What the heck have I been doing lately? I actually had to look back at my previous post to remind myself. I forgot to take my allergy meds one day, the day prior to my last post. It takes forever to get them working, so I stay in a cloudy, stuffed up daze until they work. The clouds cleared up today. Finally.
Thanksgiving was celebrated with a few of Matt's coworkers. They are about the only people we know in town, so it was nice to get an invitation. Before dinner, Matt and I ran the Turkey Trot 5K through Old Town. It was three loops, a lot of repeat distance for such a short race. This made for a really crowded and frantic 5K. Between being cut off by some kids half my size, and dodging walkers as I lapped them, it was chaos. Somehow I do well with chaos, because I squeezed out a 23:55. A new PR by 40 seconds and a placement of 25/300 women. It made me wonder how fast I could be if I actually did speed work and trained for a 5K. Matt got a 20:40 and was 45/300 men. Not a bad way to start the day. The sun was out all day and I spent a good part of the afternoon mad at Matt for pushing us to run a 5K rather than a long run. That feeling was compounded when it proceeded to rain HARD all day Friday and Saturday. BOO!
I got my 10 miler in today. Long runs make me crazy. I dream up overly ambitious training schedules and goals for myself. I've already scaled back the plan I made on my last crazy long run. I've also gotten used to running with an iPod. With all the street running, it helps me distract myself from how much running next to a busy road sucks.
What I realized in the last few weeks is that I have totally no motivation to go long without a training plan. Last week I put one together (crazy hard that made my legs sore just looking at) and began to follow it. I'm also building goals for 2010. First big race : Green Bay Marathon. Want to join me?
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Headwaters Forest Preserve
I think I found my Equinox course replacement : 11 miles total (just ran 7 of it today), trail, and has a huuuge hill in the middle that we didn't even go to the top. It goes through the redwoods, too. No traffic noises at all and smells like moss. And can be combined with the six miles to and from our new house to make a long, quiet run through the forest.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Samoa Island Dunes
In Eureka, Winter = rain. And lots of it. But I awoke on Sunday morning with the sun shining in my face through the blinds. I jumped out of bed, with urgency. The sun wouldn't last long. I shook Matt awake and we hurriedly prepared for a hike. But where to go? We decided we couldn't waste time getting somewhere, because it would resume raining by the time we got there. We went to Samoa, just on the other side of town.
We decided to hike on the sand dunes. Michigan has dunes along the Great Lakes and Matt and I have hiked on soft sand. It was very slow going. I also hate having stuff on my feet, so the sand filling my shoes drove me insane. If it were just a little bit warmer, I would have gone barefoot.
Fall colors accented the brown sand. I feel blessed to experience fall three times this year. It is my favorite season, now that I know that what comes after doesn't include deep seasonal depression like it did in Alaska.
We came across few people, which was odd, given the proximity to town. Maybe they were all afraid of the rain starting up again. Matt and I had a great time. We're both absolutely mesmerized by the size of the waves. We shouldn't be surprised, being that it IS the Pacific Ocean out there, but even on calm days, 10 foot waves are common. With our growing collection of cameras, Matt's interest in photography has blossomed. He takes some pretty photos, too.
We walked back on the firm sand, right along the water. Larger waves pushed water up to our feet. We ran away from it, trying to stay dry. I brought four pair of shoes along on our move, so these can't get wet, especially since one other pair was already at home, drying out. The size of the driftwood was impressive : we also found two rubber covered beams from a dock somewhere. How far did this travel? The amount of trash that washed up on shore was surprising too. And this is just the stuff that floats. What does the bottom of the ocean look like??, eeeewwwww.
This was my last shot before we returned to the car. The sun promptly disappeared and the rain began again. Thanks, Mother Nature, for the few hours break from the rain.
We decided to hike on the sand dunes. Michigan has dunes along the Great Lakes and Matt and I have hiked on soft sand. It was very slow going. I also hate having stuff on my feet, so the sand filling my shoes drove me insane. If it were just a little bit warmer, I would have gone barefoot.
Fall colors accented the brown sand. I feel blessed to experience fall three times this year. It is my favorite season, now that I know that what comes after doesn't include deep seasonal depression like it did in Alaska.
