Running Skirts?

A new triathlon store just opened up in my little town! I went to the open house last week, and entered a drawing. The next day, I discovered I was a winner! Yipee! I went and picked up my winning the next day. Much to my surprise, I won a pair of SkirtSport pants (seen on the left).

What the heck? A skirt on running tights? Very odd. Would I like them? They did come in my size, which is handy. I told Lael about them, and she assured me I would like them.

I only have 1 pair of running pants right now. I LOVE my current pants! They are very cozy and warm during the cold Minnesota runs. I knew that if I kept running outdoors this winter I would need another pair of pants. Now, a pair had fallen in my lap!

I had also been wondering what do wear during the 1/2 marathon in 6 days. Again, I LOVE my current pants, but they are warm. In the upper 40s/50s they can be almost too warm. Will they be too warm when my mileage increases? But, will it be too cool for shorts? The temperatures should be in the upper 40s for the start and near 60 at the end. What to do?

So, I decided to try out these new girlie pants today. It was 44 degrees, with a slight breeze. I felt it was a good temperature to test them out at. It was a bit cool for me. I'm so used to my wonderful trusty warm pants, that I prepared to feel cool. It did hold back the wind though, just not the 44 degree temperature.

At the end of my 5K training run, I thought that these might be my perfect solution for the 1/2 marathon. They seem to be a good in between set of pants. Don't get me wrong, I am bringing along my old trusty pants and a set of shorts just in case.

Pants and a skirt... still odd.

Wordle

OK, so I saw this on my friend's blog. It looked so cool I had to try it myself. I did this on http://www.wordle.net/.

It's pretty darn cool to see what words I use the most. I'm surprised good is so big. I'm glad to see Greg is larger than most.

7 Days until the 1/2 marathon. I can't wait!

Turkey Trot and 5 mile Run

Thanksgiving was a beautiful and crisp day. I decided to run the Turkey Day 5K again this year. Last year was very slow and painful. I was much heavier, and really just getting back into running after a few months off. I did it last year so I could eat dinner with less guilt. I ran it this year for much the same reason, but also to continue my training.

I talked Lael into doing it with me this year. She is doing such an amazing job with her training. She is working towards the Danskin Triathlon next year with the rest of us girls. Anyway, I picked her up at 7:15am, and we headed to Minneapolis.

This is a beautiful run through downtown. We started at the Target Center and headed down towards the metrodome. A few blocks from the dome, we turned and ran in front of the Guthrie Center. After the Guthrie, we turned and ran up along the Mississippi river, and behind the Warehouse district. It was gorgeous! There is also a stretch of wooden roads back there.

The run felt great! I was motivated and inspired by all the runners around me. It was amazing to note the difference from last year. What a difference a year makes. Lael did great too! It is wonderful to know you have a friend out there. I'm just so inspired by her. I'm so glad she's game to do these races with me! What a great way to spend time with one of my very best friends!!

Today, I ran an easy 5 miles. I'm in the heart of tappering for my 1/2 marathon. It's now on ly 8 days away! I think I'm ready, but we'll see. The nerves are starting to set in. I'm trying to ignore it, but it's gaining strength. I need to just concentrate on spending time with Greg and Kari in Vegas. How lucky am I? I get to spend a weekend in Vegas with 2 more of my best friends. I'm blessed.

8 miles run, 15 days left...

Today was a good day to go for a run. Just a few puffy clouds, temps in the upper 40s, but a pretty good Southerly wind (maybe not so good).

I had my power breakfast of coffee and Peanut Butter/ Pumpkin Butter sandwich. An half hour later, I hit the trail.

The first 2.5 miles were good, because the wind was at my back for the first 1/2, then it was a nice crosswind. However, when I turned to head south, the wind hit me head on. My southern leg is downhill, so I didn't think it would be that bad, but it was. The wind slowed me down by quite a bit. The last tenth of a mile is uphill, and that was so hard. It was made more difficult, because on my 8 mile route, I had to do this southern leg 3 total times. Ugh!

After 3 miles, I turned around to do it all over again. The next 2 miles were good, again. I really enjoyed my music and the sights around me. I could appreciate the plowed fields, the wild prairies, and the un-harvested cornfield next to the hospital. The site I didn't enjoy... the St Olaf College wind turbine spinning very fast. In the words of my niece... I'm just going to ignore that.

The 2nd time encountering my southern leg wasn't quite so bad, because I knew it would kick my butt. At 6 miles, I turned around and headed back out for my last 2 miles, this time heading home at the hospital entrance.

Those last 2 miles were good. I felt strong. I felt pretty confident. I was happy.

At 8 miles I was happy to be done. I also felt like if I had to I could have kept running. Now, don't get me wrong, I didn't want to keep going. I was very happy to be done. Now, the really tapering begins! Only 15 days until my half marathon!!!

*** One addition. Upon further review, I ran 8.26 miles yesterday. Here's the route... http://www.mapmyrun.com/route/us/MN/Northfield/891125891008487925. I ran it in 1:26:10. Not too shabby for my sorry butt :)

10 miler!

Today was the big training day, the dreaded 10 miler! This was terrifying and exciting all at the same time. I was excited to see what my body was capable of now.

After a quick PB&J I hit the road. Greg had been out for 1 1/2 hours already, doing his 10 miler. I was excited to see him along the way.

The weather was beautiful. Not a cloud in the sky, temperatures in the upper 40s and about 10kts of NE winds. Not too shabby, especially after the wet and cold fall we've had so far.

The first 2 miles felt great. It was hard to slow my pace, but I tried to remember how much it would pay off in the long run. I saw Greg almost 1 mile into my run, as he had a little under 2 miles left in his day. It was so good to see him, and he look fairly happy for this distance. It gave me hope and encouragement.

The route we planned was to follow the path out from our house, 1.5 miles, come back and repeat 2 more times, then head back out 1/2 mile and turn around to head to the house. It sounded like such a good plan.

After 2 miles, the thoughts of how many more times I'd pass a certain corn stalk were creeping into my head. I started my mental countdown. I was obsessing over what I had left. If I could just get to 5 miles things would be better.

At 5 miles, things did get better. I don't know why, but once I pass the 1/2 way point, everything else seems so much easier. It's as if everything is now downhill. Don't get me wrong, it was still tough, but so much easier than miles 3 and 4.

The last 2 miles included a lot of grunting. It wasn't grunting for the sake of pain. It was grunting for the emotion of 2 more miles, 1.8 more miles, 1.6 more miles... I just wanted to be done.

At mile 9, I was just across the street from my house. It would have been so much easier to just go home, but no! I had to turn around and head out for another 1/2 mile, then back. That was a very hard 1/2 away from home.

I do feel good about being done with the 10 miles. It's only been 1.5 hours since the big run, so the runners high hasn't kicked in yet. We'll see if euphoria hits tonight. Right now, I just want to take a nap on the couch next to Greg (who is sleeping as I type).

Oh yeah, I ran it in 1 hour 47 min and 10 seconds.

8.1 MILES!!!

Today was just a normal training day for our 1/2 marathon. However, last Saturday, we were supposed to run for 8 miles. Instead we ran a Halloween 5K run. It was a great run, and I wouldn't change what we did for anything. However, we had this 8 miles looming over our heads.

As Greg and I were flying down to Keesler AFB, we talked about what we were each going to do for training. Greg had planned on doing his 8 mile run today, to get it out of the way. See, on Saturday we are supposed to run 6 miles, then 9 miles the next week. It just made sense to get our 8 miles out of the way.

