Alaska – Page 2 – Cinthia Runs Alaska

Alaska winter darkness

It’s dark up here in Alaska. Really dark. And getting darker. We’re down to about six hours of daylight and losing four minutes a day. By mid-December, we’ll end up with just over five hours of daylight. And trust me: Nineteen hours of darkness can take its toil. Which is why I run. And swim. […]

by cinthiaritchie

Back in Alaska again

Oh, Alaska, how I missed you. I missed your winter blues and your short and stubborn days and the thin coating of ice lingering in hidden pockets of the trail so that whenever I stretch out the pace, my foot slips and I have to rein it back in again and slow the heck down. […]

by cinthiaritchie

Running through sadness

I started this post when I was in Tucson last week. It was a light-beat, slightly sardonic–you know, the usual writing blog stuff. I never finished it, though. For years I worked as editor and sole writer of small Alaska newspapers and one of my tasks was taking enough photos to fill a weekly paper. […]

by cinthiaritchie

A moose-less miracle

Well, it finally happened. A small miracle occurred in the woods of the west part of Anchorage. Yeah, those woods. For we ran (and brace yourself, now) on the Kincaid Park trails and saw no (no!) moose. Gasp! I didn’t blog much this past summer so you’re probably not aware of the frequently of moose […]

by cinthiaritchie

Turnagain Arm Trail, in the sunshine

No time for words but you get the drift, eh? This week’s stats: Monday: Rest Tuesday: 10.20 miles; weights; 30 minutes bike Wednesday: 6 miles; 40 laps swim Thursday: 4 miles (hilly) Friday: Rest; 4 mile hike Saturday: 15.5 miles (lots ‘o hills) Sunday: 6.2 miles; 50 laps swim P.S. Dreaming about this race: Rocky […]

by cinthiaritchie

Autumn running with dogs

Well, it’s fall up here in Alaska, one of my favorite times of year though, unfortunately, I don’t exactly enjoy what follows: the long and cold and very dark winter. Still, what a joy to get out and run on the trails with whisper-flutter of autumn leaves. Last Thursday we picked up Peka, a beautiful blue-eyed […]

by cinthiaritchie

RunFest 49K race report

Okay, I’ve had a few weeks to reflect on the Anchorage RunFest 49k Ultra Race and I feel the same way I did when I crossed the finish line, like cheering and bawling at the same time (which is exactly what I did when I crossed the finish line. I raised my arm in cheer […]

by cinthiaritchie

18 not so glorious miles

So there I was, just past 14 miles of my 18 mile trail run, crouched down in the bushes, my shorts pushed around my ankles as I pretended to go to the bathroom; really I just wanted to get the hell off my feet. Don’t get me wrong. I had to go. I just didn’t […]

by cinthiaritchie

Another Seriously great run

Another great trail run. Sooner or later my luck is going to run out and I’m totally going to bonk (like, probably during my upcoming 18-miler, lol). Until then, I’m going with the flow, as the New Agers say. I’m staying totally zen. I’m, like, chilling out. This was an easy-paced 5.5 mile run in […]

by cinthiaritchie

What’s wrong with this picture?

Okay, quick: What’s wrong with this picture? No, it’s not the dog mushing sign. Or even that Seriously has her backside to the camera (which she seems to enjoy showing off). It’s not what’s there. It’s what’s missing. Namely, this. Yes, my favorite port-o-potty! You probably can’t tell from the picture but this port-o-potty is […]