...in which I fail.

Last Friday's post was supposed to have a video of a dancing zebra in it. Apparently my embedding skills failed and it was not there. Now it is. Enjoy last Friday's belated dancing zebra. And today's Misconduct Monday police reports!

• Police warned a man “for going into his neighbor’s yard to put foil on a fence to keep a cat away.” 
• Police found a man walking in traffic on Interstate 90 while talking on the phone around 12:30 a.m. after several drivers reported nearly hitting him. The man was very intoxicated and given a ride to a rest area. I'm really not sure that's the best place to leave him.
• A man had concerns “regarding his thermostat not holding the correct temperature.” Apparently dialing all the numbers for customer service was just too much. 911 is easier.
• A woman’s car got stuck in a car wash on North 15th Avenue around 8:45 p.m. She was in the car and was trying to back out.
• A man was arrested for disorderly conduct after acting disorderly with mall security and later taking his clothes off in the middle of Main Street.
• A man who was walking his dog urinated on a North 15th Avenue yard. Hey, if the dogs can do it, why can't we?
• A caller reported that her neighbor pruned her tree last fall. The caller was afraid the tree may die now, but she will not know for a while. This is a case for CSI.
• A man was found passed out in Catherine Lane Interiors under some sheets the store had on the floor.

...in which I TGIF.

Happy Friday!

 

...in which I don't fit.

My birthday present arrived at Northern Lights Trading Co. in Bozeman two days ago. Rob decided to get me a bigger pack that I can take climbing (ice and rock) because I have been carrying around a rather small Gregory pack that justbarely fits my gear. I'm lucky if I can take everything I need, let alone help carry the shared gear like ropes, quick draws, ice screws, etc. Not that I much mind if I don't have to carry a heavy rope, but it's nice to haul your own weight.

I've been quite jealous of Rob's CiloGear pack ever since he got it. It's just all around a great pack. The features are awesome, it's tough, it's adjustable and customizable in about a million ways, it's light, it's got a removable bivy, it's made in the U.S., etc. etc. etc. So, because the packs come with in a short torso size and with a women's specific hip belt, we ordered one. This one, to be exact.

Except it didn't fit. At all. Despite being right in the middle of the "short" torso measurement range, placing any weight in the pack torqued the hip belt and cause the pack to sit so low on my body that it painfully rubbed my tail bone to the point that I was going to cry if anyone told me to try it on one more time. And all I was doing was standing still with 35 pounds in it. Hike with it? Forget it, I wouldn't make it a mile. Adjusting the location of the hip belt did not help, nor did any adjustment of the shoulder straps. The shoulder straps pulled and rubbed painfully on my collar bone for most of the night (and we were there adjusting and readjusting, loading and reloading for over an hour and a half). The only time I felt relief from the shoulder pain was when we moved the hip belt up to the very top of my hipbones. And then the hip belt cut into my hips and my ribs to the point where moving or breathing caused sharp pain. And the "women's specific hip belt"? Not accurate at all. There was barely a difference between the standard hip belt and the so-called women's hip belt. It is not at all altered to fit a woman's hip shape, which makes it rather uncomfortable.

Sometimes what you want to be the right gear just isn't the right gear. It's not really that I don't fit, it's really more that companies are still primarily marketing scaled down men's gear and telling women that it is unisex. It's not. Or maybe the issue is that there are not enough women climbers to make a profit designing a technical women's pack for alpine climbing. I can't begrudge a company that, I know if I were in business I wouldn't want to lose money on a product either. It's just very disappointing when you see such an amazing product, but it's only designed for men.

Or maybe I just need to grow taller or make a lot more money to be able to afford a custom made pack. Until that happens, or until a company designs a good women's technical pack (this one is on my radar right now), Rob is just going to have to shoulder the burden for both of us.

And CiloGear, if you ever decide to design women's packs, let me know. I'll be the first in line.

...in which I give free PT advice.

And by advice, I don't mean advice at all. I am not a doctor. I work with artifacts. Don't you dare hold me responsible for any pain or injury. Try them at your own risk. These are the strength training workouts I've been given by my physical therapist. They target the hip, butt, and core muscles. And they're hard. I use a green resistance band for these, which is apparently one step above wimp. Keep the band around your ankles, unless you're losing your form in which case the band moves up to any spot between ankle and knee.

Enjoy the illustrations.

Ok, I know it looks like the program above is title "Le Circuit." This ain't no fancy french physical therapy. The LE stands for Lower Extremity.

 I started out with this circuit and did it once a day for a week. Then I dropped this circuit and moved on to le circuit and the core circuits in the first picture, which I do 3 days on, 1 day off.

