The Sunrise Century (or should I say 3/4 Century)

This is the second year we have participated in the Boulder Sunrise Century. We have opted for the 75 mile ride each time. I was extremely nervous about this ride because I had only been on my bike twice before this long ride. But whatever...that's my motto. I'm not out to be the best, I'm just out there to do it.

It started out like a regular day...joking, laughing, having fun with our fellow bikers. We joked about our friends number which was 911. Ha! Ha! So funny. I heard a lot of stories that morning about bike accidents. Also, on my mind was a bike race I had just seen on tv a few days before. I saw a guy crash and then jump back on his bike and to keep going, bloody and all. It thought, "I wonder if I could do that...just jump back on my bike after a fall and keep going"...but whatever....

The weather was beautiful, the ride was hard, but manageable. I remember it being a lot tougher last year.

We stopped at the aid stations, ate, relaxed and took photos with the wizard.

Really, it was so nice. I felt good on my bike. We finally get to the top of the mountain...the rest is all down hill. My computer worked on my bike this year, so I could see my speed. I even brought my Garmin to see how fast my miles were.

We start flying down left hand canyon. I am more confident on my bike this year. I am also curious about how fast I could get going down the hill. I get up to 30mph, then 31mph. My miles are about 2 and half minutes. I think, I wonder if I can get a 2 minute mile. So, I go faster. I am cruising down the mountain. My Garmin beeps. I sit up and look down...two minute miles...that is awesome. Then I notice my wheel is wobbling. I think, well that doesn't look right. The next thing I know, I am flying through the air, hitting the ground and skidding down the road. I immediately get up and move everything, I am not broken. Whew! I scoot over to the side of the road and look down at my bike. I think to myself, could I get back on that bike and keep going, bloody and all? Nope. I say out loud, "I think I am done."

My friends catch up with me. One of them said, "I just said a prayer that no one would get hurt". I tell her that I am pretty sure it worked because I am not broken. ( I had just said one too...still pretty sure it could have been a lot worse). My friends bandage me up. Then this nice man and his wife take my bike and I down to the medics and to Gary at the bottom of the hill. Gary had heard I was coming. At first, he didn't think it was me that fell because the people described me as being in my late 20's. Ha! That was the best part about the fall!!

Here I am waiting for the truck to take me to my friend, so she could take me to the hospital. Some might say I am smiling in this picture, but it's actually the teeth grit of pain....look.

I got three stitches in my elbow... sorry about the picture. But, what is the point of falling off your bike if you can't milk it?

I had a hole in my right knee, a scraped up left knee and road rash on my left thigh with lots of bruises.

I came out happy that the cleaning was over with and I could move. Really, I couldn't get over that nothing was broken.

But, I was sad that I had to throw away one of my favorite jackets. Again, a big thanks to all my awesome friends who helped out with meals and just being so awesome. I even had a lot of primary kids and their mom's bring stuff over. You all were so awesome!!! Thank you!! Thank you!!!

I am excited for next year, so I can finish the race!!

Disneyland!!!!

Soooooooo, back in November a couple of friends and I were thinking about having a girl's weekend.  As we thought of different places we could go, things started getting out of hand and we threw out the idea of Disneyland....well, that idea stuck and you know what?  It was AWESOME!!

We hopped on a plane...

Made a B (a bee?) line to Space Mountain....

Wore matching T-shirts....yes, I said matching T-shirts.... (and met up with Jodi).

Took pictures of the ones (that were a little sad) we left behind on the rides with us....

Broke down in Indiana Jones....

And, sadly, we came home....

Going to Disneyland without kids would have to be one of the best things ever.  Every time we heard a kid cry, we laughed and felt sad and missed our kids, then we laughed again!!!

New House Rules per Isabel

Isabel posted these rules the other day and I must admit, I am a fan!  

Fun in Aspen, Colorado

Here are some non-running highlights of Aspen.  We sure do love the mountains.  Aspen is becoming one of our favorite vacation spots...

  We ate at Boogies...as is tradition.

Played on the Aspen playground.

We love the heated pool at the condos.  My personal favorite is the hot tub.

This is Isabel.  This is what happens when Isabel is 13 and you tell her that you are going to take her picture.

Saying goodbye...so sad it is over....

Golden Leaf Half Marathon 2011

This is the third time we have run the Golden Leaf Half Marathon in Aspen, Colorado.  Usually we have a bunch of people with us on Gary's side of the family and even a couple from my side of the family, but this year it was just us.  Even though, no one else could go, we just could not resist going up to Aspen and running this race again.

 This is Gary and I in the hotel right before our waves started.

 This is the hill we run up.  It's a killer.  Mostly you just walk up it.

 This was the last part of the first mile and a half.  It is really steep and the air is thin.

I tried to take some pictures.  Didn't do so well.  This is the last aid station at mile 9.  They only have three aid stations on the entire course.  It's brutal.

 After the race, they have a raffle.  We have won something in the raffle every year...except for this year.  That was sad.