We came across few people, which was odd, given the proximity to town. Maybe they were all afraid of the rain starting up again. Matt and I had a great time. We're both absolutely mesmerized by the size of the waves. We shouldn't be surprised, being that it IS the Pacific Ocean out there, but even on calm days, 10 foot waves are common. With our growing collection of cameras, Matt's interest in photography has blossomed. He takes some pretty photos, too.
We walked back on the firm sand, right along the water. Larger waves pushed water up to our feet. We ran away from it, trying to stay dry. I brought four pair of shoes along on our move, so these can't get wet, especially since one other pair was already at home, drying out. The size of the driftwood was impressive : we also found two rubber covered beams from a dock somewhere. How far did this travel? The amount of trash that washed up on shore was surprising too. And this is just the stuff that floats. What does the bottom of the ocean look like??, eeeewwwww.
This was my last shot before we returned to the car. The sun promptly disappeared and the rain began again. Thanks, Mother Nature, for the few hours break from the rain.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
The coffee made me do it
With all the running challenges in Fairbanks : the extreme cold, the black ice, the wildfire smoke, the short days, there was one really good thing about it all : no rainy runs. Rain in Fairbanks is extremely rare, so when it rains once a month each summer, it's easy to avoid it by taking a rest day, or waiting until it lets up, because it doesn't rain all day long. My last rainy run was when I lived in Oklahoma, in 2007. Needless to say, I've become a pussy to doing anything in the rain.
Here, just two miles from the Pacific Ocean, it rains a LOT. And we're talking heavy, non-stop rain, for days on end. I had found my new running challenge. No longer the ice and cold, but the rain. How much can I take.
I only drink coffee for races and I never get up at 6am to see Matt off to work, but today I did both. By 8am, I was wired and twitching as caffeine careened out of control through my veins. I looked outside. Rain, again.
This time I did it. Downpour or not, I needed to do something other that sit at the computer twitching. The house was clean already. I had to run. I wore my usual outfit and added a raincoat, cinched the hood so that only my face peeked out of the blue vinyl. Running into the wind in a downpour feels like someone throwing buckets of rain at you. My contacts came close to sliding out. Eyelashes worked like windshield wipers to clear the stream of water running into my eyes. Water dripped off the tip of my nose, inhaling it every other breath. Was I running underwater? Soon I was soaked completely through. The years of backpacking through Alder bushes had rendered my raincoat useless. I might as well have been wearing a cotton t-shirt. Miraculously, my feet stayed dry (thanks trail running shoes!).
I returned home with an evil little smile on my face. Running in a downpour returns the same looks from passing motorists as running at 40 Below. And I did it. Just three miles. Can I do more? Stay tuned.
Here, just two miles from the Pacific Ocean, it rains a LOT. And we're talking heavy, non-stop rain, for days on end. I had found my new running challenge. No longer the ice and cold, but the rain. How much can I take.
I only drink coffee for races and I never get up at 6am to see Matt off to work, but today I did both. By 8am, I was wired and twitching as caffeine careened out of control through my veins. I looked outside. Rain, again.
This time I did it. Downpour or not, I needed to do something other that sit at the computer twitching. The house was clean already. I had to run. I wore my usual outfit and added a raincoat, cinched the hood so that only my face peeked out of the blue vinyl. Running into the wind in a downpour feels like someone throwing buckets of rain at you. My contacts came close to sliding out. Eyelashes worked like windshield wipers to clear the stream of water running into my eyes. Water dripped off the tip of my nose, inhaling it every other breath. Was I running underwater? Soon I was soaked completely through. The years of backpacking through Alder bushes had rendered my raincoat useless. I might as well have been wearing a cotton t-shirt. Miraculously, my feet stayed dry (thanks trail running shoes!).
I returned home with an evil little smile on my face. Running in a downpour returns the same looks from passing motorists as running at 40 Below. And I did it. Just three miles. Can I do more? Stay tuned.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Avenue of the Giants
Avenue of the Giants runs through the Humboldt Redwood State Park. It is made up of smaller, once privately owned groves of trees, and then donated to the state park system to make up this magnificent park. Only 5% of the Coastal Redwood trees still remain today, nearly all of them protected within this park and two others. The Avenue of the Giants is site for an annual spring and fall marathon, in which Matt and I will participate while we live nearby.
We did a few hikes along the Avenue, marveling at the giant trees that made us look like insects by comparison. I'll let the photos do the talking :
little people, big trees.
