Category: Racing

Biking, Racing, Running, Triathlon, Whistler

Up Next: Superwoman

Christine Cogger

Alright.  I had fun interviewing my first candidate, so here’s another one!

Christine Suter is a well known and very speedy Whistler-based triathlete/ultra-runner.  Perhaps you are currently getting whipped into shape by her hands-on coaching.  Maybe she’s drawn blood when making you feel like dying on the bike (seriously.  She pokes your finger with a needle.  It hurts and you swear.  I know this from experience).

You’ve seen her around, I’m sure: always smiley, quick with a friendly word and wave.  Usually wearing unusually large mitts on her bike.  Recently gained semi-fame as the kayaking dog-rescuer of Pinecrest.

I know her as a friend and coach – that is, when I get my act together and need accountability and butt-kicking.  She’s so good at making me push myself but understanding my need for some kind of balance.

An Ironman athlete several times over, she’s become an invaluable resource to many, many athletes in our community.  So without further ado, here she is!

1. What was your first tri – and why that one?

UBC back in 1987

2. What was your most embarrassing race moment?

Squamish Tri in the swim to bike transition and I got stuck trying to get my lycra top on over my bra top-  you know when it all rolls up and I could not get the top down- being a good swimmer I was one of the first female swimmers out- so there were lots of spectators.

(Edited to add: this happens to me all the time.  In the locker room.  Ahem).

3. Who is your biggest training/racing foe?

Greg Sandkuhl

(Edited to add: I sense I need to ask him these questions)

4. Bucket list race?

Ultraman hawaii

lizziecolour
Team Lizzie Sandwich!
And some other dudes 😉

5. Best and worst part of training in Whistler/Vancouver?

Worst- Snow salt on the roads so a late start to outdoor riding and being cold!

Best-  the hills because I have yet to race anything worse than where I live and the ride up to Callaghan.

6. Fave post race food

Since I usually cannot eat anything after a race-  chicken soup.

7. Race superstition?

Don’t really have one.

8. If you could train with one person for a day, who would it be and why?

My husband Paul because he has not been able to do anything for 5 years and I miss being able to go out training with him!

(Edited to add: awwwwww.)

9. What’s your weirdest racing or training habit?

I like to sing one phrase of a song to myself over and over again to keep me motivated or I count my foot strikes while running to the count of 8 and keep on repeating it

10. Who’s your athletic hero? If you have one…

Jon Blais

11. What’s your favourite Whistler event/trail/race etc

Rubble Creek Classic

12. Describe your athletic style/career in one sentence.

Constantly seeing how far I can push myself and my body.

When your country is on your chest, you've totally made it.
When your country is on your chest, you’ve totally made it.

13. Describe that nightmare you have before racing (i.e. I show up without pants)

I sleep through my alarm and miss the start.

14. 3 words that describe you as a person

determined, too serious.

15. Dream sponsor?

Visa! Then they can pay for my flights, my hotels and my gear!!

Ok, so normally, I’d end it here but I needed some pics of Christine so I Googled her and feel it only fair to point out that she’s the only person I know to have ever competed nationally in… synchronized swimming.  No photographic evidence available.

Thanks Suter!

Stay tuned for the next one!

Biking, Racing, Running, Triathlon, Whistler

But enough about me.

Christine Cogger

You may know her as triathlon age-group slayer Liz Cullen.  2x Ironman finisher.  Or perhaps you remember her from her ski bum days as a long-time Whistler local (let’s face it: she may live in Vancouver but I’m pretty sure her heart’s up here).

Some of you may know her as The Sarcastic Triathlete (if you don’t, it’s a refreshing read: go there).

I know her as a training partner/racing ass-kicker/co-adventure planner and good friend.

She’s currently incubating a human, so we won’t be running any races in matching shirts in the early season, but I have no doubt she’ll be back in action in no time.

She’s the first subject in what I hope to become a regular feature here: interviews with some of my favourite folks.

Herewith, I introduce to you Lizzie.

1.     What was your first tri – and why that one?

UBC Sprint tri in July 2003.  Because my mom was doing it so I thought I’d give it a try on her old bike.  I then did a random smattering of tris until 2006 when I actually started training for them.

2.     What was your most embarassing race moment?

Oliver Half Iron 2008.  I got a flat with 4km to go and decided to just ride it back to transition.  There was one final corner 400m before transition and I washed out and hit the curb with most of the town watching.  When I got up to head to transition my wheel wouldn’t turn so I had to jog in bare feet carrying my bike.

