Christmas Break

As we worked until December 22, we had the first full week in January off.  Despite the really cold weather, it was nice to have so much time after Christmas.  I managed to organize a lot of stuff ~ and catch up on my DVR shows ~ and get a pedicure. 

My Christmas present was a trip to Universal Studios.  Hogwarts and Diagon Alley are AMAZING places.  We went to Ollivander's {more than twice} and were never picked for the wand selection ceremony ~ but I bought Ginny Weasley's wand.  We did it all and then some.  Truly Magic.

The highlight was the Christmas light show at Hogwarts. 

The Dragon on top of Gringotts Bank & the group in front of Hogwarts & The Three Broomsticks

 King' Cross Station & HoneyDukes & Hogwarts

We spent probably our final Christmas in Colorado as Dad really struggled to be healthy at cold altitude.  I've been very selfish in my attitude as I love that house and those mountains, but I see that it is time.  You can't enjoy the mountains if you can't breathe there.

The view

The Eagle View ~ after our run

At the top of Swan Mountain Road

Hiked back a bit from the parking lot on the top of Swan Mountain Road

My favorite pass

Sunset over the Mountains

It was 45+ degrees at the top of Floyd Hill.  We couldn't see forever ~ but we could see the cloud bank enclosing Denver.  We hit those clouds and the temperature dropped to 12 degrees.

We plowed out the front walk and someone plowed out this path through the clouds.

As I look at a fresh year spread before me, I know it will most likely bring a lot of change.  I hope to embrace that change and have a joy filled 2018.

2016 run log & first race of 2016

Well, I'm leaving this crummy blown up picture, because it documents my NERC Grand Prix final standings.  I'm fourth overall & first in the masters division.  Not a bad year!  I'm very happy with that finish.  I'm looking forward to the NERC Winter Party at the end of the month.

Running in December was good. Finally got over 100 miles ~ and our little run group has expanded to four people at times: Me, Mike, Dodd, & Kelly.  It's great to run long with people.  We ran in WARM December weather & we ran in SNOW {practicing our run slides ~ "Let's see who can slide the farthest" "We are all too competitive to run slide for distance and we're too far from home to carry someone."} & we ran in sub-zero temperatures.  We ran at 600 feet of elevation & we ran at 9000 feet.  The last run of the year was December 30 & when I got back to the house I realized that I needed .46 miles to round out the year...so off I ran around Mom & Dad's half mile neighborhood loop.  UP the steep hill & then down to finish it out.

December Totals:

113.84 miles for the month ~ makes up for the two months I was under 100!
1406 miles for the year 

2011: 564.5 miles

2012: 656 miles 

2013: 1217 miles 

2014: 1191 miles 

202.2 miles in my Gortex Ghosts ~ one wear on a wet Sunday morning again this month

332.36 miles in my Nike Vomero ~  The tread on these is really worn down...Nikes do not wear as well as Brooks.

332.82 miles in my light blue Brooks Glycerin 11 ~ Funny how my two pairs have almost identical miles on them.

Training for:    OH, the Grand Prix race schedule is OUT!  so excited to sit down & plan it out.  Four half marathons on the schedule!

Podcasts I'm listening to: Marathon Training Academy, Lore, Stuff You Missed in History Class, Dear Sugar, Stuff You Should Know, & This American Life, Love & Radio, RadioLab & Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Neighbors & SERIAL is back!

My WEIGHT: SOOOOOO after eating dessert after every meal over Christmas...I've not gotten on a scale.

Some interesting facts:

Longest run this month:  14.28 on the day before we flew to Colorado

Highest  weekly mileage this month:  29.19 December 13 thru December 20, 2015

Favorite place to run this month: Colorado River Walk

# of bags of Candy Cane Kisses left in my cabinet:  NONE.  I didn't buy any and I wasn't given any.
# of books I read this month: three
Monthly mileage record: 156.69 ~ March 2015 {purposely ran 8 (on a treadmill) on March 30 to beat the August 2013 record}
Highest mileage ever-at-one-time:  26.36 ~ May 17, 2015 The Cleveland Marathon

PR's:
5K: 22:30 (Run For the Grapes 9/28/14}
10K: 50:13 {Run for the Hills 6/22/14 & TIED the time Run for the Hills 6/21/15)
10-miler: 1:21:29 (Hermes Cleveland 10-miler 4/28/12)
half-marathon: 1:44:42 (Northern Ohio Half Marathon 10/4/15)
marathon: 3:57:31 (The Cleveland Marathon 5/17/15)

