This morning we all ran a 5 mile race in the park - it was the Poland Springs Marathon Kickoff 5 Miler. The NYC marathon is officially a week away, so this little race was the first of many events this week leading up to the big one next Sunday. I was tired, and had just planned to run the race nice and easy. I ran at a pace that felt easy, and I wasn't checking my watch often, and I ended up PR'ing the race! Who AM I?! My breathing was relaxed, my legs felt strong, and I cruised my way to a really great time.
I think today was just this strange combination of great running weather, great energy, a decent course, and apparently a strong performance from yours truly. I also think it can be largely attributed to the speedwork I'm suffering through this season. Last Wednesday night is the perfect example:
We did a "Halloween run" where we dressed up in costumes. My mentor group dressed up as Pheidippides, the ancient Greek warrior that ran the first marathon ever (side note: he died at the end of it). We knew we'd be running hills that night and togas were an easily-removable costume if they proved to be too much of a hindrance, and we thought it was clever. We did NOT, however, know we would be running Harlem Hill, as opposed to Cat Hill. I'd had a really solid hill workout the week before on Cat Hill and was looking to repeat. Harlem Hill is allegedly shorter (we used the back side, not the evil side) but it felt just as long to me, and man that thing is absolutely steeper. I ran 6 strong repeats up that damn thing and every time felt like I couldn't breathe when I got to the top - which, by the way, is the entire point. Coach Jason ran repeat number 4 with me, which was, of course, my strongest one all night, and he kept yelling "This is how you get faster!!!". The son of a bitch is right, apparently. He was also wearing a warrior costume, which made it kind of funny, even though I had zero air left to laugh.
I have to say, seeing the hard work pay off really makes you want to keep doing it. I never thought I'd really get much faster; stronger, and more comfy at a slow pace, yes. But faster? I kind of can't believe it's happening.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
I Fall For Fall
Well, I'm back from the New Paltz trip and it was F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S. We loaded up into a 15 passenger van and a few other cars and headed up at the crack of dawn on Saturday, and 2 hours later arrived at Minnewaska State Park to do our long run. We knew we were going to be doing trail running, which is always a bit of a challenge, but we didn't know just how hard this particular trail was going to be. The climb was incredibly steep, so much so that it felt more like a tempo run than an easy pace, and the "trail" was laden with rocks and roots and leaves and other hazards, and parts of it were just a few feet away from a massive drop off. It could have been pretty mentally challenging if you focused on the crazy terrain - on top of everything, the fallen leaves create this pattern that kind of hypnotizes you, in addition to being slippery - but we were completely spoiled by amazing fall weather and some of the most breathtaking views I've seen in a damn long time. The fall colors were really showing off: bright reds, yellows, oranges, and hybrids, so vibrant and beautiful. It was 100% worth it.
We were enjoying ourselves so much actually that when we reached our designated turn-around time, we decided to run a little further down to this beautiful lake, just to check it out. It was an excuse to stay out there in relative solitude and peace and serenity for a little while longer, too. It was such a happy little surprise. We also didn't really run in pace groups - the advanced runners kind of stuck together, and then the intermediate runners stuck together, and then a few smaller groups of beginners held back and did their own thing. I got to run with people I hadn't run with before, and it was cool because we'd run a mile or two and then stop to check out the views and wait for some of the other runners to catch up to us. It's obviously not the way we'd typically run long, but it felt incredible. I also stopped at one of the cliffs with a completely uninterrupted panoramic view of the valley below and said a special prayer for Grandpa. I could feel him with me up there.
We finally forced ourselves to turn around and accepted that we couldn't stay and play in the mountains all day, and I had made it through just shy of 9 miles when the inevitable happened. I fell. And when I say I fell, I mean I F-E-L-L. I was running with people I'd never run with before and I think it freaked them out more than it freaked me out, actually. Both knees got banged up pretty badly, as did my right hip and both hands, and I ripped my tights. It was a pretty solid wipeout. I'm grateful I didn't get seriously hurt, but annoyed that it happened when I'd made it through more than 75% of the run sans incident! But, such is life.