The loyal Focus. Where would we go without you?
Hugging trees.
Tiny power pole running through the redwoods.The most interesting thing about the two short hikes we did, was that even though we were really near to the highway, the trees had a soundproofing effect on the forest floor. I had to strain to hear the highway. What I heard instead was a little alarming : a creaking noise when the trees swayed gently in the breeze. The sound of creaking stairs. If even a limb fell off of one and landed on me, I'd surely be pounded into the ground like a nail. I have yet to see more than birds and slugs on my hikes. I did, however, find lots of tunnels beneath old stumps--bears. Had to be. If I were to venture further from the road next time, I'd need to pack the bear spray.
Patrick's Point State Park
For my first California hiking excursion, Matt and I decided to head north to Patrick's Point State Park and the Rim Trail. We were happy to see the easy to follow, flat hiking path. After all, it was just four days after our marathon : easy hiking was key. It was beautiful. The weather was great : sunny and very unusual for the area. I still can't believe that on the other shore is China and Asia. Blows my mind.
After living in Fairbanks with small trees, these look absolutely enormous. Even the shrubs are huge. I asked Matt on our drive up, "do you think all the hiking we do after Alaska will be a let-down?". After this hike, it was clear that it would not be. Totally different hiking. Not walking around, finding your own path. Not packing tons of stuff, just in case we had to spend the night.
All in all, urban hiking. But the thing is, it still held all the basic attractions of Alaskan hiking : broad, humbling views; the hum of nature; getting out on foot to examine the world at a slower pace; trees; birds; and the uncertain excitement of not knowing what lurks just out of view.
It's safe to say that we're going to like California hiking just fine.
After living in Fairbanks with small trees, these look absolutely enormous. Even the shrubs are huge. I asked Matt on our drive up, "do you think all the hiking we do after Alaska will be a let-down?". After this hike, it was clear that it would not be. Totally different hiking. Not walking around, finding your own path. Not packing tons of stuff, just in case we had to spend the night.
All in all, urban hiking. But the thing is, it still held all the basic attractions of Alaskan hiking : broad, humbling views; the hum of nature; getting out on foot to examine the world at a slower pace; trees; birds; and the uncertain excitement of not knowing what lurks just out of view.
It's safe to say that we're going to like California hiking just fine.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Buy Local
A few years ago, the new fad was organic foods. Buy Organic! It eliminates all pesticides, blah blah. Restaurants added this label to their menus. I'm not particularly sold on the whole organic thing. Dairy products, for example, aren't necessary to be organic. Milk from cows treated with most antibiotics and hormones is thrown away. Not a huge threat. Most veggies can be washed off. I'm much more worried about preservatives in processed foods than pesticides that are on crops fed to animals. (totally unrelated : veganism freaks me out. eating a fake cheese made from oils to make it taste like cheese worries me--I think the cheese is probably healthier. what's the point of making fake cheese anyways?)
The new fad is Buy Local, food that are grown in the immediate area. I have been totally fascinated by this since I was a kid. Growing up in the North, local foods weren't available most of the year. And when they were, lower yields drove the price up higher than the mega-farms in the Great Plains. Local foods were rare. Living in agri-rich California, is heaven. I can drive by the farms that grow my beef, veggies, and produce our milk, cheese, etc. And everything is fresher because it hasn't been shipped across the country before arriving in my kitchen. It's AWESOME! :) I think that this is my favorite part about living here.
The new fad is Buy Local, food that are grown in the immediate area. I have been totally fascinated by this since I was a kid. Growing up in the North, local foods weren't available most of the year. And when they were, lower yields drove the price up higher than the mega-farms in the Great Plains. Local foods were rare. Living in agri-rich California, is heaven. I can drive by the farms that grow my beef, veggies, and produce our milk, cheese, etc. And everything is fresher because it hasn't been shipped across the country before arriving in my kitchen. It's AWESOME! :) I think that this is my favorite part about living here.
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
Rails to Trails Marathon
It was a beautiful day. Very similar to the Equinox Marathon morning, only two months later. Sunny. Light wind. High near 60F. Perfect for a fall marathon.
