Sauder Village II

Pittsford Wildcat Cross Country 5K

I ran the Pittsford Wildcats Cross Country 5K on Saturday. I have only photographed cross country on this course. I have never run on it.

I ran a warm up on the course before the race started. The first thing I noticed was all of the hills and very long inclines. I decided that I would just make a go of it and try my best.

When the gun went off, I found myself near the back of the pack. I was able to use my speed coming off the first huge downhill and started to pass runners. At the start of the race was the only time people passed me. No one else passed me for the rest of the race.

My goal before the first mile was to pass the group ahead of me. In the group was a guy, woman, teen girl and teen boy. I ended up passing all of them. I even passed some of them while running uphill. I ran my first mile in 8:59. Which I thought wasn't bad considering the hilly cross country course.

For the second mile, I had a group in front of me. The group included a couple of boys, girls, guys and a woman. I used the flat part of the course to increase my speed and go faster. But mile two did have its share of hills and long inclines. I worked hard and used my arms while running uphill. I caught two girls before reaching the mile marker 2. I passed the second mile in 9:18. I was slowing down. I knew where I lost time. It was back on the hills and the long inclines.

After reaching mile two, there were two teen boys and a woman ahead of me. I wanted to pass all of them before the end of the race. The boys were closer to me then the woman. My immediate goal was to catch them. I ended up catching up to one of the boys. I followed him for a while and finally passed him on a curve on the course. I tried my hardest to catch the other teen and the woman, but the final hill on the course got me. The course ended with a huge uphill and I lost time to both of them.

I was pleased with my effort on the cross country course. I didn't expect all of the hills and inclines. I did the best that I could. I finished the 5K in 28:24:24 and placed first in my age group. They awarded medals to the top five runners in each age group. I was excited to find out that I topped four other women to win my age group.

I think I will run this race again next year. Pittsford has a nice course and I want to run better on the hills and inclines. Now that I know what to expect when running on that course, I hope to lower my time next year.

Miles run in 2011

At the beginning of the year, I didn't expect this at all. I have already run over 3000 miles and it is only August.

My New Year's goals included continuing to run 80 mile weeks. Which I have done. Another goal was to push myself and increase to 90/100 mile weeks. That has also been done. A lot . I only wanted to reach that a couple of times this year. I said that because I was unsure if I could actually run that many miles in a week. But I know I can. And I do it week after week.

The year 2011 is already half over. It has been a great running year for me. I will be running my first ultra in just over a month. I'm really looking forward to the new challenge.

2011: 3096.3

2010: 1483.4

2009: 656.6

2008: 643.2

2007: 329.6

2006: 308.9

2005: 223.8

2004: 191.4

Ann Arbor

My husband and I enjoyed our day trip to Sauder Village last that we are doing it again. This time we are heading north to Ann Arbor.

My husband and I don't go to Ann Arbor very often. It is about 40 minutes away from our home. When we go out of town, we usually head to Toledo, Ohio. Toledo is actually closer to our home, but we know Toledo better then Ann Arbor. It seems like it would be the other way around since Ann Arbor is in the state I live in.

We are going to the University of Michigan Museum of Art, University of Michigan Bookstore and Graffiti Alley. We may also walk around campus and stop at other locations. Nothing has been set in stone yet, except for the first three places. I haven't been on campus, besides the track building, in years. I'm not sure when the last time my husband was on the campus. I picked the museum because I want to see a contemporary Chinese woodblock exhibit and other fine works of art. The bookstore made the list because I love books and I would like to shop for some new Michigan clothing. Graffiti Alley had been on my list of places to go to for years. I love graffiti and a whole alley dedicated to it.

Should be another fun day trip.

Books read in 2011

I'm currently reading some library books. I have noticed that people like to bend corners and pages, write in them or tear out pages. I just finished reading My Story by Sarah Ferguson. Someone thought it would be a good idea to change York to Pork. It was done several times in the book. Another reader obviously didn't like it. They got some Wite-Out and went over the changed letter. When it dried, a Y was written. It saddens me that an adult did that. Can't they be mature enough to not write in a library book?

The Laughing Corpse, Laurell K. Hamilton
Circus of the Damned, Laurell K. Hamilton
The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening and The Struggle, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: The Fury and Dark Reunion, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Nightfall, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries: Origins, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries: Bloodlust, L.J. Smith
Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner, Dean Karnazes
The Kennedy Detail, Gerald Blaine with Lisa McCubbin
The Kennedy Assassination: 24 Hours After, Steven M Gillon
50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathon in 50 Days, Dean Karnazes
The Brotherhood: A Precinct 11 Novel, Jerry B. Jenkins
127 Hours, Aron Ralston
JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters, James W. Douglass
My Life on the Run, Bart Yasso
On the Trail of the JFK Assassins, Dick Russell
Run!: 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss, Dean Karnazes
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Steig Larsson
Second Wind: One Woman's Midlife Quest to Run Seven Marathons on Seven Continents, Cami Ostman
The Scarpetta Factor, Patricia Cornwell
Dual in the Sun: Alberto Salazar, Dick Beardsley and America's Greatest Marathon, John Brant
Born to Run, Christopher McDougall
Iron Heart, Brian Boyle
Running With Joy: My Daily Journey to the Marathon, Ryan Hall
Scarpetta, Patricia Cornwell
Predator, Patricia Cornwell
Port Mortuary, Patricia Cornwell
Relentless Forward Progress: A Guide to Running Ultramarathons, Ryan Powell & Eric Grossman
Running on Empty: An Ultramarathoner's Story of Love, Loss and a Record-Setting Run, Marshall Ulrich
I'm Here to Win, Chris McCormack
Book of the Dead, Patricia Cornwell
The Extra Mile: One Woman's Personal Journey to Ultra-Running Greatness, Pam Reed
The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins
Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins
Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins
The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Shadow Souls, L.J. Smith
William and Kate: The Love Story, Christopher Andersen
Reading Jackie: Her Autobiography in Books, William Kuhn
My Story, Sarah Ferguson

