Showing posts with label family. Show all posts

Florida Sunshine

Enough talk about winter! I was lucky enough to escape to Florida for a long weekend, so I have something other than pictures of snow to share.

There wasn't a lot of good scenery where we stayed in Kissimmee, but I managed to find a few photo-worthy spots on my morning runs.

There's water everywhere in Florida. Construction, too, but I spared you those images.

Armadillo! He must've been out for his (her?) morning run too.

Little Blue Heron

Obligatory alligator sign. Found this deep in a park, with no path to or around this big lake. So odd.

We also visited Epcot theme park's World Showcase. There was live music, street performers, little shops and of course all kinds of food and drink. Walking, eating and drinking our way through England, Canada, France, Morocco, Germany, Italy, China, Japan, Norway and Mexico was the perfect way to spend a day.


We enjoyed a glass of wine in Italy at Epcot's World Showcase.

Finally we got a day in the 80s and we made the trip to Melbourne Beach. The drive seemed long with eight of us squeezed into a minivan but feeling the sand between our toes and the sun on our (mostly) bare skin made it all worth it.

Taking in the ocean view at Melbourne Beach

Digging with gusto


Cheers!

Wherever you are, I hope you are getting outside and making the most of Winter. Soon, Spring will be here!

Third Time's The Charm

This was our family's third year running the Big Blue River Days 5K (formerly called the Rib Run). My mother started the tradition by inviting the family to join her in her first 5K. Have I mentioned how proud I am of her?

The course has been changed to a scenic, pancake flat, gravel rail trail. My dad, youngest brother and niece did the 1 mile walk; my mother, middle brother and sister-in-law did the 5K and Hubz and I ran the 10K.

Every year so far, my mother has been edged out of first place by the only other woman in her age group. We've been fanning the flames of this "rivalry", exhorting her to train hard and claim victory. She's not so sure she has a rivalry but we have been slowly convincing her, I think.

As I am in the midst of training according to the Maffetone method, I am only running slow (keeping my heart rate below my maximum aerobic function number). I started at the back of the pack and right away fell into step with two older gentlemen who had been out the night before at their Class of '66 reunion.

Allan Ring, Duane Iles and me

I always have great conversations with fellow runners but this was particularly outstanding. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself in the company of a fellow ultrarunner! The guys talked my ear off about everything from the Strolling Jim ultra and Gary Cantrell, trekking in Nepal, a confrontation with Fred Phelps, how to combat altitude sickness, meeting Oscar Pistorious, running Big Sur and Pikes Peak marathon and our family's late beagle-boxer, Petey. Duane Iles and Allan Ring, it was a great pleasure to run with you.

Meanwhile, the race was unfolding far ahead of me and I had no idea what was going down. Luckily, someone from our local paper was taking pictures. All photos are from The Marysville Advocate.

Adam chasing the youngest 5K runner

Hubz hammering. He won his age group and was 6th
overall in the 10K. The first three places overall were won by women!

Adam passing the 1 milers on his way
to 7th place overall (1st in his age group).

S-I-L Paulyn. She was the only badass pushing a stroller.

Mom on her way to victory, her rival hot on her heels!

Dad and David celebrate at the finish line

As we gathered around at the finish and chatted, they announced the placings. I was pleasantly surprised to hear my mother had triumphed and won her age group!

I think this was my slowest 10K ever. The beauty of a small town race? I got 2nd in my age group. Everyone in the family got medals.

I am so proud of my whole family for running again this year, even in the rain. I hope our 5K tradition continues for a long time.

Fall Beauty

Fall has been beautiful here on the East Coast.

The leaves seem more intensely hued this year. The weather has been perfectly behaved. And my parents came to visit!

On The National Mall

We spent our days eating at our favorite French restaurant, tasting excellent wines in the cozy cellar of Chateau O'Brien, perusing the Phillips Collection Museum of Modern Art (we even spotted Yoko Ono!) and ambling around the National Zoo and the World War II Memorial.

Washington Monument and World War II Memorial

Cellar tasting at Chateau O'Brien

Laib Wax Room installation, The Phillips Collection

After their far-too-short visit, we headed to the mountains for a trail run in Shenandoah National Park. It did not disappoint.

In true Fall mountain run fashion, the morning started out cold and got windier and colder. On the other side of the mountain it turned sunny and quite warm, causing us to sweat.

Deep layers of leaves concealed but did not cushion the rocks beneath our feet. Twenty miles, six hours, several big climbs and descents, and one bunless burger (thanks to Elkwallow Wayside!) later, we were satisfied with our day.

View from Overall Run Falls, Shenandoah National Park

The guys amidst vivid yellows and golds

Wherever you live, I hope you are out taking in Autumn's beauty.

Virginia Tannat Tour

I closed out the final days of August tasting wine with my cousins. We were blessed with mild temperatures and low humidity, a rarity in Virginia.

My cousin Pamela's husband, Laurent, hails from a little French town where they grow the Tannat grape. When we visited them in Paris last summer, we promised him a Virginia Tannat tasting tour.

Introducing a Frenchman to Virginia wine? The pressure was on.