However, I have my Air Force Physical Fitness Test this weekend. I need to run 1.5 miles for time. I'm doing so much better than I've done in 15+ years. I'm excited to see what I can do. So, would running for 8 miles before this test be in best interest?

I originally thought that long distances now wouldn't be good for me. Then, Greg planted the 8 mile seed in my brain. I realized that my faster times have been coming after 50 minute runs. Those are 5 mile runs. 8 miles would not hurt me. So, I was in! It was going to be perfect, because I wasn't schedule to fly until tonight, so I didn't have to go to work until 3pm. I could sleep in and still run!

We did sleep in and had a great breakfast of Special K and bananas. I didn't have my morning coffee, but Coke Zero filled the caffeine gap for me. I hit the road at 10:30am. It was perfect! The temperatures were in the low 60s (better than our MN highs in the 40s). All the Active Duty Air Force PT was done by now. We had the road to ourselves.

The first mile was tough, but it always is. However, I was running in my favorite place, the Keesler AFB flight line path! My squadron was out flying touch and goes during this time, so it was even more motivating.

Greg had mapped out a 8 mile run, that was 4 miles out and back. It was perfect for me! I got to see the flight line twice!! I got to my 4 mile point and was so excited to turn back around. It was so much easier to head home than out. I really tried to keep a slower pace on the way out. I didn't want to use up all of my energy in the first 1/2. It was also very hard not to look at my times. I was in it for distance, not time.

At 6.2 miles, I realized I was now in no man's land. I'd never run more than 6.2 miles in my life! At 6.6 miles, I knew I was at the half way point of my half marathon. I felt good! I can do this!

At 7 miles, I saw my boss. As we stood there running in place, he told me that he'd been trying to get a hold of me. We had storm tasking for tomorrow, so my night flight was cancelled. Did I want to fly a tropical storm invest tomorrow? Of course!

The last mile was great! I was on the home stretch! And, I was flying a storm the next day! I love my job so much, and still get a thrill during every tropical storm/hurricane flight. What a great day!

Greg finished 7 minutes behind me. We were slow, but 8 miles are now in the history books. However, after further review, we see we did 8.1 miles. Every tenth of a mile counts! Can we really do this 1/2 marathon thing? YES!!!

Grey Ghost Run

This year, Greg and I decided to run the Anoka, MN Grey Ghost Run. Anoka is the Halloween capital of the world! That and it is just north of my home town of Coon Rapids. The timing of the run seemed perfect for our training, giving us one more taste of a group run before the big 1/2 marathon.

This run was different from others that I've done. It started at 12:50pm. An odd time, but it did make sense. The Grande Day Parade began at 1:00pm. How does this make sense? The first mile of our route was the parade route. We began the parade. How crazy is that?

There were so many people in funky costumes in the race. I saw a ton of cats, teenage mutant ninja turtles, and Matrix dudes (odd). The best was a group of 6 basketball player, complete with a hoop on wheels. They looked like a great 80's vintage team with fabulous wigs!

There were about 1500 people running this day, so the start was chaos. Greg and I had decided early on the run our own race, and not with each other. It was a great decision, because we lost each other about 50 feet into the race. My family was about 1/2 mile down the road, so it was exciting to know we'd see them along the way. However, they only saw me because I yelled at them. They did find Greg though.

The first mile was GREAT! There were so many people cheering us on, and high fiving the runners. It really pumped me up! Beginning mile 2, the crowd disappeared. We left the parade route and hit the neighborhoods. Then, the hills came up. It was a very hilly 2 miles. Just past the 2 mile point, we turned back around to head to our finish line. About 1 minute after my turn around, there was Greg! I still can't believe we saw each other. He was doing so well.

The end was just as chaotic as the beginning. They had 3 corrals to collect our run numbers. They girls collecting the numbers were moving slow, and the line dragged. This is not what I needed after running a hilly race. I went from pushing it at the end, to a dead stop. Not good! The line moved so slow, that I missed Greg's big finish. I'm just glad he suggested I bring my phone with me. I never would have found him without it.

I finished in 30:15, and Greg finished in 32:20. It was a good run, and even better when I consider that I didn't train much last week because I was down with a cold that sucked the life out of me. I'm still pretty happy with my time.

Another day, another mouse...

Another morning with a mouse fight! This time, it was alive and cornered by my cats. Why me? Greg will be home in 2 shorts days. Couldn't the mice wait until then?

I moved the dog's food away from the wall, to give the cats access to the mouse. The chase was on, until the mouse hid behind a cabinet in the dinning room. After moving the cabinet from the wall, I realized it was hollow underneath, and the mouse was hiding there.

I had been texting Greg with updates up until this point. He called me to give me some advice. I said that I just wanted this to end, when the mouse shot out into the dinning room. I screamed like Jason from Friday the 13th was coming for me. I'm sure this felt really good on Greg's ears. I told him the mouse was out and I had to go, then I tossed my phone on the coffee table.

After 2 minutes of screaming bloody murder, I finally trapped the mouse and chucked it off the deck. I tried to pour a cup of coffee to calm down before calling Greg back, but was just to shaky. I reached for my phone and saw that he was still on the line. I hung up for some reason, but called him right back. Yup, he heard the whole thing. I felt so bad for him, and so embarrassed at the same time.

I was worn out after that 45 minute battle. I had a day out planned with one of my girlfriends, so I put off my 50 minute run until this afternoon. At 4:30pm, I hit the road. It was a great 3.5 miles, but then I had horrible cramps. I had to stop and walk slowly home. I'm very disappointed that I only got 34 minutes in, but tomorrow is a new day.

We'll see what the mice bring tomorrow. Hopefully, the house will be mouse free in the morning, and I can go for a good bike ride around noon. It should be a good day.

Fastest 5K EVER!!!!!

I just ran the Boo Run Run Run 5K at Harriet Island, in St Paul, this morning. It was a great morning. The sun finally came out, and the ice had just melted from the path. It was a balmy 34 degrees with light winds.

The course took us all along the Mississippi River. It was beautiful. There were many people running in costume along the way. In fact, Lael and I had on cat ears, painted on noses and whiskers, and had tails.

I decided to push myself a bit harder than normal. Why not? I'm used to running 5 miles now, so I should have extra energy for a 5K.

The half way point came much sooner than I thought. We turned around and headed back to the park again. I passed Lael shortly after I turned around, and it was great to see a smiling face in the crowd.

I tried to keep my pace up. I felt myself slowing down, but I picked it back up. I turned a corner and saw the finish line. The Wild Hockey Team mascot, Nordi, was there giving me a high five! Then, I saw the clock... it said 26:30! Holy crap!

Lael's husband, Mike, and her daughter, Celia, were at the end. I told them she wasn't far behind me. So, we kept a look out. A few minutes later, there she was. She finished in 31:20! We both bettered our best times by quite a bit.

I couldn't believe my time though. So, I used my runwalkjog website to see if it was close to a 5K course. Then, I looked at the race's website, and said the run was certified. That tells me it was a 5K.

I still can't quite believe it though. I'm not sure it really was a 5K. I don't really want to believe it either. I want to make sure my 1.5 mile run in 2 weeks is good. I don't want to be disappointed when it isn't 12:30. I really would be happy if it was under 15 minutes. I need to keep that goal in mind. The bigger goal right now is my 1/2 marathon.

Even if it wasn't a full 5K, it was darn close. Any time under 30 minutes is a record for me. So, I'm still thrilled with my performance today!

Great Run Day!

Today was a 50 minute scheduled run on the 1/2 marathon training program. I didn't have high hopes for this run. My legs felt a little heavy after my 10K on Saturday. I also had a tough morning.

