Pedal Chik

Bovine

2014-04-06T08:42:00.001-06:00

4/5/14

Dozing off to sleep in the cozy warmth of my dark bed. Peaceful. Quiet. Interrupted.

I am not sure what I was aware of first, voices, footsteps, light, or my dog barking. I jumped out of bed, heart racing. I could hear Molly struggling to get out of her sleeping bag. I called her, and she barked. Molly freed herself and ran out ahead of me into the lit up living room. Hearing a running vehicle outside, I flipped on the porch light and cracked the front door.

One of Star’s finest had come to my door…well, sort of.

The SUV backed down my two-house street and then came back up, pulled into the gravel drive across the street and sat there. And sat there. And sat there. Then I heard it. The chain link fence had gotten disturbed.

Cop SUV number two pulled up and stopped right in front of my house. Caution lights flashing, and the back door opened up and a man with a rope jumped out. I told the Policeman that I had just heard the fence shake. His reply was that a cow had gotten out. The man with the rope walked past, looked at me and asked, “How are you?” I said that I was good, and reciprocated the question. He smiled and said he was doing well.

Cop number one told cop number 2 that the cow had taken off towards the street so they needed to head on down. I ran inside to put something warmer on, just in case I could help. By the time I came back to the front door, Cop SUV # 2 was still sitting in front of my house, lights on and still running, but no one in it. Cop SUV # 1 was sitting just to the left of the intersection of my short little street, pointed towards the back of the neighborhood. Lights on and flashing, vehicle running. No one was in sight.

Looking to the end of the neighborhood, I saw cop car #3. Within minutes, cop car # 3 headed to the entrance of my neighborhood and left, dropping off a cop at SUV # 1. I asked Cop # 1 if there was anything I could do to help. He asked if I would just double check SUV # 2 to ensure the doors were locked, and if they weren’t locked, to please do so. “Sure!” I said. Locked, they were. (Drat!) In the quick exchange of those few words, I was also informed it was a bull that had gotten loose. In that moment, I decided I wasn’t going to leave my front yard.

Cop car # 4 showed up.

I stood around for a few minutes and pretty soon, cop car # 3 came back, following a truck and horse trailer.

I waited around for a few more minutes and the truck and horse trailer left, and the police started making their way back towards the abandoned vehicles, hitching a ride on the side of one of the SUV’s. They were dropped off at their respective vehicles. Cop # 1 pulled up in front of me and I said, “Exciting night!” he rubbed his face with his hands and, laughing nervously, said, “Oh Boy!” Then he started to tell me that he had never seen a bull run down the middle of the street in downtown Star. Me, being a visual person, imagined that and laughed incredulously. I told him what my experience was as I woke up. He said that the bull had run into my back yard and between the two houses on my street (mine and my neighbor’s). The bull rubbed up against my house (the footsteps and other noises) and people were chasing it (lights and voices). Then it all made sense and Star’s finest left the neighborhood. Apparently the man with the truck and trailer is a neighbor of mine. The bull doesn’t belong to him, but he was willing to put the bull up for the night until they could find his owner.

As a friend said in her comment to my post, “Exciting time in Star. Police cars and run away cows. Yes. In my neighborhood.” (That was before I knew it was a bull.) “You know you’ve picked the right neighborhood when run away cows are the worst crime on a Fri night.”

Tinker Bell Part 3

2014-02-26T20:51:00.000-07:00

The night before an event, it is always a good idea to “lay out your runner,” which means create a “runner” on your bed or on a chair, laying out all of the items that will be needed for the event. In addition, it is also a great idea to try everything on. Doing these two things ensure that you aren’t forgetting anything. I’ve heard stories where this did not happen and one shoe couldn’t be found the morning of the event.

After the inspiration dinner, we (Tee, Lupe, Julie and I) headed back to the hotel room so that Tee and I could get prepared for the morning. Julie and Lupe left to go to their hotel room and get some sleep. After we laid everything out, we headed to bed for a short 4 hour nap. The event started at 5:00 am, which meant we needed to be out the door, to catch the shuttle by about 3:30.

We headed out the door and caught the shuttle. It didn’t take long to get to the drop off location, even with several stops along the way. Upon arriving at the…

I’m interrupting this blog post. I have literally tried writing this post for MONTHS! And nothing has felt right to say about it – until today.

I trained with Team In Training because of people like Lula who are fighting cancer.

A couple of weeks, or maybe a week before leaving for this trip, I sent a personal message to Lula’s mom, Kat. I asked Kat what Lula’s favorite Disney characters were. She told me Nemo, Wall-e, and the newest princesses; Mirada, Rapunzel, and one other, but I can’t think of her name. I told Kat that I would do my best during the race to get my picture taken with one of those characters, and would then post it to Facebook for her.

All along the course, I kept my eyes peeled for one of those characters, when suddenly, there she was. Mirada. The line wasn’t too long, so we (Becky and Tee) waited and took the picture of me and Mirada. I immediately posted it to Facebook, tagging Lula, and within just a few minutes, I got a reply from Kat stating that Lula was still sleeping but she would show her the picture as soon as Lula woke up. The next notice I received on Facebook was that Lula saw the picture and was all smiles. If I remember correctly, Lula was in a hospital at the time.

Then, on part of the run, I saw someone wearing a Nemo hat. SCORE! I didn’t post that one, but I counted it in my heart and said another prayer for Lula.

Any more about this run sounds trivial after today. Sunday night after fighting an incredible fight with cancer, Lula, at 10 years old, passed away. She leaves behind so many people who loved and adored her. One of those people is her twin brother, Chaz. Chaz is amazing, just like his sister. And we have something in common. I lost my twin sister at 16 ½ years old. He lost his twin sister at 10 1/2 years old. Chaz told me today that cancer sucks and is a butthead that needs to be killed. I agree, sweet Chaz. I agree. While I am happy that Lula is no longer in pain, she is whole, she is dancing, she has met my twin, Joanna, and they are dancing on the clouds together (Joanna couldn’t walk), I am sad and angry that death stings while we are here.

Tinker Bell Part 2

2013-04-24T05:57:00.001-06:00

On Saturday, January 20^th, we went to “Expo”. This is where Tinker Bell participants pick up anything that was needed for the event. Because of being part of Team in Training and fundraising, we also received a one day one park pass. After that, we wandered through expo. As we got to the back wall, we picked up our event shirts and a bag to put everything in. Then we looked around to see if anything at the expo just had to come home with us. There are all sorts of things to purchase there. There were clever t-shirts about running, running gear, nutrition supplements, tutus, plaques, and many more items.

While going through Expo, Lupe mentioned that she had an appointment around 1:00 with a friend. My first thought was that this was odd, because she had mentioned that she was coming to Anaheim to hang out and do whatever it is that we (the event participants) were doing, but I dismissed it. Somehow I got on the topic of this “Friend” being someone that she had met on line. She didn’t deny it, but I’m not sure she actually confirmed that. I asked her, “you’ve met this friend before?” she said yes. I said, “so you trust this friend?” she said yes. She said that she might be going to lunch so Tee (another friend who ran in this event) and I would go to have lunch together and wander around Downtown Disney while we waited for Lupe to come back.

Tee and I wanted to go to a restaurant that we didn’t have in Boise and ended up at “Blues Brothers” for lunch. We were both very happy with our lunch choice. After lunch, we just started walking around Downtown Disney. We looked through stores, people watched and made a couple of purchases. My phone rang and I picked up. Lupe said that she was done, but that they hadn’t eaten lunch. So she needed to get something. I let Lupe know where we were at that moment. I got off the phone with Lupe and told Tee that she hadn’t had lunch. Both of us looked at each other and asked, “What kind of guy would take her out at lunch time and not feed her lunch???” About that time, my friend Julie called me. Julie wanted to know how California was. She was in Florida at a vet clinic with her husband, so I asked her how Florida was. She said it was rainy, cold, and windy. I was bummed for her, but happy that I was in sunny, warm, and slightly breezy California.