THE HAIR OF THE DOG 5K

So, Mike had the great idea of running a race in Colorado.  Our first travel race.  He found a 10k in Colorado Springs {a 2.5 hour drive} Then he found a 5k in Edwards {a 45 minute drive}  So...after a lot of himming and hawwwing.  We signed up & talked Bob into it too.  It was -2 degrees at the start  (Mike: "it's a warm cold in Colorado")  We got there early (surprise)  and were pleased to find really friendly people, a bar that had not yet been cleaned from New Year's Eve, and really cool tech shirts.  There was a TON of food and beverages & a prize table.  When we signed up there was a required question: I'll be bringing a dog.  There was only one answer choice (yes) and it was a required question.  However, there were MANY more people there without dogs than with, so that was good!  The 42 people present lined up in the tiny town of Edwards, CO and a dog jumped on Mike.  {funny}  We took off in the freezing cold and ran through town to the bike path {a short down & a long up}  At about the mile mark we turned left & did a lap around a lake. At this point I was in fourth place for females.  I'm looking at the people running around & I couldn't tell where they were running to.  Come to find out, about three quarters of a mile around, the race course runs off the path & directly up the embankment, in the snow.  Embankments are steep.  I take it the best I can at 7,000 feet.  At the top one of the two women running together in front of me stops to walk.  I totally understood that feeling & need.  I slowed WAY down to catch my breath & slow my heart beat.  We ran back past the spot where we turned left & did another out back.  Then we ran back into town and UP to the finish.  This was a tear off the bib, put it on a board & it was clocked with a watch.  Super small town & fun.  I won third place and chose a pair of socks from the prize table.  Bob came in 6th overall & got a water bottle.  Mike came in 11th overall & got a tshirt.  I was 13th overall.  Once again, slowest in my group.

PreRace Selfie

Post Race Selfie

Post Race recovery Bloody Mary!

Columbus half

On our way to Columbus for our first 'travel' race.  

It was SNOWING as we left Northeast Ohio ~ and sat for 20+ minutes on The 90 in a traffic jam...at 1:00 on a Saturday afternoon.

Jackson made me my very own sign & I think it's the best sign ever made for me.

We ate our spaghetti and meatball pre-race meal ~ I love the excuse to eat pasta ~ and planned our morning...a 4:15 wake-up so we could drink our coffee & eat our food & be out the door between 5 & 5:15.  Love the fact that Dodd's just as anxious about the 'getting there' logistics as I am.  Because if you're not anxious about that...you just don't understand the anxiety & then I feel like a big dork.  It's more relaxing for me to get there and wait than it is to get an extra 30 minutes of sleep (that I'm not getting anyway)   

We get out to the car...and we have to sit and wait for the frost to melt off the windshield... it was {as promised} a delightful 32 degrees {or colder}.  But as we were sitting there...I remembered no one had any money to pay for parking.  That would have been disastrous!  Ran back in to get the $$ and we were off.  And we were early.  And we got great parking two blocks from the start.  And we looked like homeless people in our throwaway jammie pants and sweatshirts & the blanket Dodd had wrapped around him.  We took a walk to the start line & I think I was the first person in the potty trailer.  Then we waited in the car.  

The start was so well organized.  You had to flash your bib to get into the start area & then you had to flash your bib to get into the correct corral.  We were in A...and thought we were all that with the elite peeps.  There were a ton of port-a-pots in the corral & each corral was fenced from the other ~ which was rather funny, but very organized to avoid the crazy crunch of people.  The countdown clock was running & I knew the start would be on time.  Four minutes to go they sang the national anthem & played  the Chicago Bulls theme music...I forget what it's called...and sent off the wheelchair racers.  Then they blasted AC/DC Thunderstruck & at the end set off fireworks from the top of the start line & off to the side...The adrenaline was PUMPING!  What a start!  Then we were off to Bruce Springsteen's Born To Run. Icing on the cake.  I'm jumping up & down & singing & smiling...and it was hard not to GO...except there were 19,000 people crammed around me.  Let me mention the crowd.  BLEACHERS lined the road for the first quarter mile with cheering and shouting and rock starring.  We turned the corner & couldn't hear Bruce anymore...but we could hear the next band & as soon as we couldn't hear them...there was another band.  There were people THE ENTIRE COURSE cheering and playing music and dancing and waving signs.  It was AWESOME.  And then each mile was 'sponsored'  by a child being treated at Nationwide Children's Hospital.  Some of the kids were there high-fiving runners, but all had a tent and family & friends cheering and holding signs. & then there were signs telling you a little bit about each kid.  It was heartwarming and heartbreaking all at the same time.  What these kids and their families live with daily...and here I am doing something I love to do.  My life is not hard.

