Panthers and Gators and Bears... Oh My... The Everglades Ultras Running Experience

My first ultra in Florida, the 3rd Annual Everglades Ultras 50 Mile in the absolutely stunning Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, would prove to be more challenging that I had initially anticipated.  I mean how bad could it be- Florida is flat and well in February the temps should be ideal for running... ah ha this is where I was wrong-oh so wrong-but I will get to that in a little bit...

I slowly made my way up from the keys with Rippin', my trusted travel partner, on Friday and headed to the Race Headquarters for the briefing and packet pickup. The briefing was pretty informative in terms of what would happen the next day really explaining everything from the shuttle ride to the start, the aid stations, and the involvement of the park rangers (who were absolutely awesome) on the course and general course conditions to include cap rock and Cypress Knees.  The RD briefed us that there were some accommodations made so we wouldn't get wet or muddy really, and having run most of my races in the mid-west, West Virginia and Virginia the thought of making cut around for the muddy areas and 2x6 bridges across standing water seemed a little funny... but with the looming threat of the gators I held my giggles... Rippin' was a pretty big hit at the race brief- even Dennis the Volunteer Coordinator came up to pet him, and some others were taking pictures, but it was time to roll to the motel.

Yes, you caught that correctly, motel, Conty's Motel in South Naples- a quaint little place, and a reminder of "old Florida" and well it was pretty much dirt cheap and dog friendly. A winner in my book. Check-in, headed to Publix for some staples, then to Carrabba's to pick up dinner... a little Carrabba's Pasta and some cheap wine for dinner, and a little race prep before turning in early... everything from picking out the outfit (cute and functional), head wear, headlamp, sock and shoes to solving the age old issue of Butter Chamois coming in an enormous bottle... my ingenious solution- using a travel hand sanitizer bottle emptied, dried and filled with the magic cream- which was a life saver during the race.

Conty's Motel...

nothing like a jerry-rigged motel shower head to inspire genius 

The morning of the race I got up at about 3am to get my body going, ate a little breakfast and of course a walk for Rippin', as he was going to endure a long day sleeping and watching TV in the wonderfully air conditioned room... Hopped in Juan-Tiguan and headed to the park, it was an extremely foggy morning, not particularly cool with the temperature somewhere in the high 60s. Driving along Tamiami Trail eating a almond butter, nutella and banana croissant, I saw some glowing eyes ahead and promptly slowed, only to find a panther trying to make its way across the road. Super cool start to the day...

Making my way to the park, and the Race HQs, I gathered my stuff and got on the bus, meeting Debbie and Amanda, two girls from Key West sporting pigtail braids as well.  After a quick roll call we headed out on the bumpy road to the start- about 3-4 miles or so down the road, where we got another brief by the Race Director, Bob Becker, and then it was off the bus and ready for the start...

Story time with the Bus Driver

Getting ready to start

We were off... and I was running a little too fast- so I made an effort to slow my pace down.  I had a plan- go out at about 12min pace and then work from there and at this point knowing that it was going to get hot, I slowed myself down.  The goal of the race was to run steady, not bonk, and be able to run on Sunday, going out too fast could ruin my chances at achieving my goal. The first 10 miles went by quickly, especially since the part of the park we were running in was absolutely stunning...and it was still relatively cool...

Happy, Alone and Unafraid

the trail early on...

I managed to get myself back on pace, and I was moving through the aid stations pretty well; high-fiving the volunteers, taking in some coke, oranges, banana and getting ice water! At this point I was managing my fluids and electrolytes really well, I hit about 18 miles or so, and had been playing yo-yo with Debbie and Amanda (the Keys Girls) but they would ultimately pull away from me a little shy of 19 as I peeled off to use the "facilities" and by mile 20, it was starting to get hot... and the beloved shade was completely gone and I rolled into the next aid station-grabbed a sandwich, coke, oranges, banana, ice and water... and I was sure to add only moderate the amount of ice, as I had learned the insulation sleeve in the Nathan pack was so effective the ice wasn't melting fast enough!