My phone rang again, and it was Lupe. I hurriedly hung up with Julie, asking if I could call her back in just a minute because I knew that Lupe should be getting close. I called Lupe right back and let her know where we were sitting, waiting for her. And then I realized I hadn’t picked up my free park pass. I told Lupe that I should call my Team In Training contact and find out where I needed to go to get that. Lupe had her directions to find Tee and me, so I called my TNT contact and left a message. She called right back and let me know that there was a booth in the Expo where I needed to get the ticket. Meanwhile, as Bonni talked, I watched Lupe come up to Tee and me with her camera out. She appeared to be taking pictures of Tee and me, but then I hear this, “Come here often?” I look over my left shoulder and…WHAT??? Julie was right there!!! Things have suddenly become crystal clear. Lupe wasn’t headed out on a date. She went to the airport to pick up Julie. Yes, Julie had been in Florida that day, but she flew to California to surprise me. They decided to play around a little bit, so Lupe called me. While she was talking with me, Julie called me. While Julie was talking to me, Lupe called me again. Julie was thinking that the fact that both of them had the same music playing in the truck would be a dead give away. Me? “What music?”

I was completely blown away by the thoughtfulness of those two friends.

That evening, we went to the inspiration dinner to carb load and hear how much money Team in Training raised for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. All of the participants of TNT together raised over $800,000 because of that one event. How cool is that???

Tinker Bell Part 1

2013-04-21T08:46:00.000-06:00

For those of you who have been patiently waiting to hear how Tinker Bell went, I apologize for it taking so long to start this update. But at long last, here it is.

January 18^th, 2013, it was finally time to start the weekend that I had spent 7 months training for. I worked a half day and then headed on out to the airport. The day before, I was able to check in for the first leg of my flight, but was not given a seat assignment. I was told that I would get my second boarding pass and seat assignment at the gate.

For whatever reason, I am a bit of a nervous flyer…not that flying makes me nervous, the being on time, security, and the catching the flight makes me nervous. I think it’s because I’ve built up some excitement for the trip and want everything to go smoothly. Not getting my seat assignment or the boarding pass for the second leg of my trip made me a little nervous to begin with, but when the adventure started, it was like sitting on pins and needles.

I arrived at the gate and approached the podium to explain that I needed a seat and a boarding pass for my next flight. They told me that they would call my name and get me both once they started boarding the plane…WHA???? Now the things that are going through my head are, “Is the flight over sold? I’ve had my ticket since November! They can’t boot me off!” “Am I going to get a seat???” “Are they going to ask for volunteers to not take this flight?” and “I’m not volunteering!” Then they made an announcement from the podium stating that they would appreciate all larger carry on bags to be checked at the gate. They would be checked to the final destination rather than pick it up during my layover. So I thought, “I’ll check my bag and then they have to let me on the plane.” So I did. I still didn’t have a seat assignment.

Sitting down, I tried to be patient, but I nervously waited for my name to be called. They started boarding the first zone, then the second zone. Finally as they boarded the third zone, they called 5 names…none of those names mine. Ugh! Then they called 4 more names, mine being one of them (whew!). Receiving my boarding passes, I looked at my seating assignment for this flight and thought, “Wow! I think I’m at the back of the plane.” Sure enough. Very last row, window seat. Oh well. I’m thankful to be on the flight and it’s only 45-minutes to Salt Lake City.

As I sat down, I started to think, “oh man! All of my event gear is in that checked bag! If they lose my luggage, I’m in trouble!” Then I prayed over it, finished getting settled in my seat and looked up and saw a handsome man looking at me. Luggage completely forgotten, he scooted in next to me and sat down and said something like, “Sorry that you are stuck with me.” I was thinking that I could think of worse situations.

Then, a handsome man came and sat next to him. I start looking around and found that I am literally surrounded by handsome men. They filled up the entire row in front of me and across the aisle, and in my row. As it turns out, these men are part of the Meridian Firefighters Pipes and Drums Band (Bagpipes, that is). I got a huge smile on my face. This last row next to the window seat is not a bad seat at all.

Some of the band members had just gotten back from playing for a funeral in Alaska. I got to tell them about my experience in Scotland listening to the Military Tattoo (120 bag pipers piping at the Edinburgh Castle, and about the solo piper up in a window of the castle as the sun is going down playing “Amazing Grace”). We talked about time spent in Alaska, and where these pipers were headed. They were on their way to Washington DC to play in the Inaugural Parade. Before we took off, a flight attendant offered to take their picture. I said out loud, more to myself then to anyone else, “I could either photo bomb or I could duck behind the seat. There were several, “Get in the picture! Get in the picture!” responses…so I did.

To read about the Meridian Firefighter Pipes and Drums band and their history Click Here.

I found this photo on the Meridian Fire Fighter

Pipes and Drums FaceBook page.

We arrived in Salt Lake and there were traveling wishes passed on to everyone. Then I went to catch my flight to Anaheim feeling good.

Ever been in a situation where you just feel slimed? Talk about a completely different experience.

I got an aisle seat and sat down next to the person already in the center seat. The window seat wasn’t taken yet. Pretty soon, this man comes to sit down. I got up to let him in, but the person in the center did not stand up. In fact, this person makes the man climb over to get to his seat, and while climbing over, puts hands on his back and legs. WHA??? As I sit down, it becomes obvious that they know each other. Please note that I have been referring to “This Person” as “This person” because I seriously could not tell by looking at her/him. I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, but the conversation that consisted of every other word being a swear word, well, it was hard not to hear the conversation. In the course of trying not to eavesdrop, I found out that questionable gender was a female, and the content of the conversation made me feel gross. I mentally tried to get myself back in to the last row window seat of my last flight.

Finally, as the plane took off, the conversation stopped as they became engrossed in a movie that she had brought. Thank goodness.

After coming from weather in the single digits and an inversion in the valley, I arrived in Anaheim, and immediately began to enjoy the gorgeous 70° sunny weather, with slight breeze and went to wait for my friend to pick me up.

We got checked in to our hotel and I went to dinner and met my friend, Lupe, who came in to watch the event and cheer me on. As we sat having dinner, fireworks started going off. As we turned to look, we discovered that we could see the Disney Land Fireworks from the hotel restaurant. Nice!

Disney Land Fireworks from my hotel restaurant

Friend who came to visit and watch the event.

2 MORE SLEEPS!

2013-01-18T05:00:00.000-07:00

Only 2 more sleeps before I run my first half marathon (13.1 mile) run (yes, run, that is. On foot, not on bicycle). All for an incredible cause! To kick Cancer's butt by raising funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society! If you have already donated, THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! If you have thought about it but haven't done it. NOW'S THE TIME! Please click on the "Donate Here" button up above. Or go to:

http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/tinkerb13/jkdowner

The button and link above will take you to my secure fundraising website.

Thank you!

What? Tinker Bell Half Marathon
Where? Anaheim, California. On the streets around and in DisneyLand
When? Sunday, January 20th, 2013
Why? To kick some cancer booty by raising funds for research to find a cure.
Who? Me and You. Me to fundraise and train. You to donate.

Thank you so much for your consideration.

I. Am. So. Excited!!!

Julie

17 more DAYS!!!

2013-01-03T20:55:00.003-07:00

If you haven’t donated, but plan to do so, now’s the time. Only 17 more days until my first half marathon event!!! Can you believe it??? Please go to my fundraising website: http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/tinkerb13/jkdowner and make your donation now. If you aren’t comfortable making your donation on line, please contact me and I will let you know where to send your check made payable to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

This Saturday, I am running my longest run of the training season: 14 miles! That gets me up and and over a half marathon distance of 13.1 miles, which will help during the event, knowing that I’ve already run the distance.

