ONE MONTH

The 2008 LIVESTRONG Challenge is June 29 - one month from today.

In the middle of March when I decided that I wanted to do the 5K run in this year's Challenge, I must have been mildly insane to think that I would stick with the training. Tom has been a great support to me and we have stuck with it thru all the cold, rain, cold rain...more rain and RAIN. Thankfully it's not raining much these days, but it's been on the chilly side. The freak heatwave a couple of weeks ago was not a welcome change, but I ran early in the day and kept on track. I am ahead by one week in my training plan due to my memory not working so well, but it works because I guess I didn't need that particular training plan for that week afterall.

Thinking back to the early days of beginning running the plan seemed silly with small changes from week to week. It all has come into focus now - I'm running at least 13 minutes straight and walking 2 minutes two times. Which is nice because I feel like it's going faster. Oh, I know why, it's because I'm not walking so much! I am not a fan of walking! The next time I step up the training we will run 14 minutes and walk 1 minute and do that two times. THEN after a week of that, 30 minutes of running!!!!!

Now, I might be able to run 30 minutes in a couple of weeks, but I may not be covering 3.1 miles - that is an issue that I'll have to deal with when we get to that point.

Until then, here's to becoming a runner!

FANCY TOES

Got my toes beautified today...first time at a nail studio of sorts. Oh, that is the name of the place too. Went with Mary - we had a good time...

Here is my nail technician a guy(!)...getting my legs massaged - woo hoo!

LOOK at these babies!

Memorial Day Weekend Begins...

Here we are it is Memorial Day weekend again. We usually don't do much in the way of doing anything extravagantly special...it's just nice to have a 3 day weekend anymore.

This morning we went for a ride and it was a little chilly, but hey at least it wasn't raining! We did a route that is reasonably close to the route I take to work and it was pretty fun, even had a stop at the bridge construction project over Salmon Creek.

NO BRAKES!
Today is the first day that I actually went down the huge hill out of Felida to Salmon Creek without braking! It was such an awesome feeling - flyin' down the hill at 37.7 mph. WEE HAW!

FATCYCLIST.COM
On Monday I ordered my Fat Cyclist jersey and it was delivered yesterday...a very exciting moment! This jersey is one of 500 that were made available on Monday at 12:00 Central Time and they were sold out within 24 hours! 100% of the proceeds from these jerseys go directly to the Win Susan Fund..so, 500 jerseys multiplied by $70...CHA CHING SUSAN and Fatty! If you haven't checked out his blog yet here is the link http://www.fatcyclist.com/

This morning I put it on even though I would be wearing my jacket and really, that was a good thing. I'm not ready for the world to see me in a jersey just yet - when you think about it no self-respecting, average joe schmoe should be seen in a form fitting cycling anything, but I suppose since we cyclists wear the lycra shorts w/padding, a very good look of course, how much worse is a form fitting jersey?

You be the judge...this photo is post ride...

Okay, well maybe it's not that bad, but I am not that comfortable in clothes that are form fitting in any way. However, I feel okay about dressing like this and being somewhat comfortable when we are at a cycling events where all people of all sizes are dressed as I am here.

WILLAMETTE WINERIES WEEKEND
For the past couple of years at Thanksgiving we have gone to visit some of the wineries putting on special events for the Fall season. This year we thought we would also include the Spring events at a couple of wineries.

We packed up a lunch to enjoy in the afternoon and made our way to our first winery/vineyard that we discovered last November - Brick House Wines. I like them because they are an organic winery and have taken to the old way of farming the grape vines -

At Brick House, "organically grown" is more than just a phrase on the labels of our wines. It commits us to the old ways. From our first planting in May of 1990 until today, we have relied on basics. All our fruit is estate grown. All of it is certified organic. Elemental sprays like sulfur combat disease. Fundamental farming controls weeds and shapes the hillsides beneath our vines. http://www.brickhousewines.com/

It's a funky little place that is definitely worth the drive to taste they fabulous wine the tasting room is rustic and filled with barrels and there is a gorgeous views of the vineyard surrounding the winery and the old brick house.

