Sunday, April 18, 2010

Long time, no post. Here's what's happening in my next of the woods...

Well, its been a long time since I've posted much of anything. I'm not sure what I've been waiting for, so I guess its time for an update.

Its been just over a month since I've been unemployed. Friday was the first day that I didn't have any appointments or anything I really needed to get done. It was pretty tough. But TGOs now-spotless apartment thanks me. Everything on that front of life is wonderful. Couldn't be better, in fact.

I haven't been training much either. My hopes of the Hospital Hill half marathon have gone down the drain, but with good reason. I'm going to need to be at another race that Girls on the Run is benefitting from. And I just might get to hang out with one of my idols.... More details to come as they get hammered out.

I have been enjoying semi-leisurely, semi-sweaty bike rides, runs that turn into walks with Pete, tennis games with TGO, and avoiding the 9,000-count pollen whenever possible. It's been fun to get a normal-person amount of exercise and just have fun while doing it. I do miss the competition and the challenge of serious training, but for now, this will do.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

GOTR needs you to run!

Girls on the Run of Johnson County needs 25 men and women to join our team of charity runners for Hospital Hill on June 5. Can we count on you?

http://www.hospitalhillrun.com/

Girls on the Run is a featured charity at Hospital Hill, one of the most popular road races in Kansas City. If you sign up to be a fundraiser for Girls on the Run of Johnson County, we'll pay your race registration! You must hurry though! They will cap the race at 7500 runners and expect to have all slots filled by mid-May. Contact us so we can get you signed up as a SoleMate and pay your race entry.

Benefits:

Sign up to run or walk any distance: 5k, 10k or half marathon
Money raised will help us grow Girls on the Run program
Low fundraising minimum - $262
Custom online fundraising page
Technical running shirt with SoleMates logo
Discounts on New Balance gear
Special perks at our booth on race day, including bag check, food & drink and post-race foot massage!

You can also be a SoleMate fundraiser for other races, including the Girls on the Run 5k on May 22 at Garmin. Watch for exciting details soon!

For more info on SoleMates or to join our team of fundraisers, contact our SoleMates chairman Sarah Swenson: solemates@girlsontherunkc.com or visit our website.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Good Friday Ride

I got a good "long" ride in Friday noon. I'm still adjusting to long rides being in the 20-mile range. (I'm also still adjusting to how to use the print screen option on my computer!)


I went south from Nanny and Poppy's as far as the road would let me, then headed east. I was delighted at how wind-free the ride was. For Good Friday, it was a beautiful day. Being outside is a great spiritual release for me, so it was a great way to be one on Good Friday.

So gorgeous weather, rude horses that didn't appreciate my insightful winney, and flat roads. Seriously, riding in Wichita is like buttah. Buttah' on a flat, flat pancake. I mean, look at the elevation change in the map, well, I should say, lack of elevation change. And, the wind was wonderful.

Until I turned around. YIKES. Talk about pedaling into the wind. Luckily it wasn't quite as bad as earlier in the week, but I still had to work.

I really do like not having a training schedule. It makes things so much more fun and relazing when you don't have to keep an eye on your heart rate or cadence or mileage. Heck, I didn't even put my Garmin on my bike. It was delightful. A 1.5 hour sweaty delightful, flat afternoon.

Followed promptly by some serious play time with my three favorite little guys.


Thursday, April 1, 2010

Lions and Tigers and Fools Oh My!

Wichita's zoo has got to be one of the best in the country. We spent a good chunk of Thursday at the Sedgwick County Zoo, oogling the animals and chasing around the munchkins.

The new tiger exhibit really impressed me. It had all the little touches to enhance the experience. Footprints, growls and even tiger "scat" - with a sign explaining what that is. Very clever. We got to be about 1 inch from a huge live tiger - with just a piece of glass separating us. It was very cool.



We fed the giraffes alfafa and hay. We watched the lions gnaw on big bones, just like Pete does in our own living room. We saw the meerkats scamper and stare at us.





Sean, Ian and Jake are such animal experts. My nephews continue to amaze me.


Also, in honor of April Fool's Day, I had to play a joke an TGO. I talked to him mid day, and told him it had been a bad day because Pete had run away that morning and still hadn't come back. He was devastated. Thank God it was only a joke though, because we both would have a horrible time with that. Pete's week in Wichita was exhausting for him, though...