I found yet another mouse head in my dinning room! It's a very similar story to yesterday, so please refer to the previous post for further info on the horror of it all. Oh, I found it by accidentally kicking it. My foot still feels odd. UGH!

Back to the run... I had 2 girlfriends over during lunch to make our first batch of apple wine. Very fun, but it did put off my running until the afternoon. This wasn't so bad, because it the weather was finally nice. So, an afternoon run would be beautiful and not cold.

I hit the road at 5pm, and the temperatures were in the mid 50s. Not too bad, seeing as most of October has been full of rainy and 40 degree days.

My run felt slow. I hadn't been running very fast lately. I ignored my watch at the 1 mile point and kept moving on. At the 1.5 mile point I had run 14:45! Holy cow! I'd run under 10 minute miles!

I kept on moving. I tried to keep my pace constant, pushing myself up the hills and loving the downhills. At the 5K point I'd run it in 31:30. Maybe a bit slower, but pretty good. So, I kept moving. I finished my 50 minutes at what I thought was 5 miles. I then went to this cool new website: http://www.walkjogrun.net/ to plot my course and see how far I really went.

I ran 5.12 miles in 50 minutes! I can't believe it! I feel so powerful right now! This is amazing. I'm running faster than I did 10 years ago. This is wonderful! I can't wait to see what my 1.5 mile time will be in November!

The death of a mouse...

Like most mornings at home, I came down from my bedroom looking for the cats. Boomer was curled up on the love seat taking a nap. I thought this was a good sign.

I looked briefly for Thunder, but didn't see her. Also a good sign. I let out Skeeter, and waited for him to return for his breakfast. That's when Thunder miraculously appeared. I have no idea where she was, but she showed up in the middle of the floor.

I fed the dog, and made some coffee. I'm in the middle of a sewing project, so there are a lot of fabric scraps under my dinning room table. However, there was a grey piece under the table that caught my eye.

I'd been nervous about grey fuzz for about a year. Greg told me about seeing a piece of mouse skull, last winter, on our dinning room floor. I've been waiting to see the remains one day.

As with last week, I was too tired to look at it. Again, I figured that ignoring it was my best option. After 1/2 hour, I got my coffee and realized I needed to check it out and see if it was mouse. As I got closer, I swore I saw whiskers and and eye. UGH!

I still wasn't ready to deal with it. So, I ate my breakfast, took a shower, and went to church. I should have been paying attention to the wonderful sermon, but I kept thinking about that grey fuzz. I knew I had to deal with it when I got home. However, I was hoping Skeeter would have dealt with it for me. I just didn't want to see it.

When I got home, I grabbed a wad of paper towels and headed to the fuzz. AHHHHHHH! It was a head! AAHHHHHHHH!

What did I do? I ran into the kitchen and called Greg. He suggested that I get a shovel and sweep it in to the shovel and toss it out of the house. So, off to the garage I went. I emerged with a long handle shovel and the garage broom. I didn't want mouse guts on my kitchen broom!

I took a few deep breaths, and went in for the sweep. It was nasty and bloody! There was a tail too! AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Skeeter ran to a corner, because he thought my screams were brought on by him. See, I was letting the cats know that they really didn't make me happy right then. They didn't care.

So, after about 30 seconds, the head and tail were on the shovel and out of the house I went. I threw them off the deck, hoping a raccoon or ferrell cat will like the remains as a treat, so that I don't have to see them again.

Did I put the shovel back? Nope, it's still on the deck with the broom. They are tainted now. OK, not really, but I just don't want to think about it anymore.

This is only the beginning of mouse season. I'm dreading this season. I'm sure that by the end of the winter I will be able to deal with all of this just a little bit better.

Have I made it clear that I HATE mice?

Big Woods 10K Trail Run

Today, I ran my first 10K in over ten years! The next step up on mileage will be my longest ever.

A few weeks ago, I invited Lael to do the Big Woods Run with me. I wanted to do the 10K and she wanted to do the 5K. Not a problem. In fact, I think it may have been the best thing for both of us. I got my distance training in and Lael got to see her best 5K time ever!

We showed up at the UCC Church in Faribault, MN at about 8:20am. We got our numbers, Lael's first number ever, and picked up our shirts. Then, Lael went off to her bus. The 5K people were bused to their start in the woods. The rest of us started at the church, with all races ending at the same spot.

The first mile felt good, but fast. I was moving pretty quickly. What was going on? Then it hit me... it was all down hill. Oh no! That meant, it was 1 mile uphill to the finish! No time to worry, only run!

At 1.2 miles, we entered the woods. As we got there, the first 5K people were leaving the woods. The trails were only wide enough for 2 people, 3 if they squeezed. I was worried that we would be passing all of the 5K people on the way in. Well, a little while later we split off for the rest of our run.

It was a beautiful run in the oaks, elms and maple trees. The path was a bit muddy, due to our rainy October. There were leaves littering the trail. There were also a few roots sticking up along the path. After a quick trip, with no fall, I realized I needed to watch where I was going.

It felt pretty good. At 4 miles, there was a steep downhill. It was so steep that I was almost walking. This is not a good sign. I learned at RAGBRAI, what goes down comes back up. We crossed a small creek, turned a corner and there it was, the hill! This hill had steps! It was a slow climb up, but I still did not walk.

5 miles later, and we emerged from the woods. I was on the home stretch, and headed to that mile long uphill. Just as I was about to reach the finish, I looked up and saw a bouncing woman with her hands in the air. It was Lael! How lucky am I? She looked great and had a smile from ear to ear!

The finish was good, and I felt like I still had some energy. I think I can do 8 miles in 2 weeks.

My time was 1:06. Not too bad. At the Savannah Bridge 10K Bridge Run in 1999 my time was 1:12. I thought I was in good shape then too.

Lael did so good herself! I'm so happy and proud of her. She kicked butt! Next Saturday we are doing the Boo Run in St Paul. It's a great 5K around Lake Harriet. We all dress up in costume for it too. I can't wait!

6 MILES!!!

I ran 6 miles today! This is the first time I've run that distance since May 1999! Holy cow!

I was nervous about this run after my toe started to ache again. Taking my wise husband's advice, I took yesterday off. It really helped me out. I also taped my toes together for extra support, and took plenty of Motrin yesterday. The toes felt great!

One more hurdle though... the weather. It was 36 degrees when I set out to run at 12:30pm. It was cold! However, there is pretty much no wind out there today, so it wasn't too bad. Plus, I just got my really cool winter running clothes. I wore my running tech t-shirt, my light fleece shirt and a wind breaker. The new pants are pretty cool too. They actually warm up from your body heat and still wick away sweat.

We also bought a new water bottle belt. It is a wide Velcro elastic belt with 2 small bottles that are on the back. It doesn't jiggle or rub on my back. It also holds just enough water, and solves the water issue for runs over 5 miles. I really liked it. We'll see what Greg thinks about it this week.

What an amazing day. I feel like I could have fun at least 1 more mile. I can't wait to see how far I can go. This running stuff is addictive!

Toes of pain!

I decided to try to do some yoga for my cross training today. I thought it would be great to stretch out my muscles, and strengthen my core. It sounded like a great idea.

Remember back though, I broke my toe about 6 weeks ago on my dogs bone. It hasn't bothered me in weeks. I thought it was all better.

So 20 minutes in, I strike the pose shown here. My toes ached. I thought I'd push through. However, you need your toes for yoga, and mine were not happy.

The thought of running 6 miles tomorrow on bad toes made me stop yoga at 25 minutes. This stinks!

