Saturday, February 25, 2012
When Velvet Joined the Family
It had been several years since we had a dog in the house, but Velvet was part of us the minute we met her. Special, special girl, that one.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Monday, February 13, 2012
2 7 24 39 41 26.2 5:44:49
No, it's not a football play count--it's the numbers from Sunday's "26.2 With Donna, Marathon to End Breast Cancer."
2: The number of friends I traveled with for the event.
7: The number of hours it took us to drive to Jacksonville Florida.
24: The low temperature on race day. TWENTY FOUR. in FLORIDA.
39: The temperature when I finished the marathon. THIRTY NINE. in FLORIDA. at NOON.
41: The temperature when I met up with my friends and we headed to the hotel for warm showers before returning to Atlanta.
26.2 The RUN.
The 26.2 with Donna showcases Jacksonville at its best. Every street, every neighborhood, and every shopping center along the route was fully decorated with pink streamers and balloons and signs. The more impressive thing was the PEOPLE. Despite the cold, the streets were lined with people cheering, clapping, handing out water, orange slices, banana...and the occasional mimosa to runners. They held signs, played music, shook maracas (really), high-fived, and any thing else they could do to encourage us along the way.
The course itself is beautiful. One bridge, 3 miles of beach, and then the quirky beach neighborhoods kept things interesting. Along the way there were pirates and bands, tutus and tiaras, and even a pink firetruck. The sun rose as we crossed the bridge over the marshes, and it warmed our spirits, if not our frozen bodies. A few people had forgotten to turn off their sprinklers and the resulting ice sculptures sparkled in the cold.
I left out one set of numbers. What I wore: 1 pair of running shoes, 1 pair of compression socks, 1 pair of cushioned socks, tights, running skort, sports bra, sports tank, long sleeved tech shirt, fleece vest, two pair of gloves, one pair of hand warmers, bandanna, ear warmer, visor, and sunglasses. At the start I picked up a discarded trash bag and wrapped my arms. Normally I would start shedding layers by mile 5, but this time I only ditched the bag--not because I was warm ,but because the wind kept blowing it into my face. It was mile 19 before I gave one pair of gloves to someone at a water station, and mile 20 before I relinquished the hand warmers to one of the police officers on the route. I felt fairly thawed by the end, but as soon as I stopped moving, the shivers started again. I was grateful for the space blanket one volunteer tied around me at the finish.
5:44:49 My Official Time
A best for me. I was hoping for 5:30, but that will wait for another event. Any personal record is to be celebrated--and I am celebrating! (The winners both finished in under 2 hours, 15 minutes; they didn't get their money's worth!)
Will I do this race again? Absolutely. There were a few glitches (buses running late, pacers out of position) but those are to be expected. This event IS special. Add to that the fact that ALL of the proceeds go to breast cancer research via the Mayo Clinic, and it becomes such an inspiration. There are stories everywhere--survivors, those left behind, those still battling, and those who just want to be part of something bigger than themselves. It is an event that every marathoner should do at least once. (There's a half-marathon as well.)
Until there is a cure.
(Thanks to my shutterbug friend, Wendy Mitchell, for most of the photos)
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| Wendy, Lori, and me on the beach |
 |
| preparation |
2: The number of friends I traveled with for the event.
7: The number of hours it took us to drive to Jacksonville Florida.
24: The low temperature on race day. TWENTY FOUR. in FLORIDA.
39: The temperature when I finished the marathon. THIRTY NINE. in FLORIDA. at NOON.
41: The temperature when I met up with my friends and we headed to the hotel for warm showers before returning to Atlanta.
26.2 The RUN.
 |
| Sunrise |
 |
| pink firetruck, covered with signatures and messages of hope |
The course itself is beautiful. One bridge, 3 miles of beach, and then the quirky beach neighborhoods kept things interesting. Along the way there were pirates and bands, tutus and tiaras, and even a pink firetruck. The sun rose as we crossed the bridge over the marshes, and it warmed our spirits, if not our frozen bodies. A few people had forgotten to turn off their sprinklers and the resulting ice sculptures sparkled in the cold.
I left out one set of numbers. What I wore: 1 pair of running shoes, 1 pair of compression socks, 1 pair of cushioned socks, tights, running skort, sports bra, sports tank, long sleeved tech shirt, fleece vest, two pair of gloves, one pair of hand warmers, bandanna, ear warmer, visor, and sunglasses. At the start I picked up a discarded trash bag and wrapped my arms. Normally I would start shedding layers by mile 5, but this time I only ditched the bag--not because I was warm ,but because the wind kept blowing it into my face. It was mile 19 before I gave one pair of gloves to someone at a water station, and mile 20 before I relinquished the hand warmers to one of the police officers on the route. I felt fairly thawed by the end, but as soon as I stopped moving, the shivers started again. I was grateful for the space blanket one volunteer tied around me at the finish.
 |
| Ice sculpture--unintentional, I'm sure |
5:44:49 My Official Time
A best for me. I was hoping for 5:30, but that will wait for another event. Any personal record is to be celebrated--and I am celebrating! (The winners both finished in under 2 hours, 15 minutes; they didn't get their money's worth!)
 |
| These marked the route |
Will I do this race again? Absolutely. There were a few glitches (buses running late, pacers out of position) but those are to be expected. This event IS special. Add to that the fact that ALL of the proceeds go to breast cancer research via the Mayo Clinic, and it becomes such an inspiration. There are stories everywhere--survivors, those left behind, those still battling, and those who just want to be part of something bigger than themselves. It is an event that every marathoner should do at least once. (There's a half-marathon as well.)
 |
| Post race friends |
 |
| Marathon Maniacs and Half Fanatics before the start |
 |
| one of the many humorous signs along the way |
 |
| yep |
 |
| On leave from Afghanistan. Each ribbon had a name on it. |
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| gorgeous finisher's medal |
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| Finishing chute |
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| My race bib |
(Thanks to my shutterbug friend, Wendy Mitchell, for most of the photos)
Tuesday, February 07, 2012
Connection
For years I have tried to learn crochet. I've had people try to teach me. I've read books. I've seen videos. Nothing ever clicked. I still kept trying, though, in hopes that eventually I'd get it. AND I DID! Randomly, a couple of weeks ago, something connected between my hands and my brain, and it worked. I don't know what made the difference, but look what I made:
I make lots of mistakes, but that's part of the process. I'm just glad it finally connected for me!
I got the pattern from Crochet in Color. I like her blog because she has a ton of pictures and lots of patterns. She also has links to other sites, which are handy. Anyway, now that I have started to figure it out, I hope to make lots of fun stuff--for me and for friends :)
Like I need a hobby or something. lol
I got the pattern from Crochet in Color. I like her blog because she has a ton of pictures and lots of patterns. She also has links to other sites, which are handy. Anyway, now that I have started to figure it out, I hope to make lots of fun stuff--for me and for friends :)
Like I need a hobby or something. lol
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