Big Guns

A few weekends ago, Paul and our friend Joe talked about going rock climbing down in the Gunks. We waited to see what the weather was going to do and unfortunately, the forecast kept getting worse. We decided to bag it since it looked like rain was imminent.
Joe asked us if we wanted to head to a gun competition instead. I'd never been to one before, so we drove over to check it out.
Joe's a member of a local shooting club and they host shooting events frequently. Paul and I were able to watch the competition take place and talked to several other club members. They wanted to know why we weren't shooting, of course! Anyway, so the competition takes place in several different pits and each one is set up differently using various scenarios. You have to follow the instructions and do your best. You're scored on how well you do. Cool stuff.
After the competition was over, Joe took Paul and I to the pistol range where we each got to shoot. I haven't shot a pistol since I was in the military and qualified on the 9mm. That was 11 years ago!
Joe started me out with a .22 pistol. It was nice to shoot, with little kick. After that, I shot both Glock .45's--two different guns. They had a lot more kick and I didn't do as well with those guns. Still, I wasn't a horrible shot, but I wasn't as good as I'd hoped to be.
It's hard to describe the feeling you get when shooting a pistol. It's a combination of nervousness, fear, adrenaline, power, excitement, and respect--this is the real deal, not a toy.
It was a lot of fun to shoot and I may consider trying to compete in one of the upcoming competitions...you certainly don't have to be a marksman to compete and you can only get better by practicing! Check out some shots of us shooting. I look sort of mean, don't I? Ha! As we used to say in the military, "Get some!"

A Busy Day in Buffalo

Saturday, August the 15th we got up early to drive to Buffalo for Meredith's Christening. Meredith is Henry & Keara's second child. Henry is Paul's brother--for those who don't know. : )
We arrived at the church and waited for everyone else to arrive. Once inside, I was amazed at the beauty of the stained glass windows, the height of the ceiling, and the overall "feel" of the church. Quite a beautiful place. This church is where Henry & Keara were married in 2000 and where their first child, Kyle's Christening also took place.
I kept myself busy taking photos while things were being set up and soon I heard commotion near the foyer. I turned to look and could see something flying inside the church foyer. Back and forth it flew. Someone said, "A bird got in the church!" Then I heard, "That's not a bird, it's a bat!" I looked closely and sure enough a bat was flying back and forth in the church foyer and wound up perching on and then hiding behind a speaker up in the corner of the room. I thought it was awesome, personally. I know, I'm weird, but I think bats are amazing little creatures.
They closed the doors to the main church hall and tried to get the bat out, which they eventually did. I was glad it didn't seem to be harmed. The joke of the day was hoping that the 2 o'clock wedding party didn't find out about the bat!
The ceremony was brief but meaningful and we took photos then headed over to a restaurant to share a meal before we all departed for different destinations.

The Church

Keara & Meredith

Henry, Keara, Meredith, & Kyle

It was a beautiful day, albeit hot and humid. Paul and I decided to head to Niagara Falls since we were so close.
While we hadn't decided we'd go into Canada, we did bring our passports just in case. It wound up that we didn't want to pay $10 for parking on the US side, so we drove around and parked in a free 2 hour parking spot. We were not far from where I parked when I went back in 2006 in fact.
We began our walk and I couldn't believe how hot and humid it really was. It was like Alabama all over again. We made it to the bridge (Rainbow Bridge I think it's called) and walked across, passports in hand. The views from the bridge are beautiful, but they get even better on the other side. We passed through Canadian customs quickly and were on our way.
We walked and walked and walked! There were so many people and it was so hot! The occasional spray we felt from the water felt wonderful. We walked all the way down to where the water spills over on the Canadian side. We took photos and videos. We saw rainbows in the mist and we soaked up the sun. We finally had our fill and decided we'd better head back to make sure the car wasn't towed!
Back across the bridge, through US customs where you have to pay .50 cents to come through--pay to come home?! Insanity! The car was patiently waiting for us and by that time we were hot, thirsty, and tired. We'd walked close to or just over 4 miles. It was just so nice to be outside in decent weather since our summer had been anything but!
Hopped in the car and started on our drive home. It was a very long day, but well worth it. : )

Paul & The American Falls

Jen & The American Falls

Jen and a Beautiful Flower Garden

The American Falls

The Canadian Falls

A Rainbow in the Mist

Maid of the Mist Boat at the Canadian Fall Base

Back in NY

Dippikill

Every year Paul's family rents a cabin in the Adirondacks for a weekend. The whole family gets together to visit, get outside, and just generally be together. We headed up Friday night and met everyone there. And by everyone, I mean everyone (almost--we were missing some key players this year), but there were 12 adults and 6 children. Oh and Moab the dog of course.