Let me give you a little background on this first. I chose this race because I spent a few summers here as a kid. Family reunions (with my dad's 12 siblings) were one long party. We rode bikes. and biked. and rode some more. My parents weren't (and still aren't) particularly active, and I think that deep down inside I really wanted to be, but was never encouraged. So I was in heaven, once a year, exploring and biking with my family. Matt and I returned here for our honeymoon. It was 90+F and we ended up riding only 30 miles of the trail, the same path as our marathon course, give or take 1/2 mi or so. Perfect setting to celebrate being free of cancer.
I had my usual Lucky Charms. I wasn't sure if the knock-off Mallows and Stars would be acceptable, but that's all I could find, so it had to be enough. The coffee was toned down a little bit. Ever since my first flight from Eureka, and the three hours of vomiting up coffee into the airsick bags, I'm afraid I've lost interest in it for awhile. Regardless, I had some Gatorade and a SnickersMarathon on the way to the race.
The course was on an old railroad bed, so there were no steep hills, but just several mile-long ones. The first 4 miles were a breeze, not going up or down for too long. I intended to calculate my splits, but somehow I missed one and hit the stop button on Garmy so I had to manually add 8:40 to my overall time. I was pissed at myself for doing this at mile 2. Why couldn't it have been later? Mile 6 or so was the tunnel.
It's a 3/4 mi long tunnel, lit by small lanterns (for the race only). A volunteer handed me a flashlight at the entrance....yeah, it didn't work at all. I sprinted through the darkness, trying to catch up and draft off someone else's light. Eventually I caught someone, about halfway through, but running blind is the most terrifying thing ever. I can't imagine how people that are blind all the time run races. After exiting the tunnel, I apologized for crowding behind the guy with the light. We chatted for a few miles, picking up the pace to an 8:10/mi. It was on a gradual downhill until mile 14, so I just went with it. Nothing felt too fast. Both of us were hoping to finish in 4:00, so it was nice to run with someone for awhile...even though both of us knew we'd regret running faster later. I pulled away from him by mile 13.
My 1/2mar split was within 10 seconds of my PR 1/2. That didn't clue me in that I was going too fast. Not until the turn-around at mile 15. Then I began the long trek from mile 16-24, barely averaging a 10:00/mi, on a gradual uphill. It was a gain of about 1,000ft over those 8 miles. I heard other runners complain about how hilly the course was, and I couldn't believe what they were saying. Especially after running the Equinox. It was here that I wished that my second GU was caffeinated. I'll never again use the non-caffeine gels.
The second time through the tunnel, I made sure to test my flashlight before going in. As long as I kept shaking it, it stayed lit. The runner ahead of me was howling and yelling, trying to get the tunnel filled with cheering echos. He was fun to follow. The extra boost from his enthusiasm and from my final caffeine GU (who would make caffeine free GU?), along with the slight downhill propelled me forward toward the finish.
My knees locked up a few times after the last few water stops, so I ran-walked most of the way. Running would loosen them up, but they'd get stiff within minutes. I saw my dream of putting a 3 in front of my marathon time disappear. But maybe a 4:05 was possible. Every time I have no mental energy left, I think back to my worst days near the end of my chemo treatments. I picture myself, unable to stand up for the entire 5 minute shower, on all fours in the tub, water streaming down my fatigued face. Somehow I don't feel so bad anymore and am able to draw the motivation from somewhere. Fight. You know you can do it. You don't feel as bad as you did those days. PUSH. and I did it. I crossed the finish line in 4:03.03, a full 31 minutes faster than my previous marathon PR. I was #25 of 100 women.
Just about to cross the finish line, I spot my photographer.
I've never been more proud of the layers of salt on my face than I am in this photo.
Matt finished in 3:23, nearly 30 minutes faster than his marathon PR as well. He placed 25 overall.
My running superhero, the speedy Matt.
Recap :
Lesson #1 for Destination Marathons : Always pack one of everything. You may need it.
I hadn't prepared for a warm race. In fact, I didn't bring shorts or a short sleeve shirt to run in. Luckily, I had a moment of weakness at Goodwill with Emily and bought a pair of running shorts. I wore those and made a long sleeve shirt work.
Lesson #2 for Destination Marathons : Provide a buffer day between race day and traveling home.
My legs were stiff on Monday morning. We drove three hours in the car to the airport, and spent the next 12 hrs in airports or in the air. A grand total of 19 hrs of sitting and more sitting. We walked as much as possible on the ground, which helped, but it would have been better to spend the day out playing disc golf instead.