I then went outside to clean out my gardens. I cut back all the leaves from my plants to make the spring growth healthier and greener. It was a great time out there, cold, but good. However, 3 hours after yoga, my toe still ached.

I talked to Greg about this and he suggested I wait and do my run on Sunday. If I run tomorrow, I may just make it worse. Taking a day off sounds like it will be best in the long run. My toes are taped back together, and I'm back on Motrin. Sunday looks like it will be a much better day.

MOUSE!

By popular demand... here is the tale of my morning. UGH! (This is not a picture of THE mouse, just a Yahoo mouse)

I've had a feeling for a few weeks that this day would come. Each morning, as I come downstairs from my slumber, I look for my two lovely cats. See, if they are sleeping on the couch, all will be well. If I don't see them, my morning it going to be tough.

This morning, I didn't see them in the living room. I rounded the corner to let the dog out, and spotted the cats. They were both looking at the dog food, which we store under our kitchen counter in a Rubbermaid tub. I had a feeling that they'd cornered a mouse. I took a deep breath and walked past them. I wasn't ready to deal with this yet. I woke Skeeter up, let him out, then waited for him to return for his breakfast. This process is normally very fast, because my lab mix dog feels like he never gets to eat. By morning, he's just starving, or so he says. Anyway, he didn't come back right away. I waited a few minutes and decided to make coffee instead.

Why make coffee at a time like this? My little girl cat, Thunder, had come up to say hello. Maybe there isn't a mouse I thought. However, Boomer, my boy cat, was still interested in the food box. Boomer isn't a deadly hunter, and has a bit of kitten ADD. So, if he pays attention to anything for more than 5 seconds, it's big. Again, I decided to ignore this and go to make coffee. I needed something to deal with this and a beer wasn't in order yet.

25 minutes after I woke up, the dog decided to finally come in for breakfast. I'm happy to feed him, but it means dealing with his food box. At this point, Thunder is now laying on top of his food container. Not a good sign. What do I do now? I shoe her off the box and feed the dog. I then left to send my husband an IM to let him know of my concerns about a mouse being in the house.

Skeeter is done eating in 30 seconds flat and back in the living room to say good morning. Now, I hear the cats scratching at the food box. OK, I can't ignore this anymore. So, I stand up, take a few breaths, tie my pj pants tight, and head in for battle. At this point, my palms are dry, but my feet are sweating. Odd.

I move the dog's water and food bowls out of the battle field. I bravely (yes bravely) reach in and pull the food box away from the wall, so the cats can flush out the mouse. Amazingly enough, out shoots a field mouse. Both cats begin the chase.

It's quickly apparent that this mouse is not moving very fast. This battle must have been going on well before I woke up. It just isn't running around the house like a normal mouse. I may be able to catch this thing pretty quickly. So, I grab a paper bowl for my trap. The cats are batting the mouse around, who stands up on his hind legs to show the cats it isn't afraid. Thunder then gives that mouse a huge smack so it tumbles and lands on it's back. Then, I see, the mouse's hind legs are hurt. OK, so now I know it won't be running up my leg anytime soon. I grab my bowl and toss it on the mouse. Then I grab a folder, slide it under the bowl, and head outside. I tossed that little injured mouse pretty far off my deck.

I came back inside and took a big breath. Skeeter the Wonder Dog ran up to tell me how brave I was. Actually, I think he just wanted an ear scratch, but I like to think he knew I saved him from death by field mouse.

The house is now mouse free! OK, it's an old house and never quite mouse free, but I'm going with the mouse free thoughts. It helps me sleep at night.

Inspiration

There have been so many references to inspiration in my life recently. So much so that I felt inspired to to write about what inspires me.

FRIENDS! I'm so lucky to have an amazing group of friends who help keep me going.

Tina has such determination and perseverance. She wanted to get her masters degree, it was a huge goal for her. She worked so hard, and got her masters with honors. She is amazing! She shows me that you can get anything you want if you work for it.

Kait works so hard in so many ways. Her workouts are amazing. She can do so much. With a goal in mind, she finished a half iron man triathlon last summer. Amazing!

Lael has inspired me since high school. She has so much heart and determination. She is always there for me, whenever I need her. She listens to my every worry and pain. She is an amazing support in my life! She's a mom, a wife, a lawyer and now an athlete. She's balancing all aspects of her life so well. She has things in perspective, and knows what is truly important in life. She just gives me so much joy!

Kari is my biggest inspiration right now. She has nudged me along for years. 2 years ago she mentioned the Danskin triathlon to me. I never thought I could do anything like that, but she did. So, after a few months I said yes and off we went. Both Danskin Tris were amazing! I learned so much about myself. She never doubted me, even when I did. She always encouraged me, even when I might not have deserved it. After a week of biking across Iowa, I saw that I can do any physical activity I want. She was such a huge support that week, and so much fun to be around. She showed me that these events are supposed to be fun, and to take advantage of the fun times. Now, we're on our way to our first 1/2 marathon in December. I never thought I'd be doing something like this. She inspires me to push further and further. She is amazing!

FAMILY! I have an amazing family.

My dad has shown me that being loyal and a good friend can get you anywhere. He also told me that I could do and be anything I wanted. He never told me I couldn't do something. He is always excited to hear about my new adventures.

My brother perseveres over all sorts of hard times. Sometimes I think if Bill didn't have bad luck he wouldn't have any luck at all. However, he keeps moving forward. He is an amazing father and makes her his priority. He's made tough choices to make Scout's life better. He really is a wonderful dad.

My sister is a fabulous friend with a huge heart. She is a natural teacher who inspires her students everyday. I wish my math teachers would have been like her. She give so much of herself. She works with the swim teams, volunteers and church and spends her summers at an orphanage in Colombia. She truly makes the world a better place. I wish I could be more like my sister Dawn.

My mom is one of my best friends. She always listens to my rants. She gives me advice that has helped me make the best decisions I can in all aspects of my life. She has so much patience. She is loyal to her friends and family. She has drive and determination. She is an 8+ year breast cancer survivor. Her treatments were tough, but she never said poor me. She is amazing!

MY HUSBAND! Greg is my best friend in the whole world. I could write so much about how wonderful he is, but that is for another post. He inspires me through his unending support. He tells me I can do anything, and he believes it. When I want to do something, he's all in. He never tells me no, or I can't. He has a huge smile and hug for me when I accomplish something big. He's the first person I want to tell about my accomplishments. Now, he's decided to run the 1/2 marathon with me in December. He never was a runner, and is starting from the beginning. He's making huge improvements each week. Soon, he'll be passing me, and I can't wait. He inspires me to keep going, to keep pushing myself, to never give up. His enormous love for me is more than I could ask for, and I'm so grateful he loves me. I am so lucky to be married to Superman!

Running Success!

Happy Fall! I thought this picture captured what this Fall day is like right now in Minnesota. It's cloudy and windy here. It's also in the mid 40s after 2 days of rain. I didn't think it was the best day to run outside.

So, indoors I went. It's homecoming at Carleton College today. The big game is against the hated St Olaf, our in town rivals. Everyone is at the game, so the gym was pretty empty!

My first mile was at a 10 minute pace. I was pretty happy with that. 2 days earlier, at the same gym, I ran a 10:30 pace. Things just felt good. Only 1 other person was on the track, a college girl on lane 3. I run in lane 4 by the way.

At 1.5 miles I ran it at 15 minutes! Yeah me! I figure during my AF testing I can easily cut off 30 seconds due to adrenaline.

