Climb every mountain

Today I attempted the infamous South Mountain Summit Road climb for the first time.  Seven miles up, 7 miles down.  I've also been listening to The Sound of Music a lot lately.

This is all supposed to make me a better runner for Tucson (the mountain run, not the Sound of Music songs). The climb sucked and we stopped several times.  It's at this point in my longer runs that I always re-evaluate my race goal and say things to myself like, "What the !@#!@# are you thinking?  There is NO WAY you're gonna be able to run your goal pace for 26 miles.  Give it up.  You've got nothing to prove anyway."  But on the 7-mile descent when I was flying down faster than goal pace, I changed my mind again.  Time will tell.  I'm working on my positive attitude.

I ran with the two Dans, the shorter of whom I have been running with for years.  Also a fellow Mizzou alum, as you can see by the shirt.  He talked me into this, having run Tucson before and knowing better how to train for it.  Here we are at the start:

As you can see, it was pitch dark.  The only water fountains and bathrooms were right behind us at the start/finish.  I could never have done this run a month ago in the heat.

Here we are again at the top.  In front of the TV antennaes.  You know, the ones you can see from halfway across the city.  

The view from the top was incredible, but not as incredible as practically flying back down the mountain.  And... here we are again at the bottom.  I gotta admit, it was totally worth the punishing climb up.  If only I could find someone to DRIVE me to the top a few times.  

one of me in my new Miles For Hope singlet (can you believe this is a large)?  I was hoping for something a bit looser for my I-feel-fat-and-don't-feel-like-wearing-cute-clothes runs, but it does seem to go well enough with my favorite Lululemon speed skirt (really - what doesn't look cute with that skirt - love it!!!).

In related news, I'm nearing a milestone in my Miles For Hope fundraising campaign!  I'm over $3,500 now (this includes a mail-in donation which isn't yet showing up on the web site).  I'd love to make it to $4,000!  If you're interested in donating to this very important (and tax-deductible!) cause, please visit my fundraising page.  

Because all of today's pics were self-portraits, you couldn't see that I was wearing my new Miles For Hope singlet (can you believe this is a large?):

I was hoping for something a bit looser for my I-feel-fat-and-don't-feel-like-wearing-cute-clothes runs, but it does seem to go well enough with my favorite red Lululemon speed skirt (really - what doesn't look cute with that skirt - love it!!!).

Jen started chemo a few weeks ago and it's... going.  A few rough spots here and there that I won't even try to paraphrase; you can read all about it straight from the source on her blog.  Chemo sucks, but what is kind of cool is that instead of actually having to go to a hospital to do it and having a port put in, she just goes to the pharmacy and has a prescription filled!  Yep, chemo is just another pill to be popped now.  Talk about modern medicine!  Now if they could just find a cure for that nasty tumorific disease.

Nothing much else is new.  Today I pre-ordered the new Brooks Adrenaline GTS 12's - now with pink trim, yay! - in hopes they are more comfortable than the GTS 11's.  Tonight I ate half a bag of chocolate yogurt covered raisins.  Now I'm going to bed at 8:30 because I got up at 4am.  Until next time...