14 miles! And it’s gonna be COLD! Friday I’m going to have to locate my face mask to keep from freezing my nose.

I know I can do the 14 mile run. And I will complete it happily. I will be thinking of those that I am running on honor and memory of.

Here’s an update on Lula:

12/28/12 UPDATE: We're done with chemo (in Boise) and onto bigger and better? things at the children's hospital in SLC. Lu and I will be driving down on the 1st. Brand new year...

2013, we're counting on you.

Dec 30, 2012: In case you were wondering about the afterlife - here's information from Lula Coe. I am certain it can be trusted. Hell = angry, aggressive unicorns. Heaven = happy unicorns that will give you hugs.

1/2/13 UPDATE: Lula & I are in SLC. We had an appointment with the clinic today - her counts are low, but climbing. So, here's what happens now: We head to the clinic, every morning, at 7:30. Which means we leave my brother's house at (at least) a quarter to 7, to get there on time. On the day that her counts peak out where they need to be, they will call us and let us know. The following morning, she will have a femoral catheter placed in order to start the "harvest" of her stem cells. This process is called apheresis, if you want to look up more info. I'm going to post more information about what comes next, after we get to that point. Thank you all for your love and prayers! ♥

Again, If you haven’t donated, but plan to do so, now’s the time. Please go to my fundraising website: http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/tinkerb13/jkdowner and make your donation now. If you aren’t comfortable making your donation on line, please contact me and I will let you know where to send your check made payable to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Thank you so much!

Julie

9.5 miles!!!

2012-11-28T11:44:00.001-07:00

My blog update is waaaaaaaaaaay too long in coming. This past Saturday, the group ran 9.5 miles; my longest run to date! By about mile 7, my legs felt like lead, but I knew because of what my friends have been through with different kinds of cancers, I couldn’t quit! They can’t quit, so what gives me the right to even think that way? They are going through (or have gone through) much more physically challenging times than a measly 9.5-mile run that was partially run in the rain.

Here’s an update on Lula (9 years old). These updates are from Lula’s

The picture on the left is Lula and a therapy dog. She is having her chemo treatment as I'm typing this.

Monday, 11/26/12

“UPDATE: The scans today revealed that things have grown - but not like crazy. It's good news in a couple of ways - it didn't take over her lungs in the few weeks off of chemo & we know that we have to press on. So, the girl started chemo (again, with a different drug) today. She'll have 5 days in a row of chemo - but we get to do it in the clinic, instead of in the hospital. And again the following week. 3rd week, we head for a day trip to SLC to meet the bone marrow team. Then, scans on the 14th or 17th. If they show shrinkage from today's scans we will press into another round of chemo, followed by a trip to SLC sometime right around the beginning of the new year. Stem cell harvesting, chemo & bone marrow transplant. 2 wks in isolation in the hospital. At least 2 months in SLC (or within an hour distance to the hospital) and then, home.

That makes sense, right?”

11/28/12

“UPDATE: We're off for more chemo this morning - JoyBubble is feeling good and sassy, rocking out to Pink's new song, TRY. It's meaning a lot to us, these days:

Where there is desire, there is gonna be a flame.

Where there is a flame, someone's bound to get burned.

But just because it burns, doesn't mean you're gonna die -

You gotta get up and TRY!

Lu and I have talked about our desire to get rid of this cancer... sometimes it burns - the chemo, the surgeries, the disappointments. But just because we're hurting doesn't mean it's over - we have to keep trying!

Love you peoples. Have a really great day.”

If you have considered donating, but haven’t done it yet, please know that it’s not too late, and that I am still raising funds to find treatments and ultimately a cure for cancer. Please go to my secure fundraising website to donate and let’s find a cure!

http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/tinkerb13/jkdowner

If you don’t feel comfortable donating through my blog site, please feel free to make your checks payable to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and mail them to me.

Also follow our training progress on my blog:

www.pedalchik.blogspot.com

Did you know that:

• A gift of $150 will fund a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society researcher for one day

• A gift of $500 will allow The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to reimburse one patient for medical expenses for a year through our Patient Financial Assistance program

A gift of $1,000 will fund a patient education program on topics such as coping with chemotherapy and healthy cancer survivorship

Thank you for your consideration.

Julie

PS. Lula is facing a bone marrow transplant at the beginning of 2013. There is going to be a benefit concert for her on December 15^th. If you would like information about giving, please send me an email.

Thank you.

Update

2012-10-26T06:50:00.003-06:00

Friday, October 26, 2012

Hi, Friends, and happy Friday!

This weekend, I am participating in “The Color Run”, a 5K event that promises to be fun and extremely colorful. They say that in order to keep the color from staying in your hair, you are supposed to “oil up”, using coconut or olive oil. I’m tempted to see how long the free dye job will last.

Then, on Sunday, a couple of amazing friends are supporting me by running 6.5 miles with me, since I won’t be able to run with my normal group on Saturday.

Speaking of support, if you haven’t made a donation to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), I invite you to do that by going to my secure fundraising website:

My fundraising Page

Or, if you prefer, write a check to Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (or LLS) and send me an email for my mailing address.

If you have already donated, THANK YOU!

Did you know that LLS helped advance Velcade® for myeloma and lymphoma patients; It is being tested for patients with cancers as diverse as lung, brain, breast, colon and prostate cancers.

Oh, there you are!

2012-10-01T06:32:00.002-06:00

Do I really look that different dressed for athletics vs dressed for every day, or with my sunglasses on vs. off?

I’ve had three people say that to me over the course of two days. They saw me in my work clothes with my hair not in a ponytail and didn’t recognize me. Only when I pulled my hair back into a mock ponytail did they say, “Oh, there you are!” Not sure if that is a good thing or bad thing, but I have to admit, I’ve been guilty of thinking the same thing during my cycling seasons.

I’ve heard people tell stories of training for triathlons together, specifically the swim. Then when they see each other out on the street, not recognizing each other, or saying, “I’ve never seen you with your clothes on!” (Awkward or shocking to those observers close by, but funny at the same time.)

I walked into this training with the mindset that I did NOT like running. After reading the book “Born to Run,” By Christopher McDougall, my attitude towards running began to change. I am not completely sure why, but it did. Once I started running with a group of people, I really started to see a difference in my thoughts of running. In fact, one day, several hours after my first 5 mile run in over a year, I was driving home after running some errands and thought, “I want to go for a run when I get home,” then remembered that I had already put in 5 miles that day. That was when I realized that I am no longer only a cyclist. I am also a runner.

To date, my longest run is 7 miles. This next Saturday, I’ll be running in a 10K event called Barber to Boise, partly because that is what some of the folks in my group were training for, also because I want to experience a running event before I get to my half-marathon in January. I am looking forward to it!

As mentioned above, I am fundraising for the half marathon. It takes place on January 20^th, in Anaheim, CA and is called the Tinker Bell half marathon. Funds raised will go to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and will be put towards research for treatments and a cure and for financial aid for patients.

Did you know that:

• A gift of $150 will fund a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society researcher for one day

• A gift of $500 will allow The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to reimburse one patient for medical expenses for a year through our Patient Financial Assistance program

• A gift of $1,000 will fund a patient education program on topics such as coping with chemotherapy and healthy cancer survivorship

You can donate by clicking on the link above or going to my fundraising website:

http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/tinkerb13/jkdowner

This is a secure website to donate to the LLS. If you aren’t comfortable donating on this secure site on line, please write a check to LLS (Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) and send me an email for my mailing address.

I am running in memory of:

Phyllis, Isaiah, Dale, Peter, and Nathan.