The biggest improvement I've seen? I no longer shake when I do the plank.

...in which I put a bird on it.

After a nasty oblique strain, a flu bug, and another bout of low iron, I am starting to feel back like my old self in regards to running. Good thing too, because I have some exciting news...


...
...
...


I just signed a contract for a sponsorship/ambassadorship for the women's clothing company Oiselle! I don't think that I can put into words how excited (and a bit nervous) I am. A few words from Oiselle's website to give you an idea of the company and their philosophy toward running.

"Oiselle was founded on the basic premise that running is more than a sport. It is a life philosophy that has the power to strengthen us – not just as athletes, but as people, teammates, leaders and women.

The women who represent Oiselle are strong, resilient, inspiring runners whose healthy, pure love of the run can't be ignored. Our team is a versatile group of women with different backgrounds, accomplishments and goals, all striving to run with all their strength, heart and talent.

...

But for me, and the small family that makes up Oiselle, the sport has always been about something more. At various times it’s our therapy, escape, religion, and girl time. But perhaps simply enough, it’s been our sense of freedom. And thus the name Oiselle (pronounced wa-zell). A French word for bird, it alludes to that feeling of weightlessness that most runners know and love. That sense of flight – when the legs go fast and the heart goes free." [source]

So I get to rep a pretty darn amazing company when I run. If you want to check out my profile, click on this link: lisa verwys

P.S. that's the first time I've mentioned my last name on the blog. Although I suppose it wouldn't have been a hard to find me if you really wanted to look.

I guess it's really not a P.S. since I'm not actually done writing.

On to the (more boring for most of you) running news: Training Tuesday. I didn't write this post last week. I had only managed to run a few miles, I was tired and frustrated and hurting, so I just tried to let it all go for the week. But, as I mentioned above, I'm feeling much better so let's get back at this.

Running Recap for April 16-April 26:

 
Total miles covered: 16
Total days: 3
Types of runs: Hill, Easy, Temp/Hill

Hill: 4 miles up Bozeman Creek

Easy: 6 flat miles through town and on the Sourdough Trails

Tempo/Hill: 6 miles total = 3 miles tempo (23:00- not my best but pretty good for the comeback week), 3 miles easy uphill

Cross training: An hour of spin class on Thursday morning, 1 hour of bouldering on Saturday, 16 mile bike ride on Sunday (with a sunburn to boot, 80 degrees and sunny in Montana!)

Total miles in April: 35.1 (I ran 143 in March, so now you know what an injury + illness can do to you)
2012 total miles: 355.6

P.S. the last tempo/hill run annihilated one of my big toenails, which is probably going to fall off now. Ugly feet = even uglier.

Still not done writing, sorry for the false hope with that second P.S.

This has been really text heavy. Here are some photos from our trip up to the reservoir.

Where we ate lunch. The view is ok. I guess.

This view is better. How you doin'?

Obviously I'm deep and contemplative.

Until my head itches.

And I realize I am not smart and forgot sunblock.

Always wear your sunblock!

 One last stop at the end of the dam before we go.

I broke those sunglasses. Good thing they were free.

I got my money's worth.

Awesome bike date!

...in which evil is among us.

I'll be honest, I really want to talk about this sweet new ambassador/sponsorship gig that I just signed up for, but it's Monday and I wouldn't want to deprive any one of their weekly dose of misconduct.

• A man reported that an intoxicated man was sitting in a Suburban in front of his gate. The man knocked on the hood of the car, waking the driver. The intoxicated man said something about having a gun and that he “really needed bread.”
• A woman asked deputies to check on her husband. He was supposed to pick her up from the airport two hours earlier, but he didn’t show. She couldn’t reach him on his cellphone. When deputies arrived at his house, he had just woken up and realized he was late to pick her up.
• A landowner accidently burned down a barn during a permitted burn on Blackwood Road around 6 a.m.
• A strange note was left on a resident’s door after they heard a loud bang. The note appeared to be written in the “witches alphabet.” Is that kind of like Wing Dings?
• A Labrador retriever ran through yards dragging a tire attached to its leash. He was probably just training for the Strong Dog competition.
• Officers assisted a woman that fell in a pothole. That must have been a big pothole.
• A bicyclist ran into an open car door. I'm about 95% sure I know this person, and to be clear the door was opened right in her way, and the driver was ticketed.
• A dog was in a person’s back yard harassing chickens.

And I've saved the best for last:

• A woman had her head stuck between a washer and a wall.

...in which I lament.

Man, does any one else get frustrated about finding the right running shoe? I have yet to have a running store recommend a good shoe for me. Most recently, I bought the Brooks PureFlow as a short run/speed work/race day shoe. Everyone that I know so far is just raving about this shoe. Apparently it's been blessed by unicorns and sewn by fairies.