Our first stop was The Winery at La Grange, where Hubz and I first discovered Tannat. They have a beautiful tasting room and grounds, and wide range of wines to taste. My favorites were the Viognier, Cabernet and Tannat.

Linden Vineyards is probably our favorite Virginia winery. The views from their peaceful deck alone are worth the trip. Their tasting always delights, and the cellar tasting is really something special.

Julie, Kirstin and Pam on the deck at Linden Vineyards

Cousins on the deck at Linden Vineyards.

Grapes ripening on the vine at Linden Vineyards

Tom, Laurent, Donna, Julie and Pam at Chateau O'Brien

Hubz, Laurent, Julie's friend, cousins Julie and Pamela

The highlight of this day was the reserve cellar tasting at Chateau O'Brien. What a treat! We got to hang out with the owner, Howard, in a cool yet cozy crushed stone cellar. We tasted several wines including an impressive Tannat, partook of wonderful cheeses and other nibbles and listened to Howard talk about his wines.

The wines were truly some of the best Virginia reds Hubz and I have tasted. I was proud to introduce my cousins to Virginia wine, and blissfully happy to have spent a wonderful day with them in the countryside.

Here's to the last days of summer. Cheers!

San Diego

San Diego, it has been too long.

When I was growing up, we visited every year, and it felt like our second home. Somehow, 15 years passed as my life happened on the East coast.

Morning run along the harbor.

It was good to return for a long weekend. Though the occasion was a sad one -- my Aunt Diane's memorial service -- it was wonderful to spend time with West coast family. Not only did I catch up with family I'd known since birth, I had the pleasure of meeting new family thanks to my sister in law Paulyn.

A whole new family contingent!

It was also fun to show Hubz around. He was smitten by the cool air and particularly loved Balboa Park and its gnarly trees.

Seen on our run: grand old tree with impressive roots, Balboa Park

We also did some exploring further afield. After all, the last time I was here, I didn't yet run trails!

Based on suggestions from Twitter, we chose the Mt. Woodson trail 30 miles northeast of San Diego.


Hubz was beside himself with joy. Alas, we didn't see either a rattlesnake or a mountain lion.

We got in some good climbing, and the reward at the top was a fun photo op on Potato Chip Rock.

To get to the "Chip" you have to leap!

I didn't have the nerve to go out to the very edge.

And check out this contraption I spied on my last morning run along the harbor. Have you ever seen such a thing? Those wacky Californians ...

What the ...? A running bicycle? Mind Blown.

I hope to get back out to the "Left Coast" soon. There are many trails calling my name.

The Rib Run, Revisited

The weather was stellar. Sixty degrees, no humidity, a little breeze.

The whole family returned to the Rib Run for our second race as a family. We were all a few (or many) pounds lighter thanks to the Whole30 diet which everyone completed!

Most did the 5k again except for Hubz and I who ran the 10k, and my father and sister-in-law and 5 month old niece. They walked the 1 mile loop.

Pre-race stretching


The whole family at the start

A Rib Run ONESIE! The cute is killing me.

A Race Onesie!


Hubz is way ahead of me early in the race. Too bad the race wasn't 12K ...

The thrill of hardware: My six year old niece got third in her age group

Comparing medals with Daddy

Sophia congratulating Grandma on her 2nd place.

Congratulating Grandma on her 2nd place age group medal.


Adam won his age group this year and came in 4th overall. Sweet redemption.

Second place in the 10k. I'll have to train a LOT harder to beat Jodi Appel O'Neil ...

2nd place in my age group. Gonna have to train harder.

Paris in August

Paris. C'est fantastique!

Even in August, with hordes of tourists, we loved Paris.

At Chateau Vaux-le-Vicomte

We walked until our hearty ultrarunner legs nearly fell off.

We ate cheese, pastries, baguettes, tartines, omelets, ice cream, falafel, French toast made by a real Frenchman, and pretty much anything that was set before us. We drank wine at every meal but breakfast (I'm pretty sure we never drank wine with breakfast).

Cheese. Not the stuff we get here in America,
REALLY FREAKING GOOD CHEESE.

The weather was a refreshing, welcome change from the heat and humidity we left behind. The first few days, it was so cool I was wishing for more than my lightweight sweater. It was like Fall, but with long days -- the sun didn't set til nearly 9:30 p.m. Quite possibly, the best of all possible worlds!

Jardin du Luxembourg. Love the way the French inter-plant flowers.

As luck would have it, my cousin Pam knows the city like the back of her hand and has created a website with perfect sight-seeing walks. Want to stroll around tasting French gourmet cuisine as you go? She has a free app for your smartphone: 7 La Semain du Gout. If you're lucky enough to be traveling to Paris, check it out!

This trip was special because I got to spend time with my parents, brothers, sisters-in-law and niece, as well as my cousins. My cousins used to spend a month or so each summer with us in Kansas, so it was like old times (except nobody tied anyone to a broomstick or locked them in the neighbors' dog kennel).

Another highlight: we got to watch our beloved alma mater, the Kansas Jayhawks, play basketball against a French team. Sadly we witnessed their first ever international loss, but it was a great game.

I'll leave you with a few more photos from the trip. Be forewarned, they may cause sensations of hunger, wanderlust and Francophilia.