Reverberations of Echoes

Bahamas Vacation and Marathon

2012-01-17T21:37:00.000-06:00

The race finish.....right on Junkanoo Beach.

Some other photos from the trip.....

Senor Frogs the night we arrived.

Beach Sand Display

2011-12-07T21:37:00.000-06:00

We were vacationing in Bermuda a couple of years ago and while we were at Horseshoe Beach, we were looking at the pink sand and came up with the idea to take samples home from different beaches we visit and somehow display them alongside each other. We have collected sand now from Greece, OBX, Miami Beach, and Bermuda and those samples have been sitting around in plastic soda bottles.

We located some corked bottles that we thought would work well from Specialty Bottles.
I had planned on making a stand for the bottles, but we were looking around in Olathe Glass and spotted something that we knew would be perfect........

This is a candle holder made from a retired oak wine barrel stave.

Finally, we etched the beach location onto the glass for each sand sample. The 5th sample will be ready in January......the Bahamas.

First Day for my Five Trails 1/2 Marathon Team

2011-01-22T14:21:00.006-06:00

Today was the first Saturday morning training for Leavenworth's Five Trails 1/2 Marathon. The kickoff was held at Garry Gribble's and we headed out onto the trails. Unfortunately, there was still 6 or 7 inches of snow still on the ground and hardly anyone had run on them, so the first run may be one of the toughest of the training program. You can go to http://www.fivetrailshalfmarathon.com/index.html for more information about the race and the training program....Some more pix....

The Athens Marathon

2010-12-13T09:52:00.014-06:00

We headed to Greece to run the 2500th anniversary of Phidippides' run from Marathon to Athens. Despite Delta Airlines best attempts to destroy the trip, we had a great time. We stayed at the Divani Palace Acropolis Hotel, which was walking distance to the Parthenon and several other sites. The race was on Halloween and the weather was perfect early on and gradually warmed. After the race, we took a bus to the Aegean coastline......

The Temple of Zues

The Plaka, a shopping and tourist area near the Acropolis. This was taken at about 2 am when the streets were deserted.

Hadrian's Gate
Kim at the base of the Acropolis. Olive trees are planted everywhere.
The Parthenon
Parthenon Pics
The Temple of Zues from the Acropolis.

The Aegean Coast........

Other Pics.....

The Athens Marathon....

The burial mound from the Battle of Marathon

The blu line.....the shortest distance from the start to finish.
The spectators handed out olive branches and shouted "bravo"

We wore our Pumpkin Run shirts for the race (it was on Halloween). We had spectators taking our pictures and kids pointing and shouting about Halloween.
Olympic Stadium finish.....

Coeur d' Alene

2010-06-02T17:22:00.005-05:00

The Coeur d' Alene Marathon was outstanding....one of the nicest courses you will ever run. Most of the course was on the Centennial trail which runs along the lake and the Spokane River.
This picture is close to the turnaround point at about mile 14. The temps were in the 50's and 60's all weekend and the humidity was nonexistent compared to KC standards for this time of year. The course had a couple of longer hills, but was much flatter than I had anticipated. I cruised in at about 4:50 and felt pretty good the whole race. The town was a great place to visit with a local brewery, lots of downtown shops, and hiking trails.....more pix....

Running with the Cows.....

2010-05-15T17:57:00.005-05:00

I decided Friday to run this 1/2 marathon. It is held on some rural roads in south Johnson County and Miami County. The course is an out and back along some rolling roads. It starts at the Mother of the Holy Rosary church and school at 227th and Metcalf and makes its way north into Johnson County. The course is well marked and there were plenty of waterstops and many great volunteers who stood out in a steady rain for hours. The fun started once I finished....food...lots of food....sandwiches, pizza, chocolate milk, juice, and tons of other stuff I didn't even get to look at. They also held a kid's run and 5K, and the whole thing was geared around the kids. If you have young kids, put this one on your list for next year.....

....heading in to finish....

....before the start...

Petting Zoo...

Babies in the backyard.....

2010-05-07T18:49:00.009-05:00

This Spring in the KC area has been great for the backyard crops!

Baby peaches...
Baby plums....
Baby cherries....

Baby Concord grapes...
Baby raspberries...

Wine Cellar is Progressing......

2010-04-12T16:37:00.009-05:00

I have now finished the ceiling and all four walls. The jail door is hung and one wine rack has been constructed.......

I found this jail door on Craig's List and immediately knew I needed it for my wine cellar. The first wine rack has been constructed in the background. I have to make another just like it to cover the other half of that wall.

The ceiling and all 4 walls are oak stained dark walnut.

I framed a mirror that was in storage with some leftover flooring...not sure if I will use it or not.

Now I just need to add some cabinetry and some more wine racks and it will be complete!

Candy Cane Wine

2010-03-27T19:30:00.008-05:00

Update....
Fermentation was very slow, so I checked my notes and realized it was not acidic enough. Added 1 teaspoon of acid blend and almost instantly fermentation increased. Racked it to a 6 gallon carboy and it is still fermenting....

It was rainy and my legs were tired after struggling through a morning 1/2 marathon, so I decided to make some candy cane wine. We purchased 144 candy canes on clearance after Christmas for next to nothing. I put together a recipe from several other versions I have seen......

144 candy canes

3 tsp yeast nutrient

1 tsp yeast energizer

fill to 5.5 gallons

Add sugar to specific gravity of 1.08.

After Kim unwrapped 144 of them, the candy canes were dissolved in water heated just below boiling, then added to the primary fermenter with the other ingredients. Once the liquid cooled down, EC-118 yeast was added to ferment. I plan to rack this into a carboy after about a week and then rerack as needed. Once bottled, it will age until Christmas time! It is a really nice looking red color right now.

More Bermuda Pix.....

2010-01-25T16:47:00.020-06:00

Bermuda International Mile and 10K

2010-01-16T17:29:00.003-06:00

I can't say enough about how incredible Bermuda is to visit. I just can not recommend it enough. The weather has improved every day we have been here. It was raining on Wednesday when we arrived, but every day after that has been perfect. We took in the sunrise on Thursday morning at Horseshoe beach. Later we headed to the west edge of the islands to the Dockyards. We bought some rum cakes, some hand fired plates, and some local rum products.
The dockyards from the ferry.....

Later Thursday night, we were invited to a party at Bacardi's world headquarters in Hamilton....complete open bar and dinner.....

We are staying at the Fairmont Southampton and it has ocean views from all rooms. The view from our room.....
The hotel has its own beach next to Horseshoe beach.
The water is crystal clear. The bottom is completely visible even in even deep water.
Friday night was the Bermuda International Mile. This is run down one of Hamilton's main downtown streets on the waterfront. They invite several elite men and women milers and there is a 10,000 dollar purse for anyone who can break 4:00. No one has done it yet, but everyone thought there was a good chance this year because the weather was perfect. The Bermuda Triangle Challenge people went first. Kim and I were in the first wave so it felt strange being the firs to go with the balconies and street lined with spectators. The mile was something I really was not all that excited about, but it turned out to be a lot of fun....cruised in at 7:42....which was a little faster than I wanted to go, but with the atmosphere, I couldn't make myself go any slower. They had several divisions of the local kids from grade school,middle school, highschool and Bermudian adults(everyone in these heats had to qualify to be eligible). The elites ran and no money was given away....4:04 was the winning time.

