The Last Two Days of McBRAAM

I flew to Atlanta last Wednesday to be reunited with my cycling husband!  Twenty six days apart is the longest we have ever gone in our marriage.  To say that I missed him would be a gross understatement, but I'm so glad that Les, Lance, and Pops had this amazing trip of a lifetime together!

It was dinner time by the time I made it to Perry, Georgia.  I made a quick stop at the hotel then met them at Rusty's in the middle of