Thursday, August 30, 2007
Shout-out, sunset, and sympathy
It was a tough week to try to come up with three beautiful things...but when I stopped to really think about it, these three things popped into my head at once:
1) On Wednesday morning, as I was cruising home in the final mile of a strong 4-mile run, an ambulance drove past me and a voice boomed out of the loud speaker: "Good Morning, Di!" I have no idea who it was, but the moment brought a huge grin to my face. (Not to mention the 'shout out' that sprite gave me on Monday by naming me a "Rockin' Girl Blogger" - such flattery!)
2) Wednesday evening, as we wrapped up the last few miles of our bike ride, we came down a small rise with a huge corn field to our right just as the sun was starting to dip below the trees. The sky was full of spectacular red and purple streaks, the field was bright green and you could just feel summer clinging desperately to the air. I breathed it in, as deep as I could, savoring it all.
3) The events of Monday prompted friends and family to send an overwhelming number of comments, emails, instant messages, phone calls, cards, chocolates, flowers, treats for our other dog, as well as other gifts, including an amazing drawing of our furry freeloader. We are so grateful for all of the empathy, kindness and compassion. Having such incredible support during such a difficult time has made the loss a little more bearable - thank you so much.
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1) On Wednesday morning, as I was cruising home in the final mile of a strong 4-mile run, an ambulance drove past me and a voice boomed out of the loud speaker: "Good Morning, Di!" I have no idea who it was, but the moment brought a huge grin to my face. (Not to mention the 'shout out' that sprite gave me on Monday by naming me a "Rockin' Girl Blogger" - such flattery!)
2) Wednesday evening, as we wrapped up the last few miles of our bike ride, we came down a small rise with a huge corn field to our right just as the sun was starting to dip below the trees. The sky was full of spectacular red and purple streaks, the field was bright green and you could just feel summer clinging desperately to the air. I breathed it in, as deep as I could, savoring it all.
3) The events of Monday prompted friends and family to send an overwhelming number of comments, emails, instant messages, phone calls, cards, chocolates, flowers, treats for our other dog, as well as other gifts, including an amazing drawing of our furry freeloader. We are so grateful for all of the empathy, kindness and compassion. Having such incredible support during such a difficult time has made the loss a little more bearable - thank you so much.
Monday, August 27, 2007
The Jake-inator
Today was the kind of day that I will never forget, but one that I wish never had to come.We had to say goodbye to our sweet buddy Jake this morning after 9 memory-filled years together. It was a difficult decision, but one that we know in our hearts was the best for him, and certainly not for us. The past two weeks have been torture for all of us, and our only consolation at the moment is that he is no longer suffering.
For the longest time, he was the 'Dog Who Lived' as his stomach of steel defied all odds. His antics are legendary among our friends and family, as well as at the vets office. In an effort to honor his memory today and find a reason to smile, we've come up with a list of just some of the charming things he has done over the years (feel free to add your own if you had the pleasure to know him):
He stole used tissues from the trash...or fresh tissues from the box on the table...or just ate the whole box.
He ate many things other than food...bugs, baby bunnies, geckos, books, eye glasses, baskets, box spring mattress, magazines, gum, an asthma inhaler, and wedding rehearsal cakes (the blue frosting on his head was a tell-tale sign).
He beat up his brother on occasion.
Anytime his butt would touch the tile floor, a little 'poot' could be heard. He always looked surprised, and would look behind him to find the source of the noise.
He and his brother bravely defended me from two Rottweilers one early morning on a walk in AZ.
He escaped from our yard with his brother, got caught by the animal control officer, and got 'Daddy,' the police officer, arrested (because off-leash dogs are a misdemeanor in AZ).
He would come running in to the kitchen whenever he heard someone say 'oops' as he knew that this meant that something (hopefully food!) had been dropped.
He crashed through the open glass door of our entertainment center. Glass went everywhere, but he survived without a single cut.
He crashed through the screen door, more than once.
He got sprayed by a skunk. Twice.
He hid in the closet during thunderstorms.
