We Were Running With The Night

... playing in the shadows... (Ya'all channeling Lionel Richie now???)

Last night was the 10k (6.2 miles) on the trails in a local state park. I was pretty darn nervous - complete darkness + rocks + tree stumps seemed like a combination that could lead to serious injury. Then I went to pick up my pre-race packet and saw the quote on the back of our way-cool race tshirts:

"I learned the truth a long time ago. Just because you can't see something, doesn't mean it can't kill you." -- Alone in the Dark

Uh huh. THAT was a fabulous pre-race boost of confidence!

But I got to the race and the atmosphere was rockin'. I was planning to run the 10k with my neighbor and as it turned out, we ran with two other women. My neighbor and her friend are strong runners, I'm still a 'beginner', and the other runner was more of a walker. We convinced her to come along for the ride (can you believe the poor thing had never run a race before and we dragged her onto the trails in the dark???).

The four of us were at the rear of the 10k pack and stayed there. The first forty minutes or so were still semi-light, although it's amazing how little sun trickles through the trees. We went up, down, and around, through the state park trails. We clambered up rocks and actually had to climb over a fallen tree at one point. We startled three deer, who then startled us by bounding across the trail in front of us. We clicked on our head lamps and continued on, listening to the noises in the underbrush and the boats on the lake and the occasional 'Whoo!!!' echoing through the trees, presumably from the other runners.

We laughed and told stories and cussed the hills and drooled over the margaritas waiting for us at the end of the course. We ran when we could, walked when we were afraid of breaking an ankle, and pushed ourselves a little more than we'd planned to (we had to earn those margaritas!). We breathed a sign of relief every time we saw one of those little green glow sticks hanging off a tree branch -- it's always nice to know you're on the right path when you're zipping through the woods at night!

We came up the trail to the sound of a welcoming committee, ringing cow bells and hollering and encouraging us to finish strong. I blew my previous 10k time out of the water, finishing 19 minutes faster.

There were hugs and high fives all around. We ate burritos and drank the best margaritas ever. We cheered for the 20k runners finishing their race and screamed for the 30k-ers as they passed through the staging area on the way to the last 6 miles of their race. WE DID IT! Holy crap, we ran 6 miles in the dark, on rough and rocky trails and WE DID IT!

Now let's be honest - my neighbor and her friend could have done it much faster without me. Probably 30-35 minutes faster :) But that was really the best part - the four of us encouraging each other and hollering 'just a little further, ladies!' and then (yelling a little louder) 'ROCK!!!' as someone went tripping their way over something in our path. Knowing that we were out there doing something that very few people would have the nerves to do? The whole experience rocked!

Next up in the trail series? 14 miles -- a heavy half marathon in October. It's a little scary but I've done it all so far. I'm going for it! As long as the margaritas are waiting at the end, I'm in :)

The County Fair

I read an article on msnbc.com today that said if the county fair was any indication, the economy isn't all that bad after all. Or, if the economy is that bad, people aren't willing to forego fair activities even if it means putting off paying a few bills.

From my observances last weekend (and my empty checkbook), I'd say that's a pretty good assessment.

Between my sister, my parents, and I, we dropped a nice chunk of change on ride tickets for the kids. We went to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band concert (old guys with banjos can still jam!), admired the rabbits, chickens, cows, sheep, goats, pigs, and other assorted 4-H animals, wandered through the quilt exhibit, checked out my niece's art project... you know... all that county fair stuff! I saw friends and relatives that I only see once a year. I marveled at the number of food items that can be fried or put on a stick. I enjoyed the heck out of myself at the ol' county fair, and I fully plan on doing it all again next year.

Well, ALMOST all of it.

The one thing I will NOT be doing all over again is the ferris wheel ride my sister talked me into at the very last minute as we were leaving the fairgrounds. I hate heights. I really, really hate heights. Do you hear me, Mary? No More Ferris Wheel Rides!!! But all the rest of it? I'm in!

One Small Step

40 years ago today, Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk in the moon. Americans watching the coverage on television heard, "That's one small step for man... one giant leap for mankind."

But you may have missed that historic moment if you were friends of my parents, because you were attending a wedding. Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad! We love you.

Headin' To The County Fair

It's time for the annual trip back home for our little county fair. Over the next couple of days, I'll be checking out the 4H exhibits, spending too much on carnival ride tickets, and going to an outdoor concert with my sister. We'll have a beer or two, laugh while the kids try to shove an entire bag of cotton candy in their mouths, and enjoy a couple of days of downtime.

See you when I get back.

In Which I Do Laundry

I'm the mother of three bright, spunky, energetic girls. I love being the mom of three girls - I love the drama and the feather boas and the dancing and the endless craft projects. But every so often, I look around and I wonder... who in the HECK bought them so many clothes???? Because I sure know who's washing them!

Take yesterday, for instance. A normal day. A relaxed, stay-at-home day even. The girls got up and slowly managed to divest themselves of their pajamas, dragging on clothes appropriate for a cool-ish summer day. By mid-morning, N had decided it was too hot for what she was wearing and dove back into her dresser to find something else. Outfit #1 for N was then tossed into the laundry basket. Lunchtime rolled around without further incident, until A accidentally spilled food down the front of her shirt. Outfit #1 for A was now in the laundry basket. Shortly after we ate, the girls conceived a plan to head outside and splash in our toddler pool. All three children changed into swimsuits and all three previous outfits went... yep... right into the laundry basket.