3.     Who is your biggest training/racing foe?

This tiny little cycling powerhouse named Christine, she sometimes goes by SMO.  Oh wait, that’s you.  Biggest foe and best training buddy all in one.  I have the swim, she has the bike and the run is getting close.  When we both start racing again it could get ugly.

**Editor’s note: I can’t wait.

4.     Bucket list race?

Other than Kona. Wildflower.

5.     Best and worst part of training in Whistler/Vancouver?

Best: Kits pool!

Worst: rain.  Lots of rain.

12591358

6.     Fave post race food

Salt and vinegar potato chips

7.     Race superstition?

Don’t really have one, but I do have rituals.  I tuck notes of encouragement in my race kit even if they don’t get read and end up a squishy blob.

8.     If you could train with one person for a day, who would it be and why?

How ’bout Heather Wurtele.  Because she seems really fun and nice and I like feeling short sometimes.

9.     What’s your weirdest racing or training habit?

Not sure I have any (others may say differently)  I do like doing handstands in the water before races, might as well get a laugh in.

10.  Who’s your athletic hero?  If you have one…

Other than the obvious of Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong and Kobe Bryant, top of the list: Chrissie Wellington, Natasha Badmann, Lisa Bentley, and so on.

11.  What’s your favourite Whistler event/trail/race etc

Whistler Half Marathon.  Although only in its 3rd year and overcoming course distance growing pains, it’s super neat to run through your own town with tons of supporters.

IMG_2526

12.  Describe your athletic style/career in one sentence.

Late blooming, somewhat competitive age group triathlete that combats laziness with lofty goals.

13.  Desribe that nightmare you have before racing (i.e. I show up without pants).

That I miss the race entirely usually because I got the day wrong and show up too late.  I actually did that once to an exam in university so it’s not beyond impossible.

14.  3 words that describe you as a person.

Geez, what is this? A job interview?  I consider myself a perfectionist.  Ha kidding. According to me: humorous, uncomplicated, pregnant (for the next 2.5 months at least).

15.  Dream sponsor?

Ben and Jerry’s. Ok ok, probably Saucony.  You can never have too many bright fun shoes.

Thanks for taking the time, ‘Zard.

So friends: who shall be my next interviewee/victim?

Day-to-day life, Racing

The inconvenience of injury

Christine Cogger

Let me preface this by saying that, in the grand scheme of things, my current injuries are very minor.  I’m mobile, upright and for the most part, coherent.  When I start to feel sorry for myself, I think of a friend who’s son is in hospital and mentally slap myself and thank my lucky stars.

That being said, being injured sucks.  A few weeks ago, I fractured my shoulder.  As I was peeling myself off the ground – knowing instantly that I’d done a fair bit of damage, random thoughts ran through my brain:

“There’s NO WAY I’m calling patrol.  I’ll never hear the end of it.”

“Ugh.  How am I going to get my shirt off?”

“Stay calm.  Kids are watching.”

“Well, there goes swimming for a while.  Can I bike?  Run?  Skate ski?”

See?  Inconvenient but not that big of a deal.  Does it hurt?  Yes.  Is it awkward?  Yes: just ask anyone who’s watched me pull off a sweater.  Do I think I did more damage than good when I caught the blender falling off the counter a few days ago?  Oh hell yes.

Being hard-headed, I knew I had a minor knee surgery scheduled for yesterday.  Despite knowing that hobbling around on crutches probably wasn’t going to happen, I refused to re-schedule in the hopes that I’d be weight-bearing.  And waddya know?  The stars aligned, and here I am.  Weight-bearing and feeling like I’ve been punched in the thigh.  Peeling off the dressing last night made for a super fun family activity, one that all kids were keen to get involved in!

The good news is that surgery went smoothly and that frankly, it was the best sleep I’ve had in YEARS.  The bad news is that there are potentially 2 more to come.  But I figure I’ll cross that bridge when I’m being shoved over it.

In the meantime, I’m going to work on physio/recovery/rehad like it’s my job.  There are too many upcoming adventures hanging in the balance not to!

Racing, Random

Wading in.

Christine Cogger

There have been some incredible articles written by athletes and journalists about how the Lance saga has affected them or their sport: all you have to do is peruse Twitter or any of the running/triathlon/cycling sites and you’ll get a good taste of everyone’s disgust, particularly in light of last night’s confession.  Most are very well written, some are matter of fact, others are bitter and vindictive.  I’ve yet to read a single article shedding positive light on the interview.