I am running in honor of:

Randall, Bill ,Byron, Lindsey, Lindsey, Lula, Kacey, Dan and Mike

Thank you so much for your consideration!

Julie

Running: September 3, 2012

2012-09-03T21:04:00.003-06:00

Who’da thunk?

I have been swearing up and down that I hate running, but I guess I just hated the thought. I have been running with a group of people who are amazing! Some of them are new to the sport, like me. Some have run marathons, and some are somewhere in the middle. Some are super duper fast, and some are not so super duper fast. We have all been divided into pace groups, and, having mentored the June cycle team, I was asked to be a pace leader. My first thoughts were, “But I don’t even run! I don’t know what my pace even is! Do I even know how to run???” Even with the nagging questions, I decided to say yes. I am glad I did. I love the pace group participants that I am with.

This is Bill. He has CLL (the same disease
that Phyllis passed away from). Thankfully,
he is in remission.

This last Saturday we ran 6.26 miles. That makes a total of 57.42 (+) recorded miles purposefully run or walked since July 7^th!

I am running in memory of:

Phyllis, Isaiah, and Dale

I am running in honor of:

Randall, Bill, Byron, Lindsay, Lula, Kacey, Dan, & Mike

I invite you to partner with me and donate to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and help me towards my fundraising goal. Please go to the following website to make your donation, or contact me if you don’t feel comfortable with making a donation on line.

http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/tinkerb13/jkdowner

Thank you so much for your consideration!

Sincerely,

Julie

Tinkerbell Half Marathon Adventure

2012-07-17T16:05:00.000-06:00

How serious is blood cancer? Every four minutes, someone new is diagnosed with blood cancer. Every 10 minutes, someone dies.

Four and a half years ago, I went to Phoenix, AZ to cheer my friend on as she ran the Rock and Roll marathon in memory of her mom. Rewind a few months from that marathon.

My friend asked me if I would go to a Team in Training (TNT) Kickoff meeting with her and sign up to run marathon with her. I said, “Um. I’ll go to the kick off with you, but no, I won’t run. I WILL cheer you on and support you however you need me to.” My friend had given me a brief synopsis of what TNT is and stands for.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is the world’s largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer. Its mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world and provides free information and support services. Team In Training (TNT) has grown to be the world’s largest and most successful endurance sports charity training program. Since its inception in 1988, TNT has prepared more than 500,000 people to complete a marathon, half marathon, triathlon, 100-mile (century) cycle ride or hike adventure. Those participants have raised a remarkable $1 billion to support blood cancer research and patient services.

My friend was drawn to TNT because her Mom had been fighting a form of blood cancer for 3 years. One week after she started training for her marathon, her Mom passed away.

While my friend was training, I called on her long run days and cheered her on. I went out along some of her long run routes to jump and cheer and hug her. One day, I think it was on her 19 mile run, I found her and we talked for a few minutes. Her coach came up to me and said, “When are you going to do a marathon?” I said, “Um, ne-ver.” He said, “Well, TNT also does triathlons and century rides.” I said that I wasn’t so sure about my knees and back (I’ve had a few issues with them in the past). He responded and said, “Thanks for being a cheerleader!”

Well, as the old saying goes, “Never say never!!!” In 2010, I signed up to do a century ride (100 mile bicycle ride) around Lake Tahoe. I fundraised and the event took place in 2011. For the 2012 season, I was asked to be a mentor to the cycle team. I decided to be a non-fundraising mentor. This was a fabulous experience, and you bet! I’ll do it again if asked! Together the entire TNT team (throughout the US who participated in this event-I believe 3,000 people) raised $5,000,000 (yes Five Million dollars)!

Did you know that:

• A gift of $150 will fund a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society researcher for one day

• A gift of $500 will allow The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to reimburse one patient for medical expenses for a year through our Patient Financial Assistance program

• A gift of $1,000 will fund a patient education program on topics such as coping with chemotherapy and healthy cancer survivorship

Which leads me to my next adventure. As I said, “Never say never.” I have decided to raise funds and run a half marathon with TNT.

Here’s where you come in. Would you please become part of my team by taking just a moment to write a check to LLS or make an online donation at my fundraising website?

· Initial fundraising deadline of $3,550.00: October 19, 2012

· Tinker Bell Half Marathon: January 20th, 2013

· My Fundraising Website:

http://pages.teamintraining.org/vtnt/tinkerb13/jkdowner

· Make checks payable to LLS (or Leukemia and Lymphoma Society) and email me for my mailing address

· Follow my blog: www.pedalchik.blogspot.com

Because of Team in Training fundraisers, one of my friends has a treatment for his form of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. When he was diagnosed, there was no treatment. This gives me hope for other friends that I have who are currently fighting, but their form of blood cancers do not have a treatment yet.

It seems there are few people whose lives have not been touched by cancer in some way. If you have a loved one who has battled leukemia or some other form of cancer, please send me that person’s name and story along with a picture. I will run in his or her honor and, with your permission, post the story on my blog. In addition, I will pin your loved one’s picture on my back while I complete my half marathon in January.

Thank you for partnering with me as I partner with TNT and LLS.

Motivation

2012-07-07T07:44:00.002-06:00

It is 5:00 on Saturday morning, and the last thing I want to do is get up. I hit the snooze on my alarm and roll over. The blissful 9 minutes are much too short, so I hit the snooze one more time. While I’m waiting for the 9 minutes to tick by, I’m hearing ducks in the canal, quacking, ducklings peeping, birds are chirping, cars are whirring-already starting to make their way down the street about a block away from my house, crickets are cricketing, oh, and there’s the mourning dove-one of my favorites. The alarm goes off again and I roll over to look at my phone. Still dreaming about the place between sleep and awake, an email catches my eye.

The email is from a lady who rode in America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride with Team in Training the year before my first experience. She rode again this year, not with TNT, but with her sister who was riding with TNT. Here’s what the email said:

Your Goldilocks ticket is going out in the mail tomorrow. I also enclosed a check from a friend who wanted to help LLS when she found I was doing Tahoe again. I asked if I could give her donation to you for your marathon, and she was happy to help out. Please accept this donation on behalf of her father who passed away from cancer. Thanks!

Blessings,

Thanks, M and friend. Just the motivation I needed to get out of bed and go for a run this morning. See ya on the road.

Infusion 4 – Reactions Galore, but Back for More. - The Mike Sessions by Chad Estes

2012-06-06T06:05:00.003-06:00

Here is the latest on the The Mike Sessions by Chad Estes. To read more by Chad, please Click Here.

Infusion 4 – Reactions Galore, but Back for More. - The Mike Sessions

Posted: 05 Jun 2012 10:12 AM PDT

When I got to the emergency room on Friday I already knew that Mike’s face was swollen up like Will Smith’s in the movie Hitch. Unlike the movie there was nothing funny about the allergic reaction that he had been suffering from for the past 24 hours and that he would suffer from for the next 48.

It was hard to tell exactly what he was reacting too. The chemo from the previous session should have been out of his system for almost a week at that point. He hadn’t eaten anything different from his dietary regimen of the past six weeks of treatment. There were no indications that he had been bit or stung by anything, but boy was his body reacting to some toxin in his system.

He was irritable with the irritation. I could hear it in his voice on the phone over the weekend. It was very unlike Mike, who was struggling to get any rest or relief. I was pretty convinced that Monday’s scheduled chemo treatment would be set aside. But when I showed up at the hospital on Monday Mike was back to his old, congenial, un-swollen self. Whether the steroids and antihistamines finally kicked in or whether it was his antioxidant vitamins that rallied his body nobody was sure (but everybody had an opinion).

“No, this isn’t normal,” the doctor told him. “Yes, it is within the realm of possibilities,” he continued. “We just don’t have any data for that,” he excused. “Let’s just hope it doesn’t happen again, he finished, giving Mike a couple of prescriptions in case it actually did. It can be frustrating when you meet with the medical experts and they don’t have any more answers for you then when you arrived in their office. At least he was honest.