How the girls in the Keys roll..

a little cap rock hidden under the grass

The next aid station was mile 25ish- or halfway- known as Gate 19, I was steady getting there, still rolling at about 12min pace, and right on target for a little over a 10 hour finish, but there was no shade- and did I tell you it was getting hot... so rolling into the aid station I was thrilled to see people, there were other runners- they were all looking a little rough from the heat, and all I really wanted was coke, some oranges and some more ice on my back in my sports bra... now I am not a picky runner, and I am pretty self sufficient, and I love volunteers but after asking for some cut oranges I was handed a knife... really- well I rolled with it- praying that my race wasn't about to end because I cut off a finger... so I cut a whole orange... one guy remarked that he was surprised at my dexterity... of course this was in line with the volunteers handing me full cans of coke- and having to pour it in a cup... god love them- but it ate a lot of time at aid stations... but back to the race- so I was off- eating away and speed walking like a champ to digest, and just when I start running look left... gator in the water... the cold cold water- damn even the gators know its too hot....

Gator sighting and not the dead one getting eaten by vultures

So after that I started running, with a walk break about every 15 minutes or so, and it was getting hot for sure at this point, and alone again I had to put an earbud in for a little musical motivation. Electrolyte and water intake was balanced and I was moving smoothly and feeling strong and not particularly overheated, rolled by an unmanned aid station and grabbed some ice-should have grabbed water-stupid, stupid, stupid.... but I was moving and feeling good.  I rolled up on Sam from the Bay Area, he was having some issues with the heat, and well I needed some motivation and company, so we started a run/walk movement keeping about a 13min pace, and at about a mile out from the next aid station I ran out of water- but luckily there was a ranger on a gator(the vehicle, not the animal) and he was kind enough to give us a little bit to keep us going strong to the aid station (Dan House Prairie) and we ate a little time but there was a real port-a-potty and we needed ice, water, coke, fruit, and etc...

Sam and Erin Selfie- remarking how fricken' hot it is..

We rolled out behind the volunteer gator, and were informed there was no to little shade for the rest of the course... 20 more miles of baking sun...yikes...  

Coming out of the Dan House Prairie AS

So we continued our Run/Walk strategy, and I was doing a little better than Sam at this point, he was having stomach issues-so I shared some Gin-Gins with him, and we kept moving, passing a couple of points of water caches, and Sam told me to move ahead and I did, although a little worried about my new friend...  It was about four miles to the Four Stakes Prairie Aid Station at mile 38ish where I ran into Hans (a 73 year old beast also from the bay area).  Four Stakes-Best Aid Station on the course by far.  I got cup of coke, orange slices, a nice man took my pack, a nice lady gave me salted potatoes (only ones on the course) and this was a huge morale booster as I hadn't seen any Pringles on the course- a normal ultra staple... and a lady on a bike who put an ample amount of ice down the back of my bra... so awesome... and I was off but not before handing a handful of Gin-Gins to a volunteer to give to Sam. I rolled over the timing mat (yes in the middle of nowhere) and was off to the next AS where I would be in single digits. I could see people in front of me... at this point it was managing body temperature and making sure all miles were under 14min on a walk-run plan.... 

somewhere around the mid 30 miles- just like the Serengeti and damn near as hot... 

I hit mile 40 and I was on target for about a 11:30 finish, but I was feeling pretty good, all systems were working- I was peeing clear, and about every 90 mins- annoying but happy to know I was not going to die. Then I hit the Mud Tram Aid Station, and more runners- Debbie, Amanda, Hans and two other guys I didn't know... but would run with one of them in the final stretches.... I got my standard fill up, and I was so excited to be at single digits to the finish, and well the volunteers gave some high-fives and we snapped a picture before headed on the last 9ish miles... they may have thought I was crazy and/or delirious...

Mud Tram AS and volunteers- 9ish to go...