Ooh, Hey a BRICK HOUSE...
The other winery that we visited was Penner-Ash. Brick House is more earthy and homey contrasted by Penner-Ash and their Napa-esque look and feel. They are a much larger operation and quite classy by comparison. The view from the parking lot was amazing and I could probably sit up there for a good long time before getting tired of it.

Their wine tasting offering was a pretty sweet deal - for $20 per person we got to taste up to 9 different wines which included 3 barrel tastings and a special Oregon Pinot glass specially made by Riedel for the Willamette Valley. The barrel tastings from the 2007 harvest were all very good the Shea Vineyard Pinot was already pretty amazing...it is hard to believe that it could get any better. I guess that's the beauty of wine...always evolving and surprising!


Here is the view from the parking lot...it is hard to see, but check out my UFO looking spot... The area where the Barrel Tastings were being held...

More adventures to come tomorrow...

Shooting Stars...

Just going thru some of the stuff my co-workers send me - this one is a gem...



I don't know why, but this one just kills me - I can only hope the when our bathroom is done the toilet will have a seatbelt...wouldn't want to be caught without one when someone turns off gravity.

Just over a month...

I can BE a runner

Today was a great running day! The run we did Tuesday after work was dreadful, I felt so awful. Yesterday was a total day of rest and I was ready to go! I stepped up my pace a little and am getting closer and closer to feeling like a real runner.

The LIVESTRONG Challenge is June 29 and tonight I feel fairly confident that I will get to that 5K distance with a few days to spare. It's time to step up to the next stage of my running plan, which I need to look up.

I look forward to completing this training plan as my desire to ride to work increases by the day and I am starting to miss riding on a regular basis. As I mentioned before I plan to maintain my 5K distance by running a couple of days a week instead of riding just a couple of days a week.

RAIN

My plan was to commute totally by bike today, but this afternoon the rain started up again and I was not prepared to ride the six miles home in the rain...no rain gear with me today (I'm such a wimp) So I called Tom and he came and picked me up.

One of these day I have got to just get over the fact that it rains and just ride TO and FROM work just once, I know I won't melt. I'm just too much of a princess.... ;) The rainy days might actually be the best day to ride on the Salmon Creek Trail -who wants to be out when it's raining...just the crazy cyclist! Here's to bicycle commuting this summer...

Fat Cyclist Jersey

WOO HOO!!! I have been waiting for over a week to order my Fat Cyclist jersey. I'm psyched...for lots of reasons - having a new jersey, paying FULL PRICE (egads), but mostly because my 70 bucks will go toward the Fat Cyclist fund...check out the link to find out more about Fatty and his amazing wife who is battling metastisized breast cancer which has spread to her brain...http://www.fatcyclist.com/

Here is the JERSEY -

Mt Hood Cycling Classic

Yesterday afternoon we made our way to Mt Tabor for the first stage of the Mt Hood Cycling Classic. It was a criterium with the course length of about 1.2 miles and it is a hilly course. The women raced at 3:30 and rode the circuit for an entire hour. One racer, Jeannie Longo, we would find out later is quite the legend. Turns out she is a 49 year old French cyclist and has won many title throughout the course of her career. Thanks to Mark from Peformance setting us straight on her status!

The men's race started at 5:30 and they were to ride for 90 minutes(!) which is mind-boggling to me, but it was cool.

We had a fun time and met up with some friends (Mark & Matt) from Performance and had a Hopworks Urban Brewery beer courtesy of Justin Gorder - formerly of Performance bikes. It was a fun time hanging out with people we usually only see at the shop.

The start of the women's race

The top 3 of the women's race

Men's Race

Another Play Day

Today is another play day for Tom and I. The plan is to go for a ride - probably do the bridges today and then later go to Mt Tabor for stage 2 of the Mt Hood Cycling Classic.