And then Mike moved from the consultation room to infusion room 11.

If there was a time to quit, it could have been now. No one, especially those who saw him over the weekend would have blamed him. Instead Mike did another course and instead of being 1/4 finished is now 1/3 of the way complete. He and the other patients I saw in the dozen treatment bays are fighters. They are fighting for their lives, for their health, and for their families.

This is a scheduled 12 round bout. Mike may have lost on the score cards in round 3, but he is already way ahead in round 4.

P.S. I will be out of town in a couple of weeks for Round 5. If you show up to cheer on Mike from his corner, please take his picture for me and make him laugh.

P.P.S. Dress as a Ring Girl.

Sunday's Adventure

2012-05-31T10:23:00.000-06:00

As one of my teammates kids puts it, "1 more sleep" until we start the end of this adventure called America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride. If you are curious about what this ride looks like, Click here to see the Map. Click here to see the Elevation Map. If you print out the elevation map, you can put that beside the Map and see what mile marker goes with which climb or downhill. FUN STUFF!

I came across this music video on a friend's FaceBook page and just had to include it in this post for remembering the reason that I have trained and will ride with a fabulous team.

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

I am riding in honor of:

Audrey

Byron

Lula

Lyndsay

"M"

"D"
Mike

Randal

Peter

I am riding in memory of:

Phyllis

Isaiah

Dale

Infusion 3: Cactus Butt: The Mike Sessions by Chad Estes

2012-05-30T06:20:00.000-06:00

As I'm thinking about this upcoming weekend, I'm remembering that I have it so easy. I only have to ride my bike 100 miles. At the end of it, I will be tired, sore, and hungry, but I won't have "Cactus Butt". Here's what Chad Estes says regarding Mike's 3rd infusion. To read more by Chad Estes, Please click here.:

Three chemo sessions out of twelve are finished. One quarter of the chemical concoctions have been drunk drip by drip into Mike’s blood stream. Listening to his doctor things are right on target with blood counts, organ functions, and overall expectations. With Mike the side effects seem pretty manageable and he has a great team of professionals, including his family, making sure he is getting the proper rest and diet that he needs.

I’m not sure why I’m at Mike’s side for these sessions, other than I want to be. I can pretend to be important as a caregiver but it would be stretching the truth to make myself seem more important than I am. I am there because it is good, and that is enough.

Cancer wards are worth hanging out in if you want to see the best part of people. I’m consistently amazed that I’ve found no pity in the eyes that greet me in the waiting room and in the elevator. These people are fighting for their lives and fighting hard.

I watched one man gingerly make his way to the nurses’ station where he was greeted by his first name and with a big smile. As he walked over near me he took the doughnut shaped pillow he was holding and positioned it carefully in the chair. He lowered himself ever so lightly onto the cushion with a few grimaces from his backside pain. As soon as he was comfortable his smile returned as did his conversation with those around him. It’s kind of hard to hide what kind of cancer you are fighting when you walk around with your doughnut pillow.

Another man walked into the room from having just completed his blood work and recognized a friend in the room. He communicated his greeting with his facial expressions and lots of hand gestures before he opened his mouth. When he did so his voice was extremely deep and raspy. “Esophageal cancer,” he explained in a voice so low that James Earl Jones would be considered a tenor in comparison. The men’s two wives picked up the conversation at that point, which was probably a pretty normal occurrence anyways.

I watched Mike go through his own discomfort yesterday. As he was getting one of the anti-nausea medications injected into his port his face started twitching and he raised himself up out of the chair, obviously feeling something very uncomfortable. The nurse responded immediately and slowed down the injection which helped the reaction subside. She told us later that the nurses call that reaction to the drug “cactus butt.” She also added that most people only feel it in their derriere and that it was strange that Mike felt it in his cranium.

“It isn’t strange at all”, I announced. “Mike, pull your head out! Quit being such a butthead!”

We all laughed, which I think is what I’m good for. Laughter is supposed to be the best medicine and maybe it cushions the chemicals being injected into his port.

One quarter of the chemo game is in the books.

Julie here. After Infusion 3 happened, Mike posted this on his FB page: "
*ow* prickly chemo fingers *ow* hurts *ow* to type *ow* but I just *ow* can't seem to *ow* stop"

Infusion 2: The Mike Sessions, by Chad Estes

2012-05-23T06:20:00.002-06:00

I am about 2 weeks behind in sharing Chad's post about Mike. Here is Infusion 2. To read more by Chad, please Click here.

Cancers are not ever good, but I guess some can be better to have than others. Where Mike’s chemo treatment is more like an insurance policy to make sure all the margins around his removed tumor are healthy other people are taking chemo to shrink tumors that are still in their body. I looked around the waiting room of people wondering why everyone was there. Each of them has a unique story and is pursuing a journey of recovery as best as they and their doctors can figure out.

Mike looks really good. His color is better; his blood count is better; his wavy hair will probably stay attached to his thick skull. Others in the room don’t look so good and their stories read like Stephen King novels where you pray for your favorite characters to survive.

The story Mike was most interested in yesterday wasn’t his own. While he sat at one end of Boise getting chemicals pumped into him, a sweet child that was named after him was in the hospital across town having an operation on her liver. Her cancer and her treatments make everyone that have heard the details feel heavy. It makes Mike call his own infusions “chemo lite.”

We always laugh when we are together, but there was tension yesterday too. Mike held up the tube running into his body and said that he felt like he was tethered to the chair when all he really wanted to do was get up and go to the other hospital and sit at that family’s side. His ever present smile faded and his bright eyes brimmed with tears feeling not his own suffering but that of Michaella’s. He didn’t have his head bowed or his eyes closed, but I recognized his posture as one of prayer. I didn’t raise my camera to catch the emotion because it felt holy; so we just waited there.

When the drops stopped falling the tether was removed and Mike quickly got himself across town. He was running down the hallway as they were pushing Michaella into her room. She was free of the ventilator and already asking if she could eat. Better yet the surgeons were giddy. They only had to remove 10% of her liver when they had planned on up to 50%. And if the lab results are favorable the two lung surgeries she had scheduled for this week won’t need to happen either.

By the end of the night Mike was spent. He sat in my living room surrounded by his friends drinking up other stories of God’s beauty, and occasionally feeding us a morsel of truth to chew on.

It was a good day of communion, infused with grace.

Yesterday (May 7) was round two of chemo for Mike.

Infusion 1, The Mike Sessions by Chad Estes

2012-05-08T18:53:00.001-06:00

My friend, Chad Estes, has a wonderful way with words. He writes about a mutual friend who is going through Chemotherapy. This is only one reason why I ride my bike:

My friend, whom I’ll call “Mike,” started chemotherapy today.

It is a bit intimidating walking into a building where you know that all the patients are there to get a course of toxic medicine. This stuff is pretty ugly – harsh, killer chemicals that hunt down and destroy even uglier and deadly cancer cells. It is like unleashing a team of mercenaries that care more about destruction that justice. Sometimes they inadvertently, yet without remorse, take out the good guys like hair follicles, appetite and stomach serenity.

You truly don’t want to call in the chemo team to do their business unless the therapy they mean to deploy is absolutely necessary. In Mike’s case he and his wife have decided it is and so today they started out on a new path of their journey.

My job, whatever that seems to be today, is easily put on hold so that I can go to the hospital and sit by Mike’s side as the mercenaries are inserted a drip at a time. It will take five full hours in the hospital, every other week. I plan to be beside him as much as is possible.

I’m not a saint.

This isn’t a sacrifice.

