Merry Christmas!!

Rich and I had the most mellow Christmas we have ever had, I think. It was just the two of us, which is unusual. We usually invite over some of our other "orphan" friends for dinner, however, this year, Rich was working and everyone was taken care of somewhere else. Kathy is out of town so she wasnt around either. Actually, it was really nice - very very relaxing and warm. Rich was able to get home from work around 10ish or so, which was lucky. We had a nice breakfast and then opened presents. We'd like to thank our families for all the wonderful goodies! Lots of books to read, snuggly clothes to wear and things to "play" with! We had a blast opening all the great presents! Afterward, I took a nap, Rich read, we did some stuff around the house, took a nap, read, prepped dessert, napped, made dinner.... :-) Actually, it was I that did most of the napping! Like I said, a really mellow Christmas! We cracked open our "crackers" to get our little surprises and our crowns for dinner - even Heat Miser got a crown this year! We had an amzing dinner of filet mignon, with a blue cheese topping and a port reduction sauce... and white chocolate bread pudding with homemade caramel sauce for dessert - of course some very good wine as well. Afterward, we snuggled up on the couch and watched the original, 1973 movie musical of Jesus Christ Superstar - it was awesome! Funny, I saw the lead - Ted Neely in the stage show last year - 35 years after! The snow fell, and fell, and fell, leaving about a foot on our driveway for the morning shoveling. All in all, a wonderful holiday! Rich is still working all weekend, on call, unfortunately, but next week he is off so we can play! :-) Merry Chritmas and Happy New Year to all of you!!

Weekend Fun in the Snow

Lots to do when the snow falls! Although we didnt get up skiing yet we still had a ton of fun without gravity! On Saturday, I attended a skate ski clinic with Rhonda, Andy, Tam and Lara... Rich went, too, but didnt do the clinic - he and his friend Zach did laps around us! Tam and I will be participating in a winter triathlon in which one leg is skate skiing so we thought some instruction would be a good idea. The clinic was put on by the race and was free - great! We also were given water bottles, gel and very nice running hats! I've skated a handful of times before, but am always looking for pointers on technique. With skate skiing, it's all about technique, the better you are the easier it is. Tam, Rhonda and Andy had never tried it before. We had a lot of fun, but it was very cold...mainly because we werent' moving for so much of the instruction. Once we got to do a couple of laps on our own we warmed right up!
On Sunday, Rich needed to do some Christmas errands and swim - it's his only day off this week as he is on call for Christmas and working all week, so........ I couldnt get him up skiing and I didnt want to go by myself. No worries - I called my friend Eli to see if she wanted to play - lucky for me, she was just getting ready to go for a hike up in the foothills behind the University. We had a great hike on and around the Shoreline trail! That's it! Happy Weekend!

How Quickly Things Change

A week after the "perfect bike day" we were cross country skiing up East Canyon. Since then it has been doing nothing but dumping snow... I think we've shoveled a total of about 2 feet off the driveway in the last week! Of course, this is fine with us as we love the winter, especially in SLC. The snow makes the mountains unimaginably beautiful and, of course, is great for skiing! Unfortunately, we havent been up to downhill ski yet - just havent been able to fit it in, looking at going tomorrow - although the high temps are supposed to be ZERO - might not be too bad if the wind is calm. Today, we are heading to Mountain Dell for a skate ski clinic, well, I"m taking it, Rich is just skating as he's already pretty proficient at it. Want a good cardio workout?? Try skate skiing - it's amazingly hard! haha. I've gone about 10 times over the past couple of winters, if I can go more often I think I can get better - I better, as I'm doing a winter triathlon in January which include skate skiing! Yikes!
For those of you who havent been out to visit, I'm putting in some pictures of "where we live". As I was driving home the other day I couldnt resist snapping pictures out my car window (probably not the smartest thing!) because the mountains and the area looked so pretty. It's a great place to be!!
Hope everyone has a great Christmas! More on the holidays later!

Perfect Bike Day

Wow, December 7 and 50 degrees, no snow and great trails!! Somewhat of a different winter this year. Did a 2hr ride on the Bonneville today (with 100 other people), enjoying the great weather. As the forecast is for a maybe, possible, perhaps chance of snow in the valley, maybe the last real ride for a while. Although, until the snow is ready to skate on, I may be riding. Anyway a good relaxing ride, Karen was flying on the way home, just cruising over the terrain, giggling and singing "Weeeeee", "Weeeeee". So, happy biking fora little while longer!!!!

