Mulberry Street

9.2 Miles on the C&O Canal Towpath, 9:40am-11:08am The trail along the C&O Canal Towpath is absolutely gorgeous. It rained off and on throughout the race, sometimes a lot harder than others, but the rain set the mood and created an ideal temperature for running. Sometimes I imagined I was running through Northern Ireland, only there were a lot more trees and fewer sheep. I also enjoyed the distant sound of trains during my run. The slow chug-chug, the steady hum, or the thunder-crashing stops all played in my ears while I enjoyed my surroundings. While I ran through the trees I wished I had those built in camera glasses that spies use, in order to capture the beauty of the trail. The tall trees weaved together high above creating a canopy over my head. The leaves on the trees had not yet changed colors but the Virginia Creeper had and there were bursts of color spiraling up the tree trunks. Because sections of the C&O Canal are stagnant, bright green algae covered the ...

3.5 Miles along the road, 10:45pm-11:15pm There is little you can do to prepare yourself for your second leg of the relay. We ate some food (avoiding all the really appealing & greasy food), we tried to stay hydrated, and we attempted sleeping at a hotel (knowing we would be in the van again from 8:00pm-3:00am). However, our nerves prevented us from actually sleeping, so we rested (curtains drawn, lights out, and eyes closed) instead. It is a funny thing to get up and run in the middle of the night because your body knows you should be in bed. Amber and I actually did a 4:00am training run, just to see how it would feel. It probably wasn’t necessary and all the run did was wake us up super-early on a Saturday morning. In reality, you really can’t train your body for a 1:00am, 2:00am or 3:00am run. Van #1 - Alisha & Alison Ashley, Alexandra, Amy, Sarah & Matt It was fun to meet up with the second van to hear how their first legs went. A race like this helps build team camara...

4.9 Miles along the C&O Towpath, 7:30am-8:15am The final stretch of any race is always longer than it really is. When I began my final leg I felt really good, considering I had only had 3 hours of sleep in the previous 24 hours. We arrived at Exchange 25 to the smiling faces of Ken & Patty, two of our faithful volunteers, and our spirits were high. Alison was currently running which meant we had begun our final legs – wahoo! I began running with the ambition to run my fastest splits, just to get my running over and done with as fast as I could. Only, while I was running I got passed by three other runners. And, while I crossed this beautiful aqueduct-like bridge and an awesome kayak course, the temperature & humidity rose exponentially. Even the C&O had somehow lost it’s beauty. It may have been my fatigue, but the stench along this section of the canal was pervasively strong. For those of you who cannot stand porta-jons, you would probably vomit along this sect...

I remember when Alison suggested we run this relay race and I casually laughed it off with a “Sure.” At the time I was out of shape and had not run in over a year. I never thought I would actually do it but I am so glad that I did, so Thank You Alison. I felt anxious prior to each leg I ran, but for different reasons. Before I began my first leg my anxiety stemmed from anticipation and the distance I faced. The second leg made me anxious because it was a late night run and I just wanted to get it over with. The third leg made me anxious because my body was suffering from fatigue and I just wanted to finish without stopping. I admire each of my teammates for their determination to get through this race. In hindsight, I think I got off easy with my running assignment and I know I would have struggled through any of the hill legs. I appreciate their support and cheers while I ran and I also appreciate their friendship. The experience overall was great and I would like to do it again...

After 182 miles and 32 hours, 34 minutes & 9 seconds, our team finished the DC Ragnar Relay. It rained off and on for the entire 32 hours, thanks to Hurricane Kyle, but despite the rain everything went well. All 12 runners finished their running assignments with great times and as team captain, I am very proud of all of them. I would do it again next year... Here is The A-Team Alison, Ali, Susan, Amber, Alisha, Ryan, Alexandra, John, Amy, Ann, Ashley, Matt & Sarah (our faithful driver) More thoughts and pictures to come.