Saturday morning brought the 10K. It did not start until 10 am so it was a little warm and this course was tough with several hills. I ran hard the first half and then eased back a lot on the second 1/2, ending up with a 1:01:52. we were starved...headed back to the hotel and cleaned up and then off to the only local brewery...the North Rock Brewery. We sampled two of their beers and had a hamburger to fill our stomachs....
We finished the day off with some ruins exploration....some man made caves carved out of the rock walls on the ocean....

Tomorrow is the marathon....It could be a long one with all the walking we have done!

Team Challenge-Napa to Sonoma and Boston 13.1

2010-01-10T18:52:00.006-06:00

We are recruiting for our next season for Team Challenge, the 1/2 Marathon training program for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation. The first event is the inaugural Boston 13.1 which will be held on June 27th. The second event is Napa to Sonoma 1/2 Marathon on July 18th. Registration for this race is already full so Team Challenge is the only way to get there.

Training starts on March 6 and recruiting meetings will be held the first week of March.

Let me know if you have any questions.....

RNR Las Vegas, Team Challenge, and Marathon #82

2009-12-07T15:11:00.018-06:00

Kansas City's Team Challenge went to Vegas and everyone on the team completed their 1/2 marathon and had a great time. The pasta party was great, the food was excellent,and the inspirational speaker did her job by making hundreds of people cry. We hit the sack early for the early morning meet up at 4:45 am. The team posed for some pre race pictures and headed to the start. Congrats to everyone....you raised a lot of money and put in a lot of hard work and training!
While I was at the prerace party, Kim headed off to see The Lion King with our roomie, Amanda.

Pasta Party pix.....

The race started at the Mandalay Bay at 6:15 with temps probably in the low 30's. The start was very well done with a continual fireworks display, caged tigers, and the atmosphere and the lights of the strip. The 1/2 marathon is run entirely on the strip (though some of it is on the extreme ends of Las Vegas Blvd and there is not a lot there) with the full marathon peeling off at about the 10.5 mile mark. The full runs along some streets with some nice mountain views and then comes back into the finish at Mandalay Bay. It was a nice race, except for miles 12-19, due to a bad reaction to Tri-Berry GU! I saw Kim on an out an back late in the race and she was doing well (no Achilles issues) so once I knew she was going to get her 12 marathon goal accomplished, I sped up and finished strong. I waited around and presented her medal as she finished. We then did the same for Karen as she finished. We then cleaned up and met with some of our now Team Challenge alumni to celebrate Kim's birthday, her 12 marathons in 12 months, and some first time 1/2 marathoners.

Bass Pro Shop Marathon

2009-11-01T17:56:00.008-06:00

Marathon number 80 is finished...it was in Springfield, Mo, so no new state. This was the same race I did not finish last year after my ankle swelled up and I was not able to put any weight on it....dropped at 18 miles or so. I had to hang around at the finish line and see all those cool bass medals being handed out. So this year, I went back to get my own. I completed it two years ago, but the medal was not all that great...I needed the big bass. The weather for this race has been perfect all 3 years. The course is mostly flat with a few rollers here and there and a lot of miles out on the Ozark Greenway. A nice dry fit shirt and hat are included in the bling also. It is very well done and I would recommend it highly.

Kim finishing the race.

The bass medal.....

I also was able to buy a 55 gallon stainless steel drum while I was in Springfield for the wine cellar....these things are expensive and I was able to find it used and grabbed it while I was in town...

Wine, wine, and more wine....

2009-10-24T14:19:00.005-05:00

Wine #1.....Crab apple wine.

We are picking crab apples....about 20-30 lbs of the things. This should make about 6 gallons of crab apple wine. Once we have them all picked and destemmed, they will be crushed and fermented.....everything I have read says that these make a great wine....we shall see.
Wine#2.....Blush

This is a kit wine that is just starting its clearing phase....should be bottling this in about 2 weeks.
Wine#3......Blueberry Shiraz

I bought several kits of wine from one of my runners....this is the first one of the 5 I am making.....just started fermenting it today.

Getting ready to start constructing the wine cellar in the basement....all of these will help start to fill it up!

Detroit International Marathon

2009-10-20T20:19:00.007-05:00

This marathon really made national headlines with the 3 deaths in the 1/2 marathon. I hope the negative publicity doesn't hurt this race, because it was a great course. We stayed at the Marriott on the Detroit River at GM headquarters. It was the race hotel and less than a mile from the start and finish. Race morning was a little cool, but close enough to perfect for me. There was very little wind.....this race would be much tougher if the winds were blowing like they were on the day after the race!

The course was outstanding.....the start is downtown and within a few miles you are crossing a bridge into Windsor, Ontario. After 4 or so miles on the north side of the Detroit river, you enter the Detroit-Windsor tunnel at mile 7 and spend the next mile running underneath the river....then back into downtown and the 1/2 marathon finish. Marathoners then get to run out to Belle Island and back. The race is very flat. The hills are at the bridges and tunnels and are not difficult at all. The medals were very heavy and well done. They did run out for some of the later finishers and will have to mail them out to those runners. The expo was a bit unorganized, but was okay. You have to have your passport for this race to get your race number at the expo....so that was a first!
The weekend in pictures......

The view from our room on the 27th floor over the Detroit River and into Canada.

GM headquarters....

Kim and I on the river walk.

At the expo....

The bling!

Our first Team Challenge Training Run.....

2009-08-29T20:29:00.010-05:00

It was a perfect morning to kickoff the Las Vegas training. We started at 9 am and it was still very cool outside. Everyone looked like they had a good time and we spent time afterwards getting fitted for shoes at Garry Gribbles. It looks like it will be a small, but close nit team (we had several that were not able tomakethe first training and a few new additions that may be here soon). It was a great start and I am looking forward to getting to know everyone over the next few months....here is the morning in pictures:

Making Progress.....

2009-08-23T18:22:00.008-05:00

I built the form for my other concrete counter top last weekend and poured it.....now just have to wait 28 days for it to cure and then blacken it up and epoxy it once we move it in place....
We also started a landscaping project out front....We bought a fountain and some rock to replace the jungle of daisies and peonies. After digging up the bed and pouring a concrete pad for the fountain, we placed the fountain in place and added landscape rock around it. We had to run out to Lawrence to buy more rock since we bought all of it out at the Earl May in JoCo. We still need more!

My cement mixer I bought for this project.....makes life much easier.
Raw curing counter top.....it will look a lot different in a few weeks.

Taming the jungle.....
Operational... My latest gargoyle....Emmit.
....and a gratuitous Molly picture

Team Challenge Vegas 1/2 Marathon Info Meetings....

2009-08-18T17:17:00.002-05:00

Come out to an info meeting if you are interested in running the Vegas 1/2 for Team Challenge.....the first one is Wednesday at 7 at the JoCo Public Library in Lenexa at 15345 W 87th Street Pkwy. The second one is Saturday at Saint Luke's South, Conference Room B at 9 a.m......training starts the 29th!

Molly hits 200 miles......

2009-08-01T11:58:00.004-05:00

We took Molly for a 1 mile walk this morning that put her at 200 miles of walking for this year.....she was rewarded with some turkey bacon afterwards......

