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| Tuesday, September 7th, 2004 | | 5:51 pm |
Crutches are a pain in the...armpit?
It's official. I saw it for myself on the MRI. There's a little crack in a little bone in my little foot! Unfortunately, that means crutches for 6 weeks. Walking with crutches is really hard. Luckily, I don't have to have surgery (at least not yet) and I can still drive my stick shift car. Other than that, I can't really do much, though. I thought she might let me swim, but no swimming for me. Good thing I know about body glide. Perhaps that'll prevent armpit chaffing for awhile. Doing triathlons has taught me something! | | Wednesday, September 1st, 2004 | | 8:47 am |
| | Tuesday, August 31st, 2004 | | 9:45 pm |
Really, really bad news.
So, apparently, I might have a stress fracture in my foot. And, it happens to be in one of the worst bones one can get a stress fracture. It hasn't been determined for sure if that's the case. The x-ray was "inconclusive". I have to have an MRI and maybe a CAT scan, but the doctor is pretty sure that's what's up. I already have to wear a boot cast thing. If it is a stress fracture, the best case scenario is that I'll have to be in a boot or cast and be on crutches for 6 weeks. Worst case scenario is that I'll have to have surgery. Either way, no running for me for a very long time if it is indeed a stress fracture. Total bummer... | | Tuesday, August 17th, 2004 | | 9:25 am |
Triathlon number 2!
So, I did my second triathlon of the season this sunday, the Danskin Triathlon. I definitely tried harder during this triathlon then I've ever tried before. Unfortunately, my time doesn't look like it! The swim was crazy long (I really think they messed up and made it about 50% longer than it should have been). Then, I dropped my chain while riding up a steep hill, and had to fix it and then run up the hill, all while avoiding a girl who totally ate it right in front of me (at least I didn't eat it!). I still finished the bike in under 40 minutes, which was one of my goals. I'm pretty excited about that. Unfortunately, I didn't meet my run goal of under 30 minutes. I think I was just pretty pooped by the time I got to the run section. You can see pics from the triathlon and find my results here. Also, at some point, there will be triathlon shakyface pictures here!!! Now, I just have to get my butt in gear about running! I'm still sore from the triathlon, but I think I'll start out with an easy run today to try to get myself moving again. | | Wednesday, July 21st, 2004 | | 11:29 am |
bad runs
I don't know what it is with bad runs, but I really don't like them. I just had one. Granted, I'm still kind of sick and all, but I don't understand how it is that one day, I can have a fabulous run where I feel great and run really far and then on other days, I feel like I'm going to die after 5 minutes. Oh well... I decided to go to the doctor today because of my sore throat. I feel pretty OK otherwise, but I'm leaving for Colorado tomorrow and I decided I should take care of it before I go. | | Tuesday, July 20th, 2004 | | 11:46 am |
sickness/soreness
I learned a very important lesson about training yesterday. I learned that going to master's swim the morning after a triathlon is a bad idea. Except for the fact that everyone there feels sorry for you as they watch you flail about in the water with a permanent grimace on your face. Now I'm feeling kinda sick. My throat hurts. I was supposed to go to master's this morning, but didn't feel up to it. I'm also supposed to run today, but it's hard for me to imagine doing that either. I better not actually be sick. This is day 2 of sore throat and it's significantly worse today. I'll be in Colorado in a couple days. That should be good for my training. I'm taking my road bike with me. The altitude should be good for me, plus I'll have my amazing triathlete mom to train with. For those of you who think I'm tough, she's like a million times tougher than me. She did a tri on Sunday also, and came in 1st in her age class by 6 minutes! My goal is to beat her in a triathlon by the time she turns 60. That gives me 4 more years... | | Monday, July 19th, 2004 | | 2:46 pm |
Triathlon Madness!
