I Need A Secretary

I decided early on that I wanted to do some epic sh!t this year... lot's of stuff that I've been wanting or meaning to do for years but never got organized enough to do or chase. I think having this blog helps me get it all out in black and white... written out instead of just dreams floating around in my head.

So I signed up for stuff...

I registered for a Wilderness Medicine conference held at Big Sky in Montana. It happens in February. I've wanted to go for years but was never organized enough to ask for the time off work - until this year. I even signed up for the extra workshops in Wilderness and Urban Survival, Wilderness Navigation, and Winter Survival. These classes are led by a Navy Seal instructor. I am stoked!

I signed up for the Derby Marathon in April because I believe my best chance of qualifying for Boston is there.

I signed up for my scary kettlebell classes because I believe that will help me get to Boston.

I decided to help my friend John run the race of a lifetime - the Western States 100 - the granddaddy of ultras - in June as his pacer and part of his crew. This one kind of fell into my lap as he was the one that qualified and then got drawn but I jumped into the opportunity with both feet. Then, I found an amazing medical conference on ultra running and endurance sports that takes place a couple days before the race so I jumped on that too!

Exciting stuff.

Then... I was reading some posts by my fellow Sole Sisters about finding lodging for Grandma's Marathon in Duluth in June or, more like, the lack of it and that everything was sold out already.

Arghh... I suppose I have to find lodging and make travel arrangements for all the stuff I've signed up for! Well, I tried to get a hotel room at the hotel my Wilderness Medicine conference was being held at. Sold out. Of course. The conference is next month after all. I did find a room at a hotel that is suppose to me "a two minute walk" from my conference. I got plane tickets. I still need to rent a car...

I have to figure out how to stay on track with my running while in Montana. Still working on that. I wonder how cold it is outside in Montana in February?

Derby Marathon. My husband and I are making a weekend of it. It seems like all the hotels have jacked their prices up for that weekend. Figures. I ended up using some Expedia Rewards points for a hotel in downtown Louisville. I think that should do it. Hopefully there's not anything else I need to worry about reserving for that weekend... but restaurant for Saturday after the race? Maybe?

Western States. WAY excited. WAY WAY overwhelmed. All I know is that I need to be in Squaw Valley, CA by June 23rd. Still need plane tickets. Still need to figure out where I'm staying. Still need to get the course map - it is 100 miles long after all - see who else can help us - see where the aid stations are. Plan food/nutrition/hydration, when to start pacing, who's driving and dropping off stuff...should I get lodging in Auburn (the finish)?

Then... my friend sends me an article on pacing/crewing... last sentence of the article...

"Life becomes blissfully simple when the only things in the universe are a runner, a trail and a finish line."

Ummm... I think I need a secretary to get there!