Currently Reading: The Diana Chronicles, Tina Brown
Up Next: Diana and Jackie: Maidens, Mothers, Myths, Jay Mulvaney

Community Day 5K

Before the race, the race director said to me that this was a PR course. He asked me if I was going to get one today. I told him, "I'll try."

When the race was started, I found myself going slower then normal. I don't know why I was doing that. I asked myself, "What am I doing?" After that, I picked up my pace. I started passing runners around the half mile.

I was running a fast pace and holding it. Times were being yelled out at the mile. I passed in 7:59. My goal for the second mile was to pass the two women in front of me. I started to reel both of them in. I passed both of them before hitting 1.5 miles. My next targets was a couple of boys and teens. I keep steady and I was getting closer to them. I passed them after crossing the two mile mark in 16:24.

My goal for the last mile was to hold my pace until the end. If I could do that, I would have a new 5K PR. Just ahead of me was a guy and another teen. I caught up to and passed the guy. The teen wasn't as easy. I ran behind the teen for a while. We turned left around a corner and he stayed on the right side of the road. I headed to the left side of the road. I was ahead of him until we started up a incline. It was then I heard many footsteps behind me. I didn't turn around for I knew the group I passed around two miles was coming to get me.

The group of 4-5 passed me with .25 miles to go. I was hanging with them until they found another gear. I couldn't keep up with them. I let them go. I finished the 5K in 25:45:74. I was 45 seconds off of a PR. I was 30th overall out of 94 or 95 runners and finished third in my age group. Even though I didn't get a PR, I was still pleased with the 5K. I was very happy with the way I ran the first 2.5 miles of the race. I want to be able to hold onto that pace for the last half mile of the race. That is something I will definitely keep working on.

Sauder Village

Sauder Village is located in Archbold, Ohio. It was about a 45 minute drive from my home in Michigan.

My husband and I enjoyed walking around the historic village. The building I most enjoyed was the W.O Taylor Printing Office. Inside the printing office, it housed the "Archbold Herald", the community's first newspaper. I loved see the hand press and the linotype. My favorite was the backwards words and letters. I work at a newspaper and we have the latest technology. It was nice to see how far the newspaper business has come.

Day trip

No work for me today. I have three weeks of vacation left this year. I took today off. It is just a nice three day weekend.

Besides sleeping in and running, I actually have something planned. My husband and I will be traveling to the Historic Sauder Village in Archbold, Ohio. The last time I was there was in fourth grade. I really don't remember too much about it, except for the gift shop. Sauder Village is a living-history village. It shows how life was in the late 19th and early 20th century in northwest Ohio.

It should be a fun time.

Sarah

I was reading the book William and Kate: The Love Story by Christopher Andersen a few weeks ago. In the last few pages of the book it mentioned Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York. The blurb mentioned that she was going to have a show on the Oprah Winfrey Network, OWN, in June 2011. The show was called, Finding Sarah.

Reading that sentence, piqued my interest. I really didn't know that much about Sarah. Sarah married Prince Andrew when I was almost 7 years old. I vaguely remember their wedding. In 1996, Prince Andrew and Sarah divorced. They had two daughters during their marriage, Beatrice and Eugenie. Probably what I remember about her most was she was a spokesperson for Weight Watchers.

I did a search on the TV and found the show Finding Sarah. I DVR'd all six hour episodes. I found out that so much has gone on in her life. The biggest scandal was when she was caught by a newspaper reporter selling access to her former husband Prince Andrew for $40,000. Sarah is trying to rebuild her life after the scandal.

The six part series, follows Sarah as she changes her life. Over the course of the series, she receives help from Dr. Phil McGraw, Suze Orman, a shamn and a horse whisperer. Besides receiving help mentally, she also gets physical help also. Sarah wanted to get back into shape and agreed to do a 26 mile trek in Yellowknife, Canada with a trainer.

Throughout the six part series, the viewer can see the changes in her. The Duchess has come to terms with her past failures, family issues, scandals. After all of it, she looks at herself differently and has a better self worth. I enjoyed the series. It was a wonderful journey for Sarah and the viewer can see the changes in her. I hope she continues to have a positive outlook on life and to do what's best for herself.

Kindle

My sister stopped by my house Saturday to drop off a birthday card for me. Inside the card was a gift certificate to Amazon. She said I could use the money towards a Kindle or books, whatever I wanted.

I think I want a Kindle. The problem is I won't be able to purchase one right away. I need to save some money to pay for the rest of it. I think I'm still on the fence about it. I should probably buy it because I read a ton of books. Buying many hardcover books isn't cheap. If I bought the Kindle, eBooks are cheaper in most cases. I wouldn't have another stack of books in my office that I would donate to the library in a year or two. On the other hand, I do like holding a book in my hands. I still enjoy going to the library. I know I wouldn't have to give up the library. I probably wouldn't have to give up buying books. With Borders going out of business, my book purchases will probably drop some.