At this point, the day seemed sort of like a science experiment so I decided to keep count of the wardrobe changes. In case you've lost track already, we're on Outfit #3 for N and A, and Outfit #2 for Miss P.

After an hour or so in the pool, the girls trooped inside, dropping swimsuits willy nilly and adding wet towels to the laundry pile. All three changed into completely different Outfits (#4 for N and A, #3 for P).

Since it was mid-afternoon, I thought I might be in the clear for a bit. But I was foiled by P's desire to play outside after nap. The pool must have looked inviting because she crawled right in fully dressed. Outfit #4 for P.

Next up? N's softball game. Outfit #5 for N. Thank goodness it was pajama time after she came home, or I might still be up to my eyeballs in laundry. Nevertheless, N went through six different clothing changes yesterday, while A and P racked up an impressive five each.

So what did I learn yesterday? It's very simple. I'm going to need a commercial washer and dryer to get through the teenage years.

Things That Go Bump In The Night

You may recall that I'm running a series of trail races this year. So far, I've survived a 5k and a 10k, trekking over hill and dale, leaping rocks and trees, and avoiding major injury.

My luck may be running out.

The next race is in two weeks and it's another 10k (6.2 miles). It's not so much the distance that's worrying me as the lack of light... the complete lack of light. Yes, that's right. Our race director decided it would be fun to run this particular race at night.

Needless to say, I've been a tad worried. I'm not the world's strongest runner and only pure determination to run all four races in the series got me to sign up for this one. Luckily, I have neighbors who have been running the series and my friend D agreed to be my race buddy. Even luckier, her husband K loves the trails and has been doing quite a bit of running at night in preparation. Last night, the three of us headed out for a test run.

And it was pretty darn fun.

The sun was going down when we started off, and once we got into the trees the light was gone. We switched on our headlamps (I know! How cool are we? Headlamps!) and let K lead the way. He was such a gentleman, batting spider webs out of our way and hollering when he tripped over a tree stump so we wouldn't suffer the same fate.

In certain places, we could hear cars passing by on the freeway. In others, all we heard were the frogs. Every so often, we'd see one of the little fellas (frogs, not cars). It was peaceful and starlit and a gorgeous breeze was whispering through the trees.

We had a good run - three miles or a little more. D and I decided we're ready for our 10k, and I decided our race director wasn't so crazy after all. It's one more thing I never, ever thought I'd be doing. And one more thing I'm so glad I had the nerve to try.

The Michael Jackson Un-Tribute

Heard from my 10 year old:

So what's the big deal about Michael Jackson? It's not like he was Hannah Montana or anything...


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...

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So we obviously have a little work to do with her musical education.

4th of July Recap

Watching the ever-so-exciting black snakes.



Miss P being Miss P.

The 4th of July was pretty fabulous around these parts! We bought a few sparklers and other small explosives to amuse three girls under the age of 10. That kept them busy until around 9:30 or so, when the neighbors starting setting off the equivalent of a military surge. I see no way that they could have spent less than $1,000. While I personally think that's a heck of a lot of money for something that's going up in smoke, I wasn't about to criticize while the lovely display was going on. Or off. Or whatever.

It was a cool evening, so the girls took blankets out to the playset tower and curled up to enjoy the show. The grown-ups enjoyed watching the girls, who ooohed and ahhhed at pretty much everything. Then again, I may have oohed and ahhed myself - as I said earlier, there was some serious cash spent on those fireworks.

I hope you had a terrific 4th of July, too! And while we celebrated our independence, I hope you remembered the people who continue to keep our country free.

5 Reasons I Love Andy Roddick

1. He's a Nebraska boy. Born in Omaha, Andy is a Cornhusker fan from way back... It's too bad his brother will be betraying the Big Red with his new position as tennis coach for Oklahoma! ;-)
2. He Twitters (@andyroddick). 'Nuff said.
3. 135mph+ serves. There's nothing like watching Andy power serve after serve straight at Roger Federer... and watching Federer flinch.
4. Dedication to Davis Cup. Not many top-ranked players would put in the time and effort required to compete in Davis Cup, but Andy (along with the Bryan Brothers and James Blake) has made the committment. I hate to see him out in 2009!
5. His sense of humor in post-match interviews.

And now? There's a reason #6: 4 1/2 hours on the grass courts of Wimbeldon.


You already know I'm a tennis fan. And an Andy Roddick fan. So you can imagine my excitement when Andy Roddick made the finals of Wimbeldon. I was a little less excited to see Roger Federer there, too, but I try to take what I can get when it comes to seeing Andy in the finals.

Sunday morning, I ignored the rest of my family for 4 1/2 hours while I watched Andy play the best tennis of his life. He showed skill and determination thoughout the match, but it was in the record-breaking 5th set that his need to win - his need for a return to the top of the tennis world - shined through.

Thank you, Andy. Thanks for playing your heart out. Thanks for being such a good sport in defeat. And thanks for promising that you'll be fighting to the top again soon. I'll be watching.

From @andyroddick on Twitter: thanks for all the support and well wishes!! it is very much appreciated and we will get out there and do it again soon! thank you!!!

(Andy photo via RoddickWatch)