He was the best snuggler ever, and for our first six years together, he spooned with me every nite. (The first skunk incident ended 'bed privileges.')
He never missed a chance to lick your face, or leg, or hand, or anything that might have one time had food on or near it.
He was the worst howler ever, but he got an A+ for effort.
He was afraid of little dogs and objects from foreign countries: camel chairs, guitars, pottery, etc.
He never quite learned that toads are poisonous.
He once ran around the yard with a 'binky' in his mouth that he had stolen from our unsuspecting nephew.
He could sit and stare at the 'treat jar' for hours.
You could set your watch by his stomach...he always knew when it was time for breakfast (6:00 a.m.) or dinner (6:00 p.m.) and he would NEVER let you forget.
The space he has left in our hearts feels ginormous right now, and we know that with time comes healing. We miss you Jakers. Thanks for being such a good boy and such an amazing companion.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Steeple chasing, raw runners and family visits
Three beautiful things from this past week:
1. Despite very windy and cool conditions on Saturday, I joined my stepfather David, and my triathlon friend Joan for the annual Steeplechase. The church-to-church (steeples...get it?) biking event/fundraiser has three distances to choose from: 20, 50 and 100 miles. We opted for the 50- *and* the 20- mile routes, and wound up with about 72 miles for the day. The highlight of the day was easily the Holy Cow Family Shelter which was a rest stop in a small pasture...complete with three cows. This rest stop won HANDS DOWN for the best food. Fresh brewed iced tea and delicious home-baked energy bars. We happily stopped there twice.
2. I came across this news item in our local newspaper, The Hartford Courant "...runners are baring all for a calendar whose proceeds will benefit theFruit Tree Planting Foundation, a charity dedicated to planting fruit trees to benefit communities, especially the needy, and improve the surrounding air, soil and water." Luckily, there's a website: http://www.runnersintheraw.com/. This just made me smile.
3. An unfortunate family circumstance brought my father back to CT from AZ for a visit. I haven't seen him in three years, and I think we really enjoyed our time together (even if he did have to see me in the Emergency Room for part of it!). I think this picture captures it:
(You might recognize him. He's that random guy who will start talking to you when you are line together waiting to buy groceries.)
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1. Despite very windy and cool conditions on Saturday, I joined my stepfather David, and my triathlon friend Joan for the annual Steeplechase. The church-to-church (steeples...get it?) biking event/fundraiser has three distances to choose from: 20, 50 and 100 miles. We opted for the 50- *and* the 20- mile routes, and wound up with about 72 miles for the day. The highlight of the day was easily the Holy Cow Family Shelter which was a rest stop in a small pasture...complete with three cows. This rest stop won HANDS DOWN for the best food. Fresh brewed iced tea and delicious home-baked energy bars. We happily stopped there twice.
2. I came across this news item in our local newspaper, The Hartford Courant "...runners are baring all for a calendar whose proceeds will benefit theFruit Tree Planting Foundation, a charity dedicated to planting fruit trees to benefit communities, especially the needy, and improve the surrounding air, soil and water." Luckily, there's a website: http://www.runnersintheraw.com/. This just made me smile.
3. An unfortunate family circumstance brought my father back to CT from AZ for a visit. I haven't seen him in three years, and I think we really enjoyed our time together (even if he did have to see me in the Emergency Room for part of it!). I think this picture captures it:
(You might recognize him. He's that random guy who will start talking to you when you are line together waiting to buy groceries.)
Friday, August 17, 2007
Maybe I'm a Mutant....
Can you believe the difference? It hasn't even been a week...and actually, I pretty much looked this way yesterday too. If you click on the picture, for larger than life age-revealing detail, you can see that I am a little yellow around the chin and eyes. The weird part is that no bruises showed up prior to the yellow color (except for that chin-strap line).I'm not sure how well my arm will tolerate my long ride tomorrow, but I've got ice and Advil in the plan so that should help.
I wish you all a wonderful, adventure filled weekend!