So it was 1.5 miles down the tram trail- which was somewhat shaded, filled with Cypress knees, but  shaded... so I rocked on until I hit James Scenic Road- a dirt/gravel road with pot holes... It was about 8 miles to the finish, and I would bounce back and forth with Debbie and Amanda until about a mile to go, when they would pull away... I handed out some more Gin-Gins and made my way to the finish after a couple more Aid Stations- the lady on the bike was at one of them- I asked her for the ice in the bra service-she obliged- I grabbed a cup of coke and some orange slices and rolled out... There was an aid station four miles out- I chose not to stop- just needed to head in... so I kept a walk/run rhythm for the next hour and finish in 11:22, and 22nd of 36 overall...

I quick changed out of my soaked clothing, drank my magic elixir Ultragen post-run recovery drink,  grabbed a cheese burger while sitting through the awards ceremony, and then headed back to the motel quickly after noticing that my legs had broken out in hives- still not sure from what- but didn't get a chance to thank the RD and Volunteer Coordinator...

The hives drove a midnight trip to the Walgreens... and to the only open drive-thru at McD's for a snack wrap before getting back to sleep and heading back to the Keys in the morning. Driving down Tamiami Trail we stopped to check out the Skunk Ape research center (big foot of the Everglades) and the Clyde Butcher Gallery in Big Cypress....

Headed to the Keys with Rippin' post-race

Got home- and ran 5 miles after the sun went down... Mission Accomplished!

Next Up: Florida Ultra #2  Dances with Dirt Green Swamp 50 Miler on 8 March in Dade City, FL... excited to head to the Tampa area and see me old roomie, other half of E-Squared, and running buddy, Elise!

Back at it again- Bandera 100K (2014)

So I have been absent from the world of blogging- but with the return of my running so comes the blog, renamed and renewed. This past weekend in Texas was also a weekend of renewal- renewal of the ultra-trail race season since recovering from a partial tear in my right calf at the Bear 100 (late September 2013) and eight weeks of recovery (read eight weeks of no running whatsoever).

I was both excited and apprehensive about the weekend- excited to see the Mud Babes, Mark and Bea Miller, old running friends and apprehensive about running 62 miles on about 5 solid-ish weeks of training- not just cross-training. Oh and that training being in the Florida Keys....   

The weekend started out in San Antonio- a late flight in, a bison burger and a beer at the Esquire- and linking up with Sophia, Erica, Emily, Janeé, and Terri. Todd would fly in later that night; but we would see him in the morning.  Of course in true Bandera tradition we did a little trip to the Alamo, and a little shopping to get hats and new belts for what would be a fantastic buckle- there may have been some mooning over the river... but...

We headed out to the Town of Bandera (via Target and Chipotle) and the Silver Spur Guest Ranch where we were bunked up in the Butch Cassidy Room.  We went Horseback Riding- completely awesomely fun... and since we weren't worried about breaking land speed records- this was well worth it thanks to our Cowboy Guides Tom and Robert.

Headed out on "Whiskey" at the back of the pack

Apparently Lucky doesn't make jeans like they used to... A Pants Casualty 

After our one hour tour and a change of pants- we were off to packet pick up and link up with Mark Miller, a cuz' of sorts, fellow West Pointer and Army Officer, we got the Miller headquarters location for the next morning- where there would be warmth and coffee... after introductions and such we found ourselves at the "best" Mexican restaurant in town- it was better than the Oregano laced pasta the year before... and we followed it up with some DQ Blizzards...when in Texas-one must visit the Texas Stop Sign...

Back to the room for outfit assemblage (easy since we would be in all orange), drop bag and nutrition packing... and what I would later find out is a partial charging of both my Garmin and Headlamp. 

Up early the next morning for breakfast and morning rituals. The Silver Spur had a good spread with farm fresh boiled eggs, bagels and fruit... and we were off at 6 am to the start- learning from last year it's better to get good parking- and get there early... Stopped by the Miller's camper to get some much needed caffeine and stretch the legs- plus it was nice to finally meet Bea and chit chat with her.  So we were ready to get after it... all of us...