Giving Thanks

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Happy Thanksgiving! We had planned to travel south to camp, as we did last year, but due to inclimate weather we decided to stay home and relax, get some work done around the house and play together. We invited our good friends Tammy and Ian over for dinner, as they are our family away from home here in SLC, with their new 4 month old baby Annika it felt like a real family get together. We cooked up a big turkey and all the trimmings, drank wine, and had some awesome apple pie after a nice long walk around the neighborhood after dinner. It was a perfect evening, even while missing those back in MI and CT. Kathy is in Arizona, so we missed her as well, but she was in our thoughts as we stuffed ourselves silly. :-)

Black Friday took us away from the crowds and on to the trails. Tammy and Ian (and little Annika) joined us for a hike up Grandeur Peak trail. Grandeur Peak is a beautiful trail up the mountain (3 miles up, with 2419 feet elevation gain) in Mill Creek Canyon. We went to the saddle, but it was getting windy and chilly so we decided to head down with the baby. We were only about 400 feet short of the summit, so we had a good haul up still before heading back. It was the perfect option to the insanity at the malls and stores!

Saturday, Rich and I worked on some projects around the house - I'm painting the "art/massage" room and redecorating it - as it was, it was totally uninspiring and I finally decided to take the plunge to re-do it. I'm envisioning a peaceful, Zen space that will be lovely to be in while I paint, or do art projects. I'll post pics when it's done, it was covered in "old man pajamas" wallpaper that just had to go! After stripping off the lasf of the paper, we went for an awesome trail run in East Canyon - 4 miles along a wooded path to the lake and back, although cloudy, it was really pretty in subtle browns and golds.

Today, Sunday, we have patched the room and are waiting for it to dry before priming. Not sure what we'll do for fun... hike? run? bike? :-)
Hope you all had a great weekend as well!

Try a TRI

I jumped. I am now officially a triathlete. Last Saturday I did my first triathlon. It was a mini sprint, meaning very short - good for me due to my lack of swimming ability! haha. Total distance was 3 mile run, 13 mile bike and 250 meter swim. It was a lot of fun. My friend Eli, who talked me into doing it, her husband and I did the race. We went up to Weber State University for a 9:00 a.m. start. It was cold - around 30 degrees, but promising to be a nice day overall, at about 50 or so. The tri was done backward, presumably because of the short swim (which was in the pool), and the cold temps. The run started off with two laps around the track then outside for a good climb up a hill, around the event center and back to the bikes. The bike course was a 3 lap course, with a wicked long, hard climb on the backside. Then, on to the pool for 5 quick laps. I did well, and really enjoyed myself - 13th out of 39 women and third in the 40 - 49 age group. Here are some pictures, but none of them are of us, as none of us brought a camera! These will give you a feel for the day, though. What next? A winter tri (run bike ski), then a sprint distance in March, an Olympic lite (with a trail run) in June, and a full Olympic distance in September....

Women For Women International

I came across this organization in Time Magazine and was profoundly moved by the struggles of women around the world and the mission of Zainab Salbi to try to make a difference. Below is the link to the web site for Women for Women International to learn more. I have decided to become a sponsor. I will get my sponsor kit in about 4 weeks, with the name of my sister, and I cant wait! I am so grateful to be able to do even something so small to make a difference, I wish I could do more. Think about the things that you spend $27 on regularly, wouldnt it be awesome to spend that somewhere that will really have an impact on someone less fortunate than we?

http://www.womenforwomen.org/index.php

What if you can change the course of one woman's life in a war-torn region of the world? Now what if you knew her name?

Women for Women International's Sponsorship program creates a unique experience by building a one-to-one relationship between you and a woman who lives thousands of miles away.

By sponsoring a woman you not only provide her with the financial assistance she needs to get back on her feet but also the hope and emotional support that are the keys to rebuilding her life after war.

What is Sponsorship?

As a sponsor, you will be matched with a woman in a country in which we work. Your monthly contribution will provide her with rights awareness education and job skills training so she can continue to support her family in the future. She will also receive a portion of your contribution in direct aid so she can provide her family with basic necessities.

The Connection is real...you know her name

When you receive your welcome kit, you'll receive the name of the woman you are sponsoring, information about her country of origin and her background information - does she have children, is she married? She learns your name too, because until she is matched with you, she cannot begin the program. So she knows it's your commitment that's given her this opportunity.