 The next day we took the kids so see some of the race course.  This is the government trail.  This is the last part of the mountains.  This definitely is one of the most scenic races that we ever do.  It is beautiful.

After this trail, you run on the road for a little bit then you come...

...to this bridge.  You run across this bridge to this horrible field that goes on forever.  By the time you get here it is so hot.  As I was crossing the bridge this race, I was thinking that the kids needed to see this.  There is a stream below and the bridge is in the tops of the trees.  It is absolutely beautiful!!!

And to top it all off...I beat my time by 12 minutes.  I thought I beat it by like 40 minutes and I was so excited.  Turns out I did a lot better the last year I ran it than I thought, darn it!!

Isabel's Cross Country Meet

Isabel has joined the Cross Country team for her school.  Since it is a small school, there are only two girls on the team.  She is doing well and having fun.  I have noticed that she does seem less stressed out after a good practice run at school.  

Red Rock Relay

 I was lucky enough to get an invite from Kori (one of my favorite people ever) to come and run the Red Rock Relay early Sept.  She called me and I only had to think about it for two seconds and say, "Yes, I'll do it!!"

 This is Kori and I at the beginning of the Race.  She had to go up this ski lift and run down.

 There she goes!!  Look how happy she is...

 Kori is passing off to Katie.  Katie is cool.  I didn't know one person on our team except for Kori and they were all very cool and fun to hang out with.

 This is my first leg.  I had to run 8.5 miles.  The guy that won the St. George marathon started this leg about 5 minutes before me and I am sure he was done by the time I got started.

 I was running, minding my own business, having a great time when all of a sudden it's starts to hail.  I don't have very good pictures of the hail, but I promise you, it was hailing.  I was laughing because..."ouch!"  it really hurt.  The only time that I wasn't thinking about the pain inflicted by the hail was when I was praying that the thunder I had just heard wouldn't be followed by more lightening that would hit me while I was running.  Because really...that would not have been cool.

 My leg was full of hail welts.  After we finished this part of the race we stopped for dinner and started running again around 8pm or so.  I ran 3.7 miles.  With about half a mile left my head lamp went out, but I was not afraid.  I just kept on running.

Kori finished up that leg at about 12:30ish.  We slept on the ground in New Castle from about 1am to 4am.  I actually did sleep and did not want to get up.  We rushed at 4am to catch up with the other van. When we got to Veyo there was this crazy (I am assuming drunk) lady that was very mad about all the runners in her way.  She kept yelling that she was late for work and that she was going to kill somebody and that "will show you".  Then she parked her car right on the running trail.  Poor Kori was the first runner to pass the crazy lady.  The volunteers told her "good luck" and she said, "hello!! how about body guard or an escort?  You are throwing the lamb to the slaughter!"  They said, "uh, yeah, okay." Then made sure she got past the car okay.  Seriously!!

 During this part of the race, we had some time between runners and ran to Kori's friend's house.  There we took a team picture.  One of our team members was running and I was the last leg.  I had two miles to run after this.  They asked if I wanted my third stripe for this picture and I said, "no way, that is bad luck!'

After I ran my two miles.  I got my third stripe.  It was so cool!!  Big shout out to KORI for inviting me!  Thanks so much!  That was really so much fun and I am excited to try it again!!!  

This is Gracie, Kori's youngest.  She is my BFF.  I kept finding cute notes in my purse and bags from her with pictures of us on it.  Thanks, Gracie.  I love them all!!!

When I got home John had a melt down because I wouldn't pour his cereal. That's when I decided that I would really like to go back and live at Kori's house.  I am sure they wouldn't mind.  Gracie and I could share a room, right Gracie?

Colorado Pro Cycling Challenge

Gary and I decided to take the kids up to Breckenridge, Colorado to see Stage 5 of the Colorado Pro Cycling Challenge on August 27, 2011.  It was pretty cool, I must admit.  We had been following the Tour de France this summer and we knew all the big names...like that guy in the front of the pack there...that is Andy Schleck (he took second place in the Tour de France this year).

Gary took this picture.   I was very impressed because I kept trying to take a picture and all I got was the back end of the last biker.  Sad.  You couldn't even see his face.  Anyway, watching these guys ride past you was so exciting.  The kids even liked it.

The guy in the red is Cadel Evans.  He won the Tour de France this year.  Yeah, and he was like two feet away from us for like half a second.  That was so cool!!!  Frank Schleck is right behind him in the black and white jersey.

This is a picture of Levi Leipheimer.  He won the the Colorado Pro Racing Challenge.  He is Lucy's favorite cyclist.  Go Team Radio Shack!!

Eli Viviani won Stage 5 in Breckenridge.  Andy had it in the bag, but couldn't sprint fast enough to come in first.  Eli overtook him.  We saw Eli at the drug testing van.  He was just walking around.  Gary got a picture of Levi getting into his van.  So, yeah, we are pretty tight with this guys.

Most of the day though we hung out at Breckenridge and visited the boths.  Lucy spun a wheel and won a bike bell.  We also saw Smokey Bear.  It really was a very awesome day!!  We are going back next year...who wants to come?