Lesson #3 for Destination Marathons : Get an aisle seat on the plane. You're gonna need it.
Luckily, Matt and I plan our trips hoping we'll get an empty middle seat if we choose and aisle and a window seat. The person in the middle is always more than happy to trade us for the middle. On our longest leg, we had to decide if we wanted the middle and aisle or window. We took the aisle...and got up once or twice an hour to stretch. I think this is the reason I was able to walk to the car after we got off the plane.
*sigh* Now that my running year is over, it's time to start planning for next year. Anyone want to run the Green Bay Marathon (www.greenbaymarathon.com) with me in May??
Let me give you a little background on this first. I chose this race because I spent a few summers here as a kid. Family reunions (with my dad's 12 siblings) were one long party. We rode bikes. and biked. and rode some more. My parents weren't (and still aren't) particularly active, and I think that deep down inside I really wanted to be, but was never encouraged. So I was in heaven, once a year, exploring and biking with my family. Matt and I returned here for our honeymoon. It was 90+F and we ended up riding only 30 miles of the trail, the same path as our marathon course, give or take 1/2 mi or so. Perfect setting to celebrate being free of cancer.
I had my usual Lucky Charms. I wasn't sure if the knock-off Mallows and Stars would be acceptable, but that's all I could find, so it had to be enough. The coffee was toned down a little bit. Ever since my first flight from Eureka, and the three hours of vomiting up coffee into the airsick bags, I'm afraid I've lost interest in it for awhile. Regardless, I had some Gatorade and a SnickersMarathon on the way to the race.
The course was on an old railroad bed, so there were no steep hills, but just several mile-long ones. The first 4 miles were a breeze, not going up or down for too long. I intended to calculate my splits, but somehow I missed one and hit the stop button on Garmy so I had to manually add 8:40 to my overall time. I was pissed at myself for doing this at mile 2. Why couldn't it have been later? Mile 6 or so was the tunnel.
It's a 3/4 mi long tunnel, lit by small lanterns (for the race only). A volunteer handed me a flashlight at the entrance....yeah, it didn't work at all. I sprinted through the darkness, trying to catch up and draft off someone else's light. Eventually I caught someone, about halfway through, but running blind is the most terrifying thing ever. I can't imagine how people that are blind all the time run races. After exiting the tunnel, I apologized for crowding behind the guy with the light. We chatted for a few miles, picking up the pace to an 8:10/mi. It was on a gradual downhill until mile 14, so I just went with it. Nothing felt too fast. Both of us were hoping to finish in 4:00, so it was nice to run with someone for awhile...even though both of us knew we'd regret running faster later. I pulled away from him by mile 13.
My 1/2mar split was within 10 seconds of my PR 1/2. That didn't clue me in that I was going too fast. Not until the turn-around at mile 15. Then I began the long trek from mile 16-24, barely averaging a 10:00/mi, on a gradual uphill. It was a gain of about 1,000ft over those 8 miles. I heard other runners complain about how hilly the course was, and I couldn't believe what they were saying. Especially after running the Equinox. It was here that I wished that my second GU was caffeinated. I'll never again use the non-caffeine gels.
The second time through the tunnel, I made sure to test my flashlight before going in. As long as I kept shaking it, it stayed lit. The runner ahead of me was howling and yelling, trying to get the tunnel filled with cheering echos. He was fun to follow. The extra boost from his enthusiasm and from my final caffeine GU (who would make caffeine free GU?), along with the slight downhill propelled me forward toward the finish.
My knees locked up a few times after the last few water stops, so I ran-walked most of the way. Running would loosen them up, but they'd get stiff within minutes. I saw my dream of putting a 3 in front of my marathon time disappear. But maybe a 4:05 was possible. Every time I have no mental energy left, I think back to my worst days near the end of my chemo treatments. I picture myself, unable to stand up for the entire 5 minute shower, on all fours in the tub, water streaming down my fatigued face. Somehow I don't feel so bad anymore and am able to draw the motivation from somewhere. Fight. You know you can do it. You don't feel as bad as you did those days. PUSH. and I did it. I crossed the finish line in 4:03.03, a full 31 minutes faster than my previous marathon PR. I was #25 of 100 women.
Just about to cross the finish line, I spot my photographer.
I've never been more proud of the layers of salt on my face than I am in this photo.Matt finished in 3:23, nearly 30 minutes faster than his marathon PR as well. He placed 25 overall.
