PanCan Purple Stride

This is my friend, Pete.  He is fighting pancreatic cancer again.  He will win again.

When she's not rescuing animals, training dogs, gardening, working, reading, running, cycling, doing a kazillion other things, or helping Pete through treatment, Pete's wife (and my friend), Jenna, is my personal photographer.  She does not know this.  Sometimes all that other stuff gets in the way of being my personal photographer - so these pics are a little delayed, but much appreciated.

This was the Pancreatic Cancer Purple Stride 5k at one of my alma maters - St. Mary's University - on November 7.  It was a great run.  My slow post-marathon finish time netted me 3rd in my age group and I won a $50 gift certificate to a wine bar as a door prize.  Good haul!

Before the race:

And during the run, thinking "dang, I just ran a marathon two weeks ago"

Caught getting some post-race beverages - Jenna is like the paparazzi.

And Wally with Diesel, my dog Gwen's "twin."  

I first met these two about a year and a half ago, when I queasily crossed the zoo run finish line.  I thought "why does that guy have my dog?  why is Gwen not home where I left her? when did Gwen get so buff?  and WHEN did she, um, grow balls?"  (I HAD just tried to run 2 miles as fast as I could in San Antonio in the Summer, mind you. And, look, they are pretty similar - Gwen's the one on the left!)

See?  Anyway, next up is the Cobweb Chaser on New Year's Day.  Mercifully, gun time is 10:00 a.m.

Thanks to Jenna for the pics!  And fight, Pete, fight :)

Merry Christmas

I went for a nice little Christmas run today along the north section of the River Walk with my new toy (Garmin 405 - thanks Folks!) and new shoes (free, courtesy of American Express points).  And all was happy and bright!

Then, I played a game of fetch with the dogs - Dingo is pretty good, but Gwen always turns it into a game of keep away from Sally, then eats the tennis ball.  Merry Christmas!

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Untitled

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Untitled

Some things other than running and beer

Lest you think that I only run and drink beer with running buddies, I am posting activities other than those aforementioned.  Here are some pictures from October's book club (a/k/a Book & Bottle Club, a/k/a JUGBABES‏).

Yep, we read books and talk about them.  "We" being many runners, cyclists, and triathletes.  "Talk" meaning talk over a glass or two of wine.  Definitely different than running and drinking brewskis.

Wow, as you can see here - I had recently dyed my hair (I absolutely admit that) - yet, in the previous post in Mexico (about 6 weeks later), it had already lightened a LOT from sun exposure through running.  I think this shows that I need to be more diligent about sunscreen usage because solar exposure here, even in the Fall, is strong.

Thanks to Jenna for the pics!

The Crazy Running Chicken Training Plan

(or more pics from the International Friendship 10k Run in McAllen, TX on November 22, 2009)

Okay, first you drive just over 4.5 hours to the border - and cross it into Mexico.

Jenna, the Mexican Eagle, and me

Joan and I on the bridge

Then, you meet up with more buddies along the streets of Nuevo Progresso and enjoy a cerveza.

My classic rabbit-squint.  Before me on the table are a "Court Case" prayer candle, limes, salt, and Dos Equis.  All of which I could have used when I litigated and practiced family law.

And then, you wake up and run a 10k in a heavy fog among the tall palms.

In fine crazy running chicken form!

Thanks to Jenna for the pics - she actually drove and ran alongside to take the action ones (but not the beer drinking ones).

No Race Weekend

Yes, they are rare, but this is one.  AND, because I work for a certain employer, we are without a budget, under a continuing resolution, and are not allowed overtime for now.  So, what is a Sally to do?

Well, after a nice party with friends last night at Pizza Italia, I dragged my butt out of bed and hit the new riverwalk for a short run this morning.  I LOVE this section of the riverwalk (thank you Mayor Phil for building it for me to run on) - though it is concrete and tough on the legs, it has marked the last 5 miles to the park on my long runs all Summer.  So, entering the upper riverwalk is simply happiness for me!  And today, I saw many fellow SA runners and fluffy doggies along the run, which always makes me happy.  Afterward (where I parked the car) I shopped at the Pearl Brewery farmers' market and their holiday craft fair.