After my 1.5 mile point, the college girl caught up to me. She passed, but didn't stay to far ahead. In fact, in 2 laps, I passed her again. We traded places about every lap, because she would go inside 1 more lane, cutting her distance. It takes 7.6 laps for 1 mile in lane 4, 7.8 laps in lane 3, and 8 laps in 2. She really helped me keep my pace up.

At 2 miles, I was at 20 minutes. Could this really be happening? Am I keeping a constant pace? Well, at 2.5 miles I was at 25 minutes. It seemed to be true.

At 3 miles, I had run for 30 minutes! Yeah me! I was a wonderful consistent pace run. I don't think I've ever kept my pace for longer than 1/2 mile. It is amazing! I'm so happy. It was a great confidence boost.

I may be a runner yet!

Defeat of Jesse James Days 5K

OK, I'm not doing so hot at keeping up with this blog. On Friday, I went for my first bike ride since RAGBRAI. It was only 1/2 hour, but it felt great! I actually missed my bike, and didn't know it. I'm looking forward to riding my bike more often, at least until the snow starts to fly.

Yesterday, I ran in the Defeat of Jesse James Days 5K in my hometown of Northfield, MN. Greg was so excited to run with me, but he is still recovering from his cold/swine flu. So, he brought Skeeter the Wonder Dog to cheer me on. It really means so much to have a cheering squad out there for you.

In past years, there have only been about 50 runners with me. This year there was easily 200 runners. Missing from the crowd was my dear friend Kari, who didn't have the vacation time to come up from Dallas. It wasn't the same without her, but I completely understand why she couldn't make it. Also missing, the blind man who kept passing me. I really wanted to see him too!

2 blocks into the run, I saw a member of the James Gang on horse back. It was so cool! Then we were headed up a short hill. 1 mile into it, there was a pretty good hill, but not as bad as I remembered it. A little over 1 mile into it, I passed a local girlfriend of mine, Sarah. Her 11 year old son then smoked me! 1 1/2 miles into it I hit the hill that haunted me 4 years ago. However, this year it was like an ant hill. I can't believe that hill made me have to walk back then.

At 2+ miles it felt like most of the course was downhill. I remembered it being almost all uphill, but now I realized that there are some big ups, but it mostly a gradual downhill course.

The last 3 blocks of the course had people lining the streets and cheering us on. It made me grin from ear to ear. Again, this is very different from 4 years ago when I was quietly flipping off the crowd. Greg and Skeeter were at the finish cheering me on. It was wonderful!

I forgot my watch that day, but Greg timed me and said I finished in 31 minutes flat! What a difference 1 year can make!

Hey fever, a Cold or the Swine Flu

Week 2 of the 1/2 marathon training began today. I ran 30 minutes. This isn't too bad so far. It's pretty much where I've been for the summer.

However, when I hit the trail, I felt odd. I'd been stuffy all day. Now, my back muscles feel odd. I think it's hey fever. It's pretty bad here right now, with everyone feeling the hey fever itch. Then again, Greg has a pretty bad cold right now. Or, Greg may have the Swine Flu. They symptoms of both are so similar for him. He is slightly stuffy, but now he has a pretty deep cough. I just hope he slept better tonight than last night. He looked pretty rough today on Skype.

Tomorrow is cross training day. I'm planning on going for a bike ride in the morning. It will be my first time on the bike since RAGBRAI. I can't wait!!!

1/2 Marathon Training

Yesterday, Greg and I officially began training for our 1/2 Marathon. We will be doing the Rock-n-Roll Vegas 1/2 Marathon in December. It's scary, but should be so much fun. We're starting at one end of the Vegas strip, running to the other end, then back again. It's going to be so flat! Yeah!!

So, back to yesterday. I was to run for 30 minutes. It was supposed to be speed drills, but with my sore foot, I decided just to concentrate on keeping my pace up for the duration.

It was a good run. My first mile was 10 minutes, which is really good for me. I'm getting slowly faster, and it feels great. I'm excited to see where I will be come December.

I think the training plan I've chosen will be so good for me. It's time based for the majority of the week, with the mileage days on Saturdays. It seems do-able. I can't see doing 13.1 miles, but then again I never saw myself doing a triathlon or riding my bike across the state of Iowa for a week.

This should be a trying and amazing time. I'm so excited!

Broken Toes

12 longs days ago, I broke my toe. It is my "ring" toe on my left foot. It was a tragic accident. So violent and heart wrenching. That's a lie. I stubbed me toe on my dog's bone. It was one of those huge pig femurs. It's a dinosaur bone! It didn't move, and my toe cracked.

This is now my 3rd broken toe over 10 years. Not too bad of a track record for how clumsy I am. Anyway, Greg convinced me to go to the doctor. He wanted to make sure I didn't injure myself further by training for our half marathon. So I went and she was wonderful. She said I could run in 7 -10 days, with no problems.

So, it's day 12. I've been in St Croix, USVI for 4 days now and I feel like a slug. I feel bloated. I've eaten too much. My diet isn't going so well. I needed to do something.

I hit the trail at the Buccaneer Resort. It's really a golf cart path, but it works. It's a hilly course with an amazing view of the Atlantic Ocean. What a beautiful site.

My toe did OK, except for the up hills. It helped me practice my flat footed technique for running. Running flat footed did help. However, after a 30 minute, slow, run I was finished. Now, I'm off to fly into Hurricane Bill. What a great way to start a night flight! I'm stoked!

RAGBRAI Recovery

My body has returned! I went for a 3 mile run today, but it felt so good, I decided to run for at least 45 minutes. That went a little longer, 47 minutes. It was about 4.3+ miles in total.

Finally, my arms didn't feel week. My breathing seemed normal. My legs still felt strong.

It took 1 1/2 weeks, but I think I've pretty much recovered from RAGBRAI!

Now, I need to remember that I shouldn't push too hard. I want to go out and run again tomorrow. However, I don't want to back track. So, tomorrow will be yoga or an easy bike ride. Although, I'm not sure if I'm ready to get on my bike again. We'll see.

Running after RAGBRAI

Today, I went for a 5K run on the path just in front of our house. I just wanted to get moving again. I still feel tired after RAGBRAI. I feel almost lazy. I just feel drained, weak, and generally exhausted.

It was tough. My legs felt heavy. However, they felt strong too. My legs were not what held me back.

My lungs felt heavy too. It almost felt like I had a cold. At the end of the run, I realized that the issue with my lungs was probably that I didn't breath too deeply when I was biking. Now that I'm running again, I'm taking deep breaths. I need to train my lungs again.

My arms were also failing me too! They felt like jello. They felt like lead weights. The felt like they were weighing me down. I was hard to swing them and get a good stride.

During the last .65 mile, I turned into the wind. That head wind DID NOT help me. It was a struggle. I tried to let me legs do the work, since they seemed to be the only strong part of my body left.

At the end, I started to walk but had to quickly stop. I started to feel very light headed. I had no idea how hard I had pushed myself. Apparently, too hard. At least I can say I ran 5K today. That's better than the week before. Maybe my energy will return soon.

RAGBRAI 2009!

Register's Annual Bike Ride Across Iowa!

RAGBRAI 2009

It was an amazing trip last week. It had ups and downs, but more ups than downs. The ride pushed me to my physical limits, but showed me that what I thought was a limit, was really something I could overcome. I smiled more on a bike than I ever have before. I ate my weight in pie!

All in all, I rode for 465 miles across the beautiful state of Iowa. This year's RAGBRAI took us through the scenic parts of southern Iowa. If you thought Iowa was flat, you were wrong! The first 2 days had so many hills that I thought my legs would give out. However, I made it up every single hill and didn't walk!

