while I race. That being said, sometimes life throws you a curve-ball and you have to improvise. Adapt and overcome, right? Well, my husband booked a mini trip to celebrate his birthday the same weekend as Race Beneath the Sun . Photo by Scott Allen Instead of canceling the event, I contacted the Race Director out of curiosity to ask if jogging strollers were allowed. She replied that someone did it with a stroller the previous year, but the C. Moore loop would be pretty difficult! I view ‘difficult’ as being a challenge, and I sure do love a good challenge. The race is hosted by Greater Bellingham Running Club and the course is 5 miles that are mainly trail, including some hills and a challenging climb up C. Moore loop trail, which is luckily only ¼ mile. Morning of the race, I ate some oatmeal a...

Do you ever wake up and think, “How can I wreck my legs today?” Well, I’ve got the answer for you! Venture out on a hike up to Oyster Dome wearing 40lbs worth of baby and gear on your back. The hike is 6.58mi roundtrip, the highest point is 2,025ft and there's an elevation gain of 1,975ft! I had never done this hike before, so I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. My previous hikes wearing the baby had been fairly easy and shorter distances, so I wasn’t going to be upset if we had to turn around early. Eisley can be VERY loud and will let me (and anyone within a mile radius) know that she doesn’t want to be carried anymore. This trip was meant to be a time for relaxing and bonding between us, not anything forced or uncomfortable.   I went online to find some information on the hike before heading out to Bow, WA. A Discover Pass is required for parking. They are only $30 annually or you can purchase a $10 day pass. Heading from Bellingham, we drove South on Chuckanut Drive. T...

At some point last December, I found myself searching the internet for upcoming races to kick off 2016. My New Year’s Resolution was to start taking running more ‘seriously’. I wanted to try something new. I wanted an adventure. I needed a goal to work towards so my training would have some sort of direction. Eureka! The Fragrance Lake Half Marathon/10k was just the event I was looking for. Who wouldn’t want to attempt 1,685ft of elevation gain?! This would be my very first trail race, in fact; I had barely run on trails before…so I purchased my first pair of trail running shoes. The next question was, which distance do I sign up for? My confident, competitive side was screaming “HALF MARATHON!” while my realistic side chose the 10k. I didn’t want to be too optimistic. There were only six weeks until the race and I had to balance training with being a stay at home mom. Preparing for a trail run with the majority of your workouts being in the gym (thank you drop-in childcare), not outs...