I did my first triathlon of the year, the SeaFair sprint distance triathlon. It was really fun and I did better than I've ever done in a triathlon! I did it with Elyse, Christy, and Kelly, which was totally awesome. We all finished within 3 minutes of each other. You can find pictures here. | | Tuesday, July 13th, 2004 | | 12:55 pm |
I'm running a half marathon!!
I've decided to use my blog as a training journal from now on. I have recently committed to train to run the Seattle Half-Marathon this November. I've done this as a part of the Arthritis Foundation's Joints in Motion program. As many of you know, I have rheumatoid arthritis. This is a big part of why I feel committed both to reaching athletic goals and raising money for the Arthritis Foundation. In addition to committing to running in the race, I have committed to raise $1500 in donations for the Arthritis Foundation. Check out my website for information on how to donate money and for more information about arthritis. | | Wednesday, May 19th, 2004 | | 4:01 pm |
| | Friday, April 30th, 2004 | | 5:34 pm |
Snowy Snow! I'm back!
I'm back from New Zealand! I realize that this is not news to anyone, but it's true. And, it's been snowing all day today in Boulder! I love snow! The only problem with this snow is that it's not helping me remember that it's spring, not fall. Since it was fall in NZ, I got pretty used to people talking about the impending winter, and I'm having a very hard time remembering that it's spring. I think it'll all come back to me when I get back to Seattle. I'll post pictures on my website soon, I promise! | | Wednesday, April 28th, 2004 | | 10:36 am |
My last day!
This is my last day in NZ! It's kind of crazy being back in Christchurch, because this is where I started my trip. It seems like a very long time ago that I was last here. I did so much since then! I won't go into the boring details about how awesome my last tramp was, since I'll be posting my pictures on my website very soon (radkatie.com) I'll just let you see for yourselves. 5 days hiking through rainforest and beaches on the coast of New Zealand with a wonderful, wonderful person (Michal) could only be good. And it was great! I fly home today. I arrive only 2 hours after I leave. It'll be the longest 2 hours ever... I'll see you all soon! Unless you don't live in Colorado or Seattle or Portland (I tossed that in just for you, Rob). Or unless you're in NZ. | | Wednesday, April 21st, 2004 | | 3:51 pm |
Crazy Hippies!
Hello! Over the last couple of days, I traveled to Havelock and then did the Nydia track, a 2 day hike. The most interesting thing about the hike was where I stayed. I stayed at this backpackers that was along the way that I'm not quite sure how to describe. Part hippie commune, part crazy bush-people abode, part "environmental caretaker/hunting school" There's no official roads there, so the people who live there have to travel across farm land and bush to get there. They were celebrating the 50th birthday of the guy who runs the place. They were on their 5th day of celebration. Earlier in the day that I arrived, they had killed a sheep and were BBQing it up. They had lots of other food and beer as well, and were more than willing to share. They had a big bonfire that had been burning for the entire 5 days. It was pretty crazy. It was quite an event to stumble across. The walk was also really nice. In the morning of the second day, it was really misty out, which was nice, because it kept it cool and made the bay and rainforest really beautiful. Tomorrow I start my last tramp! I'm doing the Abel Tasman Coastal trail, which is the most popular trail in New Zealand. It's 5 days long and Michal is doing it with me. After that, I have one night in Nelson, one night in Christchurch, and then I head home! So, check back in 5 days and I'll tell you all about the Abel Tasman. | | Sunday, April 18th, 2004 | | 5:17 pm |
All better!