Strawberry White Merlot

2009-07-12T13:53:00.002-05:00

Our latest batch of wine is bottled and labeled.....should be ready to drink soon.

A Vegas 1/2 Marathon?????

2009-07-06T13:46:00.004-05:00

The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America is starting a new 1/2 marathon program in KC and they chose the Rock-n-Roll Las Vegas 1/2 Marathon as their team event. The event takes place on 12/6 and training starts on 8/29. You can contact me or Rhonda Sciarra (her contact info is below) with any questions. Here is the release from the CCFA Mid-America office...

Go the distance to fight digestive disorders

Spend a winter weekend and complete a half marathon in the glitzy and ritzy Las Vegas, and help find a cure for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Join the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation’s Team Challenge teams for winter 2009.

You fundraise to find a cure for these devastating digestive disorders that affect more than 1.5 million people. Team Challenge trains you over four to five months to complete a half marathon, pays for your airfare and hotel to these great destinations, and throws two fabulous parties for you. Consider yourself a couch potato? No problem either; most Team Challenge participants have never completed an event like this before.

Challenge yourself to change your live and the lives of others! Learn more at an upcoming information meeting:
7 p.m., Aug. 19
Johnson County Library – Central Resource Library
9875 West 87th Street
Overland Park, KS 66212

9 a.m, Aug. 22
Conference Room B
Saint Luke’s South Hospital
12300 Metcalf Avenue
Overland Park, Kansas 66213

Reserve your spot today - contact Rhonda Sciarra at 314.863.474, rsciarra@ccfa.org or www.ccteamchallenge.org

Project Update....

2009-07-04T16:33:00.006-05:00

The rain chain in action.....

I am now working on my concrete countertops....first L-section is poured.

Curing and stained....just awaiting its epoxy coating....

Rock-n-Roll Seattle Marathon

2009-07-02T09:24:00.002-05:00

We ran the RNR-Seattle Marathon last weekend and it is easily the best course of all the Rock-n-Roll series marathons. Beautiful course with views of Mt Rainier, bald eagles, and lots of water to look out over. The only negative was the last 3 miles of the race...they had an out and back in an industrial rail area that was kind of a let down from the rest of the course. It was open and hot and made for a rough ending for a lot of people. I realized after we returned home that I had run the race in retired pair of running shoes......my Brooks Beasts that I wear actually still look very good after they are worn out for running purposes and it is hard to tell sometimes from the pairs that are still good....I grabbed the wrong ones to pack. I was wondering why my legs felt pounded out by mile 11.....so I just pushed it on to the finish. I am lucky I didn't end up injured. This was marathon #77 and state #37....starting to get anxious about getting that state and DC total up to 51. We spent some time hiking the next day at Mt Rainier.....here are some pix from the trip....

West Virginia's Hatfield and McCoy Marathon

2009-06-18T09:02:00.014-05:00

This is a wonderful race. It starts in Kentucky and finishes in West Virginia, crossing back and forth between the states several times. We hit the expo where we picked up our race packet, had a nice prerace meal , and saw a presentation on the Hatfield-McCoy feud....each runner was assigned a side...I was a Hatfield and Kim was a McCoy......

The Hatfield

The McCoy

Race morning was not that warm but it was extremely muggy. There had been a lot of flooding in the area over the last few weeks and the air was saturated. I decided before the race that it was going to be a "fartin' around" marathon. We brought a disposable camera and just covered the distance.....

Only one section of the course was muddy and it reminded me a lot of the tank trail in Anchorage.

...lots of "squalor in the hollar" along the course.

...lots of rivers and bridges along the course.

.....a bridge on the course connecting two sides of a golf course, one side in Kentucky and one side in West Virginia.

No caption really needed....

Our medals and overall finisher trophies...notice that mine is for 183rd and Kim's is for 184th....someone started some McCoy trash talking about a 100 yards from the finish line and got smoked.....also notice that we got a fly swatter in the our packet.

Hatfield and McCoy Marathon.....

2009-06-10T12:50:00.002-05:00

We head off for West Virginia this weekend for the Hatfield and McCoy Marathon, which if all goes well will be marathon #76 and state #36. This is a marathon I have been eyeing for quite a while. It is a smaller sized field but seems to get great reviews from its runners. You are designated a Hatfield or McCoy....not sure which one I am yet.

Making a copper rain chain......

2009-05-23T19:22:00.014-05:00

I decided to replace one of our downspouts with a copper rain chain. After shopping for them, I decided they were much too expensive to buy, so me being me, I decided to make one. I priced several of the style that I ended up making and they ranged from about 13-16 dollars a linear foot. My chain is about 18 feet long so it would have been at least 234 dollars. I ended up spending 50 on copper and I had a soldering iron and solder on hand. I purchased 1/4 inch copper tubing (the same stuff used to run a water line to your ice maker) in 5 packages of 20 feet. I carefully uncoiled it into a straight line....be careful not to make any kinks in the copper. I used a spray paint can to coil the tubing to my desired ring size. I just held one end and rolled the can along the tubing until it is all tightly coiled around the can.

Slide the coil off of the can and cut the coil in to chain lengths. Make sure you make your cuts parallel with each other and it will make soldering easy later. Snip down the length of the whole coil.
Solder the links together. I found it easier to use the soldering iron over a torch and made my chain in an alternating double and single link pattern. Copper is an excellent conductor of heat and electricity......the electrical conductivity hopefully will not be a problem, but its ability to conduct heat certainly will....wear thick gloves! Add links until you reach your desired length. I removed my downspout and pushed the top link up through the hole where the downspout attached to the gutter. I had a one foot piece of 1/2 inch copper pipe (it was scrap and just about anything will work) that I used to anchor the chain. I slid the pipe in the gutter and through the top link of the chain to hang it in place.
I purchased a copper pot used to coil a garden hose. I picked this because it has a hole for the hose to exit the pot. I pointed the hole away from the house and filled it with landscape rock.
Done....it has already started to patina to the traditional green but I am experimenting with some leftover copper to try some different acids to see what color of patina I can get. Now I am just waiting for the next rain to see how it sounds.....

Green Bay Marathon

2009-05-21T18:58:00.010-05:00

Marathon #75, State #35....here is a collection of pictures.

Kim and her finisher's medal

My medal and number.....

After packet pick-up and pasta....

The Bay of Green....

Fried cheese curds from Titletown brewery.....mmmmm.

Titletown Brewery....a must....good food and good beer.

Cheese head...available in the Lambeau Gift shop...along with about anything else.

Lambeau Field....the start and finish of the marathon.

Next up......West Virginia.

Green Bay Weekend

2009-05-12T13:12:00.003-05:00

This weekend, we will be driving up to run the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon.....finally a new state. I have been running too many races that are repeat states, so it will be nice to be able to cross another one of the list. If all goes well this will be Marathon #75 and state #35......

The Lincoln Marathon

2009-05-05T08:56:00.004-05:00

I ran this marathon 10 years ago as my first marathon and it has not changed a bit. The course was the same and it was fun to remember covering it that first time. We partied it up a bit too much the day before, so it was a rough morning....way too much good food and a bit more alcohol than I am used to consuming the day before a race....I was so stuffed I could not sleep and was parched and constantly getting up to drink water.
The race started and we just settled into a nice slow pace. I actually think I felt better the back half of the race than the first half, despite the temps creeping up. We finished at about 5:30 and marathon number 74 is in the books.....
mile 9 or so....