The towns we stopped in were beautiful. They came about every 10 miles along the day's route, giving me a much needed break from the bike. The communities had food and pie galore to sell to our weary souls. It was amazing how much food I could put down in a day. I loved the pie! What a great excuse to gorge myself after 9 months of dieting.

Here are some lessons I learned at RAGBRAI:

1. Announce your every move and every thing in front of you! If you were getting off or on your bike, you announced it. If a car was coming, you screamed car up to warn the other riders. I still feel a need to announce "Stopping" when I sit on the couch.

2. I'm so important that cops are at every corner to stop traffic for me. OK, I know this isn't true in real life, but I did get used to it on the road. On day 6, I was walking across a road to the showers and realized I didn't even attempt to look both ways before crossing. Why would I? The State Patrol are my personal body guards.

3. Hamstrings are nasty muscles. What I thought was knee pain, was a very tight hamstring. Stretching properly before, during and after the rides is so important now that I'm older. So sad to see what age has done.

4. Friends are priceless! Kari really helped me through this whole week. We had an amazing relationship on the bike. We would ride together about half the time. Otherwise, we were happy to meet up with each other at the next town, or at the next hill. It meant so much to see a smiling face at each stop. She helped me stay focused and never let me think I couldn't do it. She made the whole ride so much fun. We sang our way through Iowa, much to the other riders' dismay. ABBA, Meatloaf, Blondie and the Mullet Song were our favorites. Luckily, the karaoke line was too long at one of our stops so the town was spared from our vocals.

5. My husband is amazing! Greg was our primary support crew for the whole 7 days. He transported all of our stuff from town to town. He found us the perfect campsites, and roped off an area that had plenty of space for all of us. He set up the Lufkin Lodge tent each day. He cooked amazing meals for the entire team. He always met me with a huge grin and a big bear hug when I triumphantly arrived at camp. He's the most supportive husband in the world. What other man would follow his wife and friends across Iowa?

6. Weather is unpredictable! I should know this by know, being a meteorologist and all. We had temperatures in the 50s, 1/8 mile visibility in fog, rain, thunder, high winds, heat, and hail. The hail storm hit at 5 am one morning. We thought we'd seen it all up to that point, but then the hail hit. What was next, frogs and locust?

7. The Mississippi River can bring me to tears! Yes, at the end of the week, the site of the Mighty Mississippi did bring tears to my eyes. I still can't believe I did this! Me, the un-athletic girl. Me, the one who was always picked last for sports. Me, the one who finished runs last. Me, the girl who loves TV and being lazy. Me, the one who struggles to pass PT tests. Me, the girl who HATED gym class. I still can't believe I did this. I never thought it was possible. What's next?

40 Mile Ride

I knew I needed to get on my bike for one more ride before heading out to Mississippi tomorrow. I just don't think that the stationary bikes will do it for me. Plus, I HATE the gyms on Keesler. They are crowded and they stink!

So, off I went. Greg suggested I take a PB&J sandwich with me again. He said you never know how hungry I'll get. Knowing how smart he is, I packed my sandwich and hit the road.

There is this great trail between Northfield and Dundas. The whole length is about 5 miles (2 of it are on a county road). The beginning of the trail is in a lovely park, with the end just before a big highway. I did the out and back once, then took a break in the park and ate the first half of my sandwich. I was feeling great! I wanted to do at least 25 miles, but knew I could get in 35 easy.

I did the out and back again. Now I was at 25 miles total. One more out and back, then the ride home, and I could have 40 miles in my reach. After the second 1/2 of my PB&J, I hit the trail again.

I hit the trail again. Shortly after starting, my left knee began to ache. I started to visualize using only my right leg, which helped out. I found that when I started from a stop (2 stop signs on my route) then the knee REALLY hurt). When I made it back to the park, at my 35 mile point, my knee was killing me. I hopped off the bike and walked around a bit. That seemed to help, but it was still tender.

Each time I started back up from a stop there was a shooting pain in my knee. So, when I hit 40.3 miles, across the highway from my house, I got off my bike and walked it home. I just couldn't go through that pain again.

I guess more hamstring stretches may be in order next time. Also, I need to walk around more during my breaks, to loosen the joints.

Oh, the artwork is courtesy of my Great Uncle Duane Bryers. Duane is known for his Western artwork, with his painting being featured at the entrance to the Cowboy Hall of Fame! However, he got his start with his pin-up girl, Hilda, on calendars for many many businesses in the 60s and 70s. My Grandma had Hilda in her bathroom, and I will do the same with my Hilda artwork too!

35 mile ride!!

OK, I've really not been training like I should for RAGBRAI. I have many excuses, but the reality is that I'm trying to pretend this isn't happening. It's terrifying to think I'm going to ride almost 80 miles in one day. If I don't think about it then it won't hurt, right?

I realize this is not the healthiest attitude I can have. So, with the help of my WONDERFUL husband, I went for a 35 mile ride today. The longest I'd gone up to this point was 25 miles, so this was huge.

First, let me tell you that this morning I had a filling redone at the dentist. He was liberal with the Novocaine. I couldn't eat lunch before I left the house, so I packed a PB&J for the road. I also made 2 chicken fajitas for Greg to bring up to St Paul when I met him at the end of the ride. I filled 2 water bottles, and planned for 1 extra water stop.

Before I left, Greg put my old seat back on my bike for me. Last year, I thought it was my seat that made my back hurt. In a way it was... it was too far back. Once I move the new seat up, the back didn't hurt. However, I really like my old seat, so back on it went.

Greg also put on my second water bottle holder and made sure my tires were full. With all the equipment ready, and the 50 SPF sunscreen liberally applied, I hit the road.

I made it up to the next town, Farmington, in just over an hour. This is so much better than I expected. However, it wasn't a very bike friendly part of town, so I waited until I was past town to have lunch. I pulled over and dug out that sandwich. Do you know how hard it is to eat a PB&J sandwich with your mouth still feeling Novocaine? Not too pretty. I felt like my dog.

I gave Greg a call from this spot, and he was just leaving our house and headed to his parents home (my stopping point). I hoped I'd make it to the next town before he passed me.

I hit the road again. I need some water, took a swig, and it sprang out of the corner of my mouth. Ahh... Novocaine!

Well, the next town, Rosemount, appeared before me. I was just thinking about Greg not passing me, when he appeared! He is so wonderful! He brought me a new bottle with ice water. He's amazing! After a quick chat, I hit the road again. I was feeling great!

That feeling was short lived. I forgot how long it took to get from Rosemount to Hwy 55. I thought it was just a mile or 2. It was 10 miles! That shot my groove to pieces. I started to feel slow. The hills felt bigger. I needed a break.

So, I hit the Holiday Gas Station and got some Gatorade. It was nice to have another cold beverage, and it tasted so good! I was sure the last 8 miles would be a piece of cake. Not true. There were at least a dozen stop lights and everyone of them turned red as I approached. My mo-jo was GONE! It was a tough finish, and my thighs were burning. I finished though and felt good about it.

Now, RAGBRAI doesn't seem so scary. I know that I need more than a 5-10 minute break in the ride. I know I need a lot of water (I did this one right today). I know that I have an amazing husband and I'm so grateful he'll be our support crew!

Doe a Deer...

Today I was visited by a beautiful, and very large doe. She came up to eat out of our squirrel feeder at about 2:30pm. Skeeter the Wonder Dog, was standing by the screen door on the porch, looking a bit odd. As I looked over to see what was going on, I saw the most beautiful doe.

