Detroit International Marathon

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.....

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.....

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....

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......

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

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

A Vegas 1/2 Marathon?????

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....

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

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

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.....

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.