This photo was taken along a hiking trail in central Idaho. We walked through a small meadow of flowers and found hundreds of these insects flying around and resting on every flower in sight. If you click on the image you can see the hairs on the butterfly's antennae. Photo by Alisha Photo date: August 20, 2008

I wore this same dress when I was a little girl. My parents picked up Latino outfits for all the kids on a trip to Mexico. We even had a family picture taken with each of us dressed up, mom and dad included. I would love to get my hands on that photo to document the occasion. My mother thought I would enjoy dressing Genevieve up in the dress and she was correct in that assumption. I am grateful she held onto a few different items from my childhood so that I can pass them onto Genevieve. "Clown" has become a regular in Genevieve's playtime. I'm now going to bed and I am excited to get Genevieve out of bed in the morning. She will greet me with her coy smile, blanket in hand. She’ll snuggle her face into her monkey or run from end to end of her crib, before she’ll allow me to pick her up. Then she’ll spend some time in my arms and I’ll ask her if she dreamt about bunnies or kitties, maybe we’ll read a book. Then she’ll get down, walk over to her shelf and tell all ...

Have you heard this song by Citizen Cope? I think it has a great beat, hence my blogging it. I first heard it So You Think You Can Dance when Neil and Lauren danced a Mia Michaels' routine:

...claims the child that has been awake for over six hours. I put Genevieve down for a nap at least 30 minutes ago and she is still playing or babbling or more importantly, not sleeping. She woke up earlier than normal and I kept her up because we were out and about. I keep telling myself to go in and check on her, to tell her it is "sleepy-sleep time" (as Eric calls it), but then she gets quiet for a minute. To go in or not to go in....hmmm. What I can't explain to her, well I guess I could but she wouldn't care, is that this a one-nap-day and this is her only chance for a nice long nap. Saturdays are always busy and today is no exception. I am afraid I missed the nap window and either I get her up and try again in an hour or two, or she skips the nap altogether. But really, who can resist playing with a girl this cute?!

Remember this photo, well I took a ton of shots that afternoon, this one was just my favorite. However, as I looked through them again I decided they weren't all bad, in fact I would say they are thoughtful...well, for a toddler anyway.

Daddy, I'll miss you putting me to bed tonight. xoxo Genevieve PS - Mommy and I brushed our teeth.

The Ragnar Relay is only 9 days away and I am ready to get it over with. Actually, I have been ready to get it over with for about two weeks already. I am excited and ready to run, but, I just want to be done with the whole thing. I have been diligent and thus far logged 258 miles and 45+ hours of training. I can't imagine that I'll log much more in the next week, because although I have also worked on strengthening my willpower, I think it is waining just a little. Can you tell that I am tired of training? Tired of finding time to run? Tired of forcing myself onto the trail? Tired of waiting? Maybe I am just too excited to wait for the awesome "slapstick" bracelet/baton? However, when I searched for a clips of the race on youtube, I was suddenly NOT so anxious to get it over and done with. In case you are not familiar with the relay, I'll give you a quick synopsis: Our first runner will begin running at 8:00am on Friday morning and our last runner will finish ar...

The tantrums are only getting worse. Going to bed has become a nightmare. Staying home to get anything done is no longer an option. Sleep has somehow taken a backseat. What happened? How can a toddler cause so much havoc?

Genevieve and I went to a farm today. We needed to practice her animal sounds and this was the perfect opportunity. It is funny to take my daughter to a farm AND bring a camera. I did my fair share of farm work when I was younger which was never worthy of a picture. It was just a part of life, a part of life that Genevieve will probably never experience and I’m okay with that. Spud harvest, moving pipe, and milking cows will just be a memory I pass along. The duck didn’t do much for her until is quacked. Phew, I was getting tired of quacking myself. Also, have you ever seen a duck with a green bill? This was a first for me. Genevieve wouldn't eat her lunch after she spotted this tractor, it is just her size and the steering wheel goes around and around and around. Whenever the pig snorted, she snorted. I made a point to tell her how badly the pigs smelled but she didn’t care. The sheep must have thought we were going to give it something because it almost came through the fence ...