I hate them. With a capital H.

Things that are good: the toebox is accommodating and flexible.
Things that are bad: everything else. My toes, despite having plenty of clearance, still tend to bash against the front of the shoe. My arches ache each time I put them on (and yes, I have been running in minimal shoes for several years, so it's not being unaccustomed to the shoe style). The ankle support is nil, giving me achy ankles that I've never experienced before. And there's something about the shoe that makes the entire sole of my foot ache. Quite a feat since my heels don't hit the ground, but manage to hurt any way.

So, in honor of retiring the PureFlows after only 60 miles (any one with a size 7.5 running shoe want them?), I have written a poem inspired by Dr. Seuss. Bonus points if you know which book I'm writing in the style of.

I do not like the Brooks PureFlow.
I do not like them on the go.

I would not wear them on a run,
long or short or just for fun.
I will not wear them in the rain,
they simply cause me too much pain.
Not on the track! Not on the road!
They make my feet want to explode!
I do not like them, despite the hype.
They make me whine and cry and gripe.
I do not like them here or there.
I do not like them anywhere.

I do not like the Brooks PureFlow
I do not like them on the go.

...in which I take a stand.

I hate censorship. I particularly hate censorship when it originates in a business that, while private, holds the public trust. Which is why I wrote the following letter to the editor regarding a recent decision made by our local newspaper.

Although I was disappointed about your decision to replace the Doonesbury comics of March 12-17, I originally deferred to your editorial decision. Then I read the reasoning behind your decision and realized that I was staring at good old fashioned censorship. You noted on your Facebook page on March 13 that, “The managing editor and publisher decided after seeing the strips that some of the language in them was not appropriate for our general readership. Also, they felt that the strips added to the divisive nature of our current poltical atmosphere.”
First of all, the terms in the comic that are objectionable are all terms that I can readily find in past printed Chronicle articles simply by searching your archives. Second, you have no right to act as a parental figure to adults or to children (although I doubt many children are reading the Chronicle or Doonesbury). Finally, your claim that you do not wish to contribute to the “divisive nature of our current political atmosphere” is absurd as the Doonesbury strip is currently printed on your opinion page, the same page where you print all manners of divisive letters regarding our local, state, and national governments.

Let me remind you of your mission statement, in which you state your commitment to the following:

“Being the leader in providing information while maintaining truth, integrity and quality.
Innovation. Maintaining our independence.”

Censorship is antithetical to truth, integrity, quality, and innovation. It suppresses people, ideas, and information. When your fears of public opinion cause you to censor comic strips, then you have lost both your independence and your credibility. In making future editorial decisions, you should keep in mind your mission and position as an independent news provider.

...in which it's spring in Yellowstone.

I headed down to the Yellowstone Heritage & Research Center today for an oral history training. The training was very interesting, but the highlight of my trip was making a new friend.

I was driving home when I stumbled upon this guy, eating a late lunch:

I had this song blasting in the car as I rolled down my window and yelled, "Hello, friend!" before snapping a photo.

He could not care less. I'm lucky he didn't kick my car for assaulting his ears.

Sometimes I embarrass myself.

...in which improper public displays abound.

Misconduct Monday, coming to you from Boise, ID!

• A man defecated on the sidewalk on Cypress Avenue.
• An intoxicated juvenile crawled through the doggy door of a South Sixth Avenue home around 1 a.m. and passed out in a basement bedroom. He was brought home and released to his mother. This is only unusual due to the 'doggy door' part.
• Two men were seen fighting each other with golf clubs on Main Street at 4 p.m. I challenge you to a duel! Golf clubs, Main Street, 4 p.m. Be there.
• A caller complained about a neighbor who let a dog run at large and poop on the caller’s yard. An officer warned the dog owner. This is, honestly, one of the top problems in Bozeman. Welcome to yuppie land, when your biggest problem is dog poop.
• A caller had questions about problems the person is having with people leaving basketball hoops on the sidewalk.
• A caller wanted to know if Good Friday is a parking holiday. It is not.
• A couple was having sex next to a motorcycle on Yonder Road at 6:10 p.m. They were warned about appropriate places to have sex. Really? Sex in a public place at 6:10 p.m.? That's not even under the cover of darkness.

...in which I go to the moon.

Craters of the Moon National Park. That's right, I'm back in Idaho, retrieving an artifact from a conservator. I took a stop about halfway to tour around the park. So far, this park is one of the few redeeming factors of southern Idaho. I went in a cave, walked the rim of a crater, and hiked over lava fields.

