Ragnar Cape Cod

Even though I may have mentioned that I'd never do a crazy 200-mile, 2 day relay again, I rejoined my teammates from team Don't Tell Deb in Massachusetts for the Ragnar Cape Cod relay on the first weekend of May.  We ran from Hull to Provincetown, Massachusetts on May 3-4 - almost 200 miles.  And it was WINDY, but fun.

home for two days - Van 2
(when not running)...

Channeling the Crazy Running Chicken, while fighting the headwind, on my last leg

My next costume for Dia de los muertos?  ELECTRIC crazy running chicken?
And - Team Don't Tell Deb at the finish

After the race, John and I headed to Nantucket for a day - and saw a seal!

Sally Seeker likes seeing seals on the seashore.

We're already semi-planning the next relay...

Thanks to Team Don't Tell Deb, John, Tara, Alyssa, Erin, and Mike for the pics and great time!

Still tired...

Well, since I returned from Hartford I've either been too busy or am experiencing post-marathon fatigue.  Or both - because I am beat.  Last week was the final Wednesday night zoo run of 2012 - Brak Pak was out en force:

Then, Thursday night was Diva Night at Fleet Feet Sports - bra fitting, wine, Krav Maga chicks kicking butt, wine, chocolate, and some of my favorite folks, Street2Feet (Felicia, below, is not a member of S2F)...

Saturday night was the 2nd Annual Dia de los Muertos 5k.  I phoned it in with my "thundercloud" costume this year - although I did have battery-powered "lightning" under the cloud.

I also phoned in my running performance - here I am at the finish, taking a detour to go pat an Iniguez doggie.

Then I blew my nose

It was really a nice race, directed by one of my favorite fotogs - Ceci.  She really puts the extra effort into the quality details.

Then, it was up again for Fleet Feet marathon training Sunday morning - and breakfast afterward at EZ's...

Then, I slept and hoped for a calm, easy week ahead.

Unfortunately, last night involved another midnight emergency trip to the veterinarian.  And, after struggling most of this past year with Vaca's cardiomyopathy, I had to put Vaca the cat to sleep.  This was the first time I've ever had to make that decision - and it really sucks.  But, in a short amount of time, it seemed that a blood clot knocked out his hind leg function and also his lungs, which I knew could happen with CM - my cat, Rojito, also lived with CM for 3 years - it tends to get the big, gentle guys.  Dangit.  But, now he can party on in his 10th life and my memory.  Adios, Vaca.

Hippopitoodlepotamus Run

Ho hum.  My annual marathon is run, so now what?  Let an 85-pound pitbull drag me up 3.1 miles of hills, you say?  You're ON!  Oh wait, I already did that on Saturday. 

Gwen and I hit the rescheduled SNIPSA Race for the Rescues 5k last Saturday.  She would like me to mention that she's been dieting and is likely closer to 80 pounds, but it's hard to do the pick-up-the-baby-hippo-dog-and-jump-on-the-scale thing.  Maybe we'll tackle that challenge this weekend.

But, back to last weekend.  I alternate dogs for these races, so it was Gwen's turn to 'race.'  Here we are beforehand.

She's pretty competitive and went into full-out zombie mode

Freaky, no?  Then, she lunged and ate the photographer's brains!

Not really.  Gwen is just overly enthusiastic with kisses (and accompanies them with a complimentary head butt). 

So, we got off to a FAST start, but Gwen was soon distracted by chasing the biggest boy dogs she could find and wallowing in dogpools like a hippo.  (The apple, it seems, does not fall far from the tree.)  But, we 'sprinted' to the finish, looking like champion runners - in a speedy 47ish minutes.

And then "we" sniffed a bunch of butts and took this lovely pic

Gwen would like me to mention that objects in this pic appear wider than they really are.  I'm pretty sure she's correct. 

So, after that adventure, I let her drive home.

Not really - zombie hippopitoodlepotamuses are TERRIBLE drivers.

Gwen would also like me to mention, though she was an off-the-street stray rescue, you should support SNIPSA.  I've volunteered with those folks, and they do a wonderful job TRYING to help reduce the stray population and kill rate in San Antonio.  Gwen says give them some money or adopt your own hippopitoodlepotamus (or other, slightly inferior, breed) from them. 

Thanks to scottydog, Benson photography, and Michelle for the pics.

Dingo's fame

Yep, even the Dingo dog is a bit of a fame whore.  Just like her 'mama.'

http://www.iaapweb.com/

Or, if you're lazy...

