Wonder Woman

Tomorrow is Wonder Woman's birthday. To prove to everyone that age doesn't stop her, she's going on a four-run...but wait, there's more. Today we had a WFH opportunity because of the threat of snow. We decided to take some PTO and make the familiar drive to the Uwharrie National Forest, a couple of hours from where we live. Some call the place the Uwharrie Mountains and they were -- a couple of eons today. Today they are a series of short but steep climbs, although none of them are over 1,000 feet. One of the US National Scenic Trails runs through the forest and this is where she wants to run...in the snow...on her birthday.

We've been coming here for years. It is a fun place to hike and camp. There are also cosy little cabins available, which is where we're staying this weekend. We've tented through a snow and ice storm here before though, just to say we'd done it. In hindsight, it may not have been the most comfortable night's sleep I ever had, but it's a fond memory. The one-room cabin we are in is nice though. It's heated, has a kitchen, shower and wi-fi - just the basic essentials.

At the end of the month, we are going to Florida for a long weekend so Wonder Woman can keep a promise to her cousin to run the Miami Marathon with her. WW's extended family lives in the area. Her grandfather moved there in the fifties when he got out of the Army and my mother-in-laws siblings all stayed in the area. I've only been there once and that was more than thirty years ago on the way to Key West. It's always nice to get away from home and experience something new.

My 60th birthday is next month and we will be getting out of town for that too. There is a lakeside hotel about an hour away where we've been a couple of times. Of course it has easy access to an excellent running trail. There is a Lebanese restaurant there I really like, and it's what I've picked for my birthday dinner. I just want to lounge around for the weekend, do some writing, maybe watch a movie, visit the REI and relax.

I found out today that WW signed up for a race in South Carolina in March that lasts for 10 hours. The participants have to run a 5K every hour on the hour - for a total of 50K by the end of the day. Whoever has the fastest cumulative time will be the winner. The race is called Payton's Wild and Wacky 50K and it's in the low country area near Charleston where there are lots of great events. A few years ago she even got me to do the Bridge Run, which is one of the largest 10Ks in the world with over 40,000 participants. The next day we did a 100K bike ride, fittingly called The After the Bridge Run Ride.

If it weren't for Wonder Woman, I'd lead a pretty uneventful life, being a homebody and just getting out to go see the grandkids once in a while. With her in charge, I'm always riding shotgun, filling up her water bottles when asked, ringing a cowbell and cheering her on. I get to meet interesting people in the ultrarunning community and go to interesting places. I'm not complaining.

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