I recently had the opportunity to travel to Bhutan to do an expedition with my husband and some other trekkers. The trip itself was a chance of a lifetime. Because there is only one airport and one airline with limited flights, this isolated country is hard to reach.

On the first weekend of October, I ran to the summit of the South Sister; the third highest peak in the state or Oregon.  Although it's the highest at 10,358 feet, the South Sister is the least technical climb of the Three Sisters and a popular destination.

When I saw the course profile for Gorski Marathon, I knew it was a race I wanted to test myself on.  Then I looked at race photos of the course and saw the beauty of the area.  This year Gorski Marathon was also the 8^th World Long Distance Mountain Challenge, so it would have some of the best mountain runners from around the world racing. 

The American River 50 miler is one of the great Spring Classics on the ultra circuit.  I had only run it once before this year and given the timing and my run-up to Western States in June it turned out to be a perfect tune up race.

The Wind River Range in western Wyoming is one of the premier backcountry locations in the American West. It features towering granite walls, big alpine glaciers, textbook-worthy glacier-carved valleys and spires, cooperative and predictable 3-season weather, and an infinite number of cross-country travel routes.

On Friday, October 16, 2009 three incredible women and I embarked on a fast and furious weekend of adventure to celebrate a birthday and also to enjoy one passion we all have in common, distance running.