Awesome.

 

That's the Big Butte in the background. And the results of

volcanic eruptions in the foreground.

 

It's an odd type of beauty.

 

Which can also be used to describe me.

 

Heading in to the park.

 

One of the splatter cones.

 

And how it looks when you head up the path.

 

Then I hiked up to a huge crater.

 

One half of the crater. I love the colors.

 

The crater from one end.

Lava rocks.

 Heck yes I got a permit! I'm going to see if I can find Batman.

 

Just walking through lava fields.

 I'm heading to Indian Tunnel, which is the remnants of a lava tube.

 

Heading down into the tunnel.

Amazing natural formations and colors.

 

Looking into the tunnel.

 The light at the end of the tunnel!

 

And then there was snow. And my skirt is crooked.

And I have no socks on. This was not my finest

fashion day.

Climbing out at the end of the tunnel.

 Look, more cooled lava.

...in which I enjoy.

Things I like about birthdays:

1. Handmade cards (it's fused plastic!)

2. Funfetti cake (but still not as good as Dad's)

And in the background is box 1 of a 4 pack stack o' Gu.

3. Rock climbing. Ok, really we went for a bike ride for my birthday, but I don't have any photos of that. So I'm sharing photos from our rock outing yesterday (my first of the year, Rob's second).

This is where we climb.

And that is the interstate below us.

Rob, gearing up.

We're going up this. It's a 5.9. I didn't

think it looked too bad. I was wrong.

Rob, the fearless leader.

This is my bum, complete with chalk bag tail.

Not too long after this I was frustrated with the

wind, the lack of holds, and my newly shredded

fingertips. I made it through the climb, but not

easily.

You win, Bozeman pass. I'll be back for more.

...in which I work.

This is what I'm working on cleaning right now:

It's always something new and different at work. I spent the day crouched next to these totem poles, scrubbing them with q-tips and distilled water and vacuuming them. Cleaning a 6'7" totem pole with a q-tip takes a long time. Artifact preservation is not as exciting as it sounds. But I love it.

...in which I make friends with a PT.

That would be a physical therapist. See, I've had this sharp pain at the top of my left-side iliac crest for the past several weeks. After terrifying myself with thoughts of serious injury, I finally went to the doctor last week, who sent me to the physical therapist, who delivered the not-so-bad news to me.

1. I can keep running.
2. It's likely a strained oblique muscle caused by the following factors:
     -I'm bowlegged (who knew?)
     -I am weak in my butt and hip muscles (this I knew)
     -I have tight IT bands on both sides (yup, knew that)
     -I have the flexibility of a plank of wood (and definitely knew that)
3. I have to do muscle strengthening exercises. The exercises are hard when all of your muscle is concentrated in your calves. But I will persevere! So now I'm doing about 15 minutes of strength training daily and an additional 30 minutes 3-4 times a week. In the words of Jamie's P90Xing Grandpa, "BRING IT!"

So, last week's mileage was piddly because of the fear of injury. But I'll list it here anyway, just to keep myself honest.

Running Recap for April 1-April 8:

 
Total miles covered: 11.2
Total days: 3
Types of runs: speed, walk, walk

Speed: 1.25 mile warm up, 1x800 at 3:09, 6x400 @1:30-1:40 with 200 walk recovery, 1 mile cool down

Walk: 3.25 miles

Walk/run (mostly walk): 3.78 miles

Cross training: An hour of spin class on Thursday morning.

Total miles in April: 11.2
2012 total miles: 331.7

...in which I take a day off.

That's right, I'm skipping Misconduct Monday today. Taking it easy. After all, it's my birthday! Now I'm off to eat cake for every meal and every snack.

...in which the Easter bunny visited.

And brought a winter storm with it.

I think I would have preferred chocolate.

...in which I remind myself.

"Life is a point-to-point course and we have no idea what the distance is."

"I don't run to add years to my life. I run to add life to my years."

  
"It is a shame for a woman to grow old without seeing the strength and beauty of which her body is capable."

"If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run." -John Bingham

"It's very hard in the beginning to understand that the whole idea is not to beat other runners. Eventually you learn that the competition is against the little voice inside you that wants you to quit." -George Sheehan

"No one ever works out and regrets it. You never go for a run and then, when you're finished, wish you would have just stayed  home. You never climb a mountain, get to the top, and say 'I should have just been content to stay where I was.'" -Nike

...in which we go around the US in 3 days.