GRRR! I know I'll figure out what I'm going to do soon. It is just that a Kindle is a big investment. I just want to make sure it is the best decision for me.

Books read in 2011

Last Friday was the first time all year that I been to the local library. What brought me back to the library was the box of books I donated. When I walked up to the desk with a huge box, the librarian said with a smile, "This isn't the post office." I thought that was a cute joke. She was pleased to receive the donation.

Besides dropping off the donated books, I needed something to read. I mentioned last week giving up on a book after only reading a chapter. I looked in the young adult section first and nothing caught my eye. Then I headed upstairs to the younger children's books looking for Harry Potter. I found the shelf where the Harry Potter books where and they were cleaned out. The only Harry Potter book left on the shelf was book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. That doesn't do me any good when you want to read the series from the beginning. So I went back downstairs to my original love: biographies.

I found several books quickly. The books I put in my library bag where about my favorite people to read about: Jackie Kennedy, Princess Diana and my new favorite Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. I checked out only five books. They are due back on August 25. I'm sure I'll finish them in plenty of time.

The Laughing Corpse, Laurell K. Hamilton
Circus of the Damned, Laurell K. Hamilton
The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening and The Struggle, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: The Fury and Dark Reunion, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Nightfall, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries: Origins, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries: Bloodlust, L.J. Smith
Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner, Dean Karnazes
The Kennedy Detail, Gerald Blaine with Lisa McCubbin
The Kennedy Assassination: 24 Hours After, Steven M Gillon
50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathon in 50 Days, Dean Karnazes
The Brotherhood: A Precinct 11 Novel, Jerry B. Jenkins
127 Hours, Aron Ralston
JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters, James W. Douglass
My Life on the Run, Bart Yasso
On the Trail of the JFK Assassins, Dick Russell
Run!: 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss, Dean Karnazes
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Steig Larsson
Second Wind: One Woman's Midlife Quest to Run Seven Marathons on Seven Continents, Cami Ostman
The Scarpetta Factor, Patricia Cornwell
Dual in the Sun: Alberto Salazar, Dick Beardsley and America's Greatest Marathon, John Brant
Born to Run, Christopher McDougall
Iron Heart, Brian Boyle
Running With Joy: My Daily Journey to the Marathon, Ryan Hall
Scarpetta, Patricia Cornwell
Predator, Patricia Cornwell
Port Mortuary, Patricia Cornwell
Relentless Forward Progress: A Guide to Running Ultramarathons, Ryan Powell & Eric Grossman
Running on Empty: An Ultramarathoner's Story of Love, Loss and a Record-Setting Run, Marshall Ulrich
I'm Here to Win, Chris McCormack
Book of the Dead, Patricia Cornwell
The Extra Mile: One Woman's Personal Journey to Ultra-Running Greatness, Pam Reed
The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins
Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins
Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins
The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Shadow Souls, L.J. Smith
William and Kate: The Love Story, Christopher Andersen

Currently Reading: Reading Jackie: Her Autobiography in Books, William Kuhn
Up Next: My Story, Sarah Ferguson

Weekend update

Since I didn't have a race Saturday morning, I decided to take a rest day. I shocked my husband when I said I wasn't planning on running. He said that it was weird because I usually run. Taking the day off of running, let me do some other things.

After picking up a few items at the grocery store, I watched the movie Love Actually. I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked this movie. The huge cast was mainly British actors in the leading roles, except for Laura Linney. This movie is about love shown through ten different storylines. What really made it interesting is how some of these characters interacted with other characters from the movie. Some where friends, co-workers and family. The movie flowed well and connected everything. The character I enjoyed the most was Rufus. Rufus was only a minor character, but he was played by Rowan Atkinson. Rowan Atkinson is well known for his role as Mr. Bean. Atkinson played the role of a jewelery salesman who can't wrap a gift fast enough for Alan Rickman.

I was a little confused at the end of the movie. Most of the characters are meeting loved ones at Heathrow Airport. Alan Rickman just got back from a flight alone. He is met by his wife, played by Emma Thompson. Alan and Emma's characters kissed each other on the cheeck. They didn't look too in love to me. I had to Google it to make sure they were still together. I guess the movie could have made it more clear. Yes, I'm a nerd.

I woke up with my husband's alarm on Sunday morning. After he went to work, I ran 20 miles. I could have probably run a couple more miles, but I thought 122 miles run for the week was enough. I can always run more this week. After my run, I read and took a short nap before going to my niece's birthday party.

My niece turned three on Sunday. My sister hosted a lunch for family for the occasion. My niece blew out her candles on her cake after lunch. My sister gave her a piece of cake. She said she didn't want it. It didn't go to waste. I ate it. That cake was very light, fluffy and delicious. I can never turn down cake. I bought my niece a Beanie Baby lion named Midas. I bought it because it is something that I thought was cute and I actually wanted it for myself. Yes, I'm 32 and I still have stuffed animals. #Nerd.

I didn't go big with her present because I knew my brother and sisters would do that. My niece got many gifts. When she was opening them, it looked like Christmas. My brother-in-law, my niece's dad, said "she's not spoiled" in a sarcastic way. Everyone spoils them. She loved all of her gifts. She couldn't decided to play with first. My sister, her mom, bought her some Disney princess glamour shoes. It was a 4-pack. Once the box was opened, my niece tried on all of them. She decided to wear the blue pair. She looked so fancy in her heels.

It was a nice and relaxing weekend. Spent time watching a movie, reading, running and seeing family. I wish I had more of these weekends to enjoy.