There are people, much nobler than I, who have the patience to sit with patients. I had to admit to Mike today that as much as I’d like him to think that I was there for him I knew he didn’t really need me to be there. The hospital put a rolling shelf of movies within arms’ reach of him, possibly being tipped off how much he likes the cinema. I know he has a Kindle, and with his love of books five uninterrupted hours of reading could feel like heaven to him.

But five uninterrupted hours with Mike sounds like heaven to me. So I got the hospital to print me off a schedule of his treatments and I sat beside him like I was HIPA endorsed family. I asked questions of his doctor, interacted with his nurses and pharmacists, and made myself at home. I had decided that if questioned I would tell them I was his brother. “You’re a Freeman?” they would ask to which I could honestly with my hand on the Bible answer, “Yes, I too am a free man!”

Here is the payoff – normally I get an hour or two with Mike each month; now I’ll get at least 10 for the next half year. And you need to pray for Mike because I’m not always the most sensitive guy in the hospital. Last time I spent the night with him in this place he told me his incision only hurt when he laughed. Of course I kept him stitches half the night.

Yes, there are evil things that are dying a slow death inside of Mike right now, but there are also new infusions of life and love that I see in him each day, and so as long as I know he is tethered to a chair I am selfishly going to strap myself down right next to him.

For more from Chad, please visit his site at: http://www.chadestes.com/

Bogus Basin

2012-05-07T06:38:00.000-06:00

Bogus Basin, April 27, 2012

Sunday, April 27^th, our training mission was to ride the road to Bogus Basin (Boise’s nearest ski hill). Neither coach could attend this ride, so it was considered a mentor led ride. I have not been good about updating my blog this season, so please allow me to tell you a little bit about what has been going on.

In November/December, I was asked if I would consider being a mentor for the 2012 cycle team, training for America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride. After much consideration, I decided to do so.

Training for the season started right around the beginning of February. We started with spin classes inside due to freezing temperatures, but around the end of February, moved it outside, onto our bikes. We have a team of 5 people, consisting of beginners to advanced riders, two coaches and one mentor (8 people in all).

2 of the 3 participants who were able to do the Bogus Basin ride on the 27th were first timers for this ride, and due to the length of the 16-mile climb, we all settled in at our own pace. At one point, I looked down towards the road that I had just been on and saw J & M headed up the hill. I yelled down at them and waved. Then, I was looking around another switchback up the hill, and saw R. R did not give herself permission to stop for a rest until 5 miles into the climb. She saw me coming and waited for me so that we could ride a little ways together. As we were resting, stretching and eating, a runner that we had seen earlier on in the ride rounded the corner and passed us. He was running with barefoot shoes, carrying a backpack that looked like it had a load in it, and had his earphones in his ears, listening to music.

After he passed us, we continued back up the hill. We rode together for a little while, and R took off and passed the runner. With a little bit of work, I passed the runner as well. I’m not sure if I liked the outcome of that, however. I would round a corner and all of a sudden, he would yell at the top of his lungs, singing whatever song was playing in his ears. Then it would get quiet. Then he would yell, “WOOOOOOOOO!” Then, he would be quiet. A few minutes later, he would pump his fist in the air and siiiiiiiiinnnnnnng at the top of his luunnnnnnnnngs. Then quiet. This kept up for awhile, and I didn’t feel as though I was gaining any ground on him. It was also beginning to make me nervous, so I pulled over, stretched, ate a little bit, let him pass me up again.

I looked back for J & M while waiting to give the runner enough time to get a good distance ahead of me. I didn’t see him again, until the ride leveled out and I was about half a mile from the top. At that point, I was going about 16 mph and passed him like he was standing still. When I got to the top, I found E, B, and K, huddled in little shelters out of the wind. E started looking for a garbage bag to help keep her warm on the way down the hill. R had hidden on the backside of a building, putting her hands on it to warm them up. E, B, and K decided that they couldn’t wait much longer, or they would turn into popsicles (they were already half way there when I got up there), so they headed back down the hill. R waited with me. We decided to get back on our bikes and start heading down to find J & M. We rounded the first corner and there they were!!! So we turned back around to hang out with them and ride back down together.

One cool thing we discovered while we were up there is that some outhouses next to the tubing hill are heated!!! Aaaaah, a little piece of heaven in a thawing (but still frozen) world. We ate a little bit and then headed down. We stopped once to warm up frozen fingers, and then continued on down the hill. There was one point where we could feel the temperature raise 10 degrees just in one little area, which was a welcome relief to my chattering teeth.

That day, we rode 37 miles.

Bogus Basin

2012-04-26T19:56:00.001-06:00

Bogus Basin.

I’ve climbed it before.

16 miles of solid uphill.

2.5 hours was the time it took me to climb it last time.

I’ve conquered it before.

30-45 minutes to come back down.

BRING IT!

Wednesday, Day 6

2012-02-16T16:08:00.003-07:00

Whew! You thought (or were hoping, perhaps) that I forgot to finish my Hawaii trip blog, didn’t you? Wednesday, we got up with the plan of all of us (except one) driving to the North Shore and having a picnic on Tunnels Beach, snorkel, hang out, and see where the day took us. We were planning this trip for Thursday, but predictions of a swell that day (causing the snorkeling bad, not to mention dangerous) caused us to move it up a day. The day ended up being very low key. I nearly fell asleep on the beach (in the shade), snorkeled briefly, ate lunch on the beach, watched the birds that landed on the beach, watched crabs scuttle back and forth, observed a dog and it’s owner playing in the water, and then I got antsy. Part of the group was ready to head out and do some other things, so I went along with them, and went shopping and got some appetizers and drinks. If you like coconut, the lava flow drinks are wonderful.

Tuesday, Day 5, Adventure 2

2011-10-02T08:07:00.002-06:00

After lunch, we pulled up to a business that offered guided hiking, kayaking, ziplining, horse-back riding, and I don’t know what else. We had a reservation to hike/kayak/and zipline. After signing our lives away, and promising that if we were injured, we wouldn’t sue the company (nor would our family, whether born or unborn) we all piled into a truck and headed down the road about 10 minutes, where we came to a stop and were told that this is where the hike started.

The guides, David and Joshua pointed out certain plants, some being native to the island, but most having been brought from other places in the world. We climbed a hill and rounded a corner to see a beautiful view. I thought about bursting into song, “Theeeee hiiiiiillllls are aliiiiiiiiive with the sound of muuuuuusiiiiic.” But I refrained. I wasn’t sure I could pull it off without laughing, and I didn’t know whether I should sing “The Sound of Music” version or the “Moulin Rouge” version. Now I’m thinking I should have done it. Oh well. The thought still makes me laugh. Eh-hem.

We started down a staircase towards a river. I was nervous about this next part because I’ve never kayaked before, and my grid of rivers is Idaho white water. (My last experience in Idaho white water, I fell out of the raft on the Staircase in a hole called “The Big Nasty” (See blog titled “The Big Nasty”.)) The guides quickly taught us how to paddle the kayaks, and said that if we fell out, yell, get someone’s attention (which was the startled thing to do), then stand up. We would be in 2 feet of water. Next, they started helping us into our kayaks. What I observed of this river was that there wasn’t a ripple in it until someone’s boat hit the water. When we all got in the water, we started paddling and what I saw took my breath away. We floated through a tunnel of trees, making the river nice and nice and cool, with dappled sunlight filtering through. Then, we noticed flowers, the size of my fist, floating in the water. We also floated past a couple of flowers that were suspended from the trees, hanging down at eye level. Finally the water became too shallow that we couldn’t paddle any longer, so we tied up our kayaks and started hiking again. We crossed the river about 5 times and ended up on a path that was bordered by, “The Fern of Death.”

