What a Weekend!!

A few super cool things happened over that last few days so let's get right to it!

After recovering up from Rage towards the end of the week I hit the pool with Form on Friday afternoon and cranked out some swim sprints with this maniac! He's a machine and only getting faster each week, keep up the great work Form! So after I almost puked twice during sprints and swallowed about half the pool water I survived and we headed to lunch. The rest of the day was getting ready for the Labor of Love (LOL) Canyon 50k, Marathon, Half Marathon & 10k run which I was volunteering at aid station mile 4.6 on an out and back course.

Now I wanted to have a super cool water stop as many of us know that on some of these smaller races it's just a table and water/sports drink and some super volunteers out there. Being as this was pretty much out in the middle of Vegas mountains/hills NOWHERE I thought I needed a theme or some decorations or something, so I went with a Red, White, Blue USA Theme or 4th of July I guess you could say. Well I went to the store got some stuff and was ready to go. Got my cooler with beer all packed up, food ready and clothes ready as it was going to be a cold in there morning with some wind.

Morning came at 4am! and I'm not even racing up it did start at 6am and I had a little drive to get there. Once at mile 4.6 it was completely dark outside at 5:15am and the wind was SUPER Blowing!! Oh and my car temperature read 39*!!!! WTF! I got out, got things set up but the wind was blowing so strong it was hard to do anything. Finally I got my table cover on, taped down. I managed to get a couple of other props up without them blowing away. I had a square pop up canopy and tried to set it up but it was just too windy to do it by myself and if I did get it up it might actually be blowing away during the race so I opted not to put it up, Which was a downer b/c many of the other Props were going to go on the canopy. With no canopy I did manage to put a few on my car, which I parked right next to the table with water/Heed. By now the sun is up its about 6:20ish and I'm waiting to see the faster runners for the 50k come through.

With the Music Cranked up I see the first 50k guy coming down the road, super fast. He passed me, waved and kept going, barley a blink of the eye. The next runner was about 8 mins behind him, HFS! 8 mins, in the first 4.6 miles! As the 50k's passed I was looking for my new super friends and TNT runner Coach Antonette along with super friend #2 TNT Coach Cynthia! and here they came. It was great to see there smiling faces and they were looking and feeling good in a long day ahead. A quick High Five, encouragement and they were off. I would be looking forward to seeing them on the way back.

A short time later the Marathoners came through, some fast, some slowing to chat really quick. Many loved the music going as I tried to keep it loud. They liked the Balloons tied to the top of the car, the windmill spinners stuck in the ground and my Big Uncle SAM Hat along with the Red, White and Blue bow I had pinned to the back of my White Short sleeve shirt, with Blue Long sleeve sweetshirt pulled up to expose my Red Long Sleeve, Hence, the Red, White and Blue theme and my Blue sweet pants at this time as it is cold but later to warm up and reveal my Blue shorts! HAHA. Then the Half Marathoners came though all liking my stop.

As they came back up this nasty little 1.5 mile snakey climb I was at the top so they were super glad to see me there cheering them on, rocking with the music and beer! Of Course Beer. So what its 9:30am! A few of them asked for some, drank up and took off running! Go Runners!

Several of them said I had the best aid station by far but I wasn't too sure what my competition was. At one point I recognized this truck driving up, STEF!, I was so glad to see someone I knew out there helping out as well. She was helping out at the marathon turn around and seemed to be a little envious of my rockn' aid station and wanted to stay but her duties were called elsewhere. That's OK Stef, next year, we will plan to rock out together!

So based on super fast 50k's guys pace I figured he would be coming around 9:30am, Wrong, it was 9:20! The dude flew by again, waved and kept going. So Fast! That's like a 7:10 min/mile pace! Well luckily since he passed so fast I had plenty of other peeps to keep me occupied. By now the sun is up after a nice little SNOW STORM that blew SNOW for like 15 mins! The wind had died down a little so it was nicer but still not the best. But I was super happy once again to see Antonette & Cynthia!! They came rocking up the hill, looking good and ready to be done. After a little bit of chatting, refueling and getting things situated for there last 4.6 miles home they took off and once again I was sad and lonely.

After all the runners were passed me I packed up my aid station and went to the start, dropped everything off. Got to talk with the race director Joyce, saw Antonette & Cynthia and there finishers medals! SUPER CONGRATULATIONS on that 50k!!!! Amazing to run that far (.. humm..., can JT do it.. I wonder in the back of my lil brain.)  After seeing the girls off I headed back home and rested up.

Now that was just Saturday!

Sunday, I was up early again at headed to meet TNT group with the girls Antonette & Cynthia for me to get a run in. I was nice to be running with the TEAM and getting to talk with them on there goals, fundraising and experiences. I was running 16 miles so I was able to run with a super nice couple who are preparing to run Seattle Rock n Roll Marathon. There were great to run with and on the way back we all picked up the pace. It was hot by now and much different conditions that yesterday for running. I managed to pull ahead the last 4 miles but I was caught by, I think her name was misty or mandy?? and she was running fast! There was no way I was going to get dropped in the last 1.5 miles as she was pushing the pace so I stayed with here and we finished up together. Now the main reason I had to stay with here as I knew that if she finished before me Antonette would have certainly told me "I got Chick'd" and that was not going to happen. We finished up, cooled down and sure enough I told Antonette I wasn't going to get Chick'd.. she laughed and said she would have exactly told me that! too funny!

Overall, it was a great run. My best in a super long time and my farthest since training for Ironman last year! I was good to be out there and run on a good course without too many hills!

What a weekend!! I loved it!! GO TEAM, GO girls Antonette & Cynthia!! whew.. I need a vacation..

rockon'