Which isn't as exciting as around the world in 80. I'm expecting 2 boxes of Gu to show up sometime tomorrow. They shipped out of California, and have since then been to Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois. I don't think that is the most direct route to Montana. But hey, I like UPS so I'm not going to complain as long as my order shows up on time. Do you know which shipping company I'm not a huge fan of? FedEx. Several years ago one of their drivers managed to run over my record player. I'm still grumpy about it.

In other random news, it's opening day of baseball season! Here we go, Tigers! Have I ever mentioned that Montana does not have any professional sports teams? I'd have to go to Colorado or Seattle to see the Tigers play. That's a long way to go for baseball. Prince Fielder is up to bat in the bottom of the 6th. Cecil Fielder was my Tiger back when I was, I don't know, 5. Although I think I liked him just because my family got a ton of commemorative plastic cups with his face on them at a game. That game was one of the last time I remember eating cotton candy. Random fact, I do NOT like cotton candy.

Also, we're currently in a winter storm warning. It snowed all morning. I was not particularly pleased to brush off my car at 5:45 to go to spin class.

I'll try to write something interesting next time.

Fielder grounded into a double play, in case you were wondering, ending the 6th inning. Score is still 0-0.

...in which I unintentionally take an easy week.

I only managed to run 2 days last week, thanks to a weird bout of the flu. But they were an exciting two day!

Running Recap for March 12 - March 18:

 
Total miles run: 22
Total days run: 2
Types of runs: hill, long

Hill: 8 miles up Bozeman Creek

Long: 14 miles in Bear Trap Canyon

Cross training: An hour of spin class on Tuesday morning.

Total miles in March: 143.4
2012 total miles: 320.5

Tonight is the first night of Tuesday Night Track! I'm going to have to get in the mind set of running fast.

...in which big box stores are overwhelming.

It's Monday, which means it's time to check in with the Bozeman Police Department. Not a lot to report this week. I just hope it actually manages to get and stay published this week.

• A deputy checked on two guys in a ski resort parking lot who were preparing to sleep in the back of their truck around 12:30 a.m. “They couldn’t drive due to the amount of alcohol ingested.”
• A woman drank half a bottle of wine at Costco. Sometimes you need a little help to survive the Costco experience.
• About five men were on a roof of a South 10th Avenue home urinating onto cars at 11:30 p.m. Sigh. Welcome to a college town.

...in which I'm not fooling.

Normally I'd share this running adventure on Tuesday, but it was so good (and bad) that I'll just go ahead and share it today.

Saturday is SNOTRs day, so we met up with the group for an 18 mile run. The people with GPS watches will tell you that it's 15.75, but the BLM says it's 18 and I don't trust GPS watches to be accurate in general, and especially not when you're in a canyon.

Despite the ever-present rain, it was a good day for a run. To be honest, I love running in the rain, but it does make rocks slippery.

Let's get wild!

Blair leads the way through the wind and spitting rain.

Rob loves this weather! You can tell by the look on his face.

Log crossing over a roaring river.

Ok, it's a stream. But it was roaring.

Talus field #Ihavenoidea. There were a lot of them.

And they were all slippery from the rain.

Everything was just fine until mile 7ish. I thought to myself, "Hey, I'm hungry. I'll eat a Gu." Now, I love Gu. This is nothing against Gu. But I have been fighting the flu for the past 3 days. Friday night I could not keep my dinner in. And this morning the Gu didn't want to stay in either. My stomach flipped over and I stopped dead and said I had to turn around. Then I burst into tears. I'm a crier. And I am so tired of feeling sick. And I was mad that I couldn't finish the run. I was literally out of gas. Dehydrated, not enough food in the past 24 hours, being sick the night before, not sleeping well. It all just crashed in at once and I was done. Well, done except for the 7 miles back out. Blair & Rob headed back with me, which was really nice of them. They didn't have to, but it was great to have company. 

We went (or, I went) pretty camera-happy on the way back.

This is the trail.

This is when I decided to climb on a rock in the 

middle of the Madison River, slippery conditions be damned!

I made it! I look like a gymnast after nailing a dismount.

And then I had to get back. I am the epitome of grace.

Beautiful area, gray skies and all.

Rob, taking his turn on the slippery log return. 

Best photo of the day. Hands down.

2 weeks ago, 100+ acres of this area went up in flames.

Folks, make sure your campfires are 100% extinguished!

Only you can prevent forest fires. 

Running for the car. Are we there yet?

Second favorite photo of the day: jump for joy!

Devil's Backbone team, prepare to dominate!

 And then the clouds magically cleared and ohmygod it's beautiful.

I love big sky country.

So, although it was a bit of downer for me, this run did have some positive aspects.

1. Lesson learned today: if you have the flu, take the day off and sleep in.

2. Things I was reminded of: my friends and boyfriend are the best.