The letters

You'll not only know her name, you can exchange letters. In fact, your letters are a powerful tool for helping women in these desperate regions of the world know that there is someone out there who knows of her existence, who actually cared enough to sponsor her and write to her. Many women in our programs have never received a letter addressed to them, so you can't imagine the impact it has on her self-esteem.

Sponsoring a woman can profoundly change your life too

Not only do your monthly donations and your letters help women from war-torn countries, but your connection with them can change your life too. Many sponsors feel they unexpectedly “get” far more than they receive. You’ll be astounded at the strength and courage these women have in the face of so much adversity.

"I thought it was going to be me that did the giving, but I was the one who truly received the gift." - A Sponsor, January 2006

Women for Women International Keeps You Informed

You’ll receive updates on the progress of women in our programs in the Outreach newsletter and in email updates. And to the extent that she's able, you can receive letters in return. Translators in each country work with participants to write letters to their sponsors. Letters are also dictated for the many illiterate women in our programs. In Sudan alone 94% of women cannot read or write. And when you receive notification that your sponsored sister has graduated the year-long program, you’ll know you’ve significantly impacted that one woman’s life, her children’s lives and her community.

What Your Support Means

Each country’s program varies due to economic, political, cultural and religious factors. However, in all countries where we work, your monthly support ensures that your sister receives the following tools and support over the course of her one-year participation:

• Direct aid on a monthly basis in cash.
• Emotional support and encouragement from her trainers, fellow participants and from you, her sponsor.
• Training on leadership, rights awareness and the role of women in society.
• Job skills training applicable to the local economy.
• A network of women to connect with in her community.
• Small business assistance and in some countries Microcedit.
• Access to a variety of other programs, depending on the country or region where your sister lives. These include, for example, literacy training in Kosovo, HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention training in Nigeria, savings and investment counseling in Rwanda and infant care classes in Afghanistan.

Tetons/Yellowstone

Well, I'm late posting, as usual. A couple of weekends ago, Kathy, Amy and I went to the Tetons and Yellowstone for a long weekend. We all had Thursday and Friday off of work and wanted to get outta dodge. Jackson Hole is about 4 and a half hours from here, but probably closer to 5 in the van. Pretty cool - a short days drive to amazing scenery and two national parks. We had beautiful weather - in the 60s, although it was chilly at night, in the mid 30s - comfortable for sleeping but cold for cooking! We had dinner the first night at the Jackson Hole Brew Pub - GREAT food and company - my friend Kevin joined us. Kevin was my and Scott's guide when we climbed the Grand Teton years ago and we have kept in touch since. Kevin is still guiding and is now doing some chef work and soon, ski patrol. The next day we toured and hiked around Grand Teton National Park. Did a hike up into Cascade Canyon, but not too far as the sun was getting low. And then on we went to Yellowstone the next day. Amy had never been there before and we had a blast exploring, and checking out the hot pots and animals. We even saw Old Faithful blow which is a must if you've never seen it before. Home the next day, revitalized and happy. A great trip!

Back on the Horse (er..Monkey)

After 2 weeks of slothliness, I finally got back in the groove this weekend. A run yesterday, along a nice flat road in nice temps and a bike ride today. Feeling that my endurance and fitness from the past year would keep me going, I jumped onto the Monkey and climbed to Scott's pass, then down to sahdow lake and Mid-mountain all the way the the crest connector and then back the crest to Guardsman pass. Had heard a few reports of this route, but never actually done it all together. Had done most of it on various rides, but never did the crest this way. Suffice to say, I am not in the shape I thought I was, two weeks of nothing hurts when you do something and climbing 5700' on a single-speed hurts, especially if you bonk!! You might think that this was a bad experience, but nay!! It actually was a beautiful day (60's, sunny) with little traffic on the midmountain trail, nice to cruise this trail for 12 miles thru the slopes and pines with scattered leaves throughout. Finally, I came to the connector trail from mid-mtn to the crest trail. This is a fairly steep climb. I don't know what hurt more, my back, biceps or quads? After a short time though I was up at the great western/crest junction above millcreek. I think the next climb was the worst. This is where the bonk began to take root. Looking at the garmin and it saying 8900' was not encouraging, as I know the top of puke hill was 10,000'. Not sure I had 1100' feet more of climbing in my legs I nursed every chance I had to rest (giving way to downhill riders!!). After the spine, it all seemed to get better, flowing nicely along the crest, looking at the spires above Solitude all draped in snow, thinking SOON!!!!!! Anyway a quick trip down puke hill to the car, was refreshing and made the ride worth it!! Makes me wonder why I keep chasing the Ironman dream? Anyway, might be the last ride at that height for the year, but good to keep it fresh for early summer, well mid-summer after Ironman.