Yesterday we ran and I have to say that it's not as horrible as it was when we started - and I would hope not. I am starting to feel like I can get to 3 miles and I no longer have the do it or die trying attitude - now I feel like I can squeak out a 5K if pressed to do so. Not to say that I am anywhere near 3 miles, but I think that we are almost half there and the training is getting somewhat easier.

Have been trying to get rides in where I can. Rode to and from work last week on Thursday and then came home just to do our scheduled training. I didn't think it would be good, but I did it! So I know now that it is possible to do both one right after another. I might just turn into a multisport gal!

Almost 25 miles

Tom was disappointed to find out that his commute by bicycling is only 20 miles and not nearly the 25 miles that he once thought. He feels rooked that he isn't actually going 50 miles a day. However, he did figure out this week that he'll be reimbursed $6.00 per each day he commutes to work by bike...my total commute by bike is 13-14 miles and all I get is a kick the butt.

As much as I love being on my bike and riding to work, the people in the community we live in have not embraced the idea of alternative transportation. They continue to give the lonely cyclist on the road a hard time while driving their big fat loser cars and burning up all that expensive fossil fuel. This is not to say that it is a daily thing, but please people, get off your cell phones, quit eating your breakfast, leave a couple of minutes early for your destination and look out for cyclists!

ride & run

Today we both commuted by bicycle to work...which meant that we both went home by bicycle. Today is also a run day, which I had psyched myself up for all week.

On top of commuting by bicycle, we decided that we would leave the cars at home again today. Tom made the decision to run on the track, which is always good, so we walked to the track and did some running and walking. 8 and 2 to be exact...and I have to say that it was downright fun. Today is the first day that I have felt good running! I hope that this feeling will continue as we work me up to 30 minutes of running...I'm getting excited now!

car-free day

Yesterday was a total car-free day for the both of us. Which was so great because I was so happy all day long because I didn't have to deal with other driver's that happen to be quite stupid behind the wheel no matter how nice they are otherwise.

Tom's commute is 25 miles one way, which makes my 8 mile commute piddly in comparison, but that is not the point. The cars stayed home and it was nice - it's a nice habit that I would like to keep up at least once a week.

cycling, running, commuting...

This past weekend was pretty rich with activity - did the RACC on Saturday and then continued with my 5K training yesterday.

Today I rode to work (as did Tom). Okay, so there are plenty of cyclists in and around Vancouver, however, I don't come across many on the roads when I ride to work which would be from Salmon Creek to Hazel Dell a nice almost 8 mile ride due to the fact that a major portion of my route is currently under construction. Stupid bridge over Salmon Creek is being rebuilt. I hate construction. Anyway, as I passed Kline Line I noticed another cyclist ahead of me a little ways and then once I got further up the road there was another ahead of him...could this be my cycling community?

It was a fleeting moment, but semi-exciting as in the past couple of years I had not encountered other cyclists during my morning commute - and of course I am a fair weather rider - now recovered from my allergies and can breathe once again. So my cycling season is usually from April or May until the weather turns ugly.

The next big challenge will be to ride to and from work and then RUN. Ugh. My legs were pretty upset with me on Saturday since we just ran the day before and man my legs were tired. Friday I plan to ride to and from work and then train for the 5K. I have all week to psyche myself up!

Life is GOOD!

RACC 2008 - 25th Annual Ride

Today was the 25th ride of the Ride Around Clark County. Couldn't get anyone from last year to ride due to other commitments (work, traveling - blah blah blah), but still bumped into some familiar faces. FD6's LN curtis rep lives here in the Couve and was riding along with the North River Racing people, but when we met up again at Lacamas Lake he decided that they would kill him so he ended up riding the 65 mile route solo. We also encountered another Fed Hwy person from so long ago and of course, Matt & Kristen and Kristen's sis and her husband.

The route goes past the house that I spent Middle School & High school in AND my neighbors from back then STILL live next door. So we had to make a pit stop and say hey to them.

Since we didn't have to wait for other people we rode our pace and made it to the finish in two and half hours, just over actually.

At the FINISH