"Race" Report: Running of the Reindeer

The past week Anchorage has been bustling with lots of events connected to Fur Rondy, which has been rightly called the best winter carnival in the world. Fur Rondy's origins are in the even-more-frontier days of Alaska and the swap meets of trappers, but now it is an almost-two week long festival that includes such activities as yukigassen tournaments, outhouse races, hockey games, snow sculpture contests, a Miners and Trappers Ball that glorifies facial hair, and of course the start of the Iditarod and the Running of the Reindeer.

Mark's work gave him passes to the Exxon hospitality suite, so we were able to watch the ceremonial start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on Saturday morning while keeping toasty warm and stuffing our faces with pastries, mini quiches, salmon canapes and, in my case, drinking copious amounts of coffee. We watched a number of teams begin their epic trek toward Nome.

Pastries and Cake

Jamaican Musher Newton Marshall

Musher DeeDee Jonrowe and her team

I have to say eating on an oil company's dime and watching the dogs and mushers made me feel slightly like a real Alaskan. Standing outside in the cold for an hour waiting for the start of the Running of the Reindeer, however, proved to me that I have a long way to go. The Running of the Reindeer has been billed as Anchorage's take on Pamplona's Running of the Bulls. It is a super festive and fun event. Most runners don costumes -- some of them very elaborate. Since I was unprepared my costume barely counts as one. I wore my peacock tights and put a few feather clips in my hair.

The runners get a head start to run a snowy couple of blocks in downtown Anchorage before reindeer are released to join the runners. Since the runners and then the reindeer are released in herds, it meant a lot of standing in the cold. However, an impromptu snowball fight broke out which provided some entertainment and distraction from the fact that my skin was turning the color of my tights. The race is a great fundraiser for Toys for Tots and I got to stop in the middle of my short run to pet a reindeer. How awesome is that?

Petting a reindeer! I'm in the blue top. 

I can definitely tell you next year I will be wearing a warmer costume, though. Maybe Mark and I will go as Han Solo and Chewbacca. I'm calling dibs on the Chewy Costume.

Over the Weekend: Brunching, Book Returning, and Running

This weekend was my last in the city that I've called home for seven years.  Although we are in the midst of packing and going insane, we had to take the time to have brunches. On Saturday we met upwith our dear friends L. and KT for brunch at our favorite place in town: Northstar.  I had the turkey hash and a biscuit and a coffee.  We chatted about our trip to Italy, the moving plans, pets, KT's cross country bike ride that she accomplished a few years back.  KT gave me the most beautiful flowers.  She said that she figured out place could use something pretty in it.  Oh, man, was she ever right.  Her bouquet of sunflowers and daisies is like a beacon shining light and joy through a mess of packed and waiting to be packed clutter.

 After brunch M and I took some 150 odd academic books back to the library.  Since parking near the library on our campus is a huge pain in the ass, we ended up nervously dropping the books in the return bin instead of hauling them into the library and getting receipts.  I was anxious about it all day until I saw the books disappear from my account online that night.  I had 69 books checked out on Saturday morning and that would have been a ton of fines.  (This was down from over a hundred about a month ago.)  I thought I had taken all of them back, but of course, I did find two more library books on the nightstand after the massive haul, but those are going back today. 

Yesterday we went for brunch with our best friends here.  I had poached eggs and black bean cakes with a jalapeño Hollandaise sauce.  M. had french toast and latkes.

We gossiped and caught up on everything since before our trip, and we could have lingered longer over a third cup of coffee for sure.  However, the restaurant is tiny, and people were starting to vulture around our table.  Since we knew we were meeting up with our friends later in the evening to have a Star Trek: TNG watching party and to eat delicious homemade pizza made by thechemist-coture, it wasn't such a sacrifice.   We did that last night and brought Bailey with us so she could play with their dog.  It was a great time, and much wine and pizza was consumed.

 (My bestie and me)

This weekend I struggled with my runs.  It was so hot and humid -- I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir -- but it was!  On Saturday morning it was already in the high 70s at 6:30am with really high humidity.  The heat index was in the 80s already.  I had planned to run 7 or 8 miles and chose one of my favorite routes that goes through a gorgeous (if hilly) ravine.  Less than 2 miles in, I knew I wouldn't be able to push through.  I was struggling physically because of the weather and because I was congested, but, worse still, my mental focus was nonexistent.  I just couldn't think of anything but the move.  I tried to focus on my breathing, but that just made me even more aware of how congested I was.  So I decided to turn back at 2 miles and instead of running a trapezoid-shaped route just to do an out and back through the ravine.  Yesterday the weather conditions were much better but I was still really mentally out of it.  I shot for 3 and ran a little bit less than that.  I'm so ready for this move to be over so I can focus on other things again!

How was your weekend?  Any good brunches?