Lincoln is this weekend....

2009-04-29T18:08:00.001-05:00

May 2, 1999....I ran 26.2 miles at the Lincoln marathon in 5:03:00.....It was my first marathon and this weekend, I will run this event 10 years later and, assuming everything goes well,
it will be marathon #74.....It will be fun to retrace my steps.

Frisco Highline Trail Marathon

2009-04-19T14:51:00.005-05:00

Craig, Kim and I headed down to Bolivar, Mo to run the Frisco Highline Trail Marathon Saturday morning.....a 2 am alarm clock and hitting the road by 3 am. This was the inaugural race for this event, with about 30 marathoners. There was a 50K and a 10 mile race that had a lot more runners, so there were over 100 people for the three races. We parked at the finish and grabbed a bus to the 50K start and then grabbed a second bus to the marathon start, which was at an intersection of the trail and a gravel road. The race started at 8:30 and it was already getting warm and humid and after 2 miles, I was soaked. The combination of the humidity and the soft trail really took it out of me, but I was expecting that to happen, so I just ran at my pavement pace until my legs started to burn out.....then it was just run-walk to the finish....5:30:12. I waited around for Kim and Craig to come in so I could get some pictures for Craig's first marathon finish. Congratulations! That was a tough marathon for a first one and I am sure he is suffering today....

This was a nice race...they had a few problems, but nothing that can't be fixed for next year. The race shirt was a dry fit and the medal was very nice also. It is a trail race, so don't expect manned water stops....I would also recommend a carrying a water bottle, because some of the waterstops seemed like they were spaced 3 or so miles apart. It is an easy drive down to the finish area and most of the course was crushed gravel. Tough but fun.

Century Babe....

2009-04-17T12:39:00.002-05:00

Miss Molly went over the 100 mile mark for leashed walks in 2009 earlier this month...and now well on her way to 200 miles. Kim took her on a 2 mile walk and she was still wired all evening....so we had to get the frisbee out. She slept well......

Kitchen Cabinet Refinish....

2009-03-31T19:21:00.004-05:00

The remodel of the living room is getting close to being finished, but the kitchen which is part of one big room along with the living room is just getting started. We just completed the first section of cabinet refinishing (the left side is refinished). We love the way it turned out....it matches the crown molding pretty well and the method we used was pretty easy. We start the next section tomorrow.....Kim is roughing up and deglossing the cabinet surfaces and hopefully we get some staining done too. We will be putting in all new appliances and I am going to pour concrete countertops....we will see how that goes.

Spanish Cock Fighting Chair.....

2009-03-28T14:51:00.004-05:00

I bought this old chair today. It is very small and I am not sure what we will use it for.....but for 90 bucks, it is unique enough that we will figure something out for it. The shop owner said it is a stool that was used in Spain to watch cock fighting....who knows if that is true but it still makes for something different. One thing we have thought about was a place to put folded bath towels in our bathroom once it is remodeled.....any other ideas????

Stained glass windows are done!

2009-03-21T16:41:00.005-05:00

The glass color was not captured well on the camera.....it is bleached out a ton so I will take another shot later when the lighting is not so bright....new and improved picture is now up...the colors look more accurate now.

A new small marathon that looks like a lot of fun....

2009-03-06T12:39:00.003-06:00

There is a new marathon (also a 50K) in April that looks like it could be a very nice race. It starts in Willard, Missouri at the Frisco Highline trail head which is just north of Springfield and runs along a crushed limestone trail to Bolivar. It is just a 2.5 hour drive to Bolivar to catch a bus to the start and there is race morning packet pickup.....I am thinking this would make an excellent one day race trip.....

http://s122036257.onlinehome.us/images/race_apps/frisco-fifty/Frisco-Fifty-Flyer.pdf

http://www.ozarkgreenways.org/fht_map.pdf

Miss Molly goes over 100K

2009-02-25T18:28:00.002-06:00

I took Molly for a 3 mile walk yesterday and Kim took her for another 3-miler today, which puts her well over 100 kilometers. Kim took off for school and Molly went straight upstairs and crashed.....she did not enjoy the disruption in her nap for this picture to be taken.....

Mystery Wine.....

2009-02-18T19:08:00.004-06:00

Just bottled the backyard mystery wine....it was made from a mixture of grapes of which only one variety is known, (Concord). It is very dry and actually tastes okay...well maybe not so okay...

Southern Comfort

2009-02-14T16:18:00.003-06:00

I am making my own whiskey.....haven't done this before, so we will see how it goes. I am starting out with a 3L batch, mainly because I have a 3L barrel. It should be done in 2-4 weeks. The ethanol is now in the barrel aging with the sugar and other flavorings. It smells really good!

Livingroom remodel progress.....

2009-02-06T17:33:00.005-06:00

The floors are going in....slowly. I have to install it in about 3 foot wide strips, then stain that strip, followed by polyurethane. The new tile is installed, but can not be grouted until the hardwoods surrounding it are done. Having to use the room while doing the floors is dragging it out, but it will be worth it when it is all done.

Snow Tubing....

2009-02-03T15:01:00.003-06:00

Looks like Kim, Connor, and I will be heading up to Snow Creek to do some snow tubing Saturday night. We did this last year and had a blast, so looking forward to doing it again.....though last year I woke up the next morning feeling like I had been in a car wreck. I took out a few hay bales at the bottom every time I went down the slope.

Molly goes over the 26.2 mark....

2009-01-24T18:52:00.003-06:00

We took Molly out for a 1 mile walk today which puts her 2009 total at 26.5 miles......she is averaging over a mile a day despite the weather!

Another Batch of Wine.....

2009-01-20T20:31:00.006-06:00

We bottled 29 bottles of our new Kiwi Pear Sauvignon Blanc. It is a sweet wine cooler type of wine that the neighbors seem to love. There are two more batches currently brewing....the back yard mystery wine and a nice Chocolate Raspberry Port, which I am really looking forward to....make that 28 bottles...one just disappeared.

48 hours makes a big difference....

2009-01-15T17:54:00.002-06:00

After the Goofy Challenge, my legs felt pretty good....great actually. I was walking around and it did not feel like I had run almost 40 miles. Running was a different story. I headed to the Y to jump on the treadmill on Tuesday and felt like crud. I struggled to maintain a 10 minute mile and finally hit the big red stop button after 1.1 miles. It felt brutal and I just decided to end it and give my legs a couple more days rest. Today...went to the Y and jumped on the same treadmill and felt great. I started my 800m repeats, though I only did 2....I made the decision to limit myself to no more than that before I started. I did those at an 8-minute pace and it felt very easy. I have tried to do these at much faster paces, but once I get over 5 repeats, the legs crash and I can never work my way up to 10....so an 8 minute pace for me is a nice conservative approach and we will see how it feels when I get to the 8th or 9th one. Finished the 2 repeats and then did a ladder to finish of my run. I have some time before the Olathe Marathon so hopefully I can get some nice quality interval work in....

Goofy is complete.....

