Lone Star Century Bike Ride

First, century is just part of the bike name, there was no century for this girl today. I had decided a couple weeks ago to ride the 36 miler and then a couple days ago, Doug suggested I try the 54 miler. So with only 2 longish bikes under my belt (a 20 and a 30) I decided to jump in. And so glad I did. I had a fabulous time today.

My alarm rang at 5:00 am, I turned it off and fell back asleep and I awoke at 5:35 am. Yikes, but still plenty of time. For some reason last night I had a hard time sleeping. I think I was nervous. I hadn't been anywhere near 50 miles in almost 3 years. It was kind of a funny feeling because I haven't been nervous about anything in quite some time, it almost seemed silly. But 54 miles is a long way (for me), I'm not an experienced biker and riding 54 miles today meant riding 24 miles longer than my longest bike this season.

Another reason I was a little nervous is because I was going by myself, sans Doug. I think I have completed 3 events where he hasn't participated as well or shown up to watch, and I've got a pretty long list of events. So it was kinda strange not to have him along.

As I got up and around, I could hear thunder roaring through the sky. It never rained, but looked like it could pour at any minute. By the time we took off at 7:00, there was no threat of rain as the sky turned a beautiful blue with not a cloud in the sky.

The course was hilly, but a ton of fun. The first 25 miles were great. Little did I pay attention that the wind was at our backs. We stopped for a water/snack break and they had everything imaginable, all kinds of bars, fruit, fig newtons, cookies, trial mix, whatever you wanted, they had it. I think by the end of my ride, I ate a whole cantaloupe.

As we headed back, the wind was whipping around and it was slow going, but still, all good. It was a great day for a ride and I enjoyed myself to the fullest.

When I got in, I met Doug for lunch, then we took Mols for a jeep ride. She loves the jeep probably more than I do, and what a perfect day for a ride. This isn't a new picture, but you get the idea of how cute she is in the jeep.
Now it's time to snack on some cherries we picked while at Doug's parents yesterday, watch Greinke pitch for the Royals. Then I bet I can talk Doug into another jeep ride later to grab some ice cream. What a perfect day!

Life is Good!

Covered 30 miles on Osana today.
But first it was a 3 mile run.
Then a 3 mile walk.
Have an organized ride this weekend.
Thought I would cover the 36 mile distance.
But now thinking I may try the 52 miler.
Why not?!

Having this spring and summer free ROCKS! I'm loving every second of it. It's even better than it was as a kid.

Good Luck to all of you running RNR San Diego this weekend, especially the 1st timers! Have a great time and enjoy every minute. I can't wait to hear all the great stories.

And to all the girlie girl Gilmore Girls fans, they are coming back in June. Whoo Hoo! I so love Lorelai.

A Little Bit of This...A Little Bit of That

On the Workout Front:
Osana must have been in a better mood today as I was able to get 20 miles in on bike today.
With no flat tires or mishaps.

I was very pleased with my pace.
Being out on the bike felt great.

I even lapped two women.
And I could have easily gone another 20.

I'm very happy considering this is my 3rd outside bike of the season.

Getting a little more confident in my riding each time I get on the bike.

This is me, last night, learning how to change a tire.

After a pitcher of margaritas.

Luckily, all went well today.

On the Home Front:
I bought Mols an adorable hooded sweatshirt. When we took it to the counter, the checker was astonished. "Is this for your doogggg? How big is she? OMG!" I assured her it was for our dog, as the back of the sweatshirt says 'Athletic Dog'. Duhh. Alright now. Lay off. This may be an XXL but she's in better shape than you are, Sunshine. Of course, this is for the winter, but when I saw it, I couldn't pass it up. Especially since she has walked over 140 miles since January already and when I took her to the vet last week, all the vet could say was, "wow...she really is an athlete".

She's not too hip on it quite yet...

Then it was time to take a few family pictures. It's pretty easy to tell who thinks they need to be the center of our world. Literally.

And then this is Doug's new rain chain he made. He removed one of our gutters and replaced it with the rain chain. It's supposed to sound amazing as the rain drips down.

Start with 20 and Take Off the 0

I packed up Osana and we headed out for a 20 mile bike today. It's a beautiful day and Doug and I plan on biking in a ride a couple weeks from now so I thought I would get some butt, I mean bike time in.

I get Osana out and she obviously must have had other plans today because she first dropped her chain. Now I have very little knowledge of bikes and I'm not a good rider either, but I knew I could get my chain back on. And that I did without a blink of an eye.

Okay, helmet, phone, key, shoes...I think we're good to go. The weather is perfect for a bike ride, most importantly, for me at this point, there was hardly any wind. Yes, I'm a wimpy biker who feels like she's starting from scratch.