Babes Ready for Bandera...

And we were off... running steadily up the first climbs- which bring you to the top of Sky Island- beautiful view- and then down a bit to Ice Cream Hill and then down into Nachos, along the way I met some interesting people, a frenchman, and Andreana, a Bulgarian born Austinite, I would bump into her several times along the way- she was fascinating to talk to and a good strong runner. The course was much more runnable- yes I know this is not a word- this year so it was an easy way into Chapas Aid Station, I picked up Mark here and left Sophia and Todd who were making adjustments, and Emily was in front of us. I tend not to spend much time in aid stations- I have a system- coke, oranges, banana, and a sandwich slice or pringles to go, and I was refilling the pack at every other aid station- or I started that once I hit Crossroads... it was nice to run with Mark for a bit but I knew he was in much better shape than I (note the little gut I am sporting)- and he would pull away at CR1.

Mark and I Getting our hike on... Andreana is just behind us...

With my weirdly timed bathroom breaks on the trail, and short time spent at the aid stations I picked back up with Mark and we headed to Last Chance- I lost site of him about one mile in to the windy trail, but I saw a familiar face, Emily, as I was starting the climb up Lucky Peak... We took a quick break and then finished off the climb and made our way into Last Chance- Emily and I slapped Olga with a couple of high fives and we were off to climb Cairn's and Boyle's- Emily would pull away in this last leg- the lack of training and oddly the heat was messing with me- and well the race plan of run a solid 50K and gut check the rest was weighing on my mind a bit... I was rolling down the beautiful dirt road into the Lodge when I ran into Jeremy- he was rocking along quite well after his crazy Marathon the week before- we talked electrolytes, water and heat- and I was amazed he was in a long-sleeve- but I moved on to the lodge with a first loop somewhere right around 6:58 or 7:00- shouted to Mark as I ran by and he was headed out and the Johnson sisters and Bea were there to cool me down a little- and then I would be on my way as Todd and Sophia were headed in....

Getting Johnson Sister Love and Healing

Waving Good-bye; and off for another 31...

I was happy to start the second loop- but apparently my stomach was not... so I quickly started to hike- Sophia and Todd came up behind me on the Sky Hill climb- we snapped a pic (which I can't find) and they were off- Andreana was with a guy named Patrick- they picked me up a little and I started to run more- heading towards Nachos- running through Sotol- Patrick said to me- you are running through Sotol like a honey badger- I said That's Erica- but I didn't really care- I just wanted to keep moving...Hit Nachos- got some ice in my pack and moved on...  Coming into Chapas who do I see- yep Todd and Sophia again... I would bounce back and forth with them until the bitter end.  At this point my stomach was complete toast- but I was pushing nutrition- and ginger hard candy became part of the equation... 

I made it to CR #3 to see Erica, the Johnson Sisters, and Bea, my brain was a little fried- so Erica being there didn't sink in until later- got the race update on everyone, the standard nutrition package,  threw a Breath Thermo top on, and grabbed my iPod- I sensed I could use the motivation in the next legs- and that I might end up being very alone in the dark... Playlist selection was interesting- Walking the Dog- apparently the best playlist ever- or so it seemed at the time... I think I told everyone so... I spent most of the 5 mile loop and Three Sisters climbs with Sophia and Todd... and then they went ahead at CR and headed to Last Chance... 

I power-walked and ran a good portion of the the leg to Last Chance- alone- until the aid station- Todd, Sophia, Pam, and then Buddy and a couple others were there... I got a pancake with maple syrup- and it was worth the wait- because I caught Pam and then caught up to Todd and Sophia-claiming that giving a girl from NY a Pancake with Maple Syrup was the way to victory... I would would lose them again on the climb up Boyle's... but not to worry as I started the descent I was feeling great- I saw headlamps and flashlights in front of me- but wait was that a flicker- yep- and there it went- no headlamp... crap- two options stop and try and swap out the rechargeable for regular batteries in the moonlight- or run in it... so I chose to run by moonlight- it was a little over a mile and a half to go and the illum was pretty solid.  I could see the trail markings and I was quickly catching the guy in front of me- who I passed- he did not appreciate getting passed by a girl with no headlamp- but he did offer up a light- but I was running with confidence in each step. And then Bam the road came up quickly- and I turned and could see the finish- what the clock still says 15: 29 or something... I was trying to figure out what time it was since my watch stopped sometime out of Cross Roads... I flew into the finish with a 25 minute PR from the previous year- 15:30:03 was the official time... and incidentally a Western States qualifying time.