The rest of the day and night were spent BBQing and partying and s'more-ing at Michael Conlon's house, which is a perfect country get away with a fire pit and space galore. The recovery run this morning was a little rough, due to exhaustion, my now-swollen/injured knees, and a slight touch of a hangover, and then don't worry, we got to suffer through bootcamp. We did 14 stations including tire pulls, mountain climbers, push ups, squat thrusts, jump rope, ladder work, suicides, and more. How we were able to do that after the insanity that was the Saturday run, I could not tell you, but somehow it was actually fun! We were paired up with people we didn't know, for the most part, and it was a very cool way to bond and meet new peeps. It was a great way to close out the weekend.
I think the point of the trip was to get out of the city, shake things up, get us out of our comfort zone, meet new people, bond more closely with people you already knew, and experiment with a different type of running. Mission definitely accomplished, and these were all great things. Huge props to Michael Conlon for putting it together, I can't wait to do it again!
We were enjoying ourselves so much actually that when we reached our designated turn-around time, we decided to run a little further down to this beautiful lake, just to check it out. It was an excuse to stay out there in relative solitude and peace and serenity for a little while longer, too. It was such a happy little surprise. We also didn't really run in pace groups - the advanced runners kind of stuck together, and then the intermediate runners stuck together, and then a few smaller groups of beginners held back and did their own thing. I got to run with people I hadn't run with before, and it was cool because we'd run a mile or two and then stop to check out the views and wait for some of the other runners to catch up to us. It's obviously not the way we'd typically run long, but it felt incredible. I also stopped at one of the cliffs with a completely uninterrupted panoramic view of the valley below and said a special prayer for Grandpa. I could feel him with me up there.
We finally forced ourselves to turn around and accepted that we couldn't stay and play in the mountains all day, and I had made it through just shy of 9 miles when the inevitable happened. I fell. And when I say I fell, I mean I F-E-L-L. I was running with people I'd never run with before and I think it freaked them out more than it freaked me out, actually. Both knees got banged up pretty badly, as did my right hip and both hands, and I ripped my tights. It was a pretty solid wipeout. I'm grateful I didn't get seriously hurt, but annoyed that it happened when I'd made it through more than 75% of the run sans incident! But, such is life.
The rest of the day and night were spent BBQing and partying and s'more-ing at Michael Conlon's house, which is a perfect country get away with a fire pit and space galore. The recovery run this morning was a little rough, due to exhaustion, my now-swollen/injured knees, and a slight touch of a hangover, and then don't worry, we got to suffer through bootcamp. We did 14 stations including tire pulls, mountain climbers, push ups, squat thrusts, jump rope, ladder work, suicides, and more. How we were able to do that after the insanity that was the Saturday run, I could not tell you, but somehow it was actually fun! We were paired up with people we didn't know, for the most part, and it was a very cool way to bond and meet new peeps. It was a great way to close out the weekend.
I think the point of the trip was to get out of the city, shake things up, get us out of our comfort zone, meet new people, bond more closely with people you already knew, and experiment with a different type of running. Mission definitely accomplished, and these were all great things. Huge props to Michael Conlon for putting it together, I can't wait to do it again!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Go To Hill
Last night was the first hill workout of the season. I might be a bit of a masochist, but I actually prefer hills to regular speed workouts. I can't explain it, because I think most would agree that hills are harder and more daunting than regular sprints. I shall consider myself lucky.
I had Christine with me and we crushed our hill repeats with amazing consistency. I have a tendency to go out too fast (that's what she said), so my first repeat is usually hideously fast and then they successively get slower. Not the case last night! I was really consistent from start to finish and I didn't feel like I was going to throw up or pass out at the end. I'm becoming a stronger runner - both in physical running strength and in learning how to train smarter - and it feels good! I wasn't even too sore today, which again is fabulous.
This weekend we're off to New Paltz for a training camp of sorts, consisting of a 10 mile trail run and bon fire with s'mores on Saturday, followed by a recovery run and bootcamp on Sunday. Given my performance in the mud run where I wiped out on the trail run portion, I think it's safe to say that I'm definitely going to fall this weekend. The over/under on how many times that will be is set at 6. I'm taking "over".
I had Christine with me and we crushed our hill repeats with amazing consistency. I have a tendency to go out too fast (that's what she said), so my first repeat is usually hideously fast and then they successively get slower. Not the case last night! I was really consistent from start to finish and I didn't feel like I was going to throw up or pass out at the end. I'm becoming a stronger runner - both in physical running strength and in learning how to train smarter - and it feels good! I wasn't even too sore today, which again is fabulous.