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Community, Calvin and the Amazing Body
I have a lot of things to appreciate this week...the most beautiful ones are:
1) I still become emotionally overwhelmed when I think back to Saturday's excitement, and recall the comfort and caring I felt from my biking club. I already felt fortunate to be surrounded by folks who were willing to offer guidance to a newbie like me. But now, I am also incredibly grateful for their ability to handle a crisis with calm and grace. The fact that my stepfather is a member of this group, and happily brought me in to the fold, only makes it better. If you are not a member of a running, biking or triathlon club/group...either sign up tomorrow or create one of your own. The sense of community is the biggest reward.
2) A sweet Golden Retriever named Calvin kindly donated a liter of blood this week in order to save my dog's life. Last Friday, we left Jake at our vets office, not knowing if he would ever be coming home again. We've ridden the "medical roller coaster" all week, and after a blood transfusion from Calvin, the doctor decided that Jake could come home. He's not healthy yet and his future is still uncertain, but at least he's home (thanks to Calvin) and we're all wagging our tails.
3) My recovery has been quite astounding - I must have my mother's 'bionic woman' genes. My face *almost* looks like 'normal' and the road rash on my right arm is shrinking and scabbing (eewww). Each day, my left arm is less sore. My biker-friend Fran shared some homeopathic remedies with me, and although that's not a path I usually follow, I completely trusted her recommendations and thought "Why not?" The human body has this incredible ability to heal itself and the remedies really helped that along. In the ER, I was told that I would feel even worse the day AFTER the crash...but I didn't. I thought I'd have ugly bruises in all the spots that slammed into the pavement...but I didn't. The scabs on my face were completely gone by yesterday. I'm stunned, really.
In celebration...I ran 4 glorious, wonderful miles this morning and then 'got back on the horse/bike' after work. I was a nervous Nellie at first, but by the end of the 12.90 miles, I was starting to feel more comfortable. It will take some time to rebuild that confidence, but with all the support I have, I don't think it will be a problem. Besides, I have a 70+ mile ride on Saturday...plenty of time for confidence boosting!
Seriously though...a quarter mile in to the ride tonight...and I do this:
Stop the madness, I say.
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1) I still become emotionally overwhelmed when I think back to Saturday's excitement, and recall the comfort and caring I felt from my biking club. I already felt fortunate to be surrounded by folks who were willing to offer guidance to a newbie like me. But now, I am also incredibly grateful for their ability to handle a crisis with calm and grace. The fact that my stepfather is a member of this group, and happily brought me in to the fold, only makes it better. If you are not a member of a running, biking or triathlon club/group...either sign up tomorrow or create one of your own. The sense of community is the biggest reward.
2) A sweet Golden Retriever named Calvin kindly donated a liter of blood this week in order to save my dog's life. Last Friday, we left Jake at our vets office, not knowing if he would ever be coming home again. We've ridden the "medical roller coaster" all week, and after a blood transfusion from Calvin, the doctor decided that Jake could come home. He's not healthy yet and his future is still uncertain, but at least he's home (thanks to Calvin) and we're all wagging our tails.
3) My recovery has been quite astounding - I must have my mother's 'bionic woman' genes. My face *almost* looks like 'normal' and the road rash on my right arm is shrinking and scabbing (eewww). Each day, my left arm is less sore. My biker-friend Fran shared some homeopathic remedies with me, and although that's not a path I usually follow, I completely trusted her recommendations and thought "Why not?" The human body has this incredible ability to heal itself and the remedies really helped that along. In the ER, I was told that I would feel even worse the day AFTER the crash...but I didn't. I thought I'd have ugly bruises in all the spots that slammed into the pavement...but I didn't. The scabs on my face were completely gone by yesterday. I'm stunned, really.
In celebration...I ran 4 glorious, wonderful miles this morning and then 'got back on the horse/bike' after work. I was a nervous Nellie at first, but by the end of the 12.90 miles, I was starting to feel more comfortable. It will take some time to rebuild that confidence, but with all the support I have, I don't think it will be a problem. Besides, I have a 70+ mile ride on Saturday...plenty of time for confidence boosting!