Tomorrow, I am trying to get out of bed early for the 7-8 mile run at Fleet Feet (please, no hills).  Then, I am going to attend visitation for Judge Andy Mireles.  He was a nice man and a fair and strict judge, which was good for me when I appeared before him, since I was generally overprepared, nervous, and trying to do the right thing.  He will be missed.

Sunday evening is the Stray Dog Xmas.  We (mostly runners) meet downtown, enjoy 'cheer' as we exchange the cheapest, most creative mass gifts that we can develop, then head down to the riverwalk for dinner, and sing caroles at the Alamo.

Thanks to the San Antonio Bar Association for Judge Andy Mireles's pic.

Sing it with me

Sally got run over by a reindeer

because she looked like a crazy running chicken.

She'd been drinkin' too much egg nog,

but at least she made it to the end.  brrr.

(and how creepy is that reindeer hand jutting out from stage right?)

Thanks to Hill Country Rambling for the holiday crazy running chicken pics.

Hakuna Matata (I've been spelling that wrong for years)

Simba the housecat says, "I'm glad you liked the show, but I'm pretty sure these are all about me."

Yet another nemesis

It has been awhile since I have whined complained about my nemeses or nemesi or nemesises.  This is only because I have not been sorely beaten lately by these VERY fast women in my age group (only because we have not been running the same races).  But now, I have a new nemesis - Rochelle Cuff.  By day, she is a controller/accountant type, wife/mom, and fellow book & bottle clubmember - by early morning and evening track workouts, she is a REALLY fast runner.  And this morning, she finished 3rd overall female at the Dallas White Rock Marathon with a chip time of 3:03:35!  Yep, that is a mere 1 hour and 40 minutes or so faster than I ran it two years ago.  *sigh* the nemeses keep getting faster and I just seem to be getting older!

Great run, Rochey!

Next up - Reindeer Run

The Reindeer Run 5k, where I get my 'prize' for running 8 of the 10 Alamo Series runs.

BRRRRRR-race report

Well, there was a chance of snowflakes, so the City Manager's 5k was cancelled/postponed this morning.  Being from "The North," I scoffed at such postponement.  However, having lived down here for years, and waking up to ACTUAL FROST which REMAINED on the lawn and CRIPPLED my basil, this was indeed a good idea.  So, instead, I ended up heading into work this morning to work some overtime - and it was quite frosty.  It was the first time I realized that I no longer carry approximately 3 ice-scrapers in my car.  In fact, I now have none and used a piece of cardboard to scrape the windows.

After work, I chowed some food and took a nap (yes, excitement, I know).  Then, I set out for the Jingle Bell 5k Run for Arthritis at the University of the Incarnate Word.  I often run through that campus, but it is especially nice during the holidays, when they put twinkly lights in all of their trees.  The run was nice, but frosty, as the temperatures remained in the 40 degree range.  (Stop laughing you Northerners - I CANNOT deal with those temperatures any more.)  This intolerance (and newfound naiveté) for cold weather was probably best evidenced by my failure to dig out a pair of tights in which to run.  Ah well, at least I only have to run in "The Cold" for another month or so.

Thanks to http://www.iaapweb.com/ for the frosty ugly pics

Next ups

Well, there were approximately 2,500 runners at the Turkey Trot last Thursday, so I didn't espy any ugly race pics among the kazillion thumbnails before I went blind.  I will, therefore, have to try for some ugly race pics this weekend.  Luckily, the weather is a miserable 40ish degrees and raining and, if this holds, I should look equally as miserable.  Further lucky still, I have back to back races on Saturday.

First, I finagled a guest invitation to the City Manger's 5k Saturday morning (thanks, Joe!):

Then, I will come home where, hopefully, elves will have visited and mopped up the muddy dogprints.  And I will take a nap.  Then, I will run the Jingle Bell 5k Saturday evening among the lights at the University of the Incarnate Word.  And then, I will sleep some more.