Went to bed after a much needed hot shower, didn't sleep much, climbing up and down the top bunk to use the bathroom several times- hey at least I was hydrated. The next morning we had a final breakfast together at the Silver Spur- and of course photo ops in the main lodge with comfy couches and a fire.

Alive and fed

The BUCKLES...

Sophia, Todd and I headed into San Antonio for a day of relaxation before heading out the next day. Walking around San Antonio and the riverwalk proved to be a little difficult- as in stopping at the top of the stairs, out of breath, in pain and laughing our asses off... sort of looked like this:

At the top of the stairs

but there was BBQ,  a massage, whirlpool time, Margaritas and snacks...  happy all around... happy with the weekend, and the run.  I can honestly say I am excited for this year's adventures and season ahead.

a long time coming...

okay... so it has been a looooong time since my last blog, I think over a year... I am promising to be better about it in the future.  So, to catch up on the last year of madness: returned from Afghanistan (hence the change in the blog title) finished my first 100K at Free State Trail Marathons, paced by Ultraphia-Sophia during the last 21mile loop, four weeks later paced an awesome chick to finish her first marathon (on roads, bleh) at the Tupper Lake Marathon; then was recruited to coach and run on the 10th Mountain Division Army Ten Miler Team-so there was a good portion of the summer spent running fast.  Had two jobs- and now just one- the Battalion Executive Officer-super busy, but my new boss is an avid runner as well, so I get some speedy miles in during the week! October 20th, the day after the Army Ten Miler, I started training for the Bandera 100K.... which will be the first of my year of 2013 blogs- I am sure it will be awesome...

 

20 miles.... Dude... Where did it go....

Well really 21 miles (or 20 miles according to Legend Lou Joline) at Dude.. Where's The Trail... where the race t-shirts are throwbacks and the highlights at the aid stations are orange and purple "drink" and Walmart brand fig newtons and well the whole point is not to get lost and generally speaking the map and directions should get you by but as you go from legs 1, 2, and 6 the directions go from coherent step by step, turn by turn directions to drunken ramblings- of course making it more difficult to navigate through the course- especially if you were running the 50K... all part of the journey though...  my journey was with Sophia, Erica Smackdown Honey Badger Carper and Tommy, and well without them and the humor and the desire to not get lost this day would have sucked... the team made it far more bearable to run 21 miles... three times the amount I have been running recently....

The journey started the night before with an unbelievable BBQ Pork Rib dinner and Birthday Celebration for Tommy... this rib dinner will become way more important later on... there was pink cake for Tommy... which of course generated the comment "Real Men Eat Pink" -Sophia; this would pop into my head several times throughout the run as well.... 

The morning came early- and after getting ready we were off to the QT (Quik Trip for those non-Kansians that may be reading this) Gas Stations tend to be a lot of fun for Sophia and me, especially when we are trying to rack up a $30 bill, although this morning was more about function, poo and bfast....  some of which we got and some of which we did not... then it was off to Lake Jacomo which there is much debate on the pronunciation- but we are going with Jack-Co-Mo in the spirit of the first man made lake in Jackson County Missouri- original right... or not...

A chilly morning- meeting up with the Nerds and other Mudbabes and of course Carper- who was thrilled to be wearing her AWESOME Team Tommy Bandanna- black with stripper dust covered letters... team assembled it was off to check in and get our photos by Dick Ross... mostly in focus- of course we would get a couple more opportunities to see Dick on the course... after checking in we started our running part of the journey which would prove to be WAY MORE FUN than last years lost in the woods approach...