2009-01-12T07:28:00.008-06:00

We completed the marathon portion of the Goofy Challenge yesterday in 5:57:19. We took a lot of pictures with the different characters along the course both days with a disposable camera, which added a lot of minutes to our race time, but we were never concerned about a time, just covering the distance and taking in all the atmosphere. After the marathon we headed to Magic Kingdom and spent the rest of the day there....the walking around helped work out the muscle stiffness. Really, the hardest thing about this was getting up at 2:30 am two days in a row.

More pix from Sunday....

One-Third Done

2009-01-10T13:03:00.003-06:00

We completed the 1/2 today in just under 3 hours and took a bunch of pictures with he disposable camera.....now it is relax time and an early bedtime for the marathon tomorrow for when our magical alarm clock goes off at 2:30 a.m....

Disney-Day 2 Pix

2009-01-09T18:53:00.007-06:00

Today was a rest day with nothing on the agenda....spent some time at the pool and did very little. We did go to Downtown Disney and saw "Gran Torino." If you have not seen this, put it at the top of your list. It is the best movie I have seen in quite a while. Now it is time to crawl into bed and wait for that alarm to go off at 2:30 a.m.....

Goofy....day one pix

2009-01-08T22:19:00.007-06:00

We are staying at the Pop Century Resort....arrived, checked in, picked up our packets, grabbed something to eat, took a nap, and got a nice run in along the lake. Later, we grabbed some dinner with some TNT'ers....

Goofy Bound...

2009-01-07T17:17:00.002-06:00

We head out for Orlando early in the morning....looks like sunny and mid 70's every day! Hopefully that forecast holds for a nice 13.1 on Saturday and 26.2 on Sunday.

One down, one to go.....

2009-01-03T18:04:00.007-06:00

I finished one of the stained glass windows and have both panels mounted in. The first picture was from outside last night with the light from inside shining through the glass out into the night (with the boards supporting casting a shadow from inside).

The next two pictures show the finished and the unfinished windows from the inside.....

I can't wait to get the second one started.....

A Good Start....

2009-01-02T09:00:00.004-06:00

After a long night out, we headed out on New Year's day and did the KCTC's annual run. Last year, the trails were icy and snow packed....this year, it was smooth sailing.....a nice easy 10 miles. The wind was howling but most of the course was sheltered so it was not really an issue. It was a nice last long training run for the Goofy challenge....this time next week, we will be in Florida.

Happy New Year......

2008-12-31T12:23:00.001-06:00

It looks like 2008 will finish up at 836 miles pounded on the pavement. Hopefully that number moves back up in 2009 into quadruple digits...

Merry Christmas...

2008-12-25T07:03:00.000-06:00

Projects....

2008-12-21T08:50:00.007-06:00

The crown molding is stained and installed. The Venetian plaster is all but done on the entire ceiling......it took forever to do but it was worth it.

.....now I get to start on the flooring, the replacement of my 3 remaining hollow crap doors, and my stained glass for the windows on each side of the fireplace.....once the stained glass is done, it will replace the white mini blinds in the picture above. I actually have one panel already cut so the grinding of the glass will start today...

Kiawah Island Marathon weekend

2008-12-06T20:44:00.008-06:00

We headed out for Charleston this weekend for the Kiawah Island Marathon. We finished at 5:09:12, completing marathon #71 and state #34 (marathon geeks). The marathon was on the 6th which also happens to be Kim's birthday. The marathon was a double loop that ran through the Kiawah resort, including some incredible houses. The Charleston area was great....this is one we may need to come back some time to spend some more time. Some pix....

The view out of our hotel room. A slot for your boat can be yours for $119,000....
We always manage to find a local brewery everywhere we go.
Charleston from the water at sunset.
The Atlantic Ocean from Kiawah Island.

Kiawah Island

2008-12-03T14:31:00.002-06:00

We are heading east to South Carolina for the Kiawah Island Marathon this weekend. It looks like we are getting out of town just in time to miss some crappy weather....it looks like a high of 57 degrees for race day on Saturday. If all goes well, this will be state number 34.

Happy Thanksgiving.....

2008-11-27T09:22:00.000-06:00

Goobler Grind...Marathon #70

2008-11-23T21:49:00.004-06:00

I finished the Gobbler Grind yesterday in 5:10:16, bringing my marathon total to 70. The ankle held up again. I felt it off and on and it is a little swollen again today, but it will get 2 weeks to heal up before South Carolina. It was a great day to run. The weather can be unpredictable for this one, so I signed up for it on Friday when I was relatively certain it would not be 33 degrees and sleeting......it was in the 30's for the start and in the 50's for the finish. I ran the first 1/2 at an easy pace and hit the 13.1 at 2:17 or so and then I settled into a run one song, walk one song for the back half to try to keep the pounding on my ankle down a bit. I hope my good weather luck continues for South Carolina and the Goofy Challenge.

Make the voices stop.....

2008-11-20T09:34:00.002-06:00

I have voices telling me to sign up for the Gobbler Grind Marathon this weekend and they just won't stop. I checked the weather...hoping for sleet and freezing temps....nope, it is supposed to be a great day, so that excuse is gone. I went to Dr Reed yesterday and he worked his magic on my ankle and told me it looks fine, so that excuse is out the door...so I am going to run tonight and make sure it feels okay tomorrow and if that works, then I think I will enter. I just can not ignore them....only delay them....maybe they will change their mind(s) by tomorrow.....

San Antonio

2008-11-17T17:42:00.013-06:00

We went to San Antonio this weekend for the RNR-San Antonio Marathon. I went into this wondering if my ankle would hold up over the long mileage.....and it did with a little help from some NSAID's......I think I took enough to keep the inflammation in check and I was able to get through it in far better shape than 2 weeks ago. I finished around 5:16, which I was happy with, considering I was prepared for a 7 hour limpathon. The marathon was okay, but the destination was very nice. San Antonio is well worth visiting....here are some pictures from the weekend....the riverwalk, the Alamo, Mission Concepcion, and Mission San Jose....

Unplanned spending spree....

2008-11-10T18:13:00.004-06:00

We ran out to Rensen House of Lights last weekend to "look" at ceiling fans. We came home with a ceiling fan and a new piece of furniture....a new teak wine cabinet......it is home and the ceiling fan is installed...

I sure hope I am ready....

2008-11-10T14:41:00.002-06:00

Rock-n-Roll San Antonio is this weekend and I am still nursing a bad ankle. I gave it a test on Saturday with a 3.1-mile treadmill run and it was a little sore after just that, so it is getting some more rest this week. I think I will go out to Lee's Summit and see Mr. Miyagi (Dr. Reed) and hopefully he can work some of his magic on the ankle.

Injured....

2008-11-03T14:51:00.002-06:00

I had to drop out of the marathon at about mile 18.5 miles. My ankle is jacked...it started hurting at about 14 miles and got progressively worse. By the time 18.5 miles rolled around, I could no longer put any weight on it.....so I dropped out. I am waiting until Tuesday to see how it improves, but I am afraid it may be something that throws a wrench into my fall schedule.

Off to Springfield......

2008-10-31T14:25:00.003-05:00

Sunday is the Bass Pro Shop Marathon. This should be fun. I have done no long runs for quite a while now, just a lot of 10-milers and under and faster paces....we shall see how it goes. The medal looks like a big improvement over last year though, so that should help me during the late miles....I have yet to earn a fish medal....I have a 2 pigs and a mouse, but no fish.