Books

I cleaned my home office the other day. I had empty boxes and piles of books sitting around. I wanted to get rid of the pile of books and clear my bookshelves. I grabbed a huge box and started pulling books off the shelf. I ended up taking 33 books off the shelf. I wrote down the name of the book and how much it cost, for tax purposes. This big box went to the library as a donation. I know I would never read these 33 books again. I figured someone else might like them and they may be read again.

I started reading a book a few days ago. I read the first chapter. It was difficult to concentrate on the words. I had no interest in it whatsoever. It was a struggle to read the 12 pages. I continued to chapter 2. I read a paragraph and stopped. There was no point in continuing to read. I've read enough books in my life to know when I won't like it. I pulled out my bookmark and closed the book.

I had another book by the same author in my pile of books to read. I decided to skip that book as well. I read a couple of the author's books before. They were given to me as a gift from my sister. They were OK books, but not really my taste. I read them because they were a gift and I wanted something to read.

The book that I gave up on and the book I decided to skip made their way into the donation box. The library now has 35 books that are in very good condition. With those books off of my shelf, now I have room for more books that I do like.

I have a sneaky suspicion that my sister bought me a Kindle for my birthday. I mentioned to her before that I would like one. I will find out for sure Saturday when I see her. If that is the case, I won't be cluttering up my shelf with books. E-books won't be taking up any space on my bookshelf.

Books read in 2011

The Laughing Corpse, Laurell K. Hamilton
Circus of the Damned, Laurell K. Hamilton
The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening and The Struggle, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: The Fury and Dark Reunion, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Nightfall, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries: Origins, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries: Bloodlust, L.J. Smith
Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner, Dean Karnazes
The Kennedy Detail, Gerald Blaine with Lisa McCubbin
The Kennedy Assassination: 24 Hours After, Steven M Gillon
50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathon in 50 Days, Dean Karnazes
The Brotherhood: A Precinct 11 Novel, Jerry B. Jenkins
127 Hours, Aron Ralston
JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters, James W. Douglass
My Life on the Run, Bart Yasso
On the Trail of the JFK Assassins, Dick Russell
Run!: 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss, Dean Karnazes
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Steig Larsson
Second Wind: One Woman's Midlife Quest to Run Seven Marathons on Seven Continents, Cami Ostman
The Scarpetta Factor, Patricia Cornwell
Dual in the Sun: Alberto Salazar, Dick Beardsley and America's Greatest Marathon, John Brant
Born to Run, Christopher McDougall
Iron Heart, Brian Boyle
Running With Joy: My Daily Journey to the Marathon, Ryan Hall
Scarpetta, Patricia Cornwell
Predator, Patricia Cornwell
Port Mortuary, Patricia Cornwell
Relentless Forward Progress: A Guide to Running Ultramarathons, Ryan Powell & Eric Grossman
Running on Empty: An Ultramarathoner's Story of Love, Loss and a Record-Setting Run, Marshall Ulrich
I'm Here to Win, Chris McCormack
Book of the Dead, Patricia Cornwell
The Extra Mile: One Woman's Personal Journey to Ultra-Running Greatness, Pam Reed
The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins
Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins
Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins
The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Shadow Souls, L.J. Smith
William and Kate: The Love Story, Christopher Andersen

Currently Reading: The Harlequin, Laurell K. Hamilton
Up Next: The Death Valley 300, Richard Benyo

32 for 32

My 32nd birthday was Tuesday.

I always give a present to myself every year. My present for the past and this year was running the Hudson Cross Country Booster 5K. I decided to give myself another present for this year: running 32 miles on my birthday.

The 32 mile run went well. My legs felt really good. I stopped to eat lunch with my husband after 17 miles. He made pancakes and they were really good. After eating four pancakes, I had a piece of birthday cake. My husband made me a marble cake with cream cheese frosting. Shortly after eating, I continued running again.

When I got past 26 miles, my legs were starting to get tired. I wasn't going to let that stop me. I was determined to run 32 miles. With three miles to go, my legs started feeling better. It was like someone flipped a switch. After a couple of stops to eat lunch, fill my water bottle and bathroom breaks, I finished in 4:50:59. I did it! I ran 32 miles for myself and it felt so good.

I was so happy to run 32 miles on my 32nd birthday. That was only the second time I have run that amount. This run will really help me out when I run my two ultras this fall. I'm sure at some point my legs will get tired. I know that I just have to keep going and I will reach the finish line.

Hudson Cross Country Booster 5K

I ran a 5K on a high school cross country course Saturday morning. I have run this particular 5K since 2003. Since 2003, my times on this course have gone down. I have never run a fast time on this course. It is because it is hilly, has uneven ground and is usually humid. My goal heading into this race was to try to get a sub-30 time. I came close last year but just missed it. I ran 30:17. It was humid again at race time. I didn't want to think about the humidity. I wanted to run the best I could and not blame my race on anything besides myself.

When the starting horn went off, I quickly found myself in the back of the pack. I ran my race and started passing people within the first mile who started too quickly. The first mile took us through a swampy area with sandy footing and a nice hill. On the hill most people were going up the side that had grass growing on it. I took the most direct route that was a dirt path. If I wasn't wearing my trail shoes I would've had a tough time on the hill. My trail shoes dug in the dirt and let me up the hill will ease. At mile marker one, I just finishing passing a group of three to more runners and passed it at 8:30.