Leg 1- 7.3 Miles- Off on the adventure- a very chilly start but we all warmed up pretty quickly- ahead of us were two young ladies whom we would see several times throughout the day- completely LOST and going the wrong direction- they looked like they were taking it too seriously though- the day was all about fun. So as we moved along the course- we ran into The Warrens (the pork rib makers and hosts from the evening before and the chili extravaganza following the race) after crossing the steel bridge- a little further down the trail as we headed to the animal enclosure we ran into Dick Ross- PHOTO OP time so we had a little fun- and our antics clearly had Dick laughing as a couple photos were pretty blurry- but the end result Carper had the confidence in the fact that I could carry her across a threshold or a puddle or whatever.... and we were off to run around the animal enclosure- this year I forgot to feed the animals an apple or two- oh well... we would finish leg 1 and run into Matty, Brian, Ashley, and some other dude I didn't know... Ashley had peanut M&Ms which complemented the fig newton wannabes and the purple juice well... off to leg two...

Leg 2- 5.6 Miles (total 12.9)- feeling pretty good we headed back into the trail where we were off to the maze, a book, and a mud tat or two... and of course what would be our only mis-direction of the day... so on our way to the maze- my stomach and intestines started to expand... nothing too bad yet...but I could feel the pressure building... so taking option 1 to get off the pavement and back on the trail- we ran a long a pretty cool rock ledge which was reminiscent of Flat Rock... liking the ledge a little too much we over shot the turn north to the maze... luckily we were able to bushwack back to the maze- where we ran into another team which we would see to the end of leg 2... making it through the maze we mud tatted up and I got the Chapter 4 page of the book " The Malaria $Millions" appropriate for the Malaria Meds I take every Monday... so most Mudbabe Mondays are replaced with Malaria Mondays... blah... and we were off to the bike trail and of course another photo op.... and the aid station- at this point the stomach was pretty ridiculous... super painful and bloated... but otherwise feeling pretty good....

Leg 6- 6.8 Miles (21 Miles total- yep I know it doesn't add up)

So by this point my stomach was expanded to max capacity- feeling like a Macy Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon- you could have stabbed me in the stomach and air would have come out... lesson learned pork ribs- not a good pre-long-run meal... we headed towards the Audoban Society- where the bathroom would be clean and help with the pressure built inside... after the stop there- we would be serenaded by Sophia's wonderful singing... a little PBR, Ginger Ale, and Gas-X provided by awesome mud babe Jen Ogden and then out to the pavement to the finish... turning a corner Carper moons a truck as she goes to pop a squat... a truck that we would see as we ran into the finish for some luke warm hot cocoa, amazing peanut butter sandwiches... and warm cars...  and then off to the chili extravaganza!

renewing the contract....

okay- so it has been awhile since my last blog- but the internet in Afghanistan really is that bad- combined with the frequent "black out" times when Soldiers from our task force get wounded or worse yet killed... but on a more lively note- I find myself sitting in the O'Hare airport- my least favorite of airports- although the newly renovated bathrooms are very eurotastic.... I am impressed... either way I am awaiting my flight to Kansas City- which is super exciting- heading to Sophia and the Mud Babes...  and by this time tomorrow morning I will be on a 20 mile quest at Lou Joline's Dude, Where's the Trail... a fun super low threat race which will- I am sure- prove to be a test of my less than stellar training over the last 9 months.... but being relatively injury free I am hoping that we will have more fun than last year- there was much getting lost and a really nasty ITB issue...

Which sort of brings me to my next topic- getting back into running... really running... so to motivate myself I am reading the Dean Karnazes book- Ultra Marathon Man- silly I know but in many ways I can relate- having been a pretty good runner in High School and at West Point- afterward running was fun- but the pavement running and constant stress really took a toll on my body- the final straw was the stress fracture in my femur... a year away from running... and then running just became a necessary evil to accomplish my job in the Army.. and now it is time for a renew on the contract with myself...

