Hope For The Best
To be hopeful that a positive occurrence will happen. This can be an expression of hope or insight after something has gone awry or when circumstances seem bleak. The free dictionary
That is all I could really ask for. This is the furthest we have gone from our home base in nearly two years. We are still nomads and travel a lot by any ones standards but usually it is only a couple of hours by plane or car.
This 5 night trip took us to Juneau, Alaska to add one more state to our quest to run a half marathon in all 50 states. While there we also did a 10k. This is state number 38 for us and our 19th race this year. When we were doing marathons we did Anchorage for the state of Alaska many moons ago.
So far so good, another idiom, everything is satisfactory or developing as planned up to the current point or moment in time.
Idiom; A group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual.
Our book Running all over the world, our race against early onset Alzheimer’s Is full of them.
Shameful plug
The race series was once again put on my our new running family at Mainly Marathons. The 10K was done at Savikko Park (Treadwell Trail) across the bridge in Douglas, AK It was a beautiful, wooded, somewhat muddy and occasionally rocky course. I am glad we opted for the half marathon the next day on the paved asphalt course at Twin Lakes Park back in Juneau.
On and off rain the entire time we were there
While there I did ask Greg and Kevin, long time Mainly Loonies, why they do it. You know me and my unscientific surveys. Bottom line, like I say in Chapter 7 of our book, “it’s the people stupid.” Whatever works for them. We have our eye on getting two more states with them next month.
I was even able to sell a book or two while there. Jesse displayed a copy during the four day series. Maybe next time we will do all four days since running still has a very positive effect on Catherine which did help compensate for the long flight days and 4 hour time change.
As many know there is so much to see and do while in Juneau but we picked the following five.
Gold Creek Salmon Bake
Catherine is a salmon connoisseur whereas i can take it or leave it. Sometimes it is good and other times no so much. so I never order it off the menu. I figured since this place had salmon as part of its name why not give it a try.
We got there right when it opened at 5 pm and were able to beat the bus loads of people off the cruise ships that were finishing up their tours for the day. Outstanding was one word I would use. The outdoor, buffet style dinner really hit the spot. It was so good I even had seconds of the freshly grilled salmon over an open fire pit. The specially prepared glaze topping really hit the spot. The blueberry cake to finish off the fabulous meal was the cherry on top. We took a stroll of the surrounding property and it was really cool to see the spawning salmon in the nearby creek and waterfall area.
Mount Robert’s Tramway
They say you have to experience the Mount Robert’s Tramway so we did. We have taken tours on many a tramway to the top of some mountain in the area around the world so no real surprises here. They had a trail system up and down the mountain and probably would have gone either up or down that way if the on and off again rain had not persisted.
Shrine of St. Therese
Catherine and I are not very religious. We think of ourselves as more spiritual but it was nice to go inside the National Shrine of St. Therese to once again pray for Catherine as we usually do from time to time all over the world. The magnificent adjacent gardens was an unexpected treat. The huge bulldozer making small work of the nearby cabins was a stark contrast.
Jensen-Olson Arboretum
Right down the road was the Jensen-Olson Arboretum and we never miss an opportunity to walk amongst the local vegetation. They say walks or hikes like these is very beneficial for folks with ALZ. It takes the sufferer to fond memories in their minds and crowds out the daily frustrations they commonly experience.
Mendenhall Glacier
You can’t come to Alaska and not experience a glacier up close and personal. Unfortunately with climate change the Mendenhall Glacier like many others are receding so instead of it being right out the visitor center observation deck’s window it is now about a half mile away but still worth the visit.
The trip back to the lower 48 started with a 5 am departure from Juneau with a 90 minute connection once again in Seattle. The day ended with a very respectful arrival time of 6 pm back in ATL. Needless to say we were both worn out. Catherine did really well and this was a good training run for our trip back over the pond next month to Berlin and Scotland. I learned a few things to be aware of for that trip so to help Catherine as much as possible.
It does make it all worth while as we thought about all we witnessed in Juneau. In two chapters in our book I talk about possible places to live and Juneau made it to another list of places we could not live. The reasons why are to numerous to mention here. It Also made it to a short list of places we will never return to. Been there done that and we even got a tee shirt for running two races while there.
For you hold outs it is not too late to order your autographed copy of Running All Over The World. You can do so at RunningwithCat.com
A portion of the proceeds on the sale of this book will be donated to organizations providing support to Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers.
Amazon also has all four formats including Ebook and Audiobook. Barnes and Noble have three formats including the Nook. The guy I hired, Lucas, to narrate and do the production work on the audiobook mentioned that he thought it would be good to listen to while walking/running or just chilling. The way it is broken down into 44 chapters it is something to enjoy for 15-30 minutes, a chapter or two at a time and pick right up where you left off.
Audiobook cover
This is the closest I will come to another idea I had early in our travels. That was to develop an application that would play while running a famous marathon. It will know your location like on a big red bus tour and tell you about what you are running or walking by during the race. I decided it was too much like work but at the same time this book was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life.
Some might be thinking that I am really pushing this book. All you seem to see from me on social media is something about our book. Needless to say I am very passionate about this project and have a tendency to be all in when following my passions in life.
I have big dreams about helping others in similar situations and what could be done with the donations I plan on making from the sale of this book. Some might call them lofty or stretch goals but for me they are just a way of life.