Seriously though...a quarter mile in to the ride tonight...and I do this:
Stop the madness, I say.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Top Ten Reasons for The Crash
After careful consideration and a healthy application of my analytical skills, I have determined the cause(s) of The Crash (because acorns and arm-warmer-removal just seems lame):
Top Ten Reasons Why I Slid Across The Road on My Face:
10) There were 13 riders in our group. We were jinxed from the start.
9) I wanted to make sure the A-riders didn't get to have all the summer crash stories. The B-group deserved a story of their own. (I needed my own personal "war story." This rivals running in the Boston marathon during the 'nor'easter.')
8) I've always wanted to ride in an ambulance!
7) It was a little cool that morning (about 55F) and I thought we needed an extra 30 minutes to let the world warm up before the ride continued.
6) We were running late and left for the ride without saying goodbye to Mom, so she didn't get a chance to hug us and tell us to have a safe ride like she always does. (Boy, was she mad at us later!)
5) I thought an injury to my arm would be a good way to learn more about it for school.
4) I hadn't managed to get my chain ring tattoo yet so I thought I should end the ride before I got one.
3) I thought this would be a good way for the rest of the bike club to get to know me better.
2) When I read the bike manual, I thought it said that I should use my "chin" to stop my bike. But I think it might have said "brakes." I'll try that next time.
And the number one reason for The Crash:
Because there's just not enough drama in my life.
Status report: I'm on the mend. When people see my face and react in horror, I am quick to point out that it looks worse than it feels. For that, I am very grateful. The biggest concern remains my very sore left arm, which I think I must have used to break my fall. I'll keep resting for another day or so, but I need to get back on the bike to quell my nerves before I psyche myself out (You know, that whole 'get back on the horse' mentality). Not to mention, I have plans for a big ride this weekend, and the New Haven Road Race 20K is three weeks away!
A huge thank you to everyone for the comments, emails, phone calls and visits. If I had known how much attention I would get from a bike crash, I would have done this a lot sooner. (KIDDING).
For your queasy entertainment, here are a few pictures of my recovery:
The first picture is from about 24 hours post-crash. The rest were from today.
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Top Ten Reasons Why I Slid Across The Road on My Face:
10) There were 13 riders in our group. We were jinxed from the start.
9) I wanted to make sure the A-riders didn't get to have all the summer crash stories. The B-group deserved a story of their own. (I needed my own personal "war story." This rivals running in the Boston marathon during the 'nor'easter.')
8) I've always wanted to ride in an ambulance!
7) It was a little cool that morning (about 55F) and I thought we needed an extra 30 minutes to let the world warm up before the ride continued.
6) We were running late and left for the ride without saying goodbye to Mom, so she didn't get a chance to hug us and tell us to have a safe ride like she always does. (Boy, was she mad at us later!)
5) I thought an injury to my arm would be a good way to learn more about it for school.
4) I hadn't managed to get my chain ring tattoo yet so I thought I should end the ride before I got one.
3) I thought this would be a good way for the rest of the bike club to get to know me better.
2) When I read the bike manual, I thought it said that I should use my "chin" to stop my bike. But I think it might have said "brakes." I'll try that next time.
And the number one reason for The Crash:
Because there's just not enough drama in my life.
Status report: I'm on the mend. When people see my face and react in horror, I am quick to point out that it looks worse than it feels. For that, I am very grateful. The biggest concern remains my very sore left arm, which I think I must have used to break my fall. I'll keep resting for another day or so, but I need to get back on the bike to quell my nerves before I psyche myself out (You know, that whole 'get back on the horse' mentality). Not to mention, I have plans for a big ride this weekend, and the New Haven Road Race 20K is three weeks away!
A huge thank you to everyone for the comments, emails, phone calls and visits. If I had known how much attention I would get from a bike crash, I would have done this a lot sooner. (KIDDING).
For your queasy entertainment, here are a few pictures of my recovery:
The first picture is from about 24 hours post-crash. The rest were from today.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Crash Gordon
Just in case you were wondering...apparently, I am unable to ride my bike downhill through acorns and take my arm warmers off at the same time. When I *do* try to that, it seems that I need to use my face in order to stop.
