A Week From Tomorrow…

…we get on a plane bound for Atlanta. Then we get on another plane bound for Seattle. Then one last plane bound for our final destination…Anchorage, Alaska.

The Final Frontier. Our 49th State. Land of the Midnight Sun. Seward’s Folly. The Last Great Adventure.

Then Secretary of State William Seward bought Alaska from the Russians in 1867 for $7.2 million dollars…or two cents and acre. TWO CENTS AN ACRE. I have a theory that this horrible deal on their part is one reason the Russians dislike us. Well, and the fact we have a much nicer country. And readily available toilet paper.

But back to Alaska. Anchorage is the largest city in Alaska. Roughly 250,000 Alaskans live there. And a moose or more.

Alaska is larger in area than Texas, Cal-lee-for-nee-uh, and Montana combined.

The Arctic Circle runs through the top third of the state. Brrr.

The International Date Line had to be bent to keep Alaska all on the same day.

Alaska is the only state that is partly in the Eastern Hemisphere.

There are 3,000 rivers in Alaska. There are 3 million…with an ‘M’…lakes.

Dog Mushing is the official state sport. No surprise there.

The Alaska Highway was built for the military during World War II. Parts of Alaska were occupied by the Japanese during WWII.

Juneau is the only U.S. Capital that is only accessible by boat or plane. Wow.

It got up to 100 degrees one day in Alaska…in 1915. Take that Al Gore.

I think that the thing I have been asked most about my trip is if I am coming home. And I have given that a lot of thought. Given the chance, I probably would be willing to move to Alaska. I have always been one for adventure, and many of you that know me know that one of my life mottos is…It’s short. You gotta live it.

I think that living in Alaska would be a great opportunity to experience something new and exciting, and I am sure that workers are desired and that there would be a job for me.

But the honest truth as I have thought about it over the past few days is this…my heart is in Maine. Today I would move to Maine. I would leave today and never look back. I love Maine. I love the attitude. I love the coast. I love that LL Bean is there.

But that being said, I have never been to Alaska. Yet. I may find out next week that I like it more than Maine. I know that there are villages and natural beauty and wildlife…three things that I love about Maine. And coastal beauty. So I may just find out that I like Alaska more. Plus, I hear that LL Bean has mail-order...haha.

And I may come back and gather my babies and move there.

Life is short. Gotta live it.

Alaska AND MAINE Dawg

After the Eleven

This week’s mileage was seven miles, and it was a weird phenomenon after the eleven.

It was harder than the eleven.

I found that very surprising. I had to work over the weekend, so I planned to do my seven on Monday night after work. So I left from the parking lot, and I had a 3.5 mile route mapped. You know…get to 3.5 reverse and do the same thing.

I don’t know if it was the fact I was alone (wasn’t a problem on the eleven), or whether it had something to do with the fact that I got sick the next day (was it lurking in the shadows?), or maybe it was the time of day and the heat…but my pace was off. And it wasn’t just the time…I could tell that my stride was forced.

Now…I did it…but it took me two hours and five minutes…with two stops…one for toes and one bathroom. But the normal time for that would be about 1:50. And I could tell it was off. I didn’t feel the gliding…I felt like I had to. And I hardly ever feel that way about walking.

But that was Monday…and today is Wednesday. I took the day off yesterday because I have some sort of a stomach bug. And tonight I think that if I do walk it will be three miles or less. I am just not 100%. The stomach is bothering me…although it is better today.

I was just heartily surprised by the seven. I talked to one of my teammates about it and we wondered if it was also something about being a letdown after the eleven. Not really a letdown, but you get so psyched and prepared for the eleven because it is long mileage. So maybe the mind just wasn’t thinking correctly about the seven….which is still medium long distance.

But it’s all good. The seven is done. This week I think it is five…and I will walk that Saturday morning at the race I am volunteering at. And we leave two weeks from tomorrow for Anchorage.

Alaska. I am going to Alaska in two weeks. To walk in a half-marathon. 13.1 miles. And when I get back I am putting a 13.1 sticker on my car.

Wow…what a difference a year makes.

Alaska Dawg