Still Almost Famous

As I've mentioned before, I am stalked by the paparazzi.  Okay, not really - I'm a fame 'ho, like a Kardashian.  Okay, not really - I do have a real job and press coverage just amuses me.  Immensely.  So, here's my latest brush with fame:

What do you mean, you can't get this magazine in Wisconsin?  Okay, let me virtually turn you to page 38...

(you can click on the picture to enlarge, or just put on 1-100 pairs of readers to read that teeny print).  Ceci snapped that pic two years ago, after Gwen and I completed a record-breaking 5k (over 1 hour, since Gwen had to swim in every dog pool along the way).  I really like how Gwen's stepping on the footer :x)  Now, I just need to keep her from being a fame 'ho, like her mama.

Catching up

I sure love 3-day weekends - I get a chance to (try to) catch up on everything.  So, here's what's been happening. 

Last weekend was the Beach to Bay Marathon Relay from North Padre Island to Corpus Christi.  It was a hot one - I ran/limped the 2nd leg of 6 and the Brak Pak Chiks finished in under 5 hours.

Here I am at the start of the leg on the beach - on my bad knee, thinking "man, this is going to hurt."  It did. 

But I made it and rested my knee on the beach. 

Then, this weekend, I ran the Witte Museum Boot Scoot 5k fun run - it also hurt, but was fun.

 Awards - I did not win any of those - because I do not own a pair of cowboy boots in which to boot scoot.

Then I tried to tackle the jungle that is my back yard and tried to nurse my cardiac cat, Vaca, back to health.  In my jungle-tackling, I was really looking for a heart transplant donor wildcat (not really).

Thanks to Ceci, IAAP, Scottydog, and Brightroom for the pics

No race weekend

After an expensive week or so (limping Gwen's vet visit, my knee MRI, tire damage...), I did not race this weekend and instead did fun stuff like working overtime and cleaning the house.  On Sunday, I planned on getting some yardwork done, working on correspondence for the Women's run, and walking/running the Women's run course.  Unfortunately, as I sat down for my pre-productive day bowl of fruit, I noticed that Vaca the cat was panting.  Panting is NEVER a good thing for felines.  So, instead, I spent most of the day at the vet's - and Vaca spent the night.  And then I spent enough on diagnostic testing to melt my credit card and put my vet's future child through a year of online courses.

All told, Vaca got this crappy furcut

and a diagnosis of cardiomyopathy.  Not great news and incurable, but manageable.  My giant orange cat, Rojito (RIP), was diagnosed with the same during treatment for hepatic lipidosis, and he lived large for 3 more years (and did not succomb to heart disease).  So, now the critters are on more medications than me (so far - MRI is pending), but we are chillaxing --

Next up: Providence to Pearl 5k, more OT (vet bills, remember?!), and maybe a Sunday race

dang joints - all around

So, my right knee is still deformed and hurting.  The other knee just aches.  And I really, really was thinking about maybe (not really) going to the MD.  But, instead I went to the DVM - because Gwen was limping.  She hated it as much as I hate the MD:

I tried to crowd her x-ray to get a dual diagnosis for the $49 exam fee, but, apparently, all doctors are against me.  He did glance at my knee and say "wow, you need to get that evaluated."  Excellent.  The good news is that Gwen is just probably older than I think, has a shoulder strain, and osteoarthritis.  We're now on the same meds - a ton of 'motrin' and joint juice (glucosamine/chondrontrin) - but hers is beef flavored and mine just tastes like crud.

So, to heck with the docs - I ran the inaugural Alamo 13.1 half marathon on Sunday.  It was a nice race along routes I usually run, but it was hot.  I wore compression tights for my knee, even though I dislike tights almost as much as doctors - especially in the heat.  But I did get a fabulous pic!

It was around mile 4-6, and I heard the gal in the blue shorts talking
Blue shorts (to friend):  There's a photographer, pull your shorts down and smile
Me (conversation bombing):  No, no - you pose.  Like THIS!
Photographer: AWESOME.  you rock!

So, that made me feel better/ignore the knee for a bit -- until we climbed Trinity University.  Even worse was the descent.  I won't lie - the last 3 miles hurt like heck.

 But I made it and was supplied with my favorite painkiller - Alamo Ale (thanks, Eugene & Jackie!).

the bling made it hurt less too

And then I iced and rested.  Next up - 2 5ks this weekend.  Because I'm not sure which I dislike more: doctors or my right knee.

Thanks to JohnO, Yvonne, and Brightroom for the pics