Our guides told us that “The Fern of Death” is the second most deadly plant on the island. The reason is because this fern grows on dead, rotting vegetation. Then it grows up and there is really no solid shelf under it. So, if you step off the path, into “The Fern of Death” a person can literally plummet to their death. Ok. Avoid that one. (The most deadly plant is the coconut tree. Sitting under one runs the risk of getting beaned on the head with a coconut.)

Next, we arrived at a zipline. We got in our harnesses and the guides asked, “Who’s first?” The group decided that Paul should go first so that he could take pictures as the rest of the group came across. Once Paul got across, no one moved. Well, I probably only gave them 2 seconds before I started up the steps to the platform. Having zipped before, I knew what to expect. As I was “flying”, I looked down and saw a pretty pool with water falls, a river that fed the pool and a little picnic area. Landing on the other side, I waited for everyone to come over to the “other” side. Then, one of the guides said that Paul should stand there and take pictures while someone ran off this next platform…backwards. I jumped right up there, got hooked in and took off backwards, giving a little yelp and giggle. Something about ziplining just makes me laugh.

Next, we hiked down to the picnic spot that I had seen from the air and David and Josh set up lunch for us. There were tubes so that we could put them in the water and go swim. Everyone jumped off a small cliff into the water. Everyone, that is, except me. And I’m ok with that.

After lunch, we hiked back to our kayaks, returned down the river in the kayaks and hiked back to the vehicles

Cory didn’t go on this adventure with us, but had an adventure of his own. When he came to pick up Becky, Karin and me, he drove us to a bay (I think it was Hanalei Bay). I noticed a man with long grey hair pulled back in a ponytail, and his long grey beard, was also tied. I won’t go into what he was wearing because I’m not sure you want the visual. I stopped to watch what he was doing and talk with him about the different boards that he had on the rack of his truck. He said, “Oh, you probably don’t see these in Idaho, do you?” and then kindly told me how they were different and how you use each one. One was a lay down paddleboard (you lay on it and paddle with your hands). He mentioned that the sensation of this paddleboard is really cool as your face is so close to the water. There is a 32-mile(?) race from one island to another that people come from Australia, New Zealand, and different surfing communities to participate in. This type of boarding is a good way for surfers to keep in shape during the off surf months. After talking for a little longer, he proceeded to load his kayak and we parted ways.

Day 5: Tuesday, Sept 6th, 2011: Adventure 1

2011-09-30T06:19:00.003-06:00

The whole lot of us went to the North Shore for a couple of adventures. Several of us wanted to see Queens Bath, a pool that is ringed with lava rock and has an area that opens up to the ocean. We parked the cars and unloaded, found the little trail to take us down to the ocean (which wasn’t difficult, there were several people coming up the trail that had just been down there) and started our hike. The path was beautiful, and not too difficult. We followed a stream and saw a small waterfall. Rounding a corner, we saw the ocean smashing into a “beach” of hardened lava.

As we were making our way across the lava, I couldn’t help but think about what the area looked like before the volcano erupted. It is a striking contrast between the blue ocean, white ocean spray and black, porous rock. My thoughts were interrupted by someone telling us where to stop and watch sea turtles. Making our way over to the spot, it took a little while to find them, but there they were. It looked as though they were getting pounded into the rocks, they were so close to shore, but they just kept hanging out there. To me, watching the turtles was like watching a fire. It’s mesmerizing. They are graceful and aren’t in a hurry to get anywhere. A flipper would roll up out of the water, then a head, then the turtle would go underwater and

swim for awhile, then repeat the process, sometimes in the same place, sometimes in a different spot. After turtle watching, I continued on my quest to find Queens Bath (and to catch up to the rest of the group).

Upon spotting the pool, I sat down to observe. I could see the bottom from where I sat. The tide appeared to be low, but every so often, a wave would splash on the side of the lava rock and make its way into the pool. Fish were in the pool, being observed by snorkelers, being observed by me. I felt that I could sit there a good portion of the day without getting tired of the view. But the time came that we should start on our next adventure, so we got up and headed out.

Day 4: Sept 5th, 2011

2011-09-26T18:31:00.005-06:00

Monday, Day 4, the plan was to Scuba Dive. Before I left home, I did a discovery dive in a pool, and must admit that I did not love it. I mentioned that to a certified diving friend of mine, and she said that she didn’t love it in the pool either, but once she got in the open water, there was so much to look at that she immediately fell in love with diving. Knowing that part of our group was certified and wanted to dive, and there were some uncertified who wanted to try it. I decided to try it.

We had to be at the site by 7:30, and were told that the “biggest, baddest truck” down there would be the one that we were looking for. We got to the site, and sure enough, what made me think of a bread truck was sitting there, waiting for us. When I saw the guide, the first thing I wondered was, “If my life needs saving, can he save it?” I could not answer positively. My second question was, “Do I trust him to save my life if necessary?” I did answer ‘no’ to that question.

All the gear was out, and our guide guessed who everyone was, correctly, except for Becky and me. He got us mixed up. We sat through the presentation, put our wet suits on, put on the vest with tanks and went to get in the water. We swam out a little way and held on to a life ring. The certified divers went out a little farther to wait while the uncertified group went through a couple of exercises.

When it came time for me to do my exercises, I told the guide that I decided I really did not want to do this, and to please take me back to shore. He asked me why, and I told him that I couldn’t relax, and that when I put air in my vest, I was starting to hear a hissing sound. He responded, “You need to communicate these things to me right away.” I said, “I am right now. I just noticed it.” What I didn’t say was: “when am I supposed to communicate this to you? You were under water with my new friends and I can’t talk to you with my face in the water, a regulator in my mouth, making everything from my mouth past my esophagus, into my lungs dry from the canned air. Take me back to shore thank you very much!” He did.

I was feeling frustrated with myself and sat in one of the chairs for a few minutes. A lady from another dive group came over to check on me. She asked if I was ok, and I said yes, that I just chickened out. She said that she had only been certified for 3 weeks and had been a little nervous for her first dive of the morning, but seemed ok at that point.

I left the dive site and went back to the hotel. I sat out on the balcony, looking over the ocean and called my Mom. We talked for a while and she was encouraging. After our conversation and still sitting there, trying to sort through my feelings I decided to email my brother. I didn’t expect a reply since I thought he would be out fishing, but got one within just a few minutes. The words that he said to me really encouraged me. I don’t know why. They just did. He reminded me that it’s ok to not do something that I’m not comfortable with, then encouraged me by saying that he felt he saw more snorkeling than by diving. Go get out there and snorkel. I replied, then texted Kathie, asking where she, Corrina, and Liann were. Kathie texted back a few minutes later and said that they were snorkeling across the road. So, I gathered up my stuff and headed on over.

I found Kathie-she was resting, but Corrina and Liann were still in the water. Kathie and I talked for a little while and Corrina and Liann came back to shore. Pretty soon, Kathie and I got up to go snorkeling. I wasn’t prepared to see what I saw under the water. The last time I snorkeled was in Salinas, Ecuador-which also happened to be my first time

in an ocean. The scenery there was NOTHING like what I saw off of Po’i Pu beach. I saw pink and purple anemones (that word always makes me think of “Finding Nemo” where the teacher fish says, “Don’t hurt yourself, Kid.” As Nemo tries to say where he lives.) I saw the coolest white fish with skinny black stripes down their sides. There were angel fish, fish with neon purple stripes on their backs, fish with yellow and pink squares on their sides, totally AMAZING!

About 12:30, we decided to head back to the timeshare and get lunch. The divers were back by now, and Cory, Karin, and Becky were discussing what to do next. We ate and headed off to the North Shore.

