Hiking Near Red Lodge, MT

A little over a week ago, Jeff and I were in Red Lodge, MT for a family reunion. We had a fantastic time in Red Lodge, which is a quaint mountain town near Yellowstone Park. We really enjoyed spending time with family and exploring the great outdoors.

A major highlight for me was the big group hike we took on the West Fork Trail in Custer National Forest, near Red Lodge. If you liked my post from a few weeks ago about hiking in Refrigerator Canyon, this one will be right up your alley, too. Lots of photos! Enjoy!

 The above photo is of our group gathering in the parking lot of the trailhead. We had 22 people in our hiking party, all family! I like the contrast in scale of seeing the people in the foreground as compared to the surrounding mountains.

The hike was interesting and fun. It was a fairly gentle uphill, nothing strenuous, and started off through an area that appeared to be recently burned in a forest fire. All the old treas were dead (which meant limited shade! Thankfully it wasn't hot that day!), but the forest floor was covered with tiny baby pine trees, and also lots of raspberry bushes. We were actually a little glad that we were there early in the season before the raspberry bushes were bearing- this place will be Bear Central when those berries are ripe!

 With so many people in our hiking party, the group strung out rather quickly as people adjusted to the pace they were comfortable with and grouped up accordingly. It was neat to look back and see the family along the trail.

After a while, we reached the first waterfall/rapids of the creek that the trail followed. We stopped for a while and took a bunch of pictures. Jeff snapped this one of me:

Photos of waterfalls never come close to doing justice to the real thing! It was really pretty.

After this first waterfall site, more than half of our group had decided to turn back and head to the car. A few of us decided to go a little further and see what else we could see. The trail itself went for over twenty miles, and we didn't plan to go that far but just to go for a while and then turn around. Soon, we were rewarded with a view of a nice wide spot in the creek. Very peaceful and idyllic as the water pooled up here. It would have been a nice spot for backcountry camping.


After stopping briefly here, we decided again to go just a little further and see what we could find. At this point, Jeff and I were hiking with his cousin and her husband. The four of us had a great time hiking together and catching up.

Again, we were rewarded for hiking onward. This time, with an even bigger waterfall!

We stopped here for a while and took a ton of photos and had a snack. Soon we were joined by another group of our family members who had also decided to press on. We had no idea there was anyone left but us, so it was nice to see them. After a rest, we decided to head back to the car. In all, we guessed we had hiked about five miles. It was great to be active in the outdoors and reconnect with family. Jeff and I both agreed that this hike was really nice. It was cool to see a wide variety of cool natural features, including the creek, forest burn, waterfalls, mountain forest, and, of course, wildflowers! We did also see a mama moose and her calf, but didn't linger as moose can be aggressive, especially when they have a calf nearby. 

If you're ever in Red Lodge, you won't have any trouble finding things to do, but definitely consider the West Fork Trail as you explore the area! 

COMING SOON! Harvey, our Vizsla, wants everyone to know that he is working on a guest blog post about going for a run in the country with me. Obviously, I'm helping him out with that. Should be ready to go this weekend! :)

400th Blog Post

Celebrating my 400th Blog post with a new name, new look, some self-reflection and a giveaway! Read on!

What does celebration look like?

When you live on a farm, sometimes confetti comes in the form of freshly harvested wheat berries spilling and jumping out the back of the grain truck as it dumps into the augur.

We don't drink a ton of champagne around here, either, but sometimes a light beer at the end of a hard day tastes as good as bubbly. Celebratory balloons are the kind of puffy clouds you see dotting this part of the Big Sky State on a clear day.

The cheering section is comprised of curious cow faces, tongue-out farm dogs, and our farmer family members' crooked grins.

No matter what form it comes in, I'm celebrating my 400th post to this blog.

Yes, this is it. I've been blogging for 4 1/2 years and 400 posts. I started writing as an outlet for sharing about the unique lifestyle of living on a dryland wheat farm and ranch in North-Central Montana. Over the years, and the posts, I've learned a lot about what being here is all about. I've learned about the day-to-day operations of farming and ranching, how everyone contributes, how I contribute, and how we get things done. I've learned about family, legacy, sustainability, and pride. I've learned about the unique ways of small town communities. I've learned what it means to have and to be a neighbor. I've learned about myself- my own strength and ability to adapt. Writing in this blog has been a means to explore all of those topics, and to share them.

I think I've grown a lot as a person over the past four and a half years. Growing up in Iowa, I never would have guessed I'd end up here. At first, it was hard to see my future here. How would I eventually figure out who I am in this place? First off, how do I figure out WHERE I am when all the landscape is so similar- flat and treeless? Now, I see and appreciate the nuance of the land, and I feel like I have found more of who I am and what my role can be in this place. It has taken time, but I think I have found my spirit, my voice, and my identity here. The blog, as an outlet for my thoughts and feelings, has been an invaluable tool in this discovery process.