My running superhero, the speedy Matt.Recap :
Lesson #1 for Destination Marathons : Always pack one of everything. You may need it.
I hadn't prepared for a warm race. In fact, I didn't bring shorts or a short sleeve shirt to run in. Luckily, I had a moment of weakness at Goodwill with Emily and bought a pair of running shorts. I wore those and made a long sleeve shirt work.
Lesson #2 for Destination Marathons : Provide a buffer day between race day and traveling home.
My legs were stiff on Monday morning. We drove three hours in the car to the airport, and spent the next 12 hrs in airports or in the air. A grand total of 19 hrs of sitting and more sitting. We walked as much as possible on the ground, which helped, but it would have been better to spend the day out playing disc golf instead.
Lesson #3 for Destination Marathons : Get an aisle seat on the plane. You're gonna need it.
Luckily, Matt and I plan our trips hoping we'll get an empty middle seat if we choose and aisle and a window seat. The person in the middle is always more than happy to trade us for the middle. On our longest leg, we had to decide if we wanted the middle and aisle or window. We took the aisle...and got up once or twice an hour to stretch. I think this is the reason I was able to walk to the car after we got off the plane.
*sigh* Now that my running year is over, it's time to start planning for next year. Anyone want to run the Green Bay Marathon (www.greenbaymarathon.com) with me in May??
One Exciting Trip
I left the UP on Wednesday, ready to pick Matt up at the airport. Just as I was going to hit the road, he called with news : he wouldn't be arriving until Thursday morning. Instead of nixing my plans, I decided to go to Green Bay for some shopping before heading to Grandma's for the night. My grandma and uncle run a dairy farm, milking 80 cows between the two of them. Needless to say, they spend a lot of time in the barn. That morning, one of the barn cats brought out a new litter of kittens. She refused to feed them. So I got to do it. Each kitten fit in my hand and they made me seriously consider adopting another cat (sorry Zoey) upon my return home.
The next morning, I picked up a very tired Matt. I fed him and filled him with coffee and he was somewhat revived. A night of sleeping on the benches in O'Hare will take the life out of anybody. Our lunch was at a place called the Kitchen Table. I ate here a lot when I was going through chemo and radiation treatments, all various stages of being sick and recovery...for six years. One of the waitresses came up to me and asked how I was doing. I couldn't believe that she remembered me. In the last few years, I've returned only once a year. :) I'm doing great!! The doctors were happy to see that I was doing well. Dr. L. said he hoped that he'd never see me again. I told that to Dr. M and Brenda at my next appointment, and they sounded sort of sad. I clarified that I could see them anywhere outside of the office. They seemed okay with that. They also had a CANCER CURE party for me with chocolate cake. It was great! Then Matt and I returned to Grandma's where we finished off the cake and had a bottle of sparkling juice to celebrate.
Then it was time to get serious for the race. We headed to Sparta to visit my Grandma and Aunt Jeanne. Grandma recently had surgery and is staying with Jeanne until her foot heals enough for her to walk up and down stairs (probably another 3 mo.). It was very convenient to visit her there, just 30 min from where our race was taking place.
The next morning, I picked up a very tired Matt. I fed him and filled him with coffee and he was somewhat revived. A night of sleeping on the benches in O'Hare will take the life out of anybody. Our lunch was at a place called the Kitchen Table. I ate here a lot when I was going through chemo and radiation treatments, all various stages of being sick and recovery...for six years. One of the waitresses came up to me and asked how I was doing. I couldn't believe that she remembered me. In the last few years, I've returned only once a year. :) I'm doing great!! The doctors were happy to see that I was doing well. Dr. L. said he hoped that he'd never see me again. I told that to Dr. M and Brenda at my next appointment, and they sounded sort of sad. I clarified that I could see them anywhere outside of the office. They seemed okay with that. They also had a CANCER CURE party for me with chocolate cake. It was great! Then Matt and I returned to Grandma's where we finished off the cake and had a bottle of sparkling juice to celebrate.
Then it was time to get serious for the race. We headed to Sparta to visit my Grandma and Aunt Jeanne. Grandma recently had surgery and is staying with Jeanne until her foot heals enough for her to walk up and down stairs (probably another 3 mo.). It was very convenient to visit her there, just 30 min from where our race was taking place.
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