We take off and we're doing good.
Until mile 2.
Osana...wobble...wobBLE...WOBBLE.
Me...What is going on? It's not windy, no trucks just drove by. I'm feeling good.
Osana...WOBBLE...WOBBLE...WOBBLE.
Me...Oh crap. I think I may have a flat. Get off Osana before I come crashing to the ground.
Osana...Ahhh...
And yes, the winchbag did have a flat. She must be PMSing.

Did I have a tube? Fix it? A Co2 cartridge?
*Ahem*
No.
I know. I know. STUPID. I know. Especially since this is the same spot I've had 2 flat tires before. Oh well. At least I'm only 2 miles out, right. I can walk back. In my bike shoes...clank...clank...clank. And that I did for about 100 feet. Then it was just too much so I took my shoes off and walked in my stocking feet. Thank God the shoulder was pretty clean, a dead skunk here and something dead there, but for the most part I was good.

In the end I had 5 cars stop and ask if they could take me to where I needed to go. I also had 2 bikers stop and ask if I needed anything. Everyone was so kind, I really appreciated it. But my punishment to myself for not having the needed supplies to fix my tire, let alone, the know how of how to change my tire pissed me off enough and I was going to make myself walk back. And that I did. And heck, it was beautiful outside, why not?

I even had one older gentleman in a truck pull over. It went something like this:
Man: Need a ride?
Me: Nope I'm good. Thank you though.
Man: I know I'm a stranger and everything but I can take you.
Me: Really, it's only less than a half a mile now, I'm okay.
Man: Do you want me to call the police so they can help you?
Me: Nope. I have a cell phone. I could call someone if I needed, thank you again.
Man: *Sigh* Okay

As I was driving back into town, I passed a police van. I know that man called the police to come assist me. How funny is that? I really would have had no problems getting in with any of the people that pulled over to assist me, I just felt it was my own damn fault and this is what I get. If I would have been any further out, I probably would have taken one of them up on their offer.

All I can say is that Best Friends Day tomorrow (a day Karen and I have every year to celebrate our friendship) is going to be heaven when we get our pedicures. These tootsies are in dire need of some help, especially now.

Tonight...Doug is teaching me how to fix a flat.

Who's In?

Doug and I have decided to run the Hatfield and McCoy Marathon June 13th. Anyone else running this? It's supposed to be a pretty challenging course that starts in Kentucky and finishes in West Virginia. For a fun twist, they split the field in half. Half being McCoy's. The other half, Hatfield's. The total combined time of each family determines who wins the feud that year.

Then Nikemom suggested a race I can't pass up. Not so much for the marathon itself, but because of the date. It just happens that the marathon is on my birthday, December 6th. How cool it is going to be running a marathon on my birthday two years in a row. Last December it was the Kiawah Island Marathon in SC. This year it's going to be the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon. Now in the past, this marathon has been known to just..well...lets get real...suck. Mostly having to deal with the wind, dust storms and then running out in BFE for miles on end. Not a race that I've had any desire to run. But...this year, Elite Racing, who is in charge of the Rock 'n' Roll Series, is organizing this marathon now. With that said, improvements are coming. First off, with a new course. Whooo Hooo!

And with us running Rock 'n' Roll Seattle this year too, we'll receive more bling with their Heavy Medal Series for running two of their events in one year. How can you pass that up?

So...start making plans to pack your party shoes and, of course, your running shoes and meet us in Vegas, baby!

Green Bay Marathon Report

What a great trip so far. Doug and I hopped in the car early Friday morning headed for Green Bay, Wi. The drive up was very easy, even for a 10 hour drive. There was beautiful countryside to see with rolling hills and too many red barns to count. It reminded us a lot of driving through Kentucky.

Saturday morning we slept in a bit and then headed to Lambeau Field to pick up our packets. We stopped by their Pro Shop, which was crazy. They had absolutely everything Green Bay Packers you could imagine. Everything. The stadium was very impressive. Below...Doug sporting some cheese...

After packet pickup we headed to Titletown Brewery. Adorable. Titletown makes its own beer as well as root beer. It's been converted from an old train depot and all the kids would go 'choo choo' as the trains passed by the window as we ate lunch. The beer...Mmm...mmm...good. The menus were newspapers...very cute. Lunch was awesome. And the fried cheese curds...oh so yummm.

After that, we headed up to Green Bay to walk by the water for a bit. It was extremely windy Saturday, we didn't stay too long.

Then back to Lambeau Field for the pasta party that was held on the concourse. Gotta love a free dinner and free beer!

Sunday morning, the alarm went off at 5:30 am and it was already light outside. I didn't realize the sun rose so early here and I about freaked thinking we overslept. We didn't though and my heart rate returned to normal.