rk

24 Hours of MOAB

Moab was awesome! Two words: windy and cold. We arrived Friday with something like 20-30 mile an hour winds kicking sand up and blowing it around everywhere. This did not let up until the wee hours on Sunday morning! And of course, it was cold. 30ish at night. So, how was it all? Well....

We arrive on Friday in a number of cars forming a little village of our own in the desert fields. Rich and his brother, Brian, me Tam and Kathy, Tammy's husband and his family (visiting from MI), Libba and Camine (my teammies) and Zach (Rich's Teammie) and his wife, Kate. This was actually the way it was all around, villages of teams setting up for the event, settling in and trying to tolerate the sand blowing all around. It was like a big city plopped down in the middle of the desert. We went into town and had dinner that night, came back and hit the sack, trying to get some sleep, but managing little, mostly due to the wind buffeting the van to and fro. Saturday morning finally came and after loading up on carbs, proteins and coffee we began our preparations for the 24 hours ahead.

A quick rider meeting at 10:30, in the blustering wind with sand and dust blowing like crazy, sometimes nearly blowing Laird around the stage.
THE START: Tammy started for our team. They do a LeMans style start with everyone running down the field, around a pinyon pine tree and back, I suppose to spread people out. Off they went kicking up a good dusting in their wake. Tammy is a super strong rider and finished her first lap in 1:42. Camine took off next, then me, then Libba. We were all under 2 hours our first lap, all is well. Rich and Zach were riding 1:25s - very very fast!

Rich and his partner, Zach, were racing a Duo Pro team. Meaning; only two members, racing against pro teams. The kicker? They were racing on Single Speeds (meaning only one gear!) against the others with geared bikes! These guys are nuts! (Awesome, but nuts!) :-)
THE NIGHT COMES
Then, the night time came, the cold set in and questions of how to dress runs through our heads. Will our lights last? Will I get a flat in the dark? Are there mountain lions in the desert? (haha). I love riding at night. Peaceful, quiet, a little creepy at times... I had issues with what I was wearing and found myself over dressed for the long climb in the beginning, which made me very cold for the rest of the lap due to being sweaty, but I made it. I lost some time stopping and adjusting my clothing along the way. We all finished in about 2.5 hours at night, except for Tam who did 1:52 - and get this - with a regular back up LED camping headlamp - her other light died ONE MILE into her lap! She's a rock star! Rich also had some issues with his lights; his headlight went out and his bar light was pointing strangely off to the right making it quite the challenge to see straight down the trail!

ON my third lap, I was doing really well, time wise, then coming down one gnarly stretch of trail, a steep, rocky, loose descent, this guy passed me, totally out of control and crashed, HARD, right in front of me. Well, of course, I stopped and stayed with him til the EMTs got there. He was pretty messed up. Finally, I'm on my way. With adjusted time I finished my last lap in about 2 hours, same with Libba. Camine, had to bail on her third lap due to a knee injury. Rich and Zach decided to slow down a little (to 2 hours on a couple of laps) to allow themselves more time to recover. Keep in mind, they were taking turns going out approximately every hour and a half! After six laps and some fork issues, Zach called it done, Rich slept for a few hours and did a final lap as well. Then ended up 8th out of 18 pro teams! A job VERY well done!!

THE WRENCH

Brian flew out from the east coast to be both teams mechanic. This is something that is essential, especially for the teo person team. To eat, change, sleep and work on your own bike is not possible in an hour and 20 minutes. He did an awesome job, sticking it out until 4:30am, when everyone else tired out as well. Indispensable!

The Support
And special thanks to Kathy as well. She was our "support" crew. Kathy fixed us food, cleaned up for us, made sure we were drinking, met us after every lap with a warm coat, but most importantly, her enthusiasm and spirit were hugely valuable. Always cheering and encouraging. Also, indispensable!

Well, it was a great experience all in all, I had the best team you could ever imagine and a lot of fun. We all came home tired and happy, ready for a hot shower and a warm bed!