Roots and Blossoms
Last weekend I had the pleasure of shooting with photographer, runner, and fellow Portlander Bobby Rivera. We met while working at Portland Running Company and he recently landed a gig at Columbia Sportswear! This is one of my favorite shoots I've ever done. We began at the waterfront where the cherry blossoms had just begun to bloom.
Next, I took Bobby to a section of my every day running route on NW Cornell Road, bright green moss galore.
Finally, we landed in a gravel path behind the Washington Park Amphitheater, my very favorite spot in Portland. This photo to me, with all the lush green trees, is emblematic of my roots in Oregon (I was born in Salem) and its rich history of running, fittingly complete with Nike trainers. Huge thank you to Bobby for capturing that so beautifully.
Running-wise, things have been looking up. I'm feeling healthy and all the nagging little pings and tweaks have been subsiding. I've been getting a lot stronger thanks to Tracey Katona, who I met through Kara Goucher's Podium Retreats. Tracey owns Katona Pilates in Beaverton and she's been whipping me into shape this winter. She's intent on helping me align my wonky hips and posture—and it's working!Next on my radar is the Corvallis Half Marathon which is already coming up next weekend (you might notice a familiar face on their homepage)! On the one hand, I feel nowhere near prepared to race a half marathon. I haven't gone beyond 40 miles in one week since January and my longest run this year was 14 miles last weekend. Zilch speed work. On the other hand, I'm feeling optimistic after running a solid 15K at Shamrock earlier this month. Part of me wonders if I can match that pace in the half. Just another 3.8 miles. NBD, right?
Friday Gems are coming at you early this week- here's what I've got!I have to give it to David Willey, Editor-in-Chief of Runner's World, for putting his goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon out into the world and chronicling his journey via the Runner's World Show. He's working with the same team conducting Nike's "Breaking2" project, in which three runners will be attempting to finish a marathon in under two hours. Not only does he have a team of technical professionals behind him to get him physically prepared for the attempt, but he has also received help on the psychological side from Dr. Robert Swoap. He recorded their session for the podcast (episode 46), which struck me as a deeply vulnerable thing to do. I really took to heart the advice and coping strategies Dr. Swoap offered, including visualizing how you're going to react when things don't go as planned.Speaking of the psychological side of running, you'll see the full scope of the mental ups and downs of completing a 100 mile race in Billy Yang's documentary Life in a Day, where he follows the journey of four women vying for the win at the Western States. I was particularly moved by Devon Yanko's back story, from her origins in how she came to running, monstrosities she overcame at a young age, and how it has all shaped her into who she is today."It has been 9 years since I first ran the Boston Marathon. I still have never watched any race footage, it is still difficult to talk about. In fact, I am teary eyed as I type this out. But I have forgiven myself for not winning. Not only have I forgiven myself, but I have learned to appreciate Boston 2009. Over the years people have told me that it was the most inspiring race they saw, me going for it, fighting for the win. That has helped heal me and value what I did that day. I didn’t cross the line first, but I gave it all I had. I let everyone in, and they weren’t disappointed in me. They knew I did the best I could and that was enough." -Kara Goucher on her first experience running the Boston Marathon. I've written it before, but I am among those who consider that run the most inspiring they've seen. Kara made it no secret that she wanted to win that year and she fought for it tooth and nail. She's known for wearing her heart on her sleeve, but there's no doubt she's one of the fiercest competitors out there, evidenced by that race among many more. If you haven't read it yet, here's a great interview on where she's at now.And some fun news, I'm now a contributing writer at Minneapolis Running! In my first contribution, I wrote about how despite popular belief, there are shortcuts in running.'Til next time! -L