Mile two had some more hills and I passed more runners. Two guys passed passed me during the second mile. They were the only ones to do so since the start of the race. When they passed me, I wanted to catch them. I was unable to do so, but two females were ahead of me. Since I couldn't pass the guys, I wanted to run down the ladies. I caught both of the women together with about a half mile to go. Once I passed them, I started picking up my pace. When I picked up my pace, I quickly came upon a group of three guys. I ended up passing them before going back into the swamp area.

Running through the swamp area again, I was inching my way closer to another group of guys. I passed one before running downhill. After the hill, I found myself behind two more guys. I could tell that the guy closest to me was getting tired. The guy up ahead was looking good. I wanted to pass the guy before leaving the swamp area heading to the finish line. When I got side-by-side with him, he said "good job" to me. I told him the same and tried to catch the guy ahead of me.

The course finishes on a downhill and tried to get closer to the front guy. He beat me to the line by 10-15 seconds. The guy I just passed before leaving the swamp area was right on my tail. I started running just a little bit faster and I was hoping I could hold him off. I ended up holding if off and finished with my best time on the course, 27:55:68. I finished second in my age group out of six runners.

I mentioned that the course is hilly. It is a challenging course, but this year I found it to be a little easier. I'm very happy that I have incorporated hill intervals into my workouts. The hills were easier then what I remembered in year's past. With the hills being easier, I didn't dread running the course. It was actually fun running it. Can't wait until next year where I hope I can decrease my finishing time again.

Tour de France

I've watching previous Tour de France tours. But not everyday. This year I watched all of the stages. I don't know what it is, but the tour grabbed my attention and kept it. Everyday was exciting.

Cadel Evens became the first Australian
winner of the Tour de France. Entering Stage 20, Evans was behind Andy Schleck of Luxembourg by 57-seconds. Evans overcame that deficit to grab the yellow jersey during the stage 20 time trial.

Brothers Andy and Frank Schleck finished second and third overall. Thomas Voeckler of France was fourth and last year's winner Alberto Contador of Spain was fifth.

There were some memorable moments on the tour:

-American Tyler Farrar winning stage three on July 4.
- Dutch rider Johnny Hoogerland was involved in a crash with a television car during stage nine. The car first hit Juan-Antonio Flecha causing him to crash to the ground while Hoogerland went flying into a barbed-wire fence.
-Norway's Thor Hushovd is known as a sprinter, won the climbing stage 13 through the Pyrenees.
-Andy Schleck's attack in the Alps during stage 18 led him to the win.
-Cadel Evans overcoming Andy Schleck's 57 second lead to win the yellow jersey on the next to last day of the tour.

Photo Credit: Getty Images/Lionel Bonaventure

Creating menus

For years my husband and I have planned a lunch menu. Lunch is mapped out for the entire week. No guessing on what we will be eating. We started planning a lunch menu because at one point we were eating out every day. Eating fast food or at restaurants everyday isn't healthy and it adds up to a lot of money spent. Our lunch menu works. There are some days were we have to switch things up. But it always works out.

Last week we decided to start creating dinner menus. We have been pretty good at eating dinner at home. Usually we only eat dinner at a restaurant once a week. Mostly on a Friday or Saturday. The dinner menu idea was created because my husband and I are trying to eat better. Our dinner ideas before were fine, but I like how I know what we are going to eat in advance. No more asking each other at 6 p.m. what we want to eat. Creating a menu with cookbooks gives us a chance to eat something new and not always resort to our same old favorites.

I sat down on Sunday and created the menu for this week. Recently we bought a couple of cookbooks and I'm finally putting them to use. I used three different cookbooks to plan our meals. I loved flipping the pages and looking at the pictures. The pictures were the reason most of the items made it on the menu. First it was the pictures, how easy it is to make and then finally the ingredients. After the menu was done. I created a grocery list. Most of the items we didn't have or had low quantities of. Maybe this will help us when we go grocery shopping to buy larger quantities of items that we will be using often.

I'm hoping my husband and I can stick to creating a dinner menu. If we can keep a lunch menu going for years, I'm hoping we can do the same with dinner.

Road trip music

I listen to a variety of music. I love these two songs. They are very different from each other. One is country and the other is rap. Every time I hear them, it will remind me of my trip to Wisconsin. I listened to the radio for mostly the entire trip. I heard this two songs a lot during my 14 hour drive to and from Wisconsin.

The first song is "Bleed Red" by Ronnie Dunn:



The second song is "Love The Way You Lie" featuring Rihanna:

Books read in 2011

The Laughing Corpse, Laurell K. Hamilton
Circus of the Damned, Laurell K. Hamilton
The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening and The Struggle, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: The Fury and Dark Reunion, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Nightfall, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries: Origins, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries: Bloodlust, L.J. Smith
Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner, Dean Karnazes
The Kennedy Detail, Gerald Blaine with Lisa McCubbin
The Kennedy Assassination: 24 Hours After, Steven M Gillon
50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathon in 50 Days, Dean Karnazes
The Brotherhood: A Precinct 11 Novel, Jerry B. Jenkins
127 Hours, Aron Ralston
JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters, James W. Douglass
My Life on the Run, Bart Yasso
On the Trail of the JFK Assassins, Dick Russell
Run!: 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss, Dean Karnazes
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Steig Larsson
Second Wind: One Woman's Midlife Quest to Run Seven Marathons on Seven Continents, Cami Ostman
The Scarpetta Factor, Patricia Cornwell
Dual in the Sun: Alberto Salazar, Dick Beardsley and America's Greatest Marathon, John Brant
Born to Run, Christopher McDougall
Iron Heart, Brian Boyle
Running With Joy: My Daily Journey to the Marathon, Ryan Hall
Scarpetta, Patricia Cornwell
Predator, Patricia Cornwell
Port Mortuary, Patricia Cornwell
Relentless Forward Progress: A Guide to Running Ultramarathons, Ryan Powell & Eric Grossman
Running on Empty: An Ultramarathoner's Story of Love, Loss and a Record-Setting Run, Marshall Ulrich
I'm Here to Win, Chris McCormack
Book of the Dead, Patricia Cornwell
The Extra Mile: One Woman's Personal Journey to Ultra-Running Greatness, Pam Reed
The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins
Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins
Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins
The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Shadow Souls, L.J. Smith