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And let me just say that this picture does not do the injuries justice. My chin rivals Jay Leno's. Plus, there's the bright pink road rash on my right arm; some road rash on my left thigh and ankle bone; and my left arm is so sore I am having trouble twisting it. But. I'm OK. Nothing is broken, and I only had trouble remembering what year it was for a few minutes while riding in the ambulance. To the emergency room.
Oh yeah. I don't mess around. If I'm going to crash, it has to be spectacular.
Aside from all of the physical discomfort, with a bit of a blow to my pride, my biggest response to this has been emotional. My stepfather was the first one to my side when I crashed, quickly followed by Fran and other club members. I cannot even imagine what it must have been like for my stepfather to see my face down on the pavement. And feeling their comforting touches is something I will never forget.
Not for one minute did I wonder about what would happen to me, as I just knew that this incredible group of people would take care of me. I wasn't worried at all about anything. I knew I was in safe hands, and I was so grateful to be involved with the bike club. (Later on, when I was reflecting about this to my stepfather, I got all choked up.)
Within minutes, the ambulance was on it's way and arrangements were being made for moving and storing our bikes (since my stepfather was coming with me, there would be two bikes without riders. Luckily, we were just around the corner from one rider's house). It all felt so surreal.
I felt terrible about messing up the ride, and in between cussing (alotof f-bombs, from what I hear), I also kept apologizing. It was the absolute PERFECT day for a ride, and I was holding everyone up because of my stupidity. My stepfather was missing out on a great ride. To add insult to injury, I had been feeling really strong and ready to attack some hills. And, the look on my mom's face when she saw me come back from the ER just broke my heart. (Let's not even get in to all the other problems I caused...like my husband missing out on an event he was looking forward to...sigh.)
One of the things that had kept me off the bike for so long had been my concern about crashing and then not being able to run. Looks like I get to jump over that hurdle now too. I am seriously being tested by the universe these days. I learned many valuable lessons today, and the biggest one of all is that we're better off when we're not alone.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Mountains, hills and trails
Three beautiful things from last week:
1) My friend Rudi rode the Mountain Mama Road Bike Challenge last week, covering 100.6 miles and 13,720 feet of climbing in six hours. Not only is Rudi one of my top 'go-to-guys' for all things cycling, he's also a kick-ass rider that inspires newbies like me.
2) The Saturday group riders tackled the hills that almost beat me when I last rode them about a month ago. We had hot and humid conditions which provided an extra challenge, but my red-faced effort was worth it when I realized that I had ridden faster and stronger this time around. (I rewarded myself with a two hour nap.)
3) Twice this week, I ventured out onto the trails for the first time in months. I opted for the gentle rail trail for part of my long run on Sunday, and it was the perfect way to get reacquainted with trail running. I cursed my loss of muscle strength as my ankles flopped all over the place, but it was wonderful to run under the trees, with nothing but the sounds of nature to keep me company. That same evening, I watched the movie 'The Runner' (a gift from my coach) which left me absolutely aching to get out onto more substantial trails.
I obliged that ache tonight by running through one of my favorite places, Mansfield Hollow. I took the 'mountain bike route' (as I like to call it, in my head) and thought fondly of my WAC runner-friends when I stopped to spit over the side of the bridge (it's a tradition, don't judge). It was a tough run for me - needed a Gu at mile 2 - but it was worth every ankle turn, bug bite and swallowed gnat. A treadmill could never leave me feeling as alive as a trail run!
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1) My friend Rudi rode the Mountain Mama Road Bike Challenge last week, covering 100.6 miles and 13,720 feet of climbing in six hours. Not only is Rudi one of my top 'go-to-guys' for all things cycling, he's also a kick-ass rider that inspires newbies like me.
2) The Saturday group riders tackled the hills that almost beat me when I last rode them about a month ago. We had hot and humid conditions which provided an extra challenge, but my red-faced effort was worth it when I realized that I had ridden faster and stronger this time around. (I rewarded myself with a two hour nap.)