Paul, Moab, and I were staying in the bunkhouse which is a large room on one side of the cabin. It has multiple bunkbeds with room for quite a few people to sleep in. The rest of the family was on the other side of the cabin in separate rooms. I figured we would sleep well since it was so quiet on our side. I thought wrong! Moab was so agitated all night that he wouldn't stay still and he wouldn't go to sleep. If we got 4 hours sleep we were lucky. I was a crab apple when I woke up.

Saturday morning we had breakfast and we headed to a Garnet Mine that we'd been to last year. It was a lovely day. Paul and Moab climbed up the rocks to the top to look around. My foot was not going to allow me to do that, so I stuck to the bottom and searched for garnet remnants. I found quite a few pieces. I'm not sure you can do anything with them, but I picked them up all the same. After we got our fill, we all trekked back to the cars and went back to the cabin for lunch.

We spent the afternoon visiting, watching the kids play with squirt guns, reading, basically lazing around. Paul, his uncle Water, and Paul's nephew Gehrig hiked down the pond to paddle in the canoe. I took Moab for a short walk and worked on obedience with him a little bit. I tried to take a short nap, but was unsuccessful.

We had a large meal for dinner and spent more time visiting and then it was time for bed. I thought to put my earplugs in that night and it was much better. Moab was exhausted from the hike and walk and we made sure he didn't nap through the day. That helped keep him quiet that night!

I still felt exhausted when I woke up Sunday morning. We packed up our stuff, cleaned the cabin, and said our good-byes to everyone. We decided to take a different route home to allow us to pass through Old Forge. It's a cute little touristy Adirondack town. We hoped to find a carved wooden bear and while we did see some, we either didn't like them or they were too expensive. Oh well. We did get some candy in the coolest hardware store though! We tried to grab a meal at the pancake house, but it was incredibly crowded and the wait was long. Plus, they wanted us to share a table with other people! I wasn't into that, so we left and started on our way home. Stopped for a meal in Utica and eventually made our way home. Even though it was a relaxing weekend, we were still exhausted from the lack of sleep and the drive. We made homemade pizza for dinner and took it easy the rest of the night.

In the Old Garnet Mine

What a Pain in the Foot!

I was pretty sore after my marathon, but after a couple of days, that muscle soreness started to fade. I actually felt pretty good with one exception. My left foot. My feel almost always bother me after strenuous activity. I tried to write it off that it was bunion pain and that it would subside. The strange thing is that it kept getting worse as the week went on.
Once back in NY, I decided I should go to the doctor. The doctor wanted an x-ray to check for a stress fracture. It came back negative and I was referred to podiatry. I did some research on the internet and came to the conclusion that it was probably related to my sesamoid bones. They're two tiny bones in the ball of the foot that can become inflamed or can fracture given enough stress is placed on them. The podiatrist took a look at my x-ray and my foot and figured that I had sesamoiditis. Wow-I was right! She didn't think there was a fracture, but she said she couldn't be sure because the x-ray was taken too soon after the injury for a fracture to show up. Plus, if it was a tiny fracture, it might not be picked up on film. She told me to take Vitamin I (ibuprofen) and rest as much as possible. That meant NO RUNNING. : (
But now what? I had planned on trying to rest then ramp back up for the US Air Force Marathon in Sept. Boo! Oh the depression! Seriously, telling a runner NOT to run is bad news.
I stewed around for days, really upset. I tried to take it easy. I tried to give it time, but I was back in the gym that week on the bike. I was climbing the walls! I had to do something.
Little by little I've tried to get back into activity but the truth is that I'm probably doing more than I should. Today marks one month from the marathon and my foot is still not well. I haven't run in one month! Yikes--actually writing that down makes it sound worse! Fortunately, I have been able to do other activities for exercise, but I'm concerned about the future of my foot and how it will impact my running. I think it might be time for another podiatry appointment. I'll keep you posted.