I’ll be clear: I know precisely nothing about doping in sport.   I have no first had experience with it but as an amateur athlete I’ve read a ton about it: who’s done it, who’s suspected of doing it, the whys, hows and whos.  I’ve never, to my knowledge, been directly affected by it, so perhaps that negates my right to voice my opinion on this topic.  That being said, what knowledge I do have is of the he-said/she-said variety of articles; my eyes glazed over when reading the USADA report.  I guess I don’t care that much about the scientific side of it, what with having no interest in doping myself.

I watched Lance on Oprah last night with an interest bordering on fascination.  Most people I know/read today are saying that his apology wasn’t sincere, that he was arrogant, controlling and all the rest.  There’s no doubt he was well prepared for the tête-à-tête; he’d be an idiot to go in blind and we all know he’s not that.  He’s been called out for not naming names, dragging others down.  But wasn’t the point of the interview for it to be about him and his actions?  Not others who were, ostensibly, doing the same thing (minus, say the bullying and the Foundation building).  Yes, I came away with lots of questions – particularly about his “clean comeback” and a few other salient points that didn’t seem to add up.  I’m going to watch again tonight and see what else he’s got to say.

Here’s the thing.  I don’t know the man, so obviously can’t speak to his personality.  However, I suppose I am naive enough to hope that his apology was true – whether he gave us all the details or not.  People are screaming “it’s not enough!” So then, what more do we want?  Why do need so many details?  He himself – and several of his critics – have admitted that this whole “coming clean” business is a process.  So perhaps it’s merely a starting point for better things to come?  Would people have been happier had he broken down and wept?  I don’t get it.  Who am I to question his sincerity?  Yes, I think he’s got ulterior motives here – millions of dollars of evaporated sponsorship will likely do that to a guy – but frankly, he’s got to start somewhere.

We teach our kids to accept apologies, to look each other in the eye and move on.  Why aren’t we doing the same here?  I’m not implying we all need to “forgive and forget”, but why not move on?  The press has devoted enough ink to the man and his myth, why not start dictating change and focus on those clean athletes doing incredible things instead of rehashing the past over and over?

Naive self, out.

Biking, Day-to-day life, Racing, Running, Skiing, Triathlon, Whistler

Greater tuberosity and other fun things.

Christine Cogger

Greater Tuberosity.

Doesn’t that sound like it should be a name of a roller coaster at a super fun amusement park?  “Step right up people and have a ride on the death defying GREATER TUBEROSITY!  A feat of engineering, a marvel of adventure!” 

The reality is that “greater tuberosity” is just a fancy name for shoulder.  Which I fractured last week.  Oops.

Considering I’m scheduled for knee surgery next week, my timing is spectacular and this has put a damper on the ski season.  Just when I’d managed to rekindle my love/hate relationship with skate skiing…  Plus, I get total FOMO when it comes to skiing with my kids – I don’t want to miss a thing.  It drives me bonkers when they go without me.

I’m front loading the surgery with as much running as I can as I am not sure when I’ll be able to get out there again (super graceful, one-armed running).  I devastated that I can’t swim (total lie).  Garage biking is happening. I tried snowshoeing but almost died of boredom: I would have been a terrible coureur des bois.

Coming soon: road trip recap!  In the meantime, enjoy some random photos.

anja cold
                           Why would anyone want to miss a ski day with this face?
anja jay
                             Sometimes, you do what you gotta do to keep up.
anja
                                                               Dresses herself.
greater TB
               This is the aforementioned roller coaster.
shoeing
Snowshoeing. This is about 7 minutes after I started. Notice the boredom yet?
snow
                        Did you know that fractured shoulder = no shoveling. Perk.
spy
“Someone” may have told him that spies dress up so that they can fly business class.
sunset
                                                           Sunset at home.

 

 

 

 

 

Racing, Running, Whistler

Whistler Half Marathon. Do it.

Christine Cogger

This run is without a doubt one of the most fun races I’ve ever done.  It’s a challenging but fun course; it’s scenic; the “fans” are numerous and entertaining and the swag bag is great!  And let’s face it, how often have you seen people look this happy after a half-marathon?

girlsphoto 1

Get your butts in gear and sign up!  It’s selling out fast and you won’t want to miss it.  Plus, my regular running partners are going to be otherwise occupied in June, so mama needs some people to match with.

photo
                                      Matching is fun! Take our word for it…

(Excuse the very crappy iPhone reproductions of great photos by Robin O’Neill)

We’ll see you on the start line, right?