Currently Reading: William and Kate: The Love Story, Christopher Andersen
Up Next: The Harlequin, Laurell K. Hamilton

Kelly Carter Scholarship 10K

Going into the 10K, I wasn't sure how I wanted to run it. I didn't know if I wanted to go for a PR or just have fun.

I went out fast. My first mile was 7:59. I really didn't think I was going that fast, but I'm glad I did. Two ladies passed me during the second mile. No one passed me after that. A guy that I passed in the first mile was hanging on my shoulder through mile 2. I finally shook him for good when I picked up my pace and surged up a rolling hill. I think all of the hill intervals I've been doing is starting to pay off.

From mile 2 until the end, I tried so hard to catch one of the ladies that passed me. I couldn't do it. There were times during the 10K that I would gain some ground on her. She kept looking back to see where I was. When she saw I was closer, she found another gear. She probably finished about 30 seconds in front of me. I was disappointed that I didn't catch her, but she motivated me to run faster. When I was trying to catch her, I could tell my leg turnover was pretty quick. I was trying to hold that pace for as long as I could. I think I did a good job.

When the volunteer called out 34 minutes at the four mile mark, I decided to go for a PR. To reach a PR, I picked up my pace for the last two miles. Still trying to hunt down the lady in front of me. When I made the final turn heading to the finish line, I saw 52 minutes on the clock. I tried as hard as I could to get under 53 minutes. I came up just a little short.

I finished the 10K in 53:06:22 and lowered my PR by 24 seconds. I also placed 3rd in my age group. The guy giving out medals said our age group was the largest. When I was running, I thought the first lady that passed me was in my age group. I thought I had finished fourth. I was thrilled when she received her medal in another age group. I was glad that I brought home some hardware from this 10K. A PR is fantastic, but it just makes it sweeter when placing in the top three of your age group too.

World Cup Women's Soccer final

There was a Hollywood ending. Only it wasn't for the United States. This ending belonged to Japan.

Japan's women's national soccer team defeated
the United States 2-2 (3-1 PK shootout) Sunday to win the FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany.

Both teams playing in the finals wanted the win. The US wanted it because they came back from almost being defeated twice. Japan wanted it to help their country heal. Life has been hard on the Japanese since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami devastated their country.

The United States played well, was up twice on Japan and let the game slip away. They have nothing to hang their heads about. They played excellent for almost four weeks. I watched every USA game on TV. I cheered at every goal, save and win. I can say that I wasn't a soccer fan before the FIFA World Cup, but now I am.

I am already looking forward to the 2012 Olympics to see what these ladies can accomplish there.


Photo Credit: Associated Press/Michael Probst

Umstead Endurance Run

As I was reading the July issue of UltraRunning magazine, I saw an ad for 2012 race. The race is the 18th annual Umstead 100-Mile Endurance Run. What really drew me to the ad was the text that said "with 50-mile option." I know that I'm not ready for a 100-mile race yet. The 50-mile race sounds perfect.

The reason I think it sounds perfect comes directly from the site, "The Umstead 100 Mile Endurance Run is designed with several basic concepts in mind. It will help new ultra runners to bridge the quantum leap from 50 mile runs to the mountainous and more rigorous demands of most 100 mile endurance runs. It will allow those runners who have difficulty finishing 100 miles in 24 hours or just finishing 100 miles the opportunity to do so when severe topography, heat, and getting lost are removed as major obstacles. Many runners will find the Umstead 100 to be an excellent foundation for the Massanutten 100, Western States 100, Leadville 100, Wasatch 100 and other 100-mile mountain runs. The Umstead 100 can serve several purposes, depending on your level of development and personal goals."

I want to run the 50-mile option because to run Umstead, "You must have completed at least a 50-mile race within the time limit allowed for that race since January 1, 2010 or show proof of adequate training and/or suitable running history for acceptance into the 100 mile event. We want to know that you know what you are getting into and you are prepared to meet the rigors of a 100 mile run. Locally and given the rugged nature of each, we also accept the 40 Mile Uwharrie Mountain Run and the 40 Mile Mount Mitchell Challenge. We accept your word if you are running a qualifier subsequent to your registration for the Race. Runners desiring a 50-mile only entry need to denote such on the race application. There are no formal qualifications for the 50-mile run except good judgment as to your fitness for such an event."

I don't have a 50-miler under my belt yet and to run the 50-mile portion on Umstead there are no qualifications. Runners have a 30-hour time limit for the race. I think I will be well below the time cutoff for a 50-mile run.

There is no guarantee that I will even be able to run Umstead in 2012. When registration opens in September, only the first 250 runners will be accepted. I really want to run this. I will be on my computer the second that registration opens to make sure I get a spot. If I don't get a spot, I will try again in 2013. By then I will have run a 50-mile race. If I meet the qualifying standards, who knows I might register for the 100-Mile run.