She was cautious, but seemed quite hungry. The most amazing thing was that my dog was perfectly still. In fact, he laid down at the door and watched her quietly. I guess we trained him well.

This photo isn't the best, because I took it with my iPhone, through a dirty window, but you get the idea. Amazing!

Sadness and Rides

My Grandma Alar is dying. She's had dementia for at least 7 years now. She's had congestive heart failure for many years. She now has stage 4 kidney failure. She's pretty much stopped eating and drinking. It's just a matter of days now.

Myrl Minerva Alar is an amazing woman. She raised 5 fabulous kids in very tough times. She was an amazing example of a strong and smart woman for me. She is a real role model. I'm lucky to have her and be related to her.

About 9 years ago, I had a chance to get to know her better, when I went to my cousin Sara's graduation. We shared a room, and I got a chance to spend time alone with her for the first time in my life. A year later, she came to visit me in Miami, after my cousin's wedding and before visiting my Great Uncle. It was amazing to hear stories of how she meet my Grandpa and how much she loved him. I wouldn't trade any of the alone time with my Grandma for anything!

It hit me today that she will be dying soon. Greg asked me how I was doing, and the tears started to fall for the first time. I didn't want to do anything today. I was exhausted and drained, but like Greg suggested, a little workout might do me good.

I really didn't want to go for a ride, because it give me too much time to think. However, I really didn't want to leave my phone behind. So, I went for a bike ride. It wasn't going to be for very long. I hit 6 miles and cried a few tears, but I got it back together. It was going well, so I figured 20 miles wasn't out of the question.

When all was said and done, I did 25.2 miles in 1:56! I feel very good about the ride, but now I'm completely exhausted. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a better day.

Clips and Computers

Oh my goodness, I'm becoming one of those bike people. I keep acquiring the gear, bit by bit. I now have 3 bike jerseys, 2 bike shorts, 2 sets of bike gloves, and 6 water bottles. The biggest additions to my bike gear... my new clip pedals and bike sandals. I also just got a new bike computer to keep track of my progress.

Kari and Kait have been talking to me about bike clips for at least a year now. After the triathlon, I realized that I needed to make the switch. It will give me more power while I pedal and it just looks cool :) The cool part isn't the reason, I just needed to throw it in there. Anyway, the day I decided to switch to the clips, I got an e-mail from a local bike store about their HUGE sale. They had Keen bike sandals for $30 off! Yipee! I figured the bike sandals will be so nice to have in the heat. Plus, they are a lovely shade of blue and look cool (is there a theme brewing here?).

I've been using 2 different bike apps on my iPhone to track my mileage and routes. I had some doubts as to their accuracy, and they were draining my battery. If I went for more than 1 hour, I'd need to charge my phone.

So, yesterday I went to a St Paul bike store and picked up a trek computer, on sale! It was tough to figure out how to install it, but with the help of the internet, I figured it out. It's pretty darn cool! It tells me the current time, elapsed time, speed, average speed, top speed, odometer, and temperature! Plus, it looks cool!

I really wanted to get a 20+ mile ride in to give me a bit of confidence for RAGBRAI. It was supposed to be in the mid to upper 90s and humid, so I needed to get started in the morning. I hit the road at 10am (not morning to most people, but I had be here for Greg at 10am). It was an awesome ride! I saw places I hadn't seen before. My bike computer kept me motivated to bike a bit faster than I would have done without it. I even got up to 28mph on one hill! On the other side of that down hill was an up and I went 4 mph up that beast.

After all was said and done, I got in a 25 mile ride in just over 2 hours. I'm pretty pleased and feel better about my RAGBRAI preparations now.

70 POUNDS!!!

I've officially lost 70 pounds since beginning Weight Watchers back in October! YEAH!! That number is still shocking to me. I can't believe it's so much!

This may seem slow to most of you. It is slow. It's meant to be slow. I want to keep it off, not just loose it. Experts say that if you loose 1 to 2 pounds a week, your chances of keeping it off are much greater. It's a slow battle, but I'm winning it!

In celebration, what did I do? I ran a 5K today. I was so motivated from this big loss. It felt so good. At 1 mile, I'd run a 10 min mile. At 1.5 miles, it was 15 minutes! This is great for me. I'm still working on keeping my pace up and speeding up my 1.5 mile time. It's also working. It's so amazing to see how far I've come in the past few months. I keep saying it, but it's amazing what my body can do right now.

One thing I must add. Before advertising my 70 pound weight loss, I debated putting it in print. I even put it on my facebook page. It's scary to let people know how much I'd gained in the past 6 years. However, the joy of loosing 70 pounds far out weighs that fear. I figure, they can judge the weight gain if they want. I don't care. I'm just thrilled that I'm at this point today. What ever I weighed last year is in the past. I only have the future to look forward to now! YIPEE!!!

Around Northfield - Road biking - Everytrail

Today was a BEAUTIFUL day! I decided to try my new bike stuff, and hit the road. It was a slow ride, due to traffic stops and site seeing. I wanted to go over 12 miles, but really wanted to do 20 miles.

I was sure I did 20 miles! However, my new toy on my iPhone said I did just over 16 miles. So sad. Anyway, here is the link to see where I went and how I did. Remember it is a sad sorry pace.

Around Northfield - Road biking - Everytrail

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Lessons Learned

Reflecting back on the Danskin Triathlon 2009, I've learned a few lessons. I'm recording them mainly so I can look back on this next year and remember these things.

- Don't be afraid to get there early. Get there between 5 and 5:15 am. There will be no rush.

- Walk to the triathlon site. It really helped center me and calmed my soul. I had no idea how helpful it would be.

- Leave notes for friends. It was so much fun to do, and really set the tone for it to be a fun time instead of terrifying.

- The day of the triathlon... TAKE A NAP!!! I was so tired, but didn't want to poop out on anyone. It caught up with me and I'm still tired 3 days later.

- The night after the triathlon: the reality is I'm exhausted come 7:30 or 8pm. What I really want to do is have a nice dinner with Greg and the girls. That way we can visit and share stories from the race. It's good for my head, and relaxing. Going out on the town would be nice, but the reality is that I just can't stay up for it. I'm old... so sad, but true.

- If I want to paint the town red, then I need to show up on Friday night. I've realized after 2 times now, I'm off to Austin, TX for the triathlon... not to site see. If others want to go out (like Greg and Kari) they can do it. As I said earlier, I need to nap. I get grumpy when I'm too tired.

- Show up early on Saturday and I can go out in the afternoon to see some sites. It's a BEAUTIFUL town, and worth seeing.

- Figure out dinner plans for Sat night about a week early. Maybe go to a local Italian restaurant next year? Carrabbas was great though! Again, it's a way to see the local flavor.

- Lunch at the Thunder Cloud Deli on Sunday is PERFECT! Those sandwiches were AMAZING!

- Bring a more mobile cooler for Greg. Either lighter, or better wheels. Would a wagon do a better job?

- Bring Cliff Blocs with. They really helped keep my energy up. So nice!

- Bring a pillow for the car and airplane rides. I was EXHAUSTED. Have I said that enough yet?

- Watch the Chocolate Martini intake the Fri before. 2 are the max. The neighbors still remember, even if I don't.

- Bring thank you notes. So many people help out, and I forget to thank them. Not good on my part.

Danskin Triathlon 2009!

Today as the big day. The Danskin triathlon in Austin, TX! It was an amazing time! The supportive women and the excited energy is unlike any other event I've ever experienced! It's addicting, which is why I returned to do it again this year.