Biking, Day-to-day life, Family, Kids, QOTD, Racing, Running, Skiing, Triathlon, Whistler

In which I blab on about a variety of topics.

Christine Cogger

I spent the weekend in Vancouver with the kids, the plan being to take in the Stanley Park Christmas train, city lights and the Santa Claus Parade.  Then, this happened:

anja and rory

Being sick when you are little sucks. It’s hard to communicate what you feel and you can’t help much beyond back rubs and cuddles.  And midnight/2am/4am Tylenol and kleenex doses.  Thankfully, they both seem to be on the mend.

Rory and Will rallied for the parade, Anja fell asleep…

parade—

QOTD:

(scene: Rory is having a hissy fit because we’d planned an adult evening without him).

Me, to Will: “What’s going on?”

Will: “Oh, Rory’s losing his marbles because you’re leaving”.

Me: “Hmm, well – are you ok with it?”

Will: “Me?  Oh yeah.  You should go, you guys totally need a break”.

(scene: Rory, on the couch, legs in the air)

“I feel a celebration coming on!”

—

Knee surgery looms in January.  In the meantime, I’ve been running and kind of biking (and by kind of, I mean hanging on for dear life on the rollers while staring at a dot on the floor so as not to lose focus).  I’ve also been trolling the internet and planning 2 types of race schedules.

1) The one I’d do if I were single, rich and responsibility-free (read: Phuket, South Africa, New Orleans, Texas, Mexico, Hawaii… just to name a few destinations).

2) Reality.  I’ll be coming off of surgery, have 3 kids to focus on, don’t have that much race mojo anyway.  Any suggestions?  Oh, I’ve been talked into the Test of Metal after a 9 year hiatus.

fall

—

The cooking project continues and I’ve been diligent about trying new recipes.  In the process, I’ve learned a few things.  First, don’t try to fool the kids with things like “These quinoa burgers are just like real burgers”!  They’re kids, not idiots.  Truth helps.Next, I’m much more of a 1 dish kind of gal.  If I have to cook a main and 2 side dishes to all be ready at once, something is bound to be over-done, under-done, too hot, too mushy, etc.  Plus HEY LOOK SOMETHING SHINY!  I’m too easily distracted and there are always 3 little people talking to me at the same time between 5-6pm.  Finally, I keep waiting for that love of cooking to spark.  But I’m thinking this is one blind date that’s going nowhere…fast.

On the bright side, I made myself laugh the other day when Will came barreling into the kitchen demanding to know what was for dinner.  I answered “Windowsills.  Now get out of my kitchen”.  Verbatim what my Mum used to say to me…

aftermath
Aftermath of the gingerbread house building event. I had to wrestle the beer from Rory.

—

If, like me, you harbour romantic notions of living in Canada’s north, do check out Tandi’s blog.  A healthy and funny dose of reality!

—

It’s here… another ski season.  Day 1 for me started with these two and it was both painful and awesome.  Anja delights in folding in half and laughing when she hits the ground.  Rory seeks jumps like it’s his job.  The two of them collided more than once and I ended the day with sore legs (snowplowing is evil) and a full body sweat.  Here’s to more days on the hill and less days of plucking them off the ground!

Anja in the gondi
                              Have you ever seen anything cuter? No, you have not.
besties
—
Wedding weekend coming up! 
Biking, CITS, Pemberton, Racing, Running, Travel, Triathlon, Whistler

Ironman, eh?

Christine Cogger

So presumably, you’ve heard the news.  Ironman Canada is moving to Whistler in 2013.  This is pretty exciting news for a tri-nerd like myself.  No, I won’t be signing up.  But I’ll be involved in some way and will be following developments closely (and by closely I mean I’ll be following my favourite pros twitter feeds to see if they are coming and hoping the Ministry paves the road between Whistler and Pemberton).

Liz has written a very good account of what race day is going to be like and if you’re racing, I highly suggest you read it.  Preparation is key!

Most of the people signing up seem to know quite a lot about Whistler (based on the forum chit-chat I read). Some are knowledgeable, some are grossly and amusingly misinformed (for example, the dude who thought a swim in Green Lake in October would be awesome!)  However, no one seems to mention Pemberton all that much so consider this my open invitation to come to my little town and create your own training base!

