THE EXPOTITIONThey all went off to discover the Pole,
Owl and Piglet and Rabbit and all;
It's a thing you Discover, as I've been tole,
by Owl and Piglet and Rabbit and all.
Eeyore, Christopher Robin and Pooh
And Rabbit's relations all went too -
And where the Pole was none of them knew. . . .
Sing Hey! for Owl and Rabbit and all.
Big Boots mean Adventure
My idea of adventure may not be the same as another in fact climbing a cliff or running 50-miles sounds completely off the wall to some and normal to others. An adventure has no boundaries it can be as epic as climbing Mount Everest to a walk in the woods neither is right or wrong it's simply what you make of it. One of my favorite Pooh adventures is from the second book The House at Pooh Corner. Chapter Eight begins with Christopher Robin getting his big boots on and for Pooh big boots mean an adventure. Christopher Robin leads an expedition to find the North Pole which as Pooh calls an Expotition. It’s a classic tale of high adventure in Hundred Acre Woods. In the end Pooh finds himself with a pole in his hands and Christopher Robin asks where he got the pole from, Pooh says that he just found it, and Christopher Robin announces that it is not just a pole, it’s the North Pole! The animals stick the North Pole into the ground, and Christopher Robin writes out a notice to remind others that it is the North Pole and that it was discovered by Pooh. Leaving everyone feeling very proud of what they all achieved on this momentous day especially Pooh.
An adventure is like a jigsaw puzzle - you know where you want to go you just have to put the pieces together to get there
Running on the clouds: Headlands Hundred 100 & 50 Mile Endurance Runs
This August my notion of adventure landed me along the Pacific Coast just outside San Francisco California in the Marin Headlands part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area. I was here to find out what sort of "serious fun" I could have at the Pacific Coast Trail Runs Headlands Hundred. PCTR is a grassroots group who host a number or trail and ultra running events in Bay Area and if the Headlands is considered the jewel of the Bay Area then PCTR is a diamond in the rough. What's interesting about Headlands Hundred is the 25-mile roller coaster course connects you with windswept beaches, dramatic cliffs, coastal chaparral, low mountains, swaths of prairie, live oak woodlands, salt marshes, freshwater wetlands, creeks and has five big climbs. Not only is it scenic but its ultra hard. If you want a Birdseye view of the course check out this website from The Run Scout. After traveling 3,000 miles on Thursday and fitting in a couple hikes around Yosemite National Park I was a tad grumpy that Saturday morning. My dad and brother know the routine all to well- morning race nerves while Mount Hoffmann weighed heavy on my legs. Before I know I’m swept away with a pack of runners and the day’s adventure begins. The fun starts as the course immediately climbs and traverses a number of switchbacks leaving my legs burning and heart pounding. The views are spectacular as is the morning camaraderie. By now the ocean fog had penetrated inland to the coastal mountains and valleys which gave way to an appearance of running on the clouds. I remember one-by-one the front runners would simply disappear into a mist of fog. Running through the clouds of the Headlands was a magical moment and one I will cherish. With a rush of adrenaline I continued to move along in and out of the cloud covered valleys as aid stations come and go. I'm not one to go into full nutrition details but water, electrolytes, and gels keep me going the first 25 miles. The second loop is run counterclockwise here I mix in some Red Bull and yogurt drinks. I’m not going to sugarcoat it by mile 35 I was getting sick and tired of the hills. There’s always a point in an endurance run when the shit hits the fan, I begin to crack and part of the challenge is mentally gathering the pieces and continuing on the journey. On this day I drew energy from the 100 mile runners and enjoyed the rest of the 15 miles knowing I was done at 50. After climbing Hill 88 with my brother’s support (who had just finished a eating a large sub and drinking a few beers) it’s down to the finish line at Rodeo Beach. Leaving me feeling very proud of what I have achieved on this momentous day. Sing ho! for the life of Bear! Sing ho! for the Expotition!