San Fran Weekend Pictures....

2008-10-21T19:32:00.019-05:00

My last TNT event was last weekend. It was the Nike San Francisco Nike Women's Marathon. After arriving, we headed to the expo and ran into an old friend that had run with us last year, then moved to LA, and now preparing to run it again.....
Saturday, I went for a 10+ mile run from the hotel down along the beach and over the Golden Gate Bridge and back, much of it covered the actual marathon course.....

Race Day
Early Starters

The 7 am starters.....

On the course.....

35 people and everyone finished their race.....

The medals....

Pumpkin Run

2008-10-13T07:42:00.002-05:00

We did the Pumpkin Run on Saturday morning. If you are in the KC area, this is one of those runs you have to experience. It was started 10 years ago to honor the memory of Jared Coones, who battled leukemia for many years. Unfortunately, Jared's mother, Jayne, died of breast cancer before last year's race. In 2007, a lightning storm and heavy rains forced the cancellation of the race.....so this Saturday morning arrived and the weather was perfect. We arrived early, met my TNT members who were participating and then headed for the starting line. They had a pink (for Jayne) and red (Jared) balloon release before the start and a few minutes later, we were off. I cruised the race and came in at about 26:30 according to my Garmin and then headed back up the road to cheer everyone in to the finish. There were over 1500 kids in this race (very few of which could run in a straight line!) and it was fun to watch them out there having a great time. Many of them went through training from each of their elementary schools just for this event and you could tell most of them were having a blast ( a few looked like they may have skipped the training portion of the program and were not as nice of a time, but once the finish line was in sight, that all changed).
We stayed for the awards presentation to watch some special awards given to some of our TNT people (congrats to Zach and Leesa) and then helped clean up. After helping with packet pick up the night before, the whole event flew by...it seemed like a flash. It was a huge success....just under 3000 runners. It is a wonderful event to honor two wonderful people.

Stair and hallway project is officially done......

2008-10-07T20:36:00.007-05:00

I put in solid oak floors, stairs moldings, railings and pine doors and stained them with a Walnut stain. We replaced everything....lights, outlets, even the smoke detector. I installed the crown molding tonight and that was the last detail. We painted the walls and removed the nasty popcorn crap off the ceiling and painted it also.

The tile risers are my favorite detail......

Goofy Challenge

2008-10-07T14:23:00.003-05:00

I am signing up for the Goofy Challenge through Marathon tours.

I entered the marathon, but had ruled out the Goofy Challenge because it was full......I had forgotten about the travel packages that have reserved spots so I am mailing out my app to them tomorrow and getting ready to start running back to back Saturdays and Sundays. I just figured I needed to get this done in January because in '10, we want to do the Bermuda Triangle Challenge!

Ouch....

2008-09-29T09:41:00.002-05:00

We bailed after 15 miles or so in the Flatrocks 50K. It was one of the most beautiful trails I have ever seen......at least the parts I could see. You could not look up much because of the rocks and it was a small miracle that I only fell once. Now I just need to figure out what is wrong with my knees. The ligaments in the back outside of both knees feel really weird....hopefully just irritated a little and a couple of days rest is all they need.

Flatrock 50K tomorrow

2008-09-26T12:37:00.002-05:00

We head south to Independence, Kansas tonight to pick up our packets for the 50K. It has been a while since I have done an ultra and this one is supposed to be tough. We have 10 hours so hopefully we do not need all of that. We had our Employee Day at work today so I will need to cover the 31 miles just to burn the calories I have consumed today.

Next new pet....Talisman

2008-09-22T14:46:00.003-05:00

....yet another addition to my gargoyle collection. It should arrive next week.

Seed Ticks.......Bad

2008-09-21T20:57:00.003-05:00

This is what my legs look like on Sunday from my Tuesday trail run. We ran on the horse trail at Shawnee Mission Park since the MTB trails were closed.

We ended up doing more than 6 miles, but picked up a few bugs along the way.....I didn't sleep for the next 3 nights because my legs were burning and itching.....I finally was able to sleep a bit on Friday night and now it looks bad but it no longer is causing me to consider amputation.

Trail Run Tonight

2008-09-16T14:09:00.003-05:00

....looks like we may head out to Shawnee Mission Park for a much needed trail run. Considering that the Flat Rock 50K is only 11 days away, I guess I should start getting used to rocks and roots under my feet again. There is a 10 hour time limit and I may need every bit of it for what looks to be a long "hike."

Heart Of America Marathon

2008-09-01T17:51:00.003-05:00

....this is one tough marathon, but for the 25.00 entry fee, you cannot expect a lot. It is hot, humid, and hilly and the water stops early on are way too far apart....but I knew this from running it several years ago, so we just dealt with it by going much slower and taking it easy. My shoes were filling up with sweat at the first mile marker, which I reached at 6:10 AM. I just signed up for Elite Racing's Rock-n-Roll San Antonio last night and it was 100.00. For this, Elite promises you a band every mile, in the HOA Marathon, you get at least one dead opossum, each at various stages of decay, every mile. Your entry fee also gets you some of the best trained horse flies anywhere. I think I had one for a running buddy for 8 miles. The temps reached the low 90's by the time we finished. This is one of the most challenging marathons I have ever done.

Crap.....

2008-08-26T14:35:00.005-05:00

I have not done an ultra in 3 years or so.....but I signed up for a trail ultra in Independence, Kansas on 9/27...The Flatrock 50K.

http://flatrock50.org/index.php

It has a 10 hour time limit. I think I will need every bit of it. It will be a lot of fun and from some of the pictures, the course looks pretty tough but it will be worth it....I think. I hate peer pressure.

My new baby.....

2008-08-13T20:45:00.002-05:00

My Sport Trac.....much more practical for me. I already have the appropriate stickers in the back window.

Psyco Night 10K Trail Run

2008-08-09T15:38:00.007-05:00

Kim and I ran a 10K trail race Friday night. It started after 8 pm, so it was starting to get dark at the start. Trail running is a lot of fun....kind of changes things up a bit and is much tougher.....night trail running just increases both of those differences. The headlamp lights up the trail, but depth perception and shadows make it tough. We went into this assuming it would be dry....not a good assumption. I lost both of my shoes in calf deep mud......nothing like walking in deep mud in your socks looking for your shoes....I knew it would be hilly, but wow...I have run Shawnee Mission Park's MTB trails, but those aren't even close. There were many areas where I could only power walk because of the loose rocks and ruts.
I came cruising in at about 1 hour and 17 minutes.

Kim finishing a few minutes later....
Trail nerd Cheri and Race Director and fellow trail nerd, Ben....
Kim finally was able to meet trail nerd and fellow blogger Coleen, aka Cynical Mud Babe.
....and most importantly, RD Ben's home-brewed recovery drink....very good.

The new Elite Racing Marathon is.....

2008-08-05T10:47:00.004-05:00

Rock-n-Roll Seattle....I need Washington for my 50 states + DC too!
June 27, 2009

I feel like Augustus...