Pemberton is small, fun, active and family-friendly.  It’s a great place to live and train – trust me, since I do both here…  If you come to town to train, look me up, maybe I’ll even invite you to a CITS run!

Herewith, some suggestions…

1. The swim.

Despite years of asking for one, Pemberton doesn’t have a community pool.  If you are coming to our part of the world between October – June, you’ll be swimming in the 25m pool at Meadow Park.  It’s a decent facility (with a hot tub and steam room) but stick to swimming during “swimmer’s hours”… that is 6am – 9am.  Otherwise, you’ll encounter hordes of screaming kids and are liable to get landed on by an overzealous rookie on the rope swing.  Plus, there are only 2 lanes open during non-lane swim times, so you’ll be battling for space with the head-up breastroker and the one length, board-short wearing sprinter.

If you come from June onwards, the open water swim possibilities open right up.  Alta Lake is where IMC will be held, so best to train there.  Like Liz said, watch those boats!  They are pretty pointing and they go backwards.  Lost lake is a great option with the added bonus of a nudie dock (if you’re into that sort of thing).  But let’s not forget Pemberton!  Mosquito lake is small but clear and beautiful.  It just takes a little work to get to… 1 Mile is an ok option, if you don’t mind getting your face caressed by weeds, which I kind of do.  Last but not least, Gates Lake in Birken is absolutely worth the drive north.  Clear, quiet and big.

Oh – and you’re kidding yourself if you think wetsuits won’t be required at this race!

2. The bike

Perhaps I’m in the minority but I think this course is tougher than Challenge Penticton.  It may not have Richter Pass, the 7 Bitches, and Yellow Lake, but the ride back to Whistler at the end of 180K is not to be underestimated, nor is the long out and back in the Pemberton Meadows.  It’s pretty much guaranteed that the wind is going to be picking up just in time for the AG’ers to make the turn and that’s when the real drafting, er, I mean work will begin.

If you are coming up here to train, don’t limit yourself to the course. There’s some fabulous riding to be had around here.  Riding from Pemberton to D’arcy is a gorgeous and tough training ride.  Bring your $5 and treat yourself to a cold Coke at the D’arcy General Store before you start the ride back up to Pemberton.  Challenge yourself -as we do every year – to ride from Lillooet Lake to Joffre Lakes sans timing device and see how close you can get to your estimated ride time up the 13KMs of switchbacks and climbing.  Ride the Classic “Tour de Train” – ride from Pemberton to Lilloet, take the train back to D’arcy then ride back to Pemberton.

Of course there are lots of hills and rides to be had in and around Whistler.  Join the Whistler Tri Club on Wednesday mornings… they’ll welcome you up Cardiac and Kadenwood.  Fun times at 6:30am, I swear.

The thing with riding around here that everyone – triathletes, roadies and drivers – needs to remember is that the roads are going to be pretty crowded next summer.  Everyone’s going to have to play nice.

I know tri-nerds are loathe to risk injury in the months leading up to their “A” race, but trust me when I say that the mountain biking around Pembi makes it worth the effort.  And that’s saying something when it comes from a chicken like me.

3. The run.

The course description makes it sound pretty flat, but there’s a few kick-your-ass deceivers in there.  By all means, train on the course.  Run the Whistler Half Marathon course.

But Pemberton has some great trails to train on and miles of roads (here’s where that out and back on the Meadows comes in handy… have someone drop you off at the turn around and you can run back to town.  It’s not super exciting but it’s scenic and dead flat – what better way to practice leg turnover!)  While it’s true that most of the running in Pemberton tends to out-and-back style, we local girls have managed to string together some pretty long loops over the years.  Look us up and we’ll let you in on our secrets…

A tried and true and tough long run?  Go from Pemberton to Whistler.  It’s not very exciting but it sure as hell gets the job done.

4.  Nutrition

We triathletes are known to eat and eat well (and often).  How much do I love finishing a long run or ride knowing that I get to end the day at Mile One Eating House?  A whole lot.  You won’t find a better burger and micro brew combo!  I’m sure they have some veggie options, I’m just not that interested in what they might be.

We happen to play host to 2 fantastic coffee shops, too… Blackbird Bakery and Mount Currie Coffee Co… Try both, you’ll wind up with your own favourite.

