Balloons& Up Your Hill!

Saturday after our mile run...we went to Debonne to watch the balloon festival. This is a big even for the winery ~ and last year it was so crowded there was grid lock traffic jams on South River Road.  This year they made it a ticketed event...free tickets, but they "sold out" ~ and it really wasn't that crowded.  It was HOT and sunny & expensive.  And they only accepted cash ~ which seems a little fishy to me ~ but who am I.

We had fun.. and then the rumor started spreading that they weren't going to launch the balloons because the wind was too strong & from the wrong direction.  So we left and went to Melt.









These pictures were from last Wednesday when we met Distler/Chandler & Becca ~ The only balloon I saw this week ~ Zero at the, so called, "Balloon Festival".

We did see some parachuters jump from a plane a couple of times.  That looks SCARY and they are really moving fast when they land.  

Today was my favorite {not} race of the year.  Hill, Yeah.  The only time I enjoyed this race was when I trained hills.  Go figure.  I HATE the last two miles of this race ~ in fact I debated calling our team "I hate the last two miles of this race so I refuse to run them" ~ Since I hate them, and I refuse to run them...I decided this would be a good race to do as a relay.  Originally it was me and both Dodds.  But when Trisha wasn't training...she decided not to run.  Katie Barton joined us & she ran the fastest pace of all of us.  

Let's flash back to John Distler's quote from yesterday...when he questioned my beastliness.  And I knew he was right.  And he was.  Legs were heavy today.  Breathing wasn't exactly relaxed either.  The goal was to run marathon pace for my leg ~ I managed 8:47 overall for the 4.5...but one of those was 9:57.  Chapin Forest CLIMBS and CLIMBS and CLIMBS.  I was not prepared.  Then the last half mile drops pretty severely.  {Oh my Quads!}

I wasn't the beast I imagine myself to be...but I did ok with my tired legs.

Dodd is so strong.  He ran with me and Katie {who dropped to a 7:47 pace overall} and then finished strong.  We were first place in the co-ed division!  I like running with fast people.

It was HOT and sunny.  Mike ran the whole thing...still with his head/chest cold.  He's kinda beastly.  

A NERC posted on Facebook four pictures of Mike saying, "I'm sorry I don't know you, but you were kicking asphalt."

He even photo bombed Brenda and Leslie's selfie.  He said he had to haul ass to get in it & he did!

Then we had to get first place ice cream.

We may be stretching the limits of the PR ice cream rule...but if Dodd's driving, we get ice cream.