As for the new name, Prairie Sun Life, and the new look, well, it was about time. I found that I was tired of using canned Blogger themes and I wanted something more representational of this place and also of my spirit. The new name and new URL come from the corporation name that Tom and Carol chose many years ago- Prairie Sun Farms. I've always loved the optimism and cheeriness that name implies. The new name and new look of The Prairie Sun Life are not a complete departure from the old Prairie Ponderings MT, but rather I think build on that foundation and move forward. Just like I've grown and changed, it was time for the blog to grow and change, too. The new graphic, expertly done by my friend Joellyn, embodies exactly the spirit I was hoping for: optimism, cheerfulness, sunshine, and a strong sense of place.

And now, let's talk about YOU. If you're reading this, thanks for coming along on the ride. Sure, there have been ups and downs and long breaks. There have also been high times of many posts. If you've stuck around this long, thanks for continuing to read, learn, and discover along with me what this Prairie Sun Life is all about. If you're new, welcome! Please stay!

I did mention there was a giveaway involved, didn't I? Here's the part where I explain it. Currently, I'm reading a wonderful young-adult fiction book called Hattie Big Sky, by Kirby Larson. It's about a young woman who moves from Iowa to Vida, Montana to homestead in the 19-teens. (Hmm...why do you think this book piqued my interest?!) There is much in this historical fiction piece that I find I can relate to and many passages that stand out, including this one about getting to know the land:

When I first arrived, I thought this country flat and dull. Now, I see each roll and dip, each cutbank and coulee, through fond eyes. (p. 271)

I'm giving away one copy of this book, and YOU could win it! First, you can enter by commenting. I've got three discussion questions below. Answer one of the questions below in the comments section on the blog OR by leaving a comment on Facebook. Second, you can enter the drawing by SHARING the link to this post or to my blog on Facebook. I'll give until Tuesday, March 8 at midnight for the contest and then I'll pick a winner at random and announce on Wednesday, March 9.

Here are the discussion questions-

• What have been some of your favorite blog topics?
• What would you like to see more of on the blog?
• What is a book you really connected with that you would recommend?

Again, comment below or on Facebook to be entered to win a copy of Hattie Big Sky, and/or share this post on Facebook to be entered! 

Thanks everyone for reading, and for celebrating 400 blog posts with me! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go great my cheering section of curious, pregnant cows and their calves! 

Goldstone Loop Run and Fall Racing Schedule

Harvest has been at a stand-still since it rained last Friday night. It has rained a few more times since then and has been cool and humid. Too wet to finish cutting our spring wheat. Harvest is the only time when we don't really want any rain.

While the cold front hasn't been good for harvest, it has been GREAT for running! I've been having so many great runs lately out here on the gravel roads by my house. Good solid effort in training over the summer is making me feel pretty fast and like I hopefully have some PRs in me for the fall racing season.

In today's post, I'm going to intersperse some of my photos from what I'm calling the Goldstone Loop Run in with my tentative Fall racing schedule. The Goldstone Loop is a four mile box located just a bit north of my house. It's a great training run because it's a route I don't do very often (as in, this was the first time. But it won't be the last!!), it has some hills but none that are completely demoralizing, and it's a four-mile box-- one mile on each side. Perfect square. Great for breaking it down or changing speeds each mile, comparing times, etc.

Harvey and I are at the start of our Goldstone Loop run.
He did not feel like cooperating for a photo and instead was investigating a hole in the ground.

Fall Racing Schedule **Denotes a "confirmed" race, meaning I'd have to come up with something pretty serious to miss this one!

August
**22- Maroon and Gold 1-Mile/5K/10K, 8:00 a.m. Havre, MT. I'll be running the 10K.**

Where the Rudyard Road and Goldstone Road intersect.

September
5- Big Dipper Last Chance Road Run 5K, 8:00 a.m. Helena, MT (not likely to do this one, but there's a chance. You never know)
**12- 5K On The Farm. 10:30 a.m. Bangs Family Farms, north of Inverness, MT. I'm the race director and it's being held on my own farm, but I still plan on running. Of course I plan on running!**
26- Squirrels in the Headlamp 5K Trail Run 8:00 p.m. in Great Falls. This is the evening after a Bobcat game in Bozeman. Again, not likely to actually run in it, but still want to keep it on my radar.

Goldstone Road and Road 105 North intersection. Harvey takes a break (and so did I).

October
**3- Family Violence STOPS here 5K Fun Run/Walk, 10:00 a.m. Havre, MT.**
11- Helena Sun Run, 1:00 p.m in Helena ~OR~ Moose Run, noon, in Livingston. More likely to do Helena on the way home from Bozeman.
**17- Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp Harvest Festival 5K Fun Run, Lakeside, MT. This is happening!**
24- Scheels Pumpkin Run, 9:00a.m. Great Falls. 5K or maybe a 10K? If I can sneak away from MFU Convention for a little while in the morning. We'll see.
Also in October but date unconfirmed as of yet is Run for the Roses in Bozeman, which is a family tradition we'd like to carry on if possible.
Super sad to probably miss the Opera Run in Bozeman this year. Always one of my favorites!