I ran a little on my second deployment to Iraq- it was a good stress reliever.... then I redeployed and started getting set up in California... new job new area- there did not seem to be an open community of runners in Stockton- so I started doing other stuff... in come adult fighting... and then it was off to Kansas... where I found trail running and the Mud Babes- albeit six months into my assignment but so happy I did... how did I jump back in.... a ten-miler at WYCO- insane- completely! and with Rippin' who was in way better shape than I... it got me thinking- and so I signed up for the Free State Marathon- and then the Psycho Psummer 50k- which the goal was to finish- I did and it wasn't pretty... and then Flat Rock where I learned about calorie deprivation (not a good thing) and then started training for Rocky Raccoon... that was quickly thwarted by the deployment to Afghanistan...  a really bad storm... and I can't forget about that pesky ITB...

Now...  well a little mandatory (only for my section) run in costume for Halloween- and a Soldiers desire to run a marathon has fueled desire to run... and at the age of 35.... well I think it is about time- it has been about 13 years since I was busting out sub 18 minute 5ks on the track... so it is possible I can find it again- although this time it is about running farther and in more insane locations- really testing the limits of my mind and resolve to get 'er done in the words of my buddy Chris McLean...

The Test... well that is the ability to get up everyday and run... the next goal... not so sure yet- April is looking like a fine month to push the limits... and the Marathon- well that will be in May and I am super excited to help her run it... I mean my first marathon was really assisted by Bill- Bill Barnett. I think I ran about 24 miles with him- he was giving me pointers the whole way... so it is time to pay back... and maybe get another one hooked... okay  enough for now...  I will give a good report on Dude....

Cycles... Fabrications... and the wait out....

So the new job seems to have the same sleep cycle as the old one... just a difference in workout time... now with the can't run by yourself and night if you are a chick cause you might get rolled up by a Afghan, Keynan, Indian or Chechen.... or some other random nationality that lives with us here on Forward Operating Base Pasab, I am stuck heading to the gym... and then I go to bed and wake up (very reluctantly) about 5 hours later head to work and start the day with the cup of joe... or what I like-  Black Tiger, made with bits of Tiger, so you know its good... really I am not kidding and here is proof...  This is the reason I am addicted to my Keurig and the K-cup.

It is pretty wicked awesome and gets me going in the morning... as I am not much of a morning person to begin with. That is followed by sometimes what seems like a relentless string of endless meetings that sometimes have no structure- and most people seem to be preoccupied with everything else... like trying to guess how long a package will take to get here in the mail... running calculation after calculation in their heads...or writing down the state capitals (while timing oneself)- yep we got one of those here...

So the mail I mentioned earlier is definitely a morale booster- it is amazing how good you feel even when you get packages you send yourself.  I could see people getting addicted to online shopping because of the emotional uplift you get when getting a package here... but when there is no mail for three days coming from Kandahar   it pretty much sucks because right now I am waiting on my armband for my ipod to get here- so that I can get back on the treadmill without causing serious damage to either the equipment in the gym myself or my ipod.  

The gym is a pretty interesting place here- I go there after work every night- usually sometime after midnight- and normally it is not that busy... tonight was a little busier- and it just cracks me up the contract guys who work in the gym are of course in really good shape- one is African- Keynan I think and the other dude is Indian and he is pretty jacked- just kind of funny to see-especially when they walk around in their really tight t-shirts and act really tough with their Spartan Brigade T-shirts on... like really- you work in a gym... sorry for the stream of conscientiousness on the blog... but I am sitting in my bed after my workout- getting ready to sleep and well- get up in 5 hours and do it all over again tomorrow... sort of like groundhog day... should find out my exact leave date by the 22nd of this month- oddly enough they keep pushing that date further and further closer to my leave date... kind of annoying since I have been here since the 22nd of February... which is about 194 days... and I would love to know... and I am sure others would too...