The Fun Part of Home

Ok ok, it's taken me longer than I'd planned to get back to the blog, but as promised here is my "fun part of home" sequel... : )
After the marathon, I wasn't sure how I was going to feel, so we really didn't plan anything just in case I needed some quality rest time. Monday was spent running errands and relaxing. We talked about going to the beach, but we didn't. We did a few small projects around the house for my parents and took it easy. Tuesday was much the same. Wednesday and the rest of the week were busy because my dad had those days off. He and Paul worked on the deck and were making progress there. I clipped and groomed the dogs, helped my mom in the yard a little bit, and did other small, random projects. I got to visit with my friend Kim, visited with my adopted "family" Bob, Mary, & Terri, went swimming, and cooked a bunch too. We made jam, sorbet, ice milk, and some other great meals. But, before we knew it, the entire week was gone. : ( It went by so quickly!
Our last day in town was fairly full. We ran a bunch of errands in the morning. One stop was to get my hair cut. Back in 2003 I grew my hair long and had it cut to donate to Locks of Love. I had decided to do it again, but hadn't made the commitment to cut it before I went home. I was going back and forth and finally decided it was time. So, there I was, sitting in the chair and I was nervous! And, in the blink of an eye, 11" of hair was cut off! Once finished, I felt lighter but strange! Everyone seemed to like it or at least they told me they did to make me feel better. I wasn't sure I liked it...It made me think about our dog Checkers (rest in peace, buddy) and when summer came we'd shave him down to the skin. For several days afterwards, he would seriously look sad and depressed. I think I finally understood how he felt! : ) Strange but true.
A few last minute things, dinner, and then the drive up to SFO for our red-eye flight back to NY.
We arrived at JFK and had a connection to Albany, but apparently the 2nd seat didn't show up to work. Seriously? We waited and waited and waited. Finally we boarded and made it to Albany. Annoying! We got on the shuttle and made it to the car and the car battery was dead. Boo! We called Paul's dad and he came down to the airport to give us a jump. Unbelievably, we left a small cargo light on and over a week's time, killed the battery. Oops! After a quick meal at his parent's house, we hopped in the car for our 2 hour drive home. We stopped at the grocery store to grab some eats and it was home to prepare for our friend Derrick's arrival. A whirlwind of unpacking and Derrick arrived. We enjoyed catching up with him for the evening but were fighting the sleepies. We were exhausted (we don't sleep well on red-eyes).
Monday morning and it was back to the grind. Overall it was a great trip, but just not long enough. We had beautiful weather, got a lot accomplished around the house, enjoyed visiting with everyone, and above all appreciated the time spent at HOME. : )

The Fun Part of Home

More to come!! Promise!