Badwater Ultramarathon results

The 34th Badwater Ultramarathon started Monday, July 11. The "world's toughest foot race" started with 94 runners.

The overall winner of Badwater was California's Oswaldo Lopez. Lopez ran 23:41:40 to win. Coming in second was Ryoichi Sekiya from Japan. Sekiya finished 24:49:37. Michael Wardian from Arlington, Virginia rounded out the top three finishing in 26:22:01.

On the women's side, Sumie Inagaki from Japan crossed the finish line first. Inagaki won in 28:49;27. She was 7th overall. Finishing in second was Jennifer Vogel from Duluth, Georgia. She finished in 29:42:12. Iris Cooper Imhof of Toronto came across the finish line in third place with the time of 29:51;23.

Congratulations to everyone who ran Badwater. Eight-one of 94 runners officially finished the ultramarathon. It is a wonderful accomplishment and you should be proud.

Indie Ink

My photo, Muddy run, is featured on Indie Ink today.

World Cup Women's Soccer

How great was that game for the United States? When Brazil was up 2-1 with the game coming to an end, I thought the US was done.

When Abby Wambach scored a goal in the 122nd minute to tie the game, that changed everything. If the US could hold, I thought that they would have a chance during the penalty kicks. US goalkeeper, Hope Solo, made the biggest save of her life to give the US the win. Solo was able to block the penalty kick of Brazil's Daiane.

The United States will now play France on Wednesday at noon on ESPN.

Photo Credit: Getty Images/Martin Rose

Weekend races

Over the weekend some big races were held. First was the Hardrock 100 Endurance Run in Silverton, Colorado and the IAU Trail World Championships held in Connemara, Ireland.

I didn't get to see any of the Hardrock 100, but I followed the updates on twitter thanks to iRunFar. Julien Chorier of France was the overall winner. Chorier finished the 100 mile race in 25:17. Dakota Jones of Colorado finished second in 27:10 and Nick Clark also from Colorado finished in third place in 27:43. Clark ran Western States 100 two weeks ago and finished third there also. That is awesome.

On the women's side, Diana Finkel of Colorado won in 29:27 and placed five overall. Finkel won her fourth straight Hardrock 100 women's title. Fellow Colorado runner, Darcy Africa, finished second in 29:46. Rounding out the top three for the women was California's Betsy Nye. Nye finished in 39:17.

The IAU Trail World Championships took place on Saturday. The course was a distance of 70K and had a variety of terrain: mountains, grassland trails, gravel trails and open countryside. This was another race that I followed the updates on twitter. I find it amazing that ESPN can cover a hot dog eating competition and World Series of Poker, but can't cover any of these wonderful running events.

The overall winner of the trail championships was France's Erik Clavery. Clavery finished in 6:39:07. Jason Loutitt of Canada was second in 6:40:32 and Patrick Bringer of France came in third place with a time of 6:47:50. The top American runner, Ben Nephew, finished sixth overall in 6:54:26.

The top three on the women's side was Maud Gobert of France in 7:41:31. Finishing in second was Italy's Cecilia Mora in 7:50:02 and in third was Great Britian's Lucy Colquhoun in 7:57:20. Alison Bryant of the United States finished 12th overall in 8:58:49.

According to the IAU Trail World Championships website, the race was filmed and will be broadcast globally. I wonder if we will be able to see the footage of the race in the United States?

Badwater Ultramarathon

The world's toughest footrace, Badwater Ultramarathon, starts Monday. The 135 mile races begins at the Badwater Basin in California's Death Valley and ends at Whitney Portal. Badwater conditions are very extreme since the ultra marathon takes place in July. Temperatures can reach over 120 degrees. All runners must finish the 135 course in 48 hours.

Looking over the entry list, I recognized a couple of runners. The first runner is Marshall Ulrich. I read and enjoyed his book Running on Empty. The other two runners are Brenda Carawan and Jennifer Vogel. I'm familiar with Brenda and Jennifer because I read their blogs and follow them on twitter. Over the course of the race, I will be following their progress.

According to the Badwater website, they will have live updates from the race. The live webcast can be found here. I will also be following the twitter feed.

100K

My goal was to run in the USATF 100K Championships in Madison, Wisconsin in 2012. I went to the Mad City 100K website last night to check when registration would open and was disappointed.

Tim Yanacheck, race director, announced on the website that the 100K race will not take place in 2012. Only the 50K solo race and the 50K 5-person relay will be run. The reason that the race won't take place in 2012 is because "The 2012 World Championship 100K race will be run in Italy on April 24. A US national championship 100K race in early 2012, but before April 24, is just not feasible. Considering the athletes' recovery time and travel expense, America's best ultramarathoners would have to skip the Mad City race in order to perform up to their potential at the Worlds. We can't stage a national championship that would exclude America's best," Yanacheck said.

I am disappointed. My plan was to train over the winter and run that race in April. I'm unsure if a 100K National Championship will even be held in 2012. I really wanted to run this race in Madison because it is a road race. I am a much better road racer then trail. I do like running trails, but it is nice to run for a long period of time without worrying about tripping or twisting my ankle(s).

Even though the Mad City 100K won't be happening in 2012, I still plan to train for a 100K over the winter. I hope I can find another 100K road race nearby. If I can't, I might possibly try a 100K trail race. Or maybe I'll just wait until 2013 when the 100K championship is back in Madison.

