I am Tiger Mountain

Today I became one of "those crazy people". You know, the ones that run past you as you are hiking up a mountain. Today I went from hiker of mountains to runner of mountains.

Potluck = Running Fuel
I spent the day in Olympia at a section meeting with a Mexican Potluck theme. It was fun hanging out with great people and eating chicken enchiladas, tortilla soup, chips and salsa, and various desserts. The great thing about training for races is that you can look at all foods a running fuel. I'm pretty sure I adequately fueled myself for my evening run.

Too Much Running Fuel = Stomach Cramp
I started out my evening run of the West Tiger 3 Trail at the base of Tiger Mountain, off of I-90. Within two minutes I had a cramp in my right side. The hypochondriac in me thought, "Lower right quadrant, could be an appendicitis. If it is an appendicitis, where is the nearest hospital? Did they finish that one at the Issaquah Highlands yet?" Crazy thoughts continued to flood my brain: "What if an off-leash chihuahua came after me and attacked my calves? What would the recovery time be for a chihuahua bite? I bet they have sharp little teeth."

The logical mind stepped in. "The cramp in your lower right quadrant is probably from that second brownie you had at 4:00 pm." Right.

I am Tiger Mountain
As I ran up the mountain, my active brain kept chattering. I tried to think of things I was grateful for, focused on my breath, and observed what was around me. It didn't work. Running up the mountain felt difficult; my breath was labored, my heart rate was high, and my legs felt tired. But, I kept going.

Then, something happened. My mind quieted. My breath felt better. My energy returned to my legs. I noticed the whiteness of the trillium flowers, the varied thrush song, the burned out snags, and the shape of the red elderberry leaves. I became my footsteps, my breath, my heartbeat, and my legs. I thought, "I am the trail, I am the forest, I am the mountain."

I am Tiger Mountain.

And after 3.5 miles and 2300 feet of elevation gain, I reached the summit and realized why "those crazy people" run up mountains.

We Are A Cure
If I can be a mountain, we can be a cure. Andy recently sent an email update. He says that he is doing "relatively" well and taking two drugs that control the myeloma without making him feel too miserable. He still gets nausea and fatigue and doesn't know how long he can be on the drugs before they cause his body too much damage.

Currently, there is no cure for multiple myeloma. The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation is working to change that. As the top myeloma foundation and one of the top-ranked charities in the country, they are our hope for a cure. Each donation we make to the MMRF is one step closer. We are a cure.

http://www.active.com/donate/triplec4mmrf