I'm all better (at least mostly). Still a little sniffly, but that's OK. I had an AWESOME day yesterday! I went from rugged, snowy mountains to tropical paradise in just a couple hours!! I went to Punakaiki, which is on the west coast. There were so many cool things there! Beautiful rock covered beaches, tide pools with starfish and muscles, and cool squid-looking seaweed, and amazing patterns in the sand, patterns upon patterns upon patterns... I walked along the beach and then went to the "Pancake rocks" which are these limestone rock formations that look like giant stacks of pancakes. The hostel was right on the beach. I watched the sunset over the water. I frolicked in the sand. Oh, and I was walking down the street and someone yelled "Katie!!" In general, I ignore such things when I'm in foreign countries traveling by myself, but I looked over and it was someone I knew! It was this girl Severine, who I had met when I was in Milford Sound. That was pretty cool. She and I even have some mutual friends from Davis. The only bad thing was that I was planning on taking the afternoon bus out of Punakaiki today, but I got so sucked into hanging out on the beach, that I forgot to call and make reservations in time, and I had to take the morning bus instead. So I had to leave paradise early this morning. Now I'm in Nelson, getting ready to go for a 2 day tramp tomorrow. Tonight I'm going to see a movie! I'm very excited about being able to go to a movie. Maybe it's because I haven't been in a town with a post office, much less a movie theater in quite awhile. | | Friday, April 16th, 2004 | | 7:18 pm |
Sickness is lame...
I'm feeling a little under the weather today. Luckily, I'm in a really cool hostel, so laying low isn't too much of a problem. I think I'll be fully recovered tomorrow. I've read almost an entire book today! That's all for now. I'm going to a tiny town tomorrow, so I don't know when I'll next update this, but I'll let you all know when I'm all better!! | | Thursday, April 15th, 2004 | | 11:23 am |
Fox Glacier/Copland Trail
I spent the last few days in Fox Glacier and hiking the Copland trail to the Welcome Flat hut and beyond! Fox Glacier is this tiny town next to, you guessed it, a glacier! By the way, the word Glacier sounds a lot cooler when a kiwi says it than when I say it. I've been practicing my NZ accent just for that word... Anyway, on Sunday, I walked up to the glacier (actually I hitched a ride for most of the way). The glacier was really cool. It's big. It used to be a lot bigger. Than, I ran down to town (figure I better start getting ready for triathlon season) and ate a big yummy lamb dinner, in preparation for my tramp. On my run down from the glacier, several people stopped to ask if I wanted a ride and seemed confused about why I would be running on purpose. I guess there's not many runners around here. The tramp to Welcome Flats hut was really cool. I met a fellow tramper on the bus to the trail, and hiked with him the whole way up. It was similar to my last tramp, in that it was through rain forest with towering mountains above, but the main difference was the kind of plant life and birds that were around. The weather is warmer up here, too. There were these palm tree things that looked like ferns on top, and lots of different birds, like Kea (an alpine parrot), fan tail birds (tail looks like a fan) and many others that I don't know their names. The hike was pretty long, at least for me, at 17km. The trail was a lot more rugged than the Routeburn, also. There were lots of rocks to climb over and streams to walk through. Luckily, upon arriving at the hut, there's hot springs! Big ones! I watched the sunset from the hot springs, then ate dinner, and then went back to the hot springs to see the stars. The stars were incredible! Totally clear, moonless night. On day 2, I hiked up above tree line, where there were spectacular views of high mountains, including Mt. Cook (the highest mountain in NZ). That was another long hike, but awarded with hot springs once again back at the hut. Then, on day 3, I hiked back out to the carpark to catch the bus back to Fox Glacier. Today, I'm traveling to Arthur's Pass, another mountainous region near Christchurch. That's all for now. I'm having an awesome time and the weather has continued to be perfect!! | | Saturday, April 10th, 2004 | | 5:34 pm |
Let's see if I can finish this time...