Race morning was beautiful...sunny and in the 50's. The race start was a little disheveled but once the gun went off, things settled in. I knew about mile three, it was going to be a tough race for me. I just needed to run my own race today and didn't want to feel like I was holding Doug back so I kissed him and sent him off ahead of me. I had to do this twice, but he finally went. The course was very nice. We wound through some really nice neighborhoods, ran on some trails, over two bridges, around a lake and all in all, it was a very nice marathon. At mile 20, they had a 'hit the wall' party. It was the loudest, most fun water stop where the spectators and volunteers were yelling and cheering.

As I wound around the stadium around 25.5 miles, Doug was standing by, cheering me on. I gave a big wave and then entered Lambeau Field through the players tunnel, making a loop around the stadium track. There was music blaring and it was awesome to see the stadium, let alone, from the field itself. What a treat! Once I made my loop around the stadium, it was time to cross the finish line. After receiving my medal and the regular post race foods, it was time to tailgate. They were grilling up brats and serving up beer. What a great way to finish up the afternoon!

The medals and t shirts are very nice. They even had medals in a big '10' for those that had completed all 10 of the marathons as this was their 10th anniversary. Very nice.

Doug and I are feeling good. Especially after running 3 marathons in 4 weeks. My ankles and feet ache a bit, but I think that's from running on so much concrete. But we'll be good. I think the next marathon we're thinking about is in 3 weeks so we'll have plenty of time to recover!

Marathon 21 down!
Roadtrippin' back tomorrow.

Green Bay...Here We Come!

Whew...three marathons in a month's time. Our Molly sitter is going to be more exhausted than we are after this is over.

We seem to be picking popular events this year. Goofy sold out, Lincoln sold out and now Green Bay is 90% sold out and very well could be 100% by Sunday. We're also signed up for RNR Seattle in June, which is already sold out. What is causing this? Are race directors capping the field more conservatively or are there more people running marathons? Hmm...maybe both.

I'm excited about running Green Bay as I hear it's a great marathon and we get to run through Lambeau Field for part of our last mile of the marathon. It will certainly be a first for me running through a NFL football stadium. Running certainly can have its perks. I mean how many people do you know get to run through football stadiums and places such as Churchill Downs? Now that was an amazing experience. Another fabulous perk I love about running is being able to travel to so many great places. It's fun to experience the local flavor of different cities. In Green Bay I think it's going to be some local breweries and certainly some cheese and cheese curds. Mmm...

Now it's time to get packed, take Osana for a spin on this gorgeous day and then rest and relax for a great trip to come!

Update: Still not packed...took Osana for 10+miles. That felt way too easy. Once we get back from Green Bay I may need to up my miles, I just didn't want to overdue it with a race this weekend. Now thinking about having a picnic in the backyard with a book I need to finish.

Update II: Finished my book outside on a blanket with my picnic. Cried because of it. Got a tad too pink. Still haven't packed.

Does It Get Any Better?

Yesterday was an amazing day. In the morning, Doug went for a run as I was directed to sleep in and run Sunday (which is exactly what I did). Shortly after he left, I got up and started cleaning the house and getting things prepared for my graduation party. With the windows open...the sun...shining. The sky...blue. Temperatures...in the mid 60's...it was already a beautiful day. I knew it would be a busy day and probably wouldn't have time to take Molly for a walk. So when I spotted the neighbor dog outside, I went to ask if he could come over for a play date with Mols. OMG! What fun. I laughed at those two all day. For a while, it sounded as if I had invited Michael Vick over. They growled, grunted and body slammed each other. I was afraid the neighbors might call animal control! Take a look at these and you'll see how funny:

Come On...You and Me. Another Round.

Cheese! Did you say cheese?

Isn't this the funniest picture EVER??

Big Man Snoring the Afternoon Away.

We finally sent Harley home after he was exhausted and we had laughed ourselves silly over his loud, old man snoring. Then we took a short nap ourselves before the big party.

I just want to say, I have the best family and friends ever! I love them all so much and they mean the world to me. It was a great party with great drinks, way too much to eat and great conversation. The night flew by and the party was over before I knew it. I didn't want it to end and actually made Karen stay a bit longer than she planned. As I hit the sack, I thanked God for having such amazing people in my life. I am so lucky. Here are just a few pics...there were too many good ones...I couldn't post them all...

Our roses from last week's Lincoln Marathon accompanied with some of the neighbor's flowers.

Marita sipping some Raspberry Chocolate Port Wine. Several bottles mysteriously disappeared.

Enjoying the beautiful evening.


Steff and Nolan cuddling up.

Me and Mom.

Sunday morning started with a short run before packing up some graduation cake to take to mom's so we could partake in coffee and cake (with mega icing) for breakfast. It was yummo! Then it was movie time where I, of course, fell asleep. Happy Mother's Day Mom. And to all of those great moms out there...Happy Mother's Day to you too!

I Hear Etta James...

At Last...