It was a very early morning. Greg, Kari and I got to the Expo Center at 5:30am. The shuttles to the race were slow and there were hundreds of women in line to get on them. So, Kari and I hit the road for a 1.5 mile hike to the race site. I didn't think it was a good idea at the time, but realized later that it was the best thing for me. It helped me calm down and get in a better place, mentally, for the race.

We got set up, and found our meeting place under a giant oak tree. Before I knew it, Kari was off to start her swim. I was about 12 minutes behind her, so off I went to get ready. We were assigned to different "waves" for start times. I was wave 11, starting at 7:30am. Everyone in my group was between 35-39 and we all had red swim caps. It was so neat to meet my fellow athletes in line.

The swim was tough. They had us in much larger groups for the waves, and set us out every 3 minutes, vs. every 5 last year. There were swimmers everywhere. I was kicked and clawed often. However, the swim was finally done, and it was off to the bike.

Kari had found me a fabulous bike to ride in the race. Since it was foreign to me, I had to think of a way to find it in the sea of thousands of bikes. I bought a children's safety flag and made a lovely green "Lufkin" banner for it. The flag pole was so bendy, that I had it on only to find the bike, then took it out for the ride. I didn't want to take anyone out.

The ride was GREAT! I kept passing so many people! At 3 miles, I pulled my water bottle out for a quick drink. A lady asked me a question, I got distracted, and when I was putting the bottle back it slipped and hit the pavement. Oh well! No one was hurt. At 7 miles, one of the arm rest on the bike suddenly fell of the bike. I had now lost 2 things from this bike! What more would fall?

At 8 miles, Kait passed me. We chit chatted for about a minute and she was off again. It felt so good to see her during the ride. Just what I needed at the time.

Oh wait, there is this horrendous hill at 4 miles. It is so steep and slow. I walked it last year. I thought, if I can ride up it the whole time then I know I won't walk at all. Well, I didn't walk! At the top of the hill I let out a HUGE scream and let everyone know I made it up the hill. It felt amazing!

I made it up every long and steep hill without walking. When I made it back to put my bike in, I didn't see Greg. I was disappointed, but quickly realized he guessed I'd be there much later than I was. That made me smile.

As I came into the transition area with my bike, I heard Kari in my head telling me to work on my speed in the transition. I moved quickly to my rack, and dropped of my bike and helmet. Then, I jogged to the exit. It took me just over a minute, and only because I had to move bikes out of my way.

Once I started to run, it took effort to keep my pace slow. At this point, my goal of NOT walking was in my sites. I didn't want to screw it up. There were a lot of ladies passing me, but I kept my steady pace going. So many women were walking the entire route. I didn't expect to do as much bobbing and weaving as I did.

At 3/4 mile until the finish, there is the HUGE and HORRIBLE hill. It's about 1/2 mile long. It saps all of your energy. I didn't want to walk. I kept saying that in my head. NO WALKING. Then, the evil me started to speak louder and louder... you can walk, everyone else is. But, the stronger Deeann won out and I did NOT walk!!!

I crossed the finish line with the biggest smile on my face. It was an unbelievable feeling. But, I didn't see Greg. I left the finish chute, looking for him, Kari and Kait. It took a while, but there was Greg running up to me. He gave me a HUGE hug that lifted me off the ground. Then, he showed me that I finished in 1:47! Kari and Kait ran up and gave me a huge hug too.

Kari knew my time from last year. I still didn't know it. My goal last year was to finish it, and knowing my time would be depressing. Well, I bettered last years time by 43 minutes!!! Holy cow! Who knew? I couldn't believe I did it in under 2 hours, much less 43 minutes faster than last year.

It was an amazing time. It is so unbelievable to see what my body can do this year. I guess loosing 67 pounds really can help!

2 mile Run

Today was a busy, busy day. We are getting ready to head to Dallas, so we needed to wrap some stuff up.

Greg was so nice and he went to the nursery and got 2 cubic yards of mulch for me. It's just in time, because I've been battling with weeds lately. It looks so good! I'm thrilled with the results.

So, after all the mulching of my 4 gardens, I hit the trail. I decided to take it a bit easy and just run 2 miles. I figure with all the mulching, I didn't need to run 3 + miles today.

I had just picked up the new Dave Matthews Band CD today. It is AMAZING!!! You must know that I am a HUGE Dave Matthews Band fan. So, I'm biased. Anyway, I loaded it onto my iPod and put it on for the run. It was very motivating, especially the 2nd and 3rd songs.

I started out slow, but then thought I'd push it just a bit. I'd been running slower and slower since my horrible cold 2 weeks ago. I wanted to see if I could run a 10 min mile. Well, there was yet another strong northerly wind as I hit the large hill on my way out. I pushed through it, and made 1 mile at 10:12. I did have to wait for a little bit too to cross the road. I figure it was around 10 minutes. I turned around and when I hit 2 miles it was 19:51! Yeah me! It felt amazing!

5 days until the triathlon now. I'm getting more and more excited. 2 days until we leave for Dallas!!

30 minute Bike

After talking to my triathlon advisor, Kari, I decided to take it easier this week than I originally planed. The Hal Higdon Speed Tri Training program had me doing 30 min swim with 30 min bike, or 30 min bike with 30 min runs this week. Kari suggested that I take it easier to let my body recover from my training. The best thing she said was that I should be rested enough so that I'm itching to get on with the triathlon (a paraphrase, but you get the idea).

So, I went for a little over a 30 min bike today. It felt great! It was 6.36 miles through the quiet neighborhoods around St. Olaf University. I didn't push it too hard, and it felt good. I even told Greg right after that it felt good, which he commented was not a normal bike reaction of mine.

I'm ready to go! I can't wait to hit the course again. I'm anxious to see how much I've improved over last year. It's exciting this time, not terrifying like last year. This time 1 year ago, I had Sunday Bloody Sunday by U2 going through my head. This year, I have upbeat and happy songs. What a difference a year makes!

Gardening

So, according to my Hal Higdon training plan, I was supposed to Swim for 30 minutes and Run for 60 minutes today. I was going to trade a bike for the run, since I messed up last week and ran instead of biked for 60 minutes.

However, I got carried away with my gardening and was too exhausted to do all those things. So, I switched my strength day (supposed to be tomorrow) for today and the stuff I was supposed to do today I will do tomorrow. Very confusing I know.

As you can see by my lovely picture, I have been working on my address sign garden. I moved all of those rocks that line the garden, minus the giant one in the middle of the circle. All of the rocks were underneath my deck, which is down a hill from this garden. I had to move these rocks in 3 wheel barrel loads. It was exhausting.

Then, I moved 6 loads of pine straw out of my driveway garden to the bottom of our backyard hill. I had to go up a large hill, then down the backyard hill to do this.

Oh yeah, I also pulled a dead lilac bush out of one of the front gardens. It was an epic battle of Deeann vs. Nature. I won! The offending dead bush is in the fire pit!

I also planted Calla lilies where the lilac bush once was.

I watered the backyard. Greg is working on re-seeding 1/3 of our acre yard. Since he is in Scotland, it is up to me to make sure it is properly hydrated. So, I worked on moving the sprinkler often, and hand watering the odd areas.

I also weeded my gardens in preparation for mulching on Wednesday.

Oh yeah, I also moved wood from one wood 5 foot tall crib to another. We had a bunch cut wood against the house, and it needed to be moved so the mice have one less location to work their way into our house from!

With all of this, I didn't have the energy to workout. I thought for a moment about going for a bike ride, but the winds picked up again. We are having a cold front move through the area. We were supposed to get some rain, but only got a few sprinkles. The drought continues!

By the way... 7 more days until the Triathlon!