Breaking Records!

"Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you're a lion or gazelle - when the sun comes up, you'd better be running." - Inspirational saying on a T-shirt

We hit 85 today in Anchorage, broke a temp record yesterday and today! We also have a hazy blanket wrapped around us, I'm told because of some forest fires in the Yukon and NW Territories. Hiked Mount Baldy a couple times as Sam had to try out his new running shoes for the big race I've coerced him into running July 18th. http://www.akhs.atfreeweb.com/Hikes/CrowPass.htm -this links to the trail guide

http://www.anchorage.net/events.html?eventid=17447 -this links to the race information

We don't know for sure if we got in but we, well at least I have my fingers crossed;) Thanks to my trainer Geri last fall trying valiantly to get me qualified for Boston Marathon (missed it by only 8 minutes) but ran it in less than 4 hours which unbeknownst to us was good enough to qualify me for this race up in Alaska! Neat how that worked out. Thanks Geri:) Now to get Sam in we (yep, it was a group effort) had to write a letter stating why he should be allowed to run the race since he doesn't have a qualifying marathon time due to never before running one. This is what we came up with:

Crow Creek Crossing 2009 Hopeful: Sam
Age: 27
Physical Condition: Excellent
Call In case of acceptance: XXX
My sister is making me write this letter. She wants to run this race really bad and apparently so do I. I haven’t qualified by marathon time but my sister has and every time I’ve run with her I beat her. She gets mad because I don’t ‘train’ as much as she does. What she fails to realize and what may get me in to your race is that:
#1 I have youth on my side
#2 I work construction 6 days a week therefore I’m constantly in ‘training’
#3 My foreman is a real slave driver so I run all day at work, I consider him my coach
#4 This summer I’ve worn through 2 pairs of boots and its only been 3 weeks (I used to think Carhartt made a quality product)
#5 I received the Presidential Physical Fitness Award 3 consecutive years 4th, 5th and 6th grade
#6 I know my limits…Crow Creek is not one of them
#7 I have hiked several of the so called mountain passes Bird Ridge, Flattop, Pioneer Pass I laugh in the face of them all, McKinley 3 weeks?...that’s for people without jobs
#8 If you don’t allow me to race this with my sister, she’ll make me do it anyway, might as well give me a number so you can track me
#9 I considered Sherpaing as a career choice for a time
#10 My sister is a certified Wilderness First Responder so I’ll be running with definitive medical care. It’ll be like running with On Star.
Since the only way to get a prior marathon time is to run a marathon I believe this is a good place to start as I have no other marathon to run.
Please consider me as a participant in the Crow Creek Crossing Race 2009.
Thanks for your time,
Sam

Stay tuned to see if it worked! Miss you all tons!

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12:1-3