Over the past weeks we have been doing all sorts of stuff- like installing a flagpole on the top of Ghundy Ghar - which is on top of a pretty big hill... I helped install it- mixing concrete with the Solders out there, unfortunately I did not get to see the result first hand but here is a photo of it...  The flagpole was fabricated by our welders in the BSB- they do great work- they built a grill that kicks ass too....

 of course when I visited this place the day before I was all about seeing the potential to run up and down the hill... it would kick your ass everyday... the Afghan Soldiers like to drive by in their Ford Rangers packed with the Afghan National Army (ANA) Guys crammed in the back and honk the horn at our Soldiers as the careen up the mountain- going way too fast... but they had a Captain helping us with putting the flagpole in- he was very proud of his blister... and I was pretty surprised as most of the ANA just stared at me... and I actually found myself staring at one of them who looked like he was in the IRA- I mean this dude looked straight up Irish- Red Hair Green Eyes... makes ya wonder....

Enough stories for now- must get to bed.... Nighty Night...

new beginnings in the middle....

So it is always interesting to get a new job in the middle of a deployment... it shakes things up a bit to say the least. I left Kandahar Airfield a little under a month ago- leaving the crazy dust and the poo ponds and stinky smell for Forward Operating Base Pasab. An old Canadian outpost enlarged by 100 times and now a flurry of American and Afghan Army activities... living shona-ba-shona (or shoulder to shoulder) definitely has its draw backs... like it limits my ability to run by myself at night and well as a woman you get stared at... a lot...
Although, the Mullah for the 5th Kandak or our Afghan partners and I had an interesting discussion through our interpreter during our partnership dinner- religion and politics in Iraq and Afghanistan... I am pretty sure neither are supposed to be discussed with a woman- so I felt pretty confident that it was a good sign... well until the interpreter told me that the Commander told him that he was going to send a picture to his wife! Apparently he only has one, and the commander has a couple and like 10 kids... crazy right...

 but my job is a little different than the last and it definitely keeps me on my toes- I now have the opportunity to make things simpler, easy and better for the Soldiers in the Spartan Brigade.

Living conditions have definitely changed- I live in a tent now- I got a memory foam mattress pad- that is definitely improving things- and well oddly enough I have commercial internet- yeah- so my blogs will be a little more frequent I hope- as will my running- the last month has been crazy with change! went from running 9 miles to not running- and now to the treadmill... not so much fun especially when I drop my ipod and it hits the treadmill and goes careening into the elliptical machine behind and cracks the screen- but god love it- that may be the best ipod ever- it has survived being submerged in ice water for hours- and now a giant dent- and it is still working fine (as long as you don't want to watch a movie).... I will just have to wait until it cools down  so I can run in the middle of the day.

The food here is a lot better- I can make a wrap sandwich... the little things in life make us happy- that and mail- we like getting mail- even if we send it to ourselves- that is how I get coffee for my Keurig- which I am now addicted to! and a travel mug- because my last one got stolen... it would be nice to have one again- easier to put in the vehicles than a real coffee mug- or styrofoam... note I am still waiting on it to come- and well I might be happy about it tomorrow- we are getting three containers of mail in tonight! Yea!

I have been out on patrol a couple of times since being here at Pasab- going to some interesting places. We are in the Zharay District of Kandahar Province , in the Arghandab River Valley- the river is pretty much dry right now and the locals use it as a thoroughfare for the most part- it is kinda neat that I have seen it.  We try to find the humor in things like the other day- some guys were on patrol and saw a Donkey-Borne- Improvised-Explosive-Device; luckily they saved the Donkey- we of course named it the Ass-Borne IED- maybe humor that some of you may not get- but it just furthers my theory that hell is actually being a donkey in a third world/developing nation...

I put a couple of pictures in just so you could see what I look like when I head out- lots o' Armor on this girl- and weapons of course- an M4 Rifle and a M9 Berretta. The last one is one of the bomb-sniffing dogs that comes in to visit us every once and while- they definitely cheer me up and everyone else too...

Well I am off to the gym to get on the treadmill.... arrgghhh... hoping for cooler days ahead...