2008-08-04T12:26:00.002-05:00

Oompa loompa doompety doo
I've got a perfect puzzle for you

Oompa loompa doompety dee

If you are wise you'll listen to me
What do you get when you guzzle down sweets

Eating as much as an elephant eats

What are you at, getting terribly fat

What do you think will come of that
I don't like the look of it
Oompa loompa doompety da

If you're not greedy, you will go far

You will live in happiness too

Like the Oompa Loompa Doompety doDoompety do

I ate way too much for lunch.....

Winter Season Recruiting already!

2008-07-27T08:55:00.002-05:00

It seems like we just finished recruiting for the fall season, but in less than a week, we begin recruitment for the winter session, Disney and Arizona. This year they are on different weekends so I can go with both teams to their races. Last year, both races were on the same weekend and it was disappointing not to be able to see the Arizona team finish and celebrate with them afterwards.....
Our first meeting is this Saturday and several more throughout August, so if you are interested or know anyone who is....send them our way. Training starts 9/6!

During the week training....

2008-07-23T14:47:00.002-05:00

My weekday training for the fall consists of 800m repeats (Yasso's 800's) and hill training. I find the combination of these two workouts yield improvements in my running very quickly. Both workouts are done solely on the treadmill. I love the ability to quantify my runs and be able to repeat those exact conditions as I ramp up the number of repeats. I have never made it to 10 repeats when I have tried this before....always found a cool marathon to run that I had not planned on running and it would throw a wrench into the middle of my training. Hopefully, I can hold off that urge and not do one until my target race (Bass Pro Shop Marathon), but I have seen good results from the partial climb to 10 repeats in the past.

800's......I do a 1 mile warm up and then go directly into my first repeat. I run the 800m at a 6:58 pace (that is cruising for me), and then a recovery jog for 400m and then back to the next repeat. I will work my way up to 10 repeats before I hit my taper.

Hills.....I do a 1 mile warmup and then go directly into my first hill repeat. I run a 6% grade hill at a 7:30 pace for 90 second (I never realized how long 90 seconds can be), followed by a 2.5 minute recovery jog and then back into the next repeat. I will work my way up to 10 of these also.

Thursday Night Run.....supposed to be a nice easy 3 miler.....doesn't always work out that way.

I really like the combination of these two workouts and hopefully with a long time to work up the repeat number I will see some good results.

A New Front Door and Diaper Rash

2008-07-17T21:27:00.007-05:00

We had a new front entry door installed today and I really like it......a huge improvement over the old white steel generic one. The installer busted up some of the stucco around the door so I will be repairing that and trying to find a stucco paint that matches the old stuff. I installed the door hardware after work and then it was off to the Thursday night run. I was planning a nice easy run, but that just didn't happen.....ended up running in the 8's (thanks Jenny)....planned on running a nice easy pace of around 10 min/mile after 800m repeats and hill work earlier this week. I was soaked. We went into
The Other Place and had a bit to eat and I was sitting in a big pool of sweat.....after dinner, we had to go to Home Depot and buy the stucco patch and some door related stuff to finish up. We were walking the aisles and any skin that was in contact with my shorts, started itching.....big time. After finally getting home, I found I had a case of horrible brutal diaper rash.....the stuff is worse than poison ivy.....seems to be going away a lot quicker though!

Our Jeepin' Buddy

2008-07-15T21:03:00.003-05:00

The Molly has a new favorite thing to do.....a Jeep ride. She sits in the back seat and just loves the wind blowing in her face and watching all the cars around her. She has taken 3 rides in the last 3 days.....

4th of July Weekend

2008-07-03T09:50:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow, we will get up bright and early and head to Lenexa for the Freedom Run. Kim and I will do the 5K. Then, it is off to get cleaned up and head east to my parent's house for the 4th of July. We will get a chance to get a closer look at the land we bought.....really walk over it, check it out, and get some pictures.
The rest of the weekend looks like it will be spent at home with getting stuff done around the house. After TNT training Saturday morning, the weekend is wide open.....hopefully I can get some more work done on the stairs/hallway...the stairway portion is almost done, so i would like to try and get that knocked out. We will see how it goes....I have a feeling I may have to spend some time out in the garage making room for Kim's new toy.

My new pet

2008-06-27T13:35:00.006-05:00

No, we did not get another Boxer. I ripped out some bushes and cleaned out an area of landscaping that opened up a downspout......so I decided Manfred needed a friend......so I ordered this guy today and he should be here in a week!
I collect gargoyles. Manfred is on the other side of the house...

Those are our outdoor gargoyles....inside we have.....
Gaston.....

and the hopping gargoyle...
Gargoyles are clearly much cooler than yard gnomes......

Mayor's Marathon

2008-06-22T00:55:00.007-05:00

We had 10 people from KC and 18 from Springfield do the race in Anchorage. Everyone finished and we had some pretty good times for that course. We also had a marriage proposal......
Congratulations to Michelle and Greg. Greg had these signs out near the end of the 1/2 marathon course and Michelle held up the "yes" sign as Greg finished the marathon...We also were treated to a lunch at Cindy's house. Her parents live in Anchorage and we had a pre-victory party there.

The weather was perfect...there was a light drizzle but the temp was perfect. I had loaded up my I-pod with a lot of Moody Blues tunes and just ran nice and easy. I came in at 5:16:50 and felt pretty good. The tank trail was in great shape....no large round rocks covering it like 2 years ago. The medal was much nicer also....

Athens 2009

2008-06-18T17:58:00.003-05:00

We are starting to sign up an alumni team for Athens, Greece. I signed up and I am already excited about running the original marathon.......All I have to do is sell 125 bottles of wine!!!

Next up.....Anchorage

2008-06-16T10:35:00.002-05:00

I leave for Alaska on Thursday morning. TNT has a team going there and I am going as a pseudo-coach. Our chapter includes Springfield and they have a large group going, so the Springfield coach will be the official coach and I fundraised so I can go and hang out with my runners and actually run it with them. I am a little concerned about this race....my lungs just haven't been the same since Wyoming and the altitude sickness. I have been congested and just have not been able to run very far. If it does not get better by the time I get back, a trip to the doctor will be scheduled....I guess if I have to walk, I will walk.

Tag

2008-06-12T15:15:00.004-05:00

1- How would you describe your running 10 years ago?

I was just getting started....my first marathon was 5/99 and my first 1/2 was 11/98

2-What is your best and worst run/race experience?
Worst....my Ironman....all 17+ miserable hours.....nothing quite as humiliating as walking your bike up Ozark hills because your legs are so cramped that you can't go fast enough to keep the bike upright. Best....I would go with my PR marathon....RNR-Az...not the nicest course, but it was for me that year.

3- Why do you run?
I started to run to get back in shape and found I enjoyed it.....then I made a lot of friends running and it just became my favorite thing to do.

4- What is the best or worst piece of advice you've been given about running?
Altitude won't bother you that much (I told myself this before Fort Collins and then again a few weeks later at Wyoming).

5- Tell us something surprising about yourself that not many people would know.
I am bald by choice, I never played the accordion as a child, and ABBA is not one of my favorite groups.

Here are the rules guidelines:If you have been tagged, you will find your name at the end of this post. You should then, copy the rules (or your version of them), and the set of questions onto your blog post, provide your own answers, and then tag 5 new people.Just to be sure that everyone tagged knows they have been invited to play, go to their blogs and leave them a special comment letting them know, and refer them to your blog for details.One more thing, once they've answered the questions on their own blog, they should come back to yours to tell you.

