Memorial Madness

What a great Memorial Day Weekend! We got to visit with so many friends, old and new, and in general, had a fun time. The highlight of the holiday weekend was mountain biking in the Hoosier National Forest on Sunday. (L-R in picture) Keith and I met up with Jenny, Laura, Mykal and Cori and headed south to the Nebo Ridge Trail near Story, Indiana. None of us had ever been there before, but really, how bad could it be?
I have never been so physically or mentally exhausted in my life. I didn’t think it was possible to sweat that much and continue to move. The narrow, steep trail was rugged, muddy and bordered on all sides by poison ivy & poison oak. What did I get myself into?!
The trail was shady and cool for the most part, but the kicker was that it also scattered with horse manure from the 13 horse riders who had come down the path before us. That got me thinking – who knew horse poop came in so many different forms?! The flat, smooshy kind sprayed up onto us as we rode through it, while the hard, round kind just flattened and on we went. These are the thoughts going through my head as I am riding. Crazy, I know, but it helped drown out the screams the other half of my brain was making. Thank God for helmets…
I only fell off once, which is pretty good for me. I was the map keeper (go figure) and well – we got lost. In my defense, the map was crap! We decided to get onto a nearby road and head back to the beginning of the trail, but instead, ended up lost and staring at a highway. We ended up looping WAY out of our way, but it was scenic and fast, so we cooled off quickly. We got directions from a passing truck and rode back into Story, which conveniently had a tavern and a bathroom, so we partook of both. That was one of the coldest, most refreshing beers I have ever had! Okay, so while it was hard, I loved every minute of it and would happily do it again. I had a BLAST! It was awesome to spend the day with friends, be sprayed with mud (cheaper than a spa) and try something new.

{Keith taking a break on the trail}

Tri-ing something new

Keith and I have signed up for the Indianapolis Sprint Triathlon Relay on 7/29/06. Can you believe that?!?! We have joined up with some friends to do a “Husbands vs. Wives” relay. This idea came to us in a bar one night, right after Jamie and Holly had finished an Individual Sprint Triathlon. You know, it was one of those conversations that went “Wouldn’t it be cool if us girls did a sprint relay together?” “Yeah, cool we should.” “Wouldn’t it be funny if the husbands did it too?” You could see the wheels spinning. After some healthy bantering and joking about it, we decided to give it a try. As of today, we are all signed up!
Here is what happens:
Holly swims 500 meters, then Jamie bikes 10 miles, and finally, I run 3 miles.
While at the same time:
Ashton (Holly’s husband) swims, Mike (Jamie’s husband) bikes and Keith runs.
Can you say “C-O-M-P-E-T-I-T-I-O-N”? We are really looking forward to kicking the guys butts and being able to rub it in for many years to come. More updates to follow as the date grows nearer.

Chicago bound, baby!

I can't believe I actually did it.
I feel like I want to vomit. I must be going crazy. My heart is skipping beats. My hands are shaking.
I hit the 'accept' button & I signed up for the 2006 Chicago Marathon this afternoon.
I have been talking to Keith & Dave about possibly running it for a few days. I had made up my mind to sign up in the next couple of weeks. BUT...I really felt the pressure when I went to the Chicago Marathon website today & saw that they had changed the home page to reflect a big yellow "CLOSING SOON" under the registration. I immediately got my credit card out and signed up. I have never whipped that card out so fast!
I am looking forward to running it. Its one of the largest & fastest marathons in the country and I hope to finish the race with another personal best. Training will start soon enough, so I still have little time left to enjoy what rested legs feel like!

Baseball is the reason for the season

Baseball season is in full swing (get it? full swing... baseball...I crack myself up) and Keith's team has their 3rd game this Sunday. He pitches and plays 1st base for the Cubs, who are currently 1-1 for the season. I am really enjoying attending the games and learning a lot about baseball, which I currently have very limited knowledge about. Its a new experience being a "baseball wife" and I can only imagine how Keith feels about being a "runner's husband." Its cool though - he loves it so much and I am so proud of him. He is my hero.

A Mini High

Every year, the run this damn thing & every year I complain about the aches & pains, horrible times, running on the track, etc. But NOT THIS YEAR!!! This year, I ROCKED the MINI!! I am so happy with the entire experience. I am on a prolonged runner’s high.
I took a chocolate GU before the race started & again at every 4 miles or so along the course to keep my energy up. What a life saver those things are! I do not recommend washing them down with Lemon-lime Gatorade though. I was not paying attention when all the volunteers at mile 8 were yelling “Gatorade, Gatorade” because they were holding white (not green) water cups.
Dave & I ran together for the first 10.5 miles. It was so nice to chat & catch up with one another. Talking actually kept us at a pretty consistent pace & made the effort much more tolerable. We started in Corral D, a step up for both of us. We actually started West of West Street for once & it took less than 2 minutes for us to cross the start line. WOW! The track flew by with no aches or pains & because of the cool 50 degree weather, no heat induced death was upon us.
At 10.5 miles or so, I saw my friend Mykal, we chatted & then I took off. I felt like I was running effortlessly, like my stride was long & loose. I lost track of Dave & just decided to give it my all. I wish I knew my splits for those last few miles because I know they would have been some of my best ever. I felt awesome until 12.75 miles, when I thought that last GU was going to come up, but thankfully, I kept it down. Show your number, smile at the cameras, you are finished. Grab your medal, get your food & go meet your family & friends.
It was my best race ever. 1:50:16 was my official time with 8:25 mile splits. My last 5K was the fastest I have ever done – 24:33 – a Personal Best. I am very proud of my effort & the effort of all my friends. Training for a race like this is not as easy as it seems. Sometimes just getting out the door is half the battle, but knowing your friends are suffering as much as you makes it more bearable. Sigh.

Keith raced the 5K for the 1st time this year, kicking some ass with is Personal Best time of 28:02 & 9:03 mile splits. My biggest fear is that he may realize how fast he is & beat me one of these days. He also had his 2nd baseball game of the season on Sunday & they WON!! It was a great game & he played awesome, even though he got hit with the ball & I almost screamed. I am more impressed every time I see him play.

A Spring in my Step

I can’t believe it’s May already.
Where did the last 4 months go? I guess when you spend your days in the gray basement of the Sheriff’s Office and nights on the ‘dreadmill’ at home, they all seem to run together. Brrrrr….. I just got a chill.
So, now May is here and my flowers are starting to come up, our Viburnum have already bloomed (and lost) their tea scented flowers and Eldon is happily playing with all the neighborhood dogs again. We are seeing the pasty faces of our neighbors that have been hiding in their houses all winter, and have even met some new ones. Everything and everyone is out of hibernation!
May also brings wedding bells, birthdays and baseball games. Graduations, garage sales and Mother’s Day. Concerts, Carb day and cookouts. What a great month! But wait - - - -
With Spring, comes the Mini Marathon! It’s a 13.1 mile run that for me is more mental than physical. I do the training, but every year I struggle to free my mind and just enjoy the experience. I am hoping the race this weekend is different. Only 2 more days and the wait will be over. The mini also brings together an awesome support group of running and non-running friends, after-run celebration parties and beer. There is no better way to restore your carbs than with a well deserved, ice cold beer. That alone gets me to the finish line with a smile on my face.