Mike and I sort of ran together.  And I really enjoyed not pushing it.  We did finish together, hand in hand.  Here's the link to that video

And here are our stats...Mike and I had the exact same finish time:

Here we are...freezing after the finish ~ Dodd with is AMAZING PR of 1:39:46. {exactly 10 minutes ahead of us...WOW}  He got his medal engraved with his name and time {first time I've seen that option at the end of a race} AND he got to bang the PR gong.  

Great to run Craig's favorite race.  Honestly I can see why.  Columbus is done right ~ and there was a part of me that wished I wasn't making the turn off at 13.  I bet the full is just a cool as the half...especially since the full goes through OSU & the stadium.  If I don't get to do Marine Corp, I'm running Columbus full next fall.  It's a delightful 32 degrees at the start.

Team Beef represented ~ We got a LOT of shouts out for our Team Beef attire. And this was the first time I've run a half (anything over a 5k actually) without my iPod.  And I'm so glad I didn't have it.  The crowd was such a part of the experience.  I my be spoiled for any other race.

What I Wore:

32 degrees (or slightly colder) at the start with very little to no wind ~ sun came out & it warmed to the low 40's by the end of the race.  I was VERY comfortable in my underarmor capris, a light long sleeve black undershirt & my Team Beef sleeveless top.  I wore gloves until mile 6 or 7 & tucked them into my pants...wasn't sure I wouldn't want them again.  Pulled my sleeves over my hands a few times, but didn't get the gloves out again.  Forgot they were in my waistband until they fell out IN THE PORT-A-POT at the end of the race.  After that trip, I only had one glove, which I wore because it was cold.  All the spectators had on winter coats!

Colorado

This summer's Colorado Adventure included Tennis Camp for Jacob.  GG & Grampy picked him up in Denver on Tuesday ~ and drove him to Colorado Springs on Sunday for a week of camp.  He had a great time, learned a lot & got loads of compliments.  The graduation ceremony was filled with proud mom moments.  Jacob was even named camper of the week for his good attitude and work ethic.  The most awesome part was that the director gave him his phone number and told him to call if he was interested in applying to be a counselor next summer.  "you would make a strong candidate"  Super Awesome!

While JB was a camp, Kirsten and I came out {my poor parents had to make another trip to Denver...and then another trip to Colorado Springs to pick up JB & then another trip to Denver to take us back to the airport...they are awesome}

We went on my favorite hike to Cataract Lake.  Went clockwise this time...have ALWAYS gone counter clockwise...it's a TOTALLY different hike going the other way.  AND due to all the rain, the flowers were amazing and everything was so GREEN.  GORGEOUS hike.

The beautiful view across Cataract Lake

Cataract Lake Hike and the top of Loveland Pass

Frank, Kirsten, Jacob & me on our Jeep Adventure

We joined the Dillon Community Church Jeep Club for a great Jeep adventure over by Leadville {not exactly sure where we were}  We were by Camp Hood ~ so there were signs not to touch anything you found along the trail as it may be live ammo left over from the 10th mountain division training during WWII.   We Jeeped up to Slide Lake and then hiked the rest of the way.  Then we Jeeped back down & traveled Wurts Ditch.  It was a fun, muddy, steep trail and Jacob did a great job of putting up with back seat drivers & got a safely through!

The view from Slide Lake

Pontooning

The last day there we spent on Lake Dillon.  It was a beautiful day.  A little cloudy, a little sunny, a little rainy and fun.  You can see the rain cloud we boated around during the last hour.  

Rainbow over the road

Spring Break

So Spring Break started early with the annual 8th grade trip to DC ~ Another crazy trip to our nation's capital.  We went to the National Cathedral, Jefferson Memorial, National History Museum, FDR Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, The Marine Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Lincoln Memorial, The White House, The Vietnam Wall, The Korean War Memorial, Air and Space Museum, American History Museum, The Capitol, WWII Memorial & off to Gettysburg.  I'm sure I forgot something...but I'm exhausted from just trying to remember.
At the Vietnam Wall there was an older gentleman bend over a name silently crying.  His wife was rubbing his back.  Totally moving.  My XC girls were in tears ~ as was I.  We forget that grief doesn't really go away and there are still people who hurt everyday at the loss of their loved ones.  Really hit home as to why the memorials are so important.

My favorite picture is of me resting on the 'couch'!

Chad played a Great April Fools joke on Dodd ~ a year in the making.  I have a picture of  us waiting for the Domino Day meeting...and then the after shot of Chad and Dodd ~ I'm not telling the whole story here, but I'll be happy to share if you ask.

And Spring Break has consisted of me 'cleaning' {ha}, organizing computer stuff, hopefully completing taxes, paying bills... and finishing How I Met Your Mother on netflix.  I watched 9 years of TV between Christmas and Easter...not sure if I should even share that because it sounds pretty lame.  