It took us 2 hours to get as far as the paved road would take us on the North Shore. The road ended at Ke’e Beach, and the water was really smooth. We all got in the water with our snorkels and masks and started swimming around. I followed Karin around, and at one point, she got my attention and pointed up. We put our heads up out of the water and she asked me if I had seen the thing that looked like string down on the rock. I said yes, that it looked like white silly string. She said, “Watch this.” Down she dove, and gently grabbed a piece of the string, and let it go. It slowly retracted itself. Karin and I put our heads out of the water and she let me know that was something she learned at the dive that day. I thought it was so cool that even though I “chickened out,” I was still able to see something that they had experienced.

Next, I turned and saw a school of tiny fish, all swimming as one. There was a huge group of them. I don’t know if there were two schools or if it was just one. I remember thinking they looked like diamonds the way the sun glinted off of them. I moved my hand and all of the “diamonds” moved, very suddenly as one, away from me. Then, they were right up next to me.

As soon as I moved my hand, they “flew” away from me again. I tried to laugh with the snorkel in my mouth but it didn’t work well, which made me laugh even more.

From there, we went to find Tunnels Beach. We were done snorkeling and really just wanted to walk down the beach for a while. I was amazed to find that the sand that I had experienced on the south shore was so much more fine and soft than the sand here. This sand felt like tiny little pebbles, mixed with broken shell. We sat down and watched a kayaker in the sunset before heading back to the car to find some food and head back to the Timeshare.

Day 3. 9/4/11 Marathon Relay

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At the finish line

Day 3 was marathon relay day. I was comparing how I felt on this day with how I felt before my century ride in Tahoe. No comparison. In Tahoe, I was a bundle of nerves. It was wet and cold and I had crazy butterflies in my stomach. This day, I was calm, quiet, and collected-and also not quite awake, but having a good night’s sleep behind me, I was ready to go. I having run for only 5 weeks up to this point, I hadn’t yet decided if I love running or not. We loaded in the two Jeeps and headed out to the starting line. It was still dark, in fact, it was only dawn when the race started.

10 minutes after the race started, Paul and I had to get to the shuttle that would take us to the 1^st to 2^nd leg hand off. When we got to our starting point, we waited for awhile, watched several National Guard runners come through, laughed as the water stop volunteers competed against each other by trying to get the runners to take the drink that they were offering (water or ultima) rather than another volunteers water down the line a little way.

Paul, being 6’4” had a slight advantage. He can walk a 10-minute mile. When I do intervals of 2 minutes running, 2 minutes walking, my mile tends to be 14-16 minute miles. This day, I felt as though I was much slower. I didn’t time myself because I couldn’t be bothered. I was there to have fun and see the sights that I wouldn’t have gotten to see without this event.

Paul and I spotted Cory and Karin and got into position to be tagged by them so we could start. I had a hard time not running because of the amount of energy that the 750 participants exuded. Paul and I started running, but then I told him I needed to walk to warm up. My left calf was angry, as was my right ankle, but as I warmed up, then stopped to stretch, they both quieted down and settled in for the journey.

Our 5.6 mile leg consisted of two hills that didn’t look so steep when we were driving the course the day before. We ran/walked through neighborhoods-where residents sat out on their front lawns cheering us on. I was feeling really warm when I looked up and saw someone on the front lawn (or was it a shop?) with a hose. He had a nozzle on the hose that made the water come out like a nice refreshing rain. I decided to skirt around it a little bit, but not stay completely out of it. It appeared that Paul decided to run right through it. The person holding the hose said, “That’s gonna cause some chaffing somewhere,” and laughs. We each grabbed a cup of water and kept going.

The next attraction that we saw, we heard before we could see it. There were 8-10 drummers, drumming out a beat, distracting the running participants from any pain they might be feeling. They were drumming on a nice shady corner, and I wanted to applaud and watch them as I ran by, but it came out as clapping and running to the beat. I smiled and kept my head turned towards the drummers, and caught one percussionists eye, and they smiled back-I was still running and clapping in time.

The final attraction (besides the scenery) was a tent with hula dancers. I can’t remember exactly where the hula dancers were in conjunction with the first hill. I did pretty well doing the walk/run intervals up that first one. But at one point, Paul was running along beside me, then next thing I know, I was still running and Paul was walking, right next to me. When I noticed that he was walking and I was jogging, he said, “Don’t worry, I will stay with you.” I had to laugh. I knew I was slow, but REALLY? =-)

The second hill…Uugh! I walked the majority of that one. But I soon realized that as soon as I got to the top, there was not much of our leg left to go. I decided to run, partially to catch up with Paul, which I eventually did, and partially because I had been bad at the running part of the run/walk intervals. I intended on running the next solid 2 minutes, but ended up running the remainder of our leg, which was all downhill (probably 6-8 minutes). Rounding the corner, we saw the tag line for the third leg, and Paul and I both picked up the pace. I didn’t come to a full on sprint, but I did finish strong.

The 3^rd relay leg met the 4^th relay leg in this same spot, so Paul and I hung out to watch the next tag, then 4 of us caught the shuttle that took us back to the finish line while 3 continued on. While we were waiting for the shuttle to leave, I fell asleep-which is typical for me after a long ride or run.

After everyone re-assembled at the finish line, we went back to the timeshare and took naps. After the naps, Becky, Cory, Karin and I went to Shipwreck Beach to just hang out. It was a lovely way to spend time recovering from an event.

While I sat on the beach, I watched a couple get married, listened to and watched the water hit the shore, then make the rocks clack as it receded. I was asked to take a picture of a couple who appeared to be there on their honeymoon, carried on a conversation with another marathon runner (we recognized each other by the shirts we were wearing), and I just sat, taking in the gorgeous scenery.

One thing I neglected (forgot) to mention is that the day before, I got really sunburned. I did wear sunscreen, but didn’t re-apply (Yes, I know better-but didn’t realize how long I’d been in the water.) I discovered on event day that sunburns and sports bras do NOT play nicely together.

Day 2. Saturday, 9/3/11.

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The plan for this day was to go to the beach and hang out until Liann and Corrina flew in. Then we would meet up with everyone for lunch and head out to get our event packets for the marathon relay the following day. Before we left, and as we put on sunscreen, I told Cory, Becky, and Karin that today was going to be my 2^nd time EVER in the ocean. I’ve spent time ON the ocean commercial fishing with my brother, but not IN it. Once they picked their jaws up from the floor, we headed out the door towards Gillin’s Beach.

After driving paved road, turning onto a red, dirt road with a few potholes, and coming out in a clearing, Cory parked the jeep and we got out. (Barb joined us for this excursion.) There were a couple of paths that could be taken and so we did. The trail was short, and didn’t disappoint when we found ourselves on a beach, with some shade and lots of ocean. Becky and Cory quickly donned their snorkel gear and swam off. Karin hung back with me, and Barb pulled her book out and relaxed.

Karin showed me some things that I should be aware of about where we were and off we went to float in the water. It took me a good hour to relax and get the hang of floating in the ocean and letting it push me in towards shore. I would laugh every time a larger wave would lift me up and push me to shore. It was a wonderful gliding sensation. For some reason, on this beach, the rocks in the surf and I were attracted to each other. When we got out of the ocean, I had a few scrapes on the top of my foot from getting too close to the rocks.

The time came to load up and head back to the timeshare. When we got back, we found that Liann and Corrina had joined our group, so now the whole group was present and accounted for.

Next was lunch and then we all headed out to pick up our event packets for the marathon relay that we were signed up for. This was the 3^rd annual Kaua’i marathon, and the first year they had a relay. I was assigned the 5.6 mile leg (at my request since I had only run 5.25 miles up to that point, and it felt like I was dying later on in the day). Picking up the packets didn’t take long, and then we drove the marathon course. The hills that I had to run didn’t look bad. After that, we headed back to the timeshare and started a pasta dinner.

Pasta dinner eaten and cleaned up, it was now time to head to bed for an early morning the next day. (The marathon started at 6:00am.)