• My last day of school was today.
• I GRADUATE Saturday.
• I understand the phrase, better late than never.

At Last...

• The Raspberry Chocolate Port Wine has aged to perfection. Mmm...Mmm...Mmm...
• I'll get in a run tomorrow. And maybe a bike.
• I'll have some time on my hands to think about what I want to be when I grow up.

Lincoln Marathon Race Report

What a weekend! We couldn't have asked for a better time.

We arrived in Lincoln to pick up packets at the expo and then headed to Nikemom's where we would be attending a Kentucky Derby party and crashing at their place the night before the Lincoln Marathon.

We pulled up to a beautiful home with gorgeous land and was met first by Harley, their dog, who is the cutest thing ever. We were then greeted with such hospitality and of course offered a drink as we walked in the door. As one drink turned into several and everyone was having a great time in the perfect weather and in the company of some great people, the defenses on the food intake went down and I think I snarfed more pickled asparagus and homemade pickles then one should consume in an entire lifetime. McRib had been smoking all day and made some fabulous bbq. Even on top of all that jazz, I was inclined to gobble down some pecan and Derby pie.

Needless to say...holy crap...my stomach turned into a huge inflated balloon. With good food, good drinks and so much laughter from all of Nikemom's great friends, you couldn't ask for much more. Except for some antacids, aspirin and a finger down the throat. No...I didn't purge, but when you wake up the next morning and you're still full from the night before...now that is disgusting!

Here is Nikemom in her adorable outfit and Derby hat with a biking buddy of hers...

And my Derby hat as we hang out on the patio in the beautiful weather...

Doug and Ken talking about biking I'm sure...
After getting to bed late, Doug and I awoke several times just because we were parched. We had both consumed so much good stuff that we were miserable. Five o'clock rolled around and we were up and ready to get the day started. Six o'clock rolled around and we headed out the front door to get the start line. Another great morning. Nice and cool. It was going to be a good day for a run.

We all ended up getting split from each other and this was the first race that Doug and I didn't get to start together or at least kiss each other and wish each other well before we took off. I was a bit bummed about that, but would survive. I knew he was probably ahead of me and I kept looking for him as he was wearing his famous yellow shirt and yellow bandanna that you can spot for miles. And finally I did see him. I could see he was looking behind to see if he could catch a glimpse of me. How sweet is that for him to wait for me! So I was able to catch up and we ran the rest of the race together.

What a race. The National Guard and Lincoln Track Club REALLY know how to put on a great marathon. This year it sold out and I would suspect for years to come it will continue to sell out. This is a great course with spectacular spectators and great race support. I really could not have asked for anything more. There were even margaritas on the course, which normally I would not pass up, but had to due to the fun I had the previous night.

It was so great seeing Nikemom and McRib about mile 14 as she had finished the half and they were waiting for the first woman marathoner come in. We also got to see some of Nikemom's friends that had come over for the Derby party the night before. It was fun to look up and have them cheering you on at mile 9. We also saw Sue and Ringo (KC Stine's wife and boxer) so we stopped and talked to her for a while. Getting to wave to KC Stine and Jon as they ran by in the marathon was a hoot too. Oh yeah, ran across Marsha who was up in Lincoln cheering on a friend of hers who was running her first marathon as well. It seemed like we had more support then we've even had at our local races. It was fun. The only person I missed was Meg who at fault of my own didn't get to see cuz I had downed too many drinks and forgot to email her my bib number. Sorry we missed each other Meg! This is a picture Ken took of us...

Later in the miles, it started to get warm and even the super duper fast runners seemed to be struggling. On the back half of the marathon, it was a long out and back so we could see them coming back in. It hit us as well. My legs cramped even with me taking a lot of electrolyte pills and at the end it just felt better to run (slowly) then it did to walk.

We finished in 5:28:58. And after a Derby party the night before...I'll take it!

When we crossed the finish line, we got a rose and this little mint...

If any of you ever get the chance to run Lincoln...DO! It's a GREAT marathon.

Thanks again to Nikemom and McRib, you guys are the best!

Tuesday Night Run

Even though it's almost been a week ago, I wanted to post about our Tuesday Night Run we hosted from our house. It was the perfect evening...sunny skies, in the low 70's and great friends. I think it was the only day of the week we didn't receive rain.

RunToFinish, Doug, Jenny, KC Stine and Stephanie all joined in on the fun. It was our first time meeting KC Stine even though he lives only a stones throw away from us.

The run was fun for all and afterwards most of us met up the street for some dinner. What a great way to get together with friends!

Happy May Day!

Doug and I are heading to Lincoln tomorrow for bbq, Kentucky Derby fun and oh yeah...a marathon. I'll have to limit my intake of mint juleps or otherwise I won't be able to roll outta bed Sunday morning to run.

Good luck to all those racing this weekend. There seems to be a ton!