Books and eReaders

I'm on the verge of finishing Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. I started reading the Hunger Games series because of the positive comments I read on twitter. I have enjoyed reading the series even though it was aimed at young adults. It is nice to switch up what I normal read for something young and fun. After I'm done reading The Hunger Games series, what should I read next? Is there a book or series that I should be reading? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I'm looking to purchase an eReader. I need to decide between a Kindle, Nook or Kobo. My sisters all own a Kindle and love it. I'll probably end up buying a Kindle because of my sisters. For a long time, I really didn't want an eReader. I love going to the bookstore/library and flipping through books. I like having a book in my hands . I just love books. The thing I don't like about books is the huge pile of them in my office. There are some books that I will want to hold onto and read again. Then there are some I want to donate to the library. If I get an eReader, I can say goodbye to the stack of books in my office. Buying an eBook won't take up any space besides the memory on the eReader. Maybe it is time to embrace the eReader.

Books read in 2011

The Laughing Corpse, Laurell K. Hamilton
Circus of the Damned, Laurell K. Hamilton
The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening and The Struggle, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: The Fury and Dark Reunion, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Nightfall, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries: Origins, L.J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries: Bloodlust, L.J. Smith
Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner, Dean Karnazes
The Kennedy Detail, Gerald Blaine with Lisa McCubbin
The Kennedy Assassination: 24 Hours After, Steven M Gillon
50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathon in 50 Days, Dean Karnazes
The Brotherhood: A Precinct 11 Novel, Jerry B. Jenkins
127 Hours, Aron Ralston
JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters, James W. Douglass
My Life on the Run, Bart Yasso
On the Trail of the JFK Assassins, Dick Russell
Run!: 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss, Dean Karnazes
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Steig Larsson
Second Wind: One Woman's Midlife Quest to Run Seven Marathons on Seven Continents, Cami Ostman
The Scarpetta Factor, Patricia Cornwell
Dual in the Sun: Alberto Salazar, Dick Beardsley and America's Greatest Marathon, John Brant
Born to Run, Christopher McDougall
Iron Heart, Brian Boyle
Running With Joy: My Daily Journey to the Marathon, Ryan Hall
Scarpetta, Patricia Cornwell
Predator, Patricia Cornwell
Port Mortuary, Patricia Cornwell
Relentless Forward Progress: A Guide to Running Ultramarathons, Ryan Powell & Eric Grossman
Running on Empty: An Ultramarathoner's Story of Love, Loss and a Record-Setting Run, Marshall Ulrich
I'm Here to Win, Chris McCormack
Book of the Dead, Patricia Cornwell
The Extra Mile: One Woman's Personal Journey to Ultra-Running Greatness, Pam Reed
The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins
Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins

Currently Reading: Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins
Up Next: The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Shadow Souls, L.J. Smith

Weekend update

I had a very relaxing weekend. I woke up with my husband's alarm at 5 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. He had to work this weekend. It felt so good to sleep past 3:25 or 4 a.m. My normal sleep pattern will return tomorrow. Boo.

Besides waking up later, I did finish reading The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. Even though it is a series for young adult readers, I really enjoyed it. I first heard about the book series on twitter. Many people that I follow mentioned how much they liked it. After reading more praise for the series, I decided to get the first book and read it. I read it in two days. I read Catching Fire in a day. I was surprised that I liked these science fiction books. Usually that is not my type of book that I like to read. I have already started reading the final book of the series, Mockingjay. It shouldn't take me long to finish that one either.

Besides reading, I did run over the weekend. I ran 26.2 miles Sunday morning. That was my longest run since April 11. I cut back my mileage to be ready for all of the races I had registered for. I have ten races left in 2011. I still have three half marathons, two 50Ks, two half marathons and 3 5Ks. The only times I will reduce my mileage again this year is the weeks of the half marathons and 50Ks. My weekly mileage will be above 100 miles the rest of the time. Besides training for the two 50Ks, next year I want to start running longer distances like a 50 miler and 100K. I just want to get prepared for those. I want to have as much time on my feet as possible.

After my running and reading, I spent time watching some sports on the television. The start of the Tour de France was Saturday. I have been thrilled with Versus channel's coverage of the tour. I have watched both stages so far and will end up watching them all. Either live or recorded on my DVR.

The other sport I've been watching is the FIFA Women's World Cup. I'm usually not a fan of soccer. I've been photographing soccer games for the paper I work at for 12 years and I still don't know the rules of the game. But when it is a major event, like the World Cup or National Championship, I will watch it. I enjoy the high level of play and teams. So far the United States is 2-0. They will play again on Wednesday against Sweden. If the US wins Wednesday, they will move on to the quarterfinals.

Photo Credit for US Soccer: Getty Images
Photo Credit for Chris Horner: Chris Clasen

Weekend plans

I have nothing planned for this weekend. That is first time in a month.

June started off with me running the Dexter-Ann Arbor Half Marathon. The next weekend, I was running in the Ragnar Relay from Madison, Wisconsin to Chicago, Illinois. The following weekend, I ran in another relay with two other people near my home and got really muddy and dirty. I also attended my sister's bacholerette party that evening. This past weekend was my sister's wedding and a 10K, which I set a new PR.

I know that was the busiest month I've had in my life. I usually never have that many plans in a month.

I plan to take it easy this weekend. I'll be running over the weekend, but not in any races. I did have a race in mind, but I decided to skip it. I'll try to sleep in, but I think that is impossible for me. And of course, I will be enjoying the holiday weekend. Who doesn't like a three day weekend?