And we're done! 

November
Hoping for a Big Sky Wind Drinkers run in early November like the one I did last year. Dates unconfirmed as of yet.
**26--Huffing for Stuffing 10K in Bozeman ~OR~ Burn the Bird 5K/10K in Great Falls** I'll do one or the other depending on where we are for Thanksgiving.

What's on your fall racing schedule?!

Also, in case you missed it, check out the Top Ten Reasons to sign up for 5K On The Farm below! If even ONE of these reasons connects with you, please consider signing up for 1-Mile, 5K or VIRTUAL RUN!

TOP TEN REASONS why YOU should SIGN UP for 5K On The Farm!
10. It's inexpensive-- only $20 and for everything you get for that $20?!?! Are you kidding me?! Add up what it costs to buy a day pass at a gym, a hamburger lunch somewhere else, and a t-shirt, and then tell us what's the better deal. ;) **But don't delay- price goes up to $25 after September 5, including race-day registration! 
9. Fitness and farming CAN go together! 
8. There is a distance and speed for every ability. Run or walk either one mile or 3.1 miles with us on Race Day. Don't tell us "I'm not a runner..." because you don't have to be a runner to enjoy being outside. Sounds like an excuse to me! If you can walk for 20 minutes, you can do 5K On The Farm in the 1-mile distance and be just fine.

Runners and walkers of all ages and abilities can participate!

7. There is a place for every participant! Can't make it to the farm? Sign up for Virtual Run and get your fitness on wherever it's convenient for you.
6. Helping rural economies! Race proceeds are going to help fund leadership and education opportunities for rural women, so the positive ripple effect of community strengthening and growth can continue throughout Montana! If you believe in strengthening rural communities, then this is a cause you will want to get behind.

Women helping women and strengthening rural Montana communities!

5. Race Swag. We're going to have really awesome goody bags and race tees! Just you wait and see!
4. Exercise is good for you! But you already knew that, didn't you?
3. Hanging out with friends. Get a group of friends together to do the race. Walking or running together is a great way to catch up and spend time with friends and family!

2. Truly unique race venue. How many races or runs have you done on a farm!? You can't beat the view of the Sweetgrass Hills from here!

Looking west toward the Sweetgrass Hills.

1. HAMBURGERS! Every participant who joins us on race day gets a free hamburger lunch with their entry fee! Who says there's no such thing as a free lunch?!

Thanks everyone! Stay tuned tomorrow for Thankful Thursday and Friday for Oiselle Flight Friday post number 1! :)

Summertime Coulee Hike

As I mentioned in my previous post for Thankful Thursday, my good friends Steven and Jessica came to visit us for about four days. I've been friends with Steven since the first day of seventh grade when we were seated next to each other in Mr. Renz' homeroom class. I was in the upper left-hand corner because that's where last names beginning with A always start. Mr. Renz had taken his alphabetical order backwards behind me, so that meant that the start of the next column was Steven, last initial D. We both had a quirky sense of humor, nonjudgmental attitudes, and discovered many similar interests. We were fast friends and remained such throughout high school, going to college at Iowa State, and even beyond. It meant a lot to me that Steven and his wife Jessica (whom I had met and gotten to know in college at ISU as well) wanted to come to the farm for a visit. 

They were here over the Fourth of July. We spent part of the day in Havre at the community BBQ, and at the brew pub, then watched the rain and hail storm for our own version of fireworks. The next day was cool and muddy but we still managed to take a four-wheeler tour of some of the pastures and see the cows. 

The day after that, it was sunny and ideal at about 72 degrees with not much wind. Perfect day to get outside for some hiking! At Jeff's suggestion, we drove up to the coulees north of Tom's house. We had several possibilities in mind for places to go, but Jeff thought this would be the most accessible. Other routes would probably be too muddy. This turned out to be just perfect. We spent a few hours all together, with Harvey, exploring the coulee banks and looking for fossils. 

Jeff, Steven, Harvey and Jessica at the beginning of the hike.

 The coulees are like a big "badlands" area north of where we live, right along the Canadian border. They're like really big, sandy ravines created by wind and water erosion. The erosion exposes the many layers of earth and history. It's neat to see a slice of time right before your eyes.

Harvey, taking a pause in the action.

 Harvey had a really great time in the coulees. There were lots of small animals and creatures for him to hunt and chase, which he really enjoyed. He ran up, down, and all around while we humans putzed and hunted for fossils. He chased several rabbits and birds, but also tracked a mule deer fawn. We were only half-watching him, but he made quite a ruckus when he pounced on the fawn's hiding spot and then tried to chase him up the side of the coulee. The fawn was really, really young. We called Harvey off the chase and thank goodness he listened because I'm not sure that fawn knew what Harvey could have done to him! Needless to say, after all the excitement, Harvey was TIRED by the end of the day.