This weekend we're off to New Paltz for a training camp of sorts, consisting of a 10 mile trail run and bon fire with s'mores on Saturday, followed by a recovery run and bootcamp on Sunday. Given my performance in the mud run where I wiped out on the trail run portion, I think it's safe to say that I'm definitely going to fall this weekend. The over/under on how many times that will be is set at 6. I'm taking "over".
Monday, October 18, 2010
Connected
I have kind of a smorgasbord of thoughts today... but they all eventually point toward staying connected.
This past Saturday we had our season's Connection to the Cause event. We met at the NYU Hospital for Joint Disease, ran just shy of 9 miles, and then got served a fabulous breakfast by Dunkin Donuts before filing into a lecture hall to get things started. A couple of physical therapists talked about injury prevention, the importance of stretching, and the importance of strength training, which was nothing new, but it's always good to hear more about these things. Then one of the oncologists, Dr. Amitabha Mazumder, spoke to us about his work with multiple myeloma. Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the immune cells. He talked about targeted therapies and personalized therapies and explained how the money we raise goes directly to research to develop better treatments that will eventually lead to that cure. He also talked about why it is that bone marrow transplants work. When you get someone else's healthy marrow, your body recognizes their marrow as "home" marrow and the tumor cells as "foreign". There is a treatment where you can do self marrow donation (have some of your own marrow extracted and frozen, and then transplanted back into your body at a later date) but the risk there is that your body may not recognize the tumor as foreign. Fascinating stuff. I found myself so interested in what he was saying, and even taking notes. It felt like being back in college, which was awesome, and it also made me really want to learn more.
When Dr. Mazumder was done, my mentee, Matt, spoke about his experience with cancer. He was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 2007, went into remission at one point, but the cancer is now back. He has the best outlook about it and such a great attitude. He was explaining to us that he has tumors in his neck, and when he sensed the air in the room getting a little serious, he said "You can actually feel the tumors in my neck - but if you want to use that as a fundraiser, I get a cut!". Freakin hilarious, such an awesome guy. It sucks that he has cancer. It really really does. We have to get him a cure, he is way too great to have this horrible disease. I left the event feeling connected to the cause and sufficiently re-motivated and inspired to stay involved with this awesome organization.
Last week I got something in the mail from Grandpa. I know it wasn't really from him, but the return address label had only his name on it, and ultimately it was a gift from him - it was a small amount of money from his estate that he wanted each of his grandchildren to have. I have no doubt how much Grandpa loved me, and seeing the check and the message from my grandmother was a reminder of that. The relationship between grandparents and their grandchildren is such a special thing; his checks to all of us were more about recognizing that special relationship than they were about giving us a monetary gift. It was hard and made me sad because I'd rather have my Grandpa than any amount of money, but it was also such a beautiful gesture that warms the heart.
Finally, tonight my cousin Lillian decided to go to a TNT info session. She's been getting into running lately and had been toying with the idea of running a big race, so she decided to check us out. I am proud to say that she is officially registered to run the March 2011 NYC half marathon with Team in Training!!! For her, getting the check from Grandpa is what motivated her to more seriously look into it, and as much as her season will be about running, it will be equally about our grandfather and honoring his memory.
This past Saturday we had our season's Connection to the Cause event. We met at the NYU Hospital for Joint Disease, ran just shy of 9 miles, and then got served a fabulous breakfast by Dunkin Donuts before filing into a lecture hall to get things started. A couple of physical therapists talked about injury prevention, the importance of stretching, and the importance of strength training, which was nothing new, but it's always good to hear more about these things. Then one of the oncologists, Dr. Amitabha Mazumder, spoke to us about his work with multiple myeloma. Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the immune cells. He talked about targeted therapies and personalized therapies and explained how the money we raise goes directly to research to develop better treatments that will eventually lead to that cure. He also talked about why it is that bone marrow transplants work. When you get someone else's healthy marrow, your body recognizes their marrow as "home" marrow and the tumor cells as "foreign". There is a treatment where you can do self marrow donation (have some of your own marrow extracted and frozen, and then transplanted back into your body at a later date) but the risk there is that your body may not recognize the tumor as foreign. Fascinating stuff. I found myself so interested in what he was saying, and even taking notes. It felt like being back in college, which was awesome, and it also made me really want to learn more.
