I have been in a reading rut this summer, probably because I've been focusing my free time on running and revising my own novel, but I finally picked up a book that hooked me from the first page, and managed to finish it in just a couple days, beating out the clock on the end of July.
I really need to learn to like audio books, because then I could stack the heck out of my habits.
Before the Snoqualmie River Valley 10k, I had planted the seed in Nick's brain that we should run a half marathon. He'd expressed interest in a 15k, but they're hard to find; and if you're going to run 9.3 miles, you might as well run 13.1.
After our difficult hike at Brandywine Meadows, Matt and I were planning an easy day of gondola rides and the spa, but Zoe had other plans. (Namely, refusing to be left alone in the hotel.) So, we decided to find an easy hike. We ended up at Train Wreck Trail, and I'm glad we saw it! This spot is more about sightseeing than hiking, but we continued along the trail for a bit after the titular train wreck, which made this feel a bit more hikey than walky.
The wreck is very cool. The abandoned cars have become a favorite of graffiti artists, and whatever trail organization oversees it has leaned into that, making the graffiti part of the draw.
Matt and I recently had our 15th wedding anniversary and decided to take a trip to Whistler to celebrate. We're not snow-sport people, so Whistler in the summer felt much more our speed. We intended to hike, enjoy the spa, and indulge in some great food.
We took Zoe along, which did curtail some of our plans—no worries, we'll be back in September to get the rest of our Whistler to-do list done—but we did manage a couple fun hikes! This is the first of the two.
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I wish I'd had the appreciation for slow and steady progress in my twenties that I do now. It would have saved me a lot of grief and frustration.
May was a weird month, somehow it's already mid-June, and given that the Snoqualmie Valley 10k is now a week away, I really wish the last few weeks had gone differently.
This month I read some really great books. I purposely chose literary fiction this month because I've been thinking about reading like a writer; reading pulpy romance or mystery is fine, but it doesn't offer me much in the way of instruction. I wanted to read some stuff that would get my brain percolating.
I was mostly offline the last week of the month because of the cruise, during which time I managed to read two books, bringing this month's total to four and doubling my yearly total.
Read this month: 4
Read this year: 8
I'd like to start this race recap by noting that we had mild, sunny weather all week, and I was worried race day would be hot. Silly me. Race day was a lovely 55 degrees, with 92% humidity and constant rain!
That's what I get for worrying.
Another gorgeous weekend, another opportunity for a hike! Last weekend we set out for Wallace Falls; I assumed it would be pretty easy, because after running my first 6-miler of training I insisted on it. I was wrong.
Next weekend, I've got the Running from Gluten 10k. I'm actually pretty excited because it's sponsored by the Celiac Guild and benefits the Seattle Children's Celiac Program. All the goodies at the finish line are gluten free! I've run many charity races, but none that ever impacted me so personally.
Anyway, I signed up for this 10k with the expectation to run it as a training run. With the Snoqualmie Valley 10k coming up in late June, I figured having a little extra incentive to ensure I actually worked up to 6 miles in training wouldn't hurt.
This month's tome took all month to read. Actually, I think I borrowed it at the end of March, got a few chapters in, and then came back to it after a hiatus. I had to renew the loan when I was around the halfway point. This 600-page behemoth took actual concentration to get through. In some ways, it felt like work.
This is book three in a four-book series, and I've been waiting for its release since absolutely devouring the third book in March 2023. I really like this series, and I've grown attached to the characters. I have some gripes, but overall I enjoyed this book and I loved the ending. I'm so excited to see how everything wraps up in book four, which is due out...who knows when.
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Running, addictive? Who knew.
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In the middle of January, I suddenly realized I hadn't read a book yet and was starting the year on a bad note, especially since one of my goals this year is to replace doomscrolling with reading. (Ask me how that's going...)
Imagine my surprise when I plowed through the first book to come off hold on Libby and realized my momentary panic about the month being almost over had occurred on...January 7.
January is truly the longest month. Anyway, here's what I read this month!
Books read this month: 2
Total books this year: 2
This winter has been relatively dry and sunny, which has allowed Matt and me to try this new-to-us thing called "hiking year round." The last two weeks have been cold (like, 30°s kind of cold) but so incredibly sunny and cloudless that staying inside almost feels illegal.
Our latest winter hike took us to Deception Pass. Matt has paddled there before, but I've never been. We chose this particular hike because my thighs were comically sore from squats the previous day, and I agreed to a hike only if the elevation was extremely moderate.