One of the layers in the coulee bank houses pre-historic fossils of dinosaur bones. There is actually an active archaeological dig site not far from our house where they're unearthing some sort of duck-billed dinosaur skeleton, which is pretty dang cool. We looked for a few bones and other fossils of our own. Here's an example of a partially exposed bone.

We forgot our archaeology tools at home (ha!) so we used a stick to scrape away some of the soil housing this bone.

Oiselle Flyte Longsleeve Tee in Pop looking fantastic against a bright blue sky!

I think dinosaur bones and other fossils are cool, but what I find most impressive about the coulees are the vistas and the drama of the landscape. It's always a surprise that they could exist here, where the rest of the land is so, so flat. You can drive right up to the edge of a coulee in some places and still not see it until it unfolds beneath you. 

Looking back toward the pickup on Fox Crossing in Kennedy Coulee.

Here's an example of another bone we found in the dirt. I thought I was really onto something big when I saw this sticking out. Again, we used small sticks to dig it out and then once we freed it we all decided it was most definitely not a dinosaur bone, but probably that of a cow that had washed into the bank and become buried. I decided surely it must at least be an old buffalo bone instead of a boring old cow tibia or something. So yeah, I found a bison bone, relic of the days when Native Americans roamed the plains. That's my story.

Dinosaur, Bison, or Bovine bone?
You be the judge. ;)

Thanks again to Steven and Jessica for coming to visit! We hope we can head to Seattle to see you guys soon!

Thankful Thursday ~ Grandma's 90th Birthday Bash

Jeff and I were in Iowa last week/weekend for my Grandma's 90th Birthday Party and family reunion. Since I live in Montana, I don't get to see my family very often, so it was really great to see my immediate family and also the extended family on my Dad's side. My Thankful Thursday post this week is pretty simple-- thankful for the time spent with family, in Iowa, and for Grandma giving us a pretty good reason to all get together!



These are almost all of my cousins! And that's Grandma (My Dad's Mom) right in smack-dab in the middle of all of us. There was only one of my cousins who couldn't make it, so that's pretty much the whole crazy bunch. It was really cool to see everyone. We have a very wide age range, as you can see, and some of my cousins I hadn't seen in more than a few years. It was cool to reconnect and to visit with family. I wished that I had more time to spend to really visit with everyone, but the weekend was also pretty busy.

Here's another nice photo of my Dad and his siblings with Grandma:

Again, just so cool to get everyone together. I love visiting with family and seeing in them traits that I also see in myself, whether it's a physical trait or a personality trait.

The family all got together the day before Grandma's party to just visit and reconnect. We did a walking tour of Keota, IA to see the sights and reminisce. I have very fond memories of visiting Grandma's house as a kid. That afternoon, too, the family did a butterfly memorial for my cousin's infant daughter who passed away unexpectedly earlier this spring. 

It was a really lovely moment, with the music box playing while monarchs were released into the summer air. It was really easy to feel the spirit of a child, watching the butterflies lilt away. I was thankful simply to be present and to witness the moment.


Backtracking a bit, earlier in the week prior to Grandma's party and the family gathering, we were at my parents' house spending time with them and my brother. The house has changed a lot since I lived there growing up. Mom and Dad have done a complete remodel of the interior of the house and they have also done some work in the yard and landscape.

Most notably, they added this giant brick oven. Which, you guessed it, makes fabulous pizzas! Some of the neighbors and long-time friends of the family joined us one night for a gourmet, wood-fired pizza dinner!

Dad stands next to the pizza oven, before lighting it.

 We made seven different pizzas, ranging from traditional to exotic in topping choices. My favorites were the Pineapple/Canadian Bacon and the Chorizo-Date, but they were all pretty excellent. Something about that wood fire just makes pizza taste soooooo good!

Dad slips a pizza into the oven.

 There were hardly any leftovers at all the next day...

Pineapple and Canadian Bacon Pizza

 ...but what there was, I definitely ate for breakfast! And then I felt guilty that I forgot to save some for my brother. Sorry Ryan!

Another highlight was going on the Penny Adam Photography Tour of Central Iowa. That's what I'm calling it anyway. Mom's photography has reached expert levels and some of her work is being shown in gallery spaces around the area. It was really cool to see what she's done! This piece, below, is one of my favorite projects of hers. One side is her photo and the other side is a painting of the other half of her photo. Can you tell which is which?!

The truck featured in the photo is actually near our house in Montana. I think it's neat that some of Montana is hanging up in a gallery in Iowa. :)

We saw many more people and did a lot more than just what was pictured here, including participating in a 5K Fun Run. I'm working on another post all about the 5K experience.

So, not too deep this week with Thankful Thursday, but mostly just appreciative of the time spent with family and friends while we were in Iowa. You don't get to choose your family, but if I could have, I would have chosen this one anyway. Love you guys!

Dawson's Run Race Recap

Sometimes the best races are the ones with the most familiar faces. That's what Dawson's Run in Joplin, MT has become for me, Jeff, and our family. This community fun run was began four years ago to honor the memory of a local child named Dawson who had tragically passed away. Proceeds from the race each year go to a memorial scholarship in his honor and to the Joplin Memorial Park. This is the third year I have run in this race and it has been really cool to see how it has grown in the past few years. The best thing about this race is how many community members, friends, and families come together. The atmosphere is always festive, even when the weather hasn't been.