For such a small town, we can boast about having 2 grocery stores, a natural foods/supplement place, a couple of yoga studios, a gym, a physio clinic, the world’s best masseuse but if I told you who that was I’d have to kill you because he’s already busy enough, a totally weird General Store and last but not least, 3 gas stations.

See?  Doesn’t it make you want to come and play?

CITS, Day-to-day life, Family, Kids, Pemberton, Racing, Running, Whistler

Rubble Creek and random thoughts

Christine Cogger

Rubble Creek Classic

Last week, Jen and I, accompanied by 30 friends/strangers ran the Rubble Creek Classic .  Chicks in the Sticks go racing!  We’ve been wanting to do this run for years and we finally committed; or rather, I signed Jen and I up whether she liked it or not.  Neither of us have gotten in much quality training of late but the day was spectacular and well worth the effort of getting up early and running 24K.

About 8 km of climbing, a random number of kms of flats around the base of Black Tusk and then 10 painful kms of down, down, down… I felt that run for days.

It was mostly worth it because I had the most spectacular nap that afternoon.

Fact

“If you want something done, give it to the busiest person you know”.  Truer words were never spoken – to me, anyway.  I’ve been “retired” for about 3 weeks now and I am struggling to relax and feeling the need to fill my days with tasks and projects.  I’m afraid that if I slow down, I’ll never get going again.

Fall

It’s Fall now, pretty much officially.  Shorter days, cold mountain mornings.  I love the leaves, the light, the change.  I don’t love having to layer the kids in clothing.  I’m counting the days till the can dress themselves intelligently to head into the cold outdoors.

Early runs now start in the dark… harder to pry oneself out of bed, that’s for sure.  This morning’s CITS run was the 2nd Annual-Earn-That-Turkey-Dinner-run through the Mosquito Lake trails.  The sunrise made it special, as did the fact that we were done by 8:45am.

Thankful

There is much to be thankful for this year.  Despite the loss of my mother a few weeks ago, I am thankful for being surrounded by such good friends, ridiculous children, a close-knit family and some pretty nice physical surroundings.  Frankly, there isn’t much I can complain about.

Ed: is it thankful FOR or thankful that I?  See?  Told you I wasn’t a writer.

QOTD

Anja and I fly to Quebec tomorrow to prepare for Mum’s celebration of life.  She is very excited about prospect of “fwying on da aiyapwane”.  Little does she know that flying is basically like sitting in a car for 5 hours, but with a bathroom.  I can’t bring myself to burst her bubble.  I have, however, drilled the notion of sky martials into their towheads.  Scream and the “sky martian” is allowed to open the door at the back of the plane and “fwow you out!”

Parenting 101.  Fear and mild skepticism.

Racing, Travel, Triathlon, weekend

What I did on my summer holiday

Christine Cogger

My summer holiday this year revolved around spectating and supporting at IMC.  Turns out it’s the last one and it did not disapoint.  I was pretty excited when I got the green light to head up a few weeks ago. I was kid-free for the weekend so despite 13+ hours of driving and no sleeping-in, this really did feel like a holiday.

I was excited to support Liz as she had done for me years ago.  To watch the other athletes, to take pictures, to yell and cheer and clap.  I was a bit apprehensive that being around this race would make me sad and ultra-envious that I wasn’t racing and in reality have no plans to “go long” in the near future.  So I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself relieved not to be getting in that water with the other 2500 athletes.  I really did enjoy my day of chasing athletes, riding my bike and eating an ice cream cone when others were feasting on gels and warm, flat coke.  Maybe it was because I am not race fit, or maybe it’s because I’ve lost my racing mojo, I’m not sure.  Either way, I did enjoy my summer holiday immensely.

I loved seeing the families out there supporting their loved ones with silly shirts and signs.  I don’t think I’ve ever really noticed it as much before but it really blew me away how much these people get into.  I hope that when my kids are older that they’ll do something like that for me, if I’m out there again.  You can bet that if any of them do something like this, there will be shirts, banners and signs GALORE.  I don’t care how embarrassed they get!

I’m so proud of Liz for turning her race around after 2 flats.  To be able to put a smile on and enjoy the day when it could have gone entirely the other direction takes a mental fortitude that I’m not sure I possess!  So kudos to you, ST.  You did awesome.  You’ve inspired me to improve while keeping the fun factor high and smiling while I do it.

A few photos to remember the weekend by.