When Dr. Mazumder was done, my mentee, Matt, spoke about his experience with cancer. He was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 2007, went into remission at one point, but the cancer is now back. He has the best outlook about it and such a great attitude. He was explaining to us that he has tumors in his neck, and when he sensed the air in the room getting a little serious, he said "You can actually feel the tumors in my neck - but if you want to use that as a fundraiser, I get a cut!". Freakin hilarious, such an awesome guy. It sucks that he has cancer. It really really does. We have to get him a cure, he is way too great to have this horrible disease. I left the event feeling connected to the cause and sufficiently re-motivated and inspired to stay involved with this awesome organization.
Last week I got something in the mail from Grandpa. I know it wasn't really from him, but the return address label had only his name on it, and ultimately it was a gift from him - it was a small amount of money from his estate that he wanted each of his grandchildren to have. I have no doubt how much Grandpa loved me, and seeing the check and the message from my grandmother was a reminder of that. The relationship between grandparents and their grandchildren is such a special thing; his checks to all of us were more about recognizing that special relationship than they were about giving us a monetary gift. It was hard and made me sad because I'd rather have my Grandpa than any amount of money, but it was also such a beautiful gesture that warms the heart.
Finally, tonight my cousin Lillian decided to go to a TNT info session. She's been getting into running lately and had been toying with the idea of running a big race, so she decided to check us out. I am proud to say that she is officially registered to run the March 2011 NYC half marathon with Team in Training!!! For her, getting the check from Grandpa is what motivated her to more seriously look into it, and as much as her season will be about running, it will be equally about our grandfather and honoring his memory.
 |
| Grandpa and Lil |
Monday, October 11, 2010
We Don't Want To Be Fat For The Wedding
We are having the most beautiful fall weather here in NY. It's been sunny and high 60s/low 70s, so fabulous! Of course I'd like it to be about 10 degrees cooler than that for my training, but it'll head that way shortly anyway so I'm enjoying the weather as it is for the meantime. I had an OK 8 mile run yesterday - I had heavy legs, which is never ideal, but I was having fun with my TNTers so that made it lovely despite my uncooperative lower extremities. We had an engaged couple in our pace group who just joined TNT this week. We were asking them what made them want to join and the guy said "Well, we're getting married in the Caribbean in April and we don't want to be fat for the wedding!" Freaking hilarious - and a perfectly respectable reason for joining, by the by! :)
Our pace group splintered off 2 miles into the run because we were all running different distances, so Steph, Christine, and I ran the final 6 together. It was their first time up Harlem Hill, and it wasn't terrible for them. Though, from my recollection, my first time up Harlem Hill wasn't actually that bad either. It's when you get to know the hill and you know exactly how long it is and how much further you have to climb that it becomes difficult. The bastardly hill aside, it was fun covering the distance with the chicas! We talked a lot, obviously, and I kind of guided them through the run; they had lots of questions for me about my preferences for gear, nutrition, hydration, strategy, etc, and I loved answering them! I had all the same questions during my first season, it's nice to be able to pass the knowledge along. I can't remember if it was Christine or Steph, but one of them said I should consider coaching some day. First of all that's a huge compliment, and second, once I get to be a stronger runner with a little more experience, it's something I would looooove to do. It's kind of like cheerleading, and I always like helping people, so it's a natural fit. Something to think about :)
I didn't quiiiiiiite get to my recovery run today - overdid it slightly last night! - but otherwise my training has been super solid so far this season and it feels so different. It's easier and I have a lot more confidence in my ability. It's a great feeling.