If you haven't read the previous entry, read it before this one. Day 3 Routeburn Track: After resting my tired muscles from the second day of hiking, I packed up and headed out for the last day of the hike. This day, like the first, was almost entirely in the rain forest. The big difference with this day was the fact that all throughout the hike, I was able to get great views of the huge mountains around due to breaks in the forest. Also, I went by a big, and I mean BIG waterfall on this day. It's 80m tall. Plus, it was really cold, so the mist from the waterfall was freezing as soon as it hit the ground. This made walking interesting, but also pretty cool. I passed by countless other smaller waterfalls on the way also. At the end of the hike, I waited at a shelter for a bus that took me to Milford Sound. Milford sound is actually a fjord, not a sound, but the person who named it didn't know enough about geology to know the difference. Milford Sound: Milford Sound (fjord) is a most amazing place. Mountains rise straight out of the water and go 1.5km high. That's REALLY high. The mountains are so high that it's impossible to take pictures of them without a really wide angle lens, so I don't actually have many good pictures of what it looks like. Even though the mountains are really steep, and made mostly of granite, trees and plants cling to them by intertwining their roots with one another. Every once in awhile though, they all fall down in one big tree avalanche, so there are places that are bare. Also, there are narrow vertical strips without trees that are a result of the waterfalls that happen when it rains. More about that later... So, on Friday, the day after I finished my the Routeburn, I did a kayak trip on the sound. The sun was out and it was gorgeous. We kayaked past a 160m tall waterfall (3 times the height of Niagara Falls, apparently). I saw a bunch of very cute sea lions. Mostly though, I just strained my neck to look up at the mountains! The Weather: The weather on my trip has been absolutely fabulous. I seem to take the sun with me wherever I go. They keep forecasting horrible weather, and then it's sunny instead. This morning when I left Milford Sound, it was raining, which was really lucky! Lucky? you ask? Indeed, because when it rains there the mountains look like they're bleeding. Hundreds of waterfalls result and water just pours out of the mountains all around. It's quite spectacular. One more thing about Milford Sound. Cheri, if you're reading this, the message has been passed on to Lucky! Actually, someone else already passed it on, but you should be hearing from him soon! Now I'm in Queenstown again, and it's sunny! Tomorrow I head north to Fox Glacier, and then on Monday, I'm starting a 3 day tramp to a hut that is near some natural hot springs. That's all for now! P.S. - New Zealand kicks ass and if you haven't been here before, you need to make it your highest travel priority to get down here! | | Friday, April 9th, 2004 | | 4:09 pm |
Unbelievable!
OK, I have a lot to write about here, so bear with me... I just did THE MOST INCREDIBLE WALK IN THE WORLD! Sorry to scram at you with the all caps, but that's the only way to get the point across without using dirty words. Imagine the most incredible rain forest you've ever walked though. Then add some alps-style humungo mountains, some alpine tundra, a bunch of crystal clear lakes and streams. Toss in a bunch of waterfalls, snow (even in the rain forest), views to the ocean, and awesome huts. Then, imagine seeing all of this in three days!! I'm going to give a day by day description now, which may go on for awhile, and then I'm going to write about the awesome kayaking trip I went on today. Here it goes: Day 1 Routeburn Track: Hiking into the rain forest. It's a lot like the rain forests that we see around Seattle. Lush, green, wet. The trail is very well marked, so there's no worry of getting lost. This makes it really easy to look around and take it all in. I'm walking by myself, which is really nice. There's a lot of bridges to cross, most of which are swing bridges, like the ones in playgrounds when you're a kid. They sway back and forth and if someone else is on it, you feel it! The bridges cross rivers and streams of crystal clear water. Many of the rocks and sand below these rivers is very light in color, so the water looks a very light green/blue color. The trail climbs up for a bit and eventually reaches Routeburn flats, which consists of a big meadow type thing with a braided river running through it. From high above, it looks like sediment filled up the valley, and this river now flows through it. At this point it's snowing. Snow in the rain forest is very cool. Near the end of the hike, after climbing up above the flats, there's an area where there was a mudslide a few years ago, which provides a break in the