3) Twice this week, I ventured out onto the trails for the first time in months. I opted for the gentle rail trail for part of my long run on Sunday, and it was the perfect way to get reacquainted with trail running. I cursed my loss of muscle strength as my ankles flopped all over the place, but it was wonderful to run under the trees, with nothing but the sounds of nature to keep me company. That same evening, I watched the movie 'The Runner' (a gift from my coach) which left me absolutely aching to get out onto more substantial trails.
I obliged that ache tonight by running through one of my favorite places, Mansfield Hollow. I took the 'mountain bike route' (as I like to call it, in my head) and thought fondly of my WAC runner-friends when I stopped to spit over the side of the bridge (it's a tradition, don't judge). It was a tough run for me - needed a Gu at mile 2 - but it was worth every ankle turn, bug bite and swallowed gnat. A treadmill could never leave me feeling as alive as a trail run!
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
New Rad Tattoo
No, that is not a new tattoo (although it would make a cool one!).And no, the chain ring on my bicycle did not try to eat my calf muscle. Let me explain.
For the uninitiated, I use something called 'clipless' pedals on my bike. Loosely defined, that means I wear special shoes with a cleat on the bottom that attaches directly to a special pedal. In other words, my feet are physically locked to the bike. I have to turn my foot slightly to become 'unlocked' which is also called 'clipping out.' (Let's not get in to the semantics of the term 'clipless' here. I know it doesn't make sense. Just smile and nod.)
Instinctively, I have always 'clipped out' of my right-side pedal first when coming to a stop. For reasons unknown, that is the side that my body prefers to lean to when waiting at an intersection. When I ride with the group, I notice that about 70% of riders clip out on the left side first - leaving me in the minority.
The picture above should be explanation enough as to why more people lean to the left. Inevitably, at some point during the ride, I will lean the bike up against my leg. Viola! Instant tattoo. On particularly fun days, I will do it more than once, creating intriguing patterns like the one in the picture.
I do this with such regularity, that it has become something of a joke amongst my fellow group riders. One rider even went so far as to walk his bike up to my right leg and tap my calf with his chain ring. His reason for this? So I would be 'balanced' with tattoos on both sides. (He's an engineer. Enough said.)
Last week, I really set the bar low for myself. I rode a whole THIRD of a mile (.30) to my parent's house to pick up my stepfather, and while I was waiting for him at the the top of his driveway...I earned my first tattoo of the day. The ride hadn't even technically started yet. It wasn't even 8:00 a.m. Sigh.
We all have to be good at something, right? I'm predictable, if nothing else.
Friday, August 03, 2007
Triathletes, pace lines, and solid numbers
1) Five of the strongest, coolest women I know toed the line for their first triathlon last weekend and each one of them kicked some major butt! Hearty congratulations to Beth, Deb, Sharon, Tracy, and Fran!
2) During the Saturday group ride, the ride leader was not only nice enough to stick with the two slower riders at the back of the pack (A-hem. I would be one of them.) but he also took the time to show us how to ride in a "pace line." We were on the perfect stretch of road to practice being the lead bike, setting a steady pace and then moving over to the left in order to drift back and pull in at the back of the line. THEN! When the group was all back together, we practiced DOUBLE pace lines. It was awesome!
3) Last week the Running Chick log book saw 106 miles of biking and 23 miles of running, not to mention two yoga classes. Woo hoo!!
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2) During the Saturday group ride, the ride leader was not only nice enough to stick with the two slower riders at the back of the pack (A-hem. I would be one of them.) but he also took the time to show us how to ride in a "pace line." We were on the perfect stretch of road to practice being the lead bike, setting a steady pace and then moving over to the left in order to drift back and pull in at the back of the line. THEN! When the group was all back together, we practiced DOUBLE pace lines. It was awesome!
3) Last week the Running Chick log book saw 106 miles of biking and 23 miles of running, not to mention two yoga classes. Woo hoo!!