Our pace group splintered off 2 miles into the run because we were all running different distances, so Steph, Christine, and I ran the final 6 together. It was their first time up Harlem Hill, and it wasn't terrible for them. Though, from my recollection, my first time up Harlem Hill wasn't actually that bad either. It's when you get to know the hill and you know exactly how long it is and how much further you have to climb that it becomes difficult. The bastardly hill aside, it was fun covering the distance with the chicas! We talked a lot, obviously, and I kind of guided them through the run; they had lots of questions for me about my preferences for gear, nutrition, hydration, strategy, etc, and I loved answering them! I had all the same questions during my first season, it's nice to be able to pass the knowledge along. I can't remember if it was Christine or Steph, but one of them said I should consider coaching some day. First of all that's a huge compliment, and second, once I get to be a stronger runner with a little more experience, it's something I would looooove to do. It's kind of like cheerleading, and I always like helping people, so it's a natural fit. Something to think about :)
I didn't quiiiiiiite get to my recovery run today - overdid it slightly last night! - but otherwise my training has been super solid so far this season and it feels so different. It's easier and I have a lot more confidence in my ability. It's a great feeling.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable
I hate speed work. I hate it. I love long slow runs that provide a serenity and calmness and where you feel like you can go forever. I do NOT love sprinting at max effort. But, it's a necessary evil for marathon training. This past Wednesday was our first speed workout of the season. We did quarter mile repeats (sprint for a quarter of a mile, slow jog for a quarter of a mile, repeat 6 times). You have to run as fast as you freaking can during the sprinting segments. Your breathing is high and so is your heartrate, and it should feel like you can't sustain it for too long. As Michael Conlon so eloquently put it, you have to get comfortable being uncomfortable. I hate the discomfort - I haaaaate it. Did I mention I hate it?
Being the geniuses that we are, during the first repeat we completely missed the quarter mile marker that the coaches had drawn into the path with chalk, so we sprinted the entire half mile. Then, when we reached the turn around point, it should've been time for another sprint, sooooo we sprinted the next quarter mile so as not to screw up the segments. For you math majors, that's 3 quarters of a mile at a dead sprint. Not. A. Fan. This resulted in me only doing 6 repeats instead of the 8 I'd wanted to do. It's a long season, I've got time to make up the missed reps, but from here on out I want to be sure that I complete the max reps recommended for my level (I'm following the intermediate plan this season), provided I'm feeling well and injury-free.
I actually asked coach Jason to be on my ass this season, because I want to be pushed and I want to gain some speed. He pushed me in the best of ways - keeping an eye on me, but not being up my ass, and being motivating and encouraging without making me feel slow, and it definitely helps you push when you know you're being watched. I'm sure at some point I'm going to regret asking him to push me, but I'm so grateful that TNT gives you these awesome coaches so you at least have the option of getting your ass kicked.
Being the geniuses that we are, during the first repeat we completely missed the quarter mile marker that the coaches had drawn into the path with chalk, so we sprinted the entire half mile. Then, when we reached the turn around point, it should've been time for another sprint, sooooo we sprinted the next quarter mile so as not to screw up the segments. For you math majors, that's 3 quarters of a mile at a dead sprint. Not. A. Fan. This resulted in me only doing 6 repeats instead of the 8 I'd wanted to do. It's a long season, I've got time to make up the missed reps, but from here on out I want to be sure that I complete the max reps recommended for my level (I'm following the intermediate plan this season), provided I'm feeling well and injury-free.
I actually asked coach Jason to be on my ass this season, because I want to be pushed and I want to gain some speed. He pushed me in the best of ways - keeping an eye on me, but not being up my ass, and being motivating and encouraging without making me feel slow, and it definitely helps you push when you know you're being watched. I'm sure at some point I'm going to regret asking him to push me, but I'm so grateful that TNT gives you these awesome coaches so you at least have the option of getting your ass kicked.
 |
| Coach Jason - runner, coach, warrior |
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Down and Dirty
Sorry for slacking on the blog posts!! It's been an eventful few weeks. I got to spend a few days in Massachusetts staying with Grandma, which was lovely. It was great to see her and I'm happy to help her with whatever she might need, but the house is very strange without Grandpa there. It was weird, I was almost waiting for him to come around the corner from the living room, wearing his dark green sweater, glasses on, and carrying a print out of some kind from the computer (most likely a freshly penned Letter to the Editor). His slippers are exactly where he left them last; I put my feet into them for just a second, and I swear I could feel him there with me. I saw the jar where he used to keep his jelly beans, the straws I bought for him when he had trouble drinking out of a glass those last few days, his medicines in the bathroom, etc. He's still very much a part of that house, and while it was tough and sad for me, it felt nice at the same time.
I came back to the city for about 24 hours and then headed off to the Hamptons with 7 of my TNT kiddos to cheer them on for the Hamptons half marathon - and they all ROCKED IT. I really love running, but I also really love cheering runners on. I know exactly how they're feeling, and I want to pump them up and keep them going strong. Everyone hit their goal - Rob PRed at 1:26, Sarah Ray went sub-2 for the first time, Kate ran her first ever half at 1:59, Layla PRed at 1:52, and Rory had a great race despite a nipple mishap. My friends are beasts - and it was SO fun to cheer them on.