forest and clear views of the valley below and the towering mountains above. Just at bush line (tree line) I reach the hut. The hut is very well equipped with stoves, mattresses, and lots of cool people. Day 2 of the Routeburn track: As I said before, the hut was right at bush line, so this day's hike was almost entirely above bush line. At the hut were the Routeburn falls, a series of waterfalls cascading down to the valley. The hike goes above those to Harris saddle, 1277m high. The views are amazing the entire time. At this point, I'm hiking through alpine tundra, but it's the most tropical looking tundra I've ever seen. Very cool little plants. At the top of the saddle, I decide to to the side trip up to the top of conical hill. This involves hiking up a steep snowy, icy mountain, to 1515m where the views are absolutely incredible. I can see down three valleys. One of them goes to the ocean. All around me are huge snow capped peaks high above the rain forest below. Absolutely spectacular. Getting down the hill is another matter. I decide that the seated glissade (aka sliding on my bum) is the easiest way down. Too slick to walk. After leaving the saddle, the walk continued above tree line for most of the way. Then, we come around a corner and see a stunning green lake below. That's where the hut is. The trail goes down into the rain forest again for a bit before reaching the hut. Again, the hut is very nice and many of the same people I met the night before are at this hut also. My fingers are tired and I'm almost out of time, so I'll write about day 3 and my Kayak trip very soon! (probably tonight) Cheers! | | Monday, April 5th, 2004 | | 2:36 pm |
Notes on Hostels
A few things I've noticed since last time I traveled in hostels... (1) The internet is completely pervasive. Every hostel I've stayed in has it, even in a town of 300 people. (2) I feel really old. Queenstown!! Queenstown is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. There's a huge lake with mountains jutting out all around. It's like being in Zermatt or Chamonix, but with a lake. The only bad thing about Queenstown is that it's got really good nightlife. I don't personally come to a beautiful place in the mountains to go out clubbing, but it seems that others do. Tomorrow, I start the Routeburn tramp. (For those of you who don't know, tramping is hiking or backpacking, not slutting or whoring). It's been snowing up there, so it'll be interesting. It's a 3 day tramp, with huts along the way to stay in. It's supposed to be one of the best hikes in NZ. That's all for now. I miss you all! | | Saturday, April 3rd, 2004 | | 5:32 pm |
Comments on Coffee
OK, I know it's lame to talk about coffee when I'm in NZ, but here's the deal. I like coffee. The only options here seem to be espresso drinks or crappy coffee, and I mean folger's crystals quality. Lucky for me, espresso is just fine, particularly since a certain someone in Seattle got me hooked. The trick is knowing what to order. I finally discovered that what I want most is a "long black", known to us Americans as an Americano. Additionally, one can get a short black, or a flat white. Tricky business.... On to more important things... Today, I traveled to Lake Tekapo, which is a lovely little town next to a beautiful, turquoise colored lake. If you hike over the neighboring ridge, you get to see spectacular mountains near Mt. Cook. As you can guess, I did that hike today. I've noticed that NZ is a lot like Boulder. Everyone is super outdoorsy, I've seen lots of lycra clad cyclists and sinewy-muscled runners. Also, everyone drives Subarus and there's several outdoors shops per block. Plus, there's the weather. Sunny, very windy, and it changes all the time. I thought the weather would be Seattle-like, but so far I'm wrong. Tomorrow I'm off to Queenstown, the outdoors center of NZ! | | Thursday, April 1st, 2004 | | 4:58 pm |
I made it!
I made it to NZ!! I even slept on the airplane, thanks to a glass of wine, 2 Tylenol PMs and an entire row to myself. I got in a full 8 hours, even. First note about NZ: it smells really good here. I can't figure it out exactly, but it's some combination of ocean air and something sweet. I saw Michal this morning for about 20 minutes, which was really cool. The only problem was that she was in the middle of dealing with having locked herself out of her flat. Luckily, a nice old lady next door let us into her house to call a locksmith, who arrived about 30 seconds after we called, and then opened the door in about 30 seconds by slipping a heavy piece of paper into the door. I could have done that... Oh well, if I lock myself out, I know how to break in. Michal's off to do the Routeburn track, which I will be doing on Tuesday. Tomorrow, I go to Lake Tekapo, followed by Queenstown the next day. |
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