If you're a racing elitist with no sense of community, this may not be the run for you. They don't use race numbers, sign up is sort of done via Facebook just to reserve a t-shirt (then you pay and register on race day), and this year there was no timer for the event. So, if you need to have a race bib, advanced online registration and chip timing or fancy things like that, this is probably not your run. I think the absence of those things just brings it all back to making the community, the people, and Dawson, who is the REASON for the race, the stars of the show. I love this race and I hope they keep it true to its Joplin roots for as long as they want!  While it is really fun to do big races like Governor's Cup or the like, there's always going to be a place in my racing itinerary and my heart for small town gems like Dawson's Run.

This year, the Bangs contingency had a large presence: Jeff and I were there along with Tom, Carol, Josh, Katie and Brandon. Standing around before the race is always fun because it feels like a community reunion of sorts. People from up and down the Hi-Line and all around gather for Dawson's Run. It's always fun to say hello and catch up with people you haven't seen in a while. This year felt like the biggest turnout for the event that I have seen in the three years I've done it. There were a lot of people there, and everyone seemed happy and excited!  Katie and I were remarking before the race about how many people where there and just how cool of an event it is.

Josh, Katie, and Brandon were in town this year for the race and accompanying weekend festivities. 

The race itself includes your choice between running or walking either a 1 mile or 5K course. They do a great job measuring out the distance for the 5K--it is excactly 3.1 miles! Sometimes when you do a small-town run, they're close but not quite. Not so for Dawson's Run! Getting the distance correct meant they have to take the course around some silly around-the-block loops here and there, which can get confusing for some if they don't follow the arrows. I spotted a few people going the wrong direction- I met one of our family friends coming towards me and he said he had gotten confused about which way to go!  A few people later told me, too, that they were surprised at their quick times and that the race felt shorter than normal to them. In discussing the course, it turned out they missed the loop-de-loop altogether and ended up doing 2.7 instead of 3.1! No worries, though, as this event is just about getting outside and moving in memory of someone special. The course is overall very flat and fast, with mixed surface of in-town pavement and gravel and some dirt road through farm fields.

Again this year I tried to run the race with Harvey. (This meant that my hands were tied up with his leash, so I left my camera in the car... thus, not many photos in this post!) Harvey used to love running races with me but something switched for him in about the past year. He's not in love with the idea anymore. When the race began, I had to do a little bit of bribery with some string cheese to get him started. Once we got going, he did pretty good overall. After about a mile into the race when the crowd had started to thin out, Harvey showed his competitive nature. Overall, he and I kept a pretty even pace, but once we'd start getting close to someone ahead of us, Harvey would speed up and pull ahead on the leash to pass, and I'd stay with him. About as soon as we'd pass someone, he'd level pace back off again. Darn dog just has to be first! (**Harvey was the First Place Dog again this year, by virtue of being the only dog in the competition. He's not too proud to claim the victory, however! To read more about what Harvey loves, check out this post he wrote about what he's thankful for: http://www.prairieponderingsmt.blogspot.com/2015/06/thankful-thursday-vizsla-perspective.html)

For some reason, even with the flat and fast course I'd run before and was used to, the run felt really difficult to me. I really felt like I was laboring throughout the entire 5K. Maybe it's because Harvey and I had a slow start and felt like we had to surge in the first mile to get ahead, or maybe it was the heat and sun, or maybe because my legs were still tired from the previous weeks' Governor's Cup race. Who knows. I'm still pretty happy with my time of 27:06 (timed with my trusty Timex Ironman watch). I'm only about thirty seconds away from my 5K PR and feeling really good about being able to beat my time sometime this summer or fall. Jeff said he felt like he was struggling a bit during the race, too, but he still finished right around his recent PR, with a time of 30:13. Not too shabby!

After the race we stuck around Joplin for quite a while. The race is held on the same day as Joplin's annual Art in the Park and Car Show event, so there were tons of people in town for that. We spent the rest of the morning checking out artist booths, catching up with friends, and snagging a delicious home-cooked barbecue lunch.

The weather was PERFECT on race day, too. If anything, slightly warm to run in, but overall very nice. It was about 70 or a little warmer outside, with clear, sunny skies, and NO WIND! Much better than last year when it was about 45, windy and rainy. The warm weather really brought the crowds out to run and walk and to the rest of the festivities in Joplin.

One other thing that's always great about Dawson's Run is the race tshirts. They are always a plain cotton or cotton blend t-shirt, my fave!, and always feature a really fun graphic. Here's a photo of this year's tshirt design:

Everyone has a smile on their face and a big heart on the day of Dawson's Run. The positive energy is always astounding. To me, participating in Dawson's Run, even just being there at all, feels like a celebration. It might seem odd to be celebratory at an event to honor a kid who is no longer with us, but I think it's good, and maybe even healing, for people to come together to celebrate a life and celebrate community, family, and friendship. That's what this race is all about. It's not about worrying what your time was, or how cool the tshirt is (although they're always pretty cool!), it's about people coming together to celebrate life. Special thanks to everyone who helps put on the race. It's definitely a tradition in my family! Already can't wait for next year!