I got back to the city last night and then headed up to the Bronx at the crack of dawn to run the Merrell Down and Dirty mud run!! I ran it with my friend Steph, who is new to TNT this season. What a bonding experience, man. It's a 5K race with military style obstacles and lots o' mud, and there were military volunteers at every obstacle either yelling at you or cheering you on, depending on their personality :) The obstacles included climbing over marine hurdles (VERY hard for us shorties, thankfully some nice guy gave us a boost for the first one!), crawling through dirt, climbing up a cargo net, crawling through thick mud, climbing over a wall, wading through the OCEAN (yes, in October), climbing up a sloped wall that had been made slippery with Paul Mitchell shampoo (they sponsored the race), and ultimately military-crawling under ropes through a massive mud pit at the end. It was SO MUCH FUN!! The running part was mostly trail running and I totally wiped out at one point - and when I say wiped out, I mean I tripped on something and did a full superman layout in the woods. I popped up immediately and kept running though, because I'm a badass (the reality is I wasn't badly hurt, just scraped the crap out of my knees and shins).The irony is right before I fell we were saying "I wonder what Michael Conlon would think about us doing such a hazardous race during marathon training." Fail.
After the race we took some pics (see below!) and then went back into the ocean to get CLEAN. You wouldn't believe the places we had mud... The line for the changing area was way too long, so we just stripped behind a bush - and when I say "bush", I mean an area that was pretty much in full view for EVERYone. There's only one way to get off soaking wet clothes, and we were freezing, so it had to be done - plus it makes for a funny story. Oh and the medals for this race were dog tags - how cool is that?
All in all, it's been a great week - time with family, TNT bonding, and great races :)
I came back to the city for about 24 hours and then headed off to the Hamptons with 7 of my TNT kiddos to cheer them on for the Hamptons half marathon - and they all ROCKED IT. I really love running, but I also really love cheering runners on. I know exactly how they're feeling, and I want to pump them up and keep them going strong. Everyone hit their goal - Rob PRed at 1:26, Sarah Ray went sub-2 for the first time, Kate ran her first ever half at 1:59, Layla PRed at 1:52, and Rory had a great race despite a nipple mishap. My friends are beasts - and it was SO fun to cheer them on.
I got back to the city last night and then headed up to the Bronx at the crack of dawn to run the Merrell Down and Dirty mud run!! I ran it with my friend Steph, who is new to TNT this season. What a bonding experience, man. It's a 5K race with military style obstacles and lots o' mud, and there were military volunteers at every obstacle either yelling at you or cheering you on, depending on their personality :) The obstacles included climbing over marine hurdles (VERY hard for us shorties, thankfully some nice guy gave us a boost for the first one!), crawling through dirt, climbing up a cargo net, crawling through thick mud, climbing over a wall, wading through the OCEAN (yes, in October), climbing up a sloped wall that had been made slippery with Paul Mitchell shampoo (they sponsored the race), and ultimately military-crawling under ropes through a massive mud pit at the end. It was SO MUCH FUN!! The running part was mostly trail running and I totally wiped out at one point - and when I say wiped out, I mean I tripped on something and did a full superman layout in the woods. I popped up immediately and kept running though, because I'm a badass (the reality is I wasn't badly hurt, just scraped the crap out of my knees and shins).The irony is right before I fell we were saying "I wonder what Michael Conlon would think about us doing such a hazardous race during marathon training." Fail.
After the race we took some pics (see below!) and then went back into the ocean to get CLEAN. You wouldn't believe the places we had mud... The line for the changing area was way too long, so we just stripped behind a bush - and when I say "bush", I mean an area that was pretty much in full view for EVERYone. There's only one way to get off soaking wet clothes, and we were freezing, so it had to be done - plus it makes for a funny story. Oh and the medals for this race were dog tags - how cool is that?
All in all, it's been a great week - time with family, TNT bonding, and great races :)
 |
| Muddy girls at the end of the race!!! |
 |
| Damage from falling on the trail. Other knee/shin looks like this too. Ow. |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)