The Run Part of Home

Paul and I traveled out to California for two reasons: 1) To visit my family 2) To run my first marathon.
We arrived in San Francisco on the 25th of July and my parents picked us up and we headed into the city so I could pick up my packet for the race. We hopped out of the car and went to the Expo center and found it to be an absolute mobbed mess! I got my packet, but I wanted to browse through some of the stuff for sale. I found a fuel belt I was interested in, but wasn't sure I wanted to spend the money. Paul and I had actually made a fuel belt, but after a trial run, I was not convinced it was going to be what I wanted on race day. Sort of reluctantly, I purchased the fuel belt then got the heck out of there! We drove home and spent the rest of the day visiting and relaxing. We tried to go to bed early because we had a very early morning coming up.
The alarm went off at 3:30 and I was not thrilled to be getting up so early. I was still somewhat on NY time so it wasn't too bad, but it was still stinkin' early.
Got dressed and made sure I had everything I needed. Had a quick bowl of Cream of Wheat. Said goodbye to my mom--she didn't feel good enough to come with us. : ( I felt bad leaving her behind. Next time, Mom! : ) And we were on the road. It was a dark, sleepy ride to the city and as we got closer, I realized time was really getting close. Some of the roads were closed and we arrived at the parking garage to find it full. I had to tell them to let me out of the car because I was getting concerned I wouldn't make my start. I also had to use the facilities before I started and when I saw the lines for them I about choked. I was very, very anxious that I was not going to make it, but I did--with just a couple minutes to spare. I ditched my warm up sweats and tried to calm down a little bit--the nerves were there in full force. I had no idea where Paul and my dad were and figured I wouldn't see them until Golden Gate Park at near mile 13. Our wave started and off we went. I focused on trying to set a steady, but slow pace for mile 1. A girl just in front of me tripped on a speed bump and fell flat on her belly. I almost tripped over her. Poor thing--I felt so bad for her. It was so crowded that we were literally elbow to elbow at the start.
There were loads of spectators at the start and it was nearly impossible to see if Dad and Paul were anywhere, but for some reason, I turned to my left and looked, and there was Paul! I yelled twice and he heard me and we both waved. I couldn't believe how random it was that I saw him. Strange! I was so glad they got to see me start afterall!
Running down the Embarcadero was great. It was foggy and cool, you could smell the water, the streets were filled with nothing but us runners. When we approaced Fisherman's Wharf, we could smell seafood and salt water. The smell of sourdough at Boudin's was amazing and torture at the same time! They were busy baking bread that early morning. One runner even ran over to take a photo of them! In fact, lots of runners carried cameras and I saw many taking photos throughout the day.
Mile 1 was 10:00 exactly. That was ok with me. I wanted to run a little faster, but I knew I wanted to start out slower. I looked at my GPS watch at mile 2 and saw 9:38. That was better, but I knew it was very early and I had to be conservative. While I wanted to run fast, I wanted to finish more. That was my ultimate goal.
We ran down past the marina and aquatic park. We ran by Crissy Field and The Presidio and all the while the Golden Gate Bridge loomed in the distance. The roadbed of the bridge was visible, but the upper span was not. Engulfed in thick fog, it looked strange, but still beautiful. I was excited to get to it. To run across it!
Before I knew it, I was on the bridge. It was crowded--2 lanes were being used by the runners. One toward Marin, one toward SF. It was tight though and hard to pass. A girl dropped her camera or phone and had caused a traffic jam. Another girl tried to cut over to the side and I nearly ran over her. It was a lot of "excuse mes" and "sorrys" across the bridge.
I made it across and did the loop before returning and then heading down toward Golden Gate Park. Up to that point I had been feeling pretty good. I had one slight side cramp from a downhill section, but I was able to get through it. I wasn't in too much pain and I had a good attitude. So far, so good.
I had never been in Golden Gate Park before (I know, I know) and thought it was very nice. It was cool with the protection of many trees. The smell of Eucalyptus made me quite happy and I ran my way along the side of the road. I started looking for Dad and Paul and saw them up ahead. Smiles and cheers from them gave me motivation. I knew I'd see them at least one more time before leaving the park.
Along with the full marathon, two 1/2 marathons were being run. The first half started with us back at the waterfront. We split off from them close to the park. As we made the split, I noticed most people went left for the 1/2, while fewer stayed with me to the right for the full. Some dude running nearby me wished me luck which I thought was nice. I might need it!
The second half started in the park and it was just as I was getting to that area that I actually heard the gun and announcer start them off. Before long, my wide open running space became full of eager, fresh legged half-marathon runners. That was tough because it made me feel as though I was going backwards. I was getting passed like I was sitting still, but I had to try to tell myself it was just because I had already run over 13 miles and they were just starting. Patience, grasshopper!
Running, running, running. Keep going. Mile after mile went by. I saw Paul and Dad again twice more and then I knew I wouldn't see them again until the finish. I left the park and headed into the neighborhoods of the Haight-Ashbury District. Funky shops lined the streets and some tough hills made this part challenging. I was definitely tired, but I knew I could finish. That fortunately never was a question in my mind. Though I did think about the condition of my feet and legs, not finishing was not an option.
The fog was thinning out as we continued on and I kept waiting for us to return to the waterfront. My GPS watch wasn't matching the marked miles anymore (various reasons why) but it was very close so while I wasn't looking at it anymore, I heard it chime at every mile. I chose not to look at it because I didn't want pace to drive my overall race. Time was not my main goal (as I said earlier) and I wanted to run this race strictly by how I felt.
I knew I had slowed down some around miles 20+. I was stoked though when some nice guy on the side of the road was handing out full bottles of water. I took one and drank quite a bit before tossing it. I had been drinking from my fuel belt all along, but knew I had to sort of ration it because I didn't want to run out. The water stations along the run can get very crowded so I tend to avoid those if I can. I did take fluid from at least one or two of them though so I had supplemental fluids which was good. Still, that water was cool, refreshing, and I think it gave me a little boost toward the finish. I actually almost spit some water on a girl just behind me, but I just missed. I felt like an idiot and apologized. She said, "It's ok, you just missed me!" Yikes! I won't be spitting during a race again!
Eventually, the race turned and we began our way back toward the water. I saw the Bay Bridge and knew I was getting closer and closer. It was sunny, the water was shimmering, it was warm, and I was almost done! I ran by AT&T Park (where the Giants play baseball), ran under the Bay Bridge, and then came the finish! I had turned on the last bit of power that I had and crossed the finish line in 4:20:54--just under a 10:00min/mile pace. Not bad for my first marathon, though I would have liked to have finished faster. But, overall it was ok.
I grabbed a water and waited in line for my medal. I heard a yell and saw Dad and Paul waving at me. I got my medal and heat sheet, then got some goodies and made my way over to the cable car where they were taking finisher photos. I had my photo taken and found my way through the mess to Dad and Paul. Took my recovery drink, walked around a bit, stretched a little, and sat down for a bit. We took a few photos then made our way toward the car. We made a quick pit stop in the Ferry Building and looked at the neat shops and food spots there and then walked to the parking garage.
We decided to stop for lunch before we got home and about the only thing that sounded good to me was Panera. I was able to stomach soup and bread and it settled quite well. I was stiff getting out of the car, so it was good to stop and stretch my legs. Back home, I cleaned up and tried to take it easy the rest of the day. That wasn't hard to do! I was proud of my accomplishment and really couldn't believe my race was over! All my hard training had paid off and I was an official marathon finisher! Pizza for a celebratory dinner and a good night's sleep capped off an awesome experience in one of my favorite cities. Photos to follow.