Open House at Open Gate Ranch

As I've mentioned recently, I've been working on overhauling the look and utility of my blog. It's taking me some time because I'm not great with change, and I'm even worse with computer skills. You'll continue to see changes and tweaks here and there but I'm going to keep writing and updating posts in the meantime, as well. Writing is my creative outlet and one of my own personal forms of "therapy," along with running. Before I get on to the meat of today's post, I just wanted to point out that I've been working on adding some navigation tabs, or pages, that you can find in that green bar just above this text. I've got three done so far with several more in the works. I would love it if you'd take a few minutes to check out those pages and let me know what you think. Keep an eye out for more pages coming soon!

On our drive down to Helena for Governor's Cup, we stopped along the way at Open Gate Ranch near Fairfield, MT for their open house and customer appreciation day. Open Gate Ranch is where we buy our bulls when we need a new bull and we bought two earlier this spring. They are Simmental breeders and a family owned business and our family has buying bulls from them for a number of years. Jeff and I have never gone to one of their customer appreciation day events before, but since it worked so well for us to stop by the ranch on our way to Helena, we made plans to attend this year.

The entire Richert family was present for the event and as soon as we stepped out of the car, Julie, one of the Richert daughters greeted us warmly and thanked us for coming. We made our way to the shop/quonset where they had refreshments and chairs set up for a few speakers. The speakers were relevant to cattle ranching and most were quite interesting. The lineup included:

• Cale Bjornstad--talking about potential changes to animal feed regulations.
• Karnell Perry-- discussing mineral supplements for cattle
• Ty McDonald with Waddell and Reed to talk about investment planning
• Ryan Perry with Northern Livestock Video sale to talk about marketing cattle through video auction
• Dr. Tony--A veterinarian who was there to discuss an injectable dewormer product for cattle called LongRange

Inside the quonset, preparing for speakers at Open Gate Ranch.

I learned something from each speaker (which is especially easy for me because I still have A LOT to learn about farming and ranching!) but the one I learned the most from was Dr. Tony. Yes, he was promoting his product, LongRange, but what I really learned the most from his presentation is how keeping a cow parasite free affects their health. When the cow is healthy and parasite free, she affects the health of her calf and of the fetus inside her (if she's bred). The animals are less stressed, better able to fight other infections that may arise, retain a healthier body weight, produce more/better milk, and calves gain weight better, when free of parasites. It makes sense, of course, and it was just really interesting to me to think about the biology of healthy vs. unhealthy cows. 

While the speakers were presenting, delicious smells of grilled food wafted into the shed. Some of the Richert family were outdoors grilling up steaks for everyone in attendance. That's right, we received a free steak lunch, hot off the grill! After the educational portion of the day, we made our way to the beautiful, shady yard by the house and enjoyed our lunch. As a member of Team Beef, I'm here to tell you that eating that steak definitely powered my 10K run the next day at Governor's Cup! There is seriously nothing quite like a steak right off the grill. So good. 

Lunch is served! They also served Moose Tracks ice cream cones for dessert! I was in heaven!

Their yard was really peaceful and serene with nice green grass and wonderful shady trees. The Richert family was so effusively hospitable and friendly toward us and everyone present. Several of the family members stopped to talk to me and Jeff, and seemed genuinely interested in our responses. They asked after his parents and how we were doing first, before asking how our bulls were. They talked to me just as much as they talked to Jeff, which is typically not the case at farm and ranch events. Everyone present seemed to value not only our business and loyalty, but to value us as people. I just kept thinking throughout the event that this was what Montana hospitality is all about. 

Each table had a nice floral centerpiece and vintage salt and pepper shakers.

As Jeff and I left and continued our drive south to Helena, through the beautiful Rocky Mountain Front area, I felt lucky to be part of the ranching lifestyle and to be living in Montana.

And just for kicks, here's a cow joke I saw recently in one of the local farm newspapers...

Governor's Cup Race Recap

It has been a whirlwind of a weekend and it's not even over yet! One of the biggest highlights of the weekend and the summer so far for Jeff and me was competing in the Governor's Cup races in Helena yesterday morning. It's only been about 36 hours since we ran, so the entire experience is still completely fresh in my mind. Perfect time to write and share a race recap!

Running toward the Montana Capital Building in Governor's Cup 2105.
(The camera was crooked--the building is straight!)