Amy and I did go on an adventure to The Cleveland Botanical Gardens.  They were beautiful & now I've been to every museum in University Circle.

Today I ran my last run before the 20 mile drop.  I'm really stressing about this race!  I ran an easy 6 miles between the thunderstorms {I thought} but at mile 3 the skies opened up & it rained pretty hard for 1/2 mile.  But it was 60+ degrees...so it wasn't so bad.  I wore capris and a light long sleeve shirt...trying to decide what to wear Sunday.  It's going to be in the 40's at start time, but sunny & highs in the 60's.  

being single

So...I've been married 24+ years ~ and I haven't spent many of those 8000+ nights alone.  So this two week stretch of being single was very odd.
I discovered that when left to my own devices I will binge watch How I Met Your Mother and knit.
Things Mike does that I don't:

• Get the newspaper in the morning.  This is an enjoyable task when it's not snowing and cold...which is was while he was gone in January.  
• Make the coffee.  This is not hard, but there were many nights I had to come back down because I forgot to set the machine.
• Make Jacob breakfast.  Yep, eggs & toast.  Every morning (He's a good Mom)
• Make Jacob lunch & pack it up.  I quit doing that when he was old enough to make his own.  Mike started doing it last year...and I had to take this task over.
• KILL MICE.  SERIOUSLY.  He's gone two weeks & I get a MOUSE IN MY KITCHEN.  I've lived here since 2003 & only one other time has a mouse been in my kitchen.  UGH and GROSS and he's dead now.
• Fix the garage door when it won't open.  ( I got it up & we just left it that way)
• Fix the Yukon.  The brakes went out...and I solved the problem by fixing the garage door so Jacob could drive the Jeep.

He's home now & life can return to normal.

Weekend Fun

The high school football team made the playoffs this season ~ and even had home field for the first round.  We haven't seen Jacob march for a long time, so it was great that this one was at home.  We get to the game all bundled in our cold gear & a blanket to wrap in too ~ it was that cold.  We sit down and prepare to watch pre-game.  People are just wandering in & getting there seats...it's early yet, not a lot happening before the game starts...

Except the people in front of us.  Apparently they have been sitting in the bleachers for a while, maybe hours.  this was the mess BEFORE THE GAME EVEN STARTED.  They certainly had their money's worth in fun.  This just struck me as one of those things...I couldn't stop looking at the mess & wondering what kind of partying they were doing in the stands before I got there.  Because they were pretty tame fans while I was there.

The Saturday (after running our 13 miles in the cold & wind) we loaded up the car & drove south to Cincinnati.  This is our usie...it's really difficult to get a really tall kid and a really not so tall kid in one shot!

It was really good to see Patrick & Maggie.  Patrick took us to his new favorite BBQ place ~ Alabama-Q.  A little store-front with five tables (not so clean) and food served in Styrofoam to-go packages.  For $28 we all had a very good and filling meal.  Mike pointed out that it didn't even have a bathroom & we were probably glad for that!  I would eat their food again; I would just take it to another location to do so.

After breakfast with the kids, Mike & I went to Jungle Jim's.  I tried to get a selfie with one of the 'animals' out front. It was an interesting place ~ with even more interesting bathrooms.  In the middle of the store are two big port-a-potties... that enter into very nice bathrooms.  It's pretty freaky to open that door tho'.

At check out Mike thows these Cinnamon Twists on the belt ~ I can't believe he bought the Cinnamon ones ~ like he totally didn't read it & thought they were the Strawberry ones.  So I say, "Those are Cinnamon."  MIKE SAYS, "I know.  They're like breath mints, but candy." 

celebrating 50

On August 8 my parents will have been married 50 years.  Quite an accomplishment & a great example for me and my brothers.  This past week we all gathered in Colorado to celebrate.  It was an adventure filled weekend starting with a scary plane ride for my brother's family.  Their plane from Dallas lost an engine, had to turn back & thankfully landed safely back in Dallas.  It took three hours to get another plane & crew.  They got on that new airplane (not sure I would have) and flew out to Denver, just a little later than planned.

While they were having their airplane 'adventure', we were having a boat adventure.  Lake Dillon is a beautiful place & you can take three hour tours on a pontoon boat.  This time we couldn't get as close to the glory hole, so there was no fear of being sucked in.  Unlike the first time we took a boat out...when Uncle Bill scared little Patrick & then got yelled at.  Everyone remembers that story, except Patrick.










Then we celebrated with a fondue dinner at the top of Keystone Mountain.
Patrick said it not only was the best meal he'd ever eaten, it was the best meal he will ever eat.  We had cheese fondue, salad, lots of meat, and chocolate fondue.  Oh my.  It was so good I didn't want to stop eating...even though my stomach hurt!