Addendum.....if you are tagged by more than one person within 24 hours with the same questions, you are thereby not required to forward these questions on to 5 other people.

Sauvignon Blanc

2008-06-09T06:35:00.004-05:00

We spent Sunday evening bottling and labeling my latest batch of fundraising wine. We ended up with 29 bottles......it is a dry white wine and I tasted the raw product and it was good. It should improve in the bottles over the next couple of months....

Our Biggest Team Ever.....and more San Diego Pix....

2008-06-04T20:39:00.009-05:00

The fall season for TNT had its kick off meeting tonight....and it is off to a great start. 95 runners and counting, the biggest Mid-america team yet. When the tri and cycle people are thrown in, we are over 100 for the fall events. Official numbers later.....

San Diego shots....

The Mission....

The race.....

San Diego

2008-06-02T21:50:00.009-05:00

I am approaching 1 year as as a coach for TNT. One thing I have found during this time is that I get caught up in the details of the day-to-day training minutiae that I stray from the reasons I am really here. Then, there is always someone you meet that brings you right back into focus. On this team we were fortunate enough to have Molly and her family. She lost her sister, Yona, last November. It was an honor to have all of you there and to be part of your weekend......the bibs say it all.......

\

I wanted this to be my first post....pictures of the race will follow later this week.

....Off to San Diego......

2008-05-29T14:19:00.002-05:00

We are staying at the same resort as last year....right on the trolley route!

One Tough Race

2008-05-25T21:21:00.007-05:00

The Molly accompanied us in the van....

The Wyoming trip was quite eventful. On the way to Cheyenne, we encountered one of the tornadoes in western Kansas. We were listening to the radio for information, but they were just speaking about county locations of the tornadoes and we weren't sure if we were heading into it or if we would get hit by it if we stopped. We finally determined that the first one had just hit the town of Ellis which was just ahead of us and that another one was headed our way. We decided that if we kept moving, we should be able to get through I-70 in between them. The first one apparently had not moved as far north as we thought, because just to the north of the interstate was this pitch black area that was rotating....it is the closest I ever want to be to a tornado ever again. It was heading away from us so we kept moving and as we moved toward Ellis, we saw all the overturned vehicles (mostly semi's) along the highway for about 5 miles. So just getting to Wyoming was an adventure in itself.
The marathon....the most scenic marathon I have done. Also, the hardest marathon I have ever done. It was held between Cheyenne and Laramie in the Medicine Bow National Forest.

The start temp was 33 degrees and there was a hard north wind. We headed out and it was downhill for the first few miles and then we hit the uphills and the wind. It wasn't long until I determined that this was a survival race. I was breathing hard even when walking. The altitude, along with the hills and wind took it out of me pretty quickly. I probably walked 2/3's of the marathon. The last several miles are a steep uphill. I was struggling just to walk it in. I never seemed to be able to breathe. I calculated that I had 1.8 miles left in the race and I was seriously doubting I could do it. I was dizzy and felt queezy. I just shuffled in and finally, I was at the top and at the finish....
We jumped in the car and headed back down to Cheyenne and I started feeling better after a few hours.....

"Where the race director promises you nothing, and he delivers."

2008-05-19T09:21:00.003-05:00

That is the motto of the Wyoming Marathon this weekend. This is the kind of marathon I like. There are very few people, it is hilly and difficult, and not a lot of frills. No porta-potties, no cups (we fill our bottles up from coolers), no bands, and lots of open space.
It will be a nice long weekend trip. We are renting a van, throwing NED (aka Molly) in with us and heading west. We will drive up through Denver and the mountains and into Cheyenne. I had a rough time with the altitude at Fort Collins, so we are just going to add on another 3000 feet or so and see how that goes......

This one is an out and back and will be much tougher, but I do not have any other goal, other than finishing. It will be nice to be back in the mountains so quickly....

Shawnee Mission Park

2008-05-13T20:22:00.002-05:00

I hit the MTB trails out at SMP tonight for my first trail run since Red Bridge Ramble. I was definitely rusty. I hit the trail and about 150 feet into it, I looked at my Garmin and......my head is suddenly and exactly 73 inches ahead of my shoes. I crashed and burned, rolled and I was back on my feet in one motion and thinking....way to make an ass out of yourself right off the bat. Then I heard the people behind me start rating my crash. The first comment went something like "Wow, that was cool. I wish my falls looked like that." Followed by a "that was one of the more graceful falls I have seen." I guess after all the martial arts and football over the years, I should know how to fall. It was my first trail crash. I have witnessed a few during my brief trail running experience, and all of them have been pretty big mud-compressing thuds with some loss of skin.....I was able to keep my feet under me for the next 4.48 miles of the 4.5 mile run.
I ended up averaging a 9:50 on the trails which I was very happy with since my last trail run was in March and I am still a little leg-dead from the Colorado Marathon. I need to hit the trails far more often now to get ready for Psycho Wyco and I need hilly ones. SMP works well for these on shorter runs but at some point I need to get some WyCo Lake runs in and get a taste of those real hills.
I did notice that I run better on the trails at night with my light than I do during the day....not sure why...maybe it is a focus thing. At night I probably concentrate on the trail more and there is less to look around at.....but I had fun and actually had forgotten how much fun it is.

A New Trail

2008-05-13T08:01:00.003-05:00

There is a new trail being built down the street from our house. They have started excavating the path, but have not paved it yet. I really hope it is asphalt. We took our boxer, Molly, and our neighbor's boxer, Harley, down the dirt path and followed it from our neighborhood to see where it went. We followed it for about a mile as it wrapped behind some new commercial development and along the backside of Ernie Miller Park. We stopped at a muddy section and turned back, but it looks like it will easily be long enough to get a 3 mile run in and probably much more. We covered about 2.25 miles on the walk....Molly slept like a rock last night and I am guessing Harley did too.

Random Pix

2008-05-10T13:59:00.005-05:00

Sampling from one of our tanks

The speedway from JoCo....zoomed at max from the top of the tank

Future grapes in the backyard

Future raspberries in the backyard

Tough Race

2008-05-05T14:22:00.008-05:00

I am sore today. I have not felt as bad after a race as I did after this one in a long time. I think a combination of the altitude and having a cold took its toll. I ran well for the first 14 miles or so but I knew it wasn't my day well before then, but I went out hoping I could run through it. The stomach cramps started around the halfway point and once that started, my goal changed to just finishing below 5 hours, which I did....4:55:57. The course was beautiful. It followed the Poudre River down the canyon and into Fort Collins. It was downhill and a bit steeper than I expected and I just knew the quads would be screaming later in the race.

....about mile 3
I hit the 1/2 at about 2:04, but I felt like I had already run much further than that. I spent the last 10 or 11 miles in run/walk mode.
Fort Collins is a college town (Colorado State), a lot like Lawrence. They even have a street that looks much like Mass Street. It is also the home of O'Dell and New Belgium breweries. Kim, Steve, Steff and I went there for a self-tour and some of us did a little sampling also.

Overall, it was good marathon, but I don't think it is one I would come back to do. I think the altitude had more of an effect on me than I expected and this one started pretty high in the canyon. Next up....Wyoming which is less than an hour away from this one, and supposedly much tougher.....