About Governor's Cup
The Governor's Cup race event is considered to be one of the premiere running events in Montana, and it has been going since 1974, so it's probably also one of the longest-running running events. There are many race distances to choose from: 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, Marathon, and Kids Run, so there is something for everyone. This year they had something like 3200 people participating, which is really big for Montana. (I'm looking forward to the day I can describe a running event in Montana as just being "really big" and not needing to add "for Montana." Someday!) The Marathon is a Boston Qualifier and attracts some really great competition, as do the other race distances. All distances finish in downtown Helena on Last Chance Gulch, with the 5K and 10K routes being run right around downtown. The Marathon begins in Marysville, MT and the Half begins half way to Helena from Marysville. The Governor's Cup website is excellent, so if you're looking for more information, definitely check that out.

Packet Pickup/Expo
Jeff and I got to town mid-afternoon on Friday. We stayed at the Best Western Great Northern Hotel which was very nice and within walking distance of the race events. After checking in, we did just that and walked to the Packet Pickup and Expo held at the Holiday Inn on Last Chance Gulch. Packet Pickup was very well organized and efficiently run. It took no time for us to retrieve our packets. Not a lot of swag in the packets- mostly coupons for Helena-area business. Nice race t-shirts, though. A cotton-poly blend in a beautiful blue for 5K and 10K participants. The Full and Half Marathoners received something that was more technical. I'd rather have this style, anyway. :)

5K/10K t-shirt style. Women's has a v-neck. Mens is crew. Featuring the Governor's Cup logo. 

Truth be told, I expected there to be more booths at the Expo than there were. Also, some of the people had already packed up by the time we got there (including the Team Beef booth!), which was around 4:30 (Expo went until 6). But we did scoop the loop and visit with the people who were still there. I spent the most time at the Sole Sisters booth because the lady was really nice and knowledgeable about her product, and she carried a lot of Oiselle, which you all know I'm obsessed with. I bought some arm-warmers from her to wear the next morning for the race. Jeff also bought a nice Brooks hat to wear for the race at one of the other booths.

Run The Edge
This year, the organizers of Governor's Cup arranged for a motivational speaker presentation on Friday evening: Tim Catalano and Adam Goucher of Run The Edge. I wasn't familiar with Tim Catalano prior to the evening, but I did know who Adam Goucher was, primarily because, again, I'm obsessed with Oiselle and his wife Kara Goucher is one of their Elite Sponsored Athletes. Adam and Tim are both excellent runners in their own right and were also very good speakers. They were funny, I really learned a lot from their talk, and they definitely motivated me. Jeff agreed that he liked them, too.

Tim Catalano (left) and Adam Goucher (right) of Run The Edge.

Tim Catalano and Adam Goucher presenting some points from their website and book, Run The Edge.

The main theme was that many of the lessons and best practices that help us to be better runners also help us to better our lives and make our lives and our running extraordinary. I couldn't agree more with this philosophy and I got a lot of takeaways from their talk that I can use myself and in coaching Track. I could do an entire blog post about just the ninety minute presentation they gave. I plan to order their book and follow their website, so I'm sure you all will hear more about Run The Edge in the future! If you ever get a chance to see these guys speak, don't miss it!

Pre-Race
I'll be writing about the 10K primarily because that's the distance I ran. The 10K race started at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday morning, a few blocks off Last Chance Gulch in downtown Helena. I know that in order to avoid digestion issues while running, I need about two hours between when I eat and when I run, so I woke up at 5:00 and had a PB and honey on whole wheat sandwich, some water, and coffee for breakfast. I took my time eating and getting ready (but I did have my outfit laid out the night before) before heading out.

Race Day Outfit: Teem Beef jersey, Oiselle Embossed Roga Shorts, Oiselle Chevrona Verazzano Bra, Oiselle Herringbone Arm-warmers (purchased at the expo), Asics shoes, Fits socks, and Athleta headband.

Our hotel was .7 mile from the start line, so I jogged over for a warmup. I was really grateful for my new arm warmers because it was about 50 degrees outside at that time and slightly breezy. My over-exuberance for making sure I have "enough time" before a race got the better of me for this one and I was just about the first person to arrive, at about 6:15. Plenty of time to get in some more warm up and hit the outhouse before the race.

Heather Lieberg
As I was coming back toward the starting area from another of my warm up jogs, I noticed someone in a Oiselle sweatshirt. I didn't need a second glace to see that it was Heather Lieberg, an elite runner who is also sponsored by Oiselle! The Helena newspaper did this really nice write-up on Heather last fall that I highly suggest you read: No Slowing Her Down. The article details Heather's rise to elite-level running. Heather ran the LA Marathon earlier this spring where she placed fifth and qualified for the Olympic Trials. She is the course record-holder in both the Full and Half Marathon distances and this year would be competing in the 10K. I've been following Heather for several months and find her to be incredibly inspirational, so I walked over and introduced myself. She was so friendly and very gracious, even though I felt a bit awkward sort of fan-girling up to her. She also agreed to take a photo with me, which I thought was really nice. Heather, if you somehow ever stumble upon this blog and read this, just know that I think it was really cool that you took a moment out of your pre-race routine to say hi to a fan. It means a lot to me. :)

Me with Heather Lieberg, who runs for Oiselle.

The Race
Soon enough it was time to begin the race. Tim Catalano and Adam Goucher were there again for a few more words of wisdom prior to the gun, and then we were off! I clicked on my watch to get my splits as I crossed the magic-carpet (the race was chip-timed) and away we went.

We started going downhill, but then turned and went right back uphill, right toward the Helena Cathedral:

Helena Cathedral graced the opening vistas of the 5K and 10K races at the Governor's Cup.

The course continued around downtown, and included a lot of uphill and downhill, but nothing too steep or severe at this point. I had heard there was a monster hill around mile four, so I was trying to be a bit strategic with my start. I went out pretty good and my first mile split was 8:20, which I was happy with, but then I made the decision to slow down my pace just a bit so I'd have something for the big hill later. 

The Montana Capital Building. This was actually the first time I've ever seen this building.

I focused a lot on my breathing pattern during this entire race as I've been trying to work on breath-based training in my workouts, too. In miles two and three my pace was a little slower and I used a 3-3 or a 2-3 breathing pattern, trying to save a little energy for later. I missed the mile-markers in there, so I missed marking my splits (an argument for a Garmin or Soleus GPS running watch), but I think I was about a minute slower than my opening mile for both mile two and three--somewhere around 9:15-9:20.

Continuing along in Mile 3 of Governor's Cup 10K. 

Not long after the above-photo, we turned back toward downtown and up the dreaded Broadway Hill. I was a little glad I hadn't gone out too hard because this hill really seemed like it "just wouldn't die," to quote a friend of mine who had run this course in a previous year. He wasn't wrong in his assessment. It really felt like it went on forever.  I thanked myself for having done some hill workouts in my training and told myself I was strong enough to handle it.

Then, somehow, we were turning back toward downtown, running on shaded streets, and doing what seemed like a lot of downhill! Score! I knew we were nearing the end of the race. I was really trying to stride out and let loose a bit on the downhill sections at this point. I had looked at my watch and knew that my goal time, 54:01, which is my 10K PR time, would be difficult to make, but I had to try.

Coming back toward downtown in Governor's Cup 10K.
That orange-tank-top lady was back and forth with me the entire race. 

 Finally, the course turned left and we were heading up Last Chance Gulch toward the finish line. Only problem was... we were going UP Last Chance Gulch. I had prepared for the long hill earlier in the race, but to end on nearly half a mile of uphill was brutal. I looked at my watch and saw my goal time come and go and I still had a little more than 100 meters left in the race. I was disappointed, but wanted to finish strong. I scanned the crowd for Jeff and saw him toward the finish line, which was really helpful and motivating to me. I tried to give it everything I had for the finish and after what felt like the longest .3 miles ever, finally crossed the line. I finished with a time of 54:54.24.

Post Race
After crossing the finish line, they had water cups, orange slices and bananas. Jeff and I found a shady spot in the park-like area surrounding the finish, caught up with a few friends who had also done the race, and watched Full and Half Marathoners finish. We saw another friend from the HiLine finish her Half and congratulated her. We also saw the first place Marathoner finish, which was really cool. He didn't even look or act tired. Pretty impressive. I also saw Heather Lieberg being interviewed by a local news station.

Heather Lieberg, winner of the 10K, is interviewed by local news after completing Governor's Cup.

Speaking of Heather again, she finished with a time of 35:23.74. She won the 10K overall, besting second place (a man) by ten seconds, and the second place female by about three minutes. Pretty much domination. Amazing!  So yeah, if I drop twenty minutes or so off my time, I can be in the same category as her... ;)  Even though I didn't get my goal time of making a PR, I'm still overall happy with my race. I was within a minute on a challenging course.  

5K Race

Soon enough it was time for Jeff to head up to the start line of the 5K. I walked back up there with him and watched the start. Governor Bullock was the motivational guest speaker for the 5K. He had actually run the Half Marathon earlier in the morning and got a pretty good time, and then, after a brief speech, ran the 5K as well with his kids. I think it's fair to say we probably have the fittest Governor in the nation. He also ran Boston Marathon earlier this spring. Pretty cool. 

Governor Bullock on the stage with gray shirt, blue hat, green race bib, after giving a pre-5K race pep talk. 

I cheered Jeff on for his start, then walked back down to the finish line area to cheer him in as he crossed the line. He was there right within the time frame he told me he thought he should be and actually finished with a really great time-- Jeff crushed his previous PR by about a minute and a half! He ended up with 30:06, and though he is excited for his PR, he's also really annoyed at that extra six seconds! Runners woes, people! 

Post race for me, pre race for Jeff, in the finish line area. 

 All in all, it was a really great race experience that was definitely worth driving down for. We had a really great time and left feeling rejuvenated for running, which is exactly what you want from a race. This is why we run. Now we both have something to continue to shoot for! Governor's Cup 2015 was a success and we can't wait to keep racing! Next up: This coming Saturday we'll be running in Dawson's Run in Joplin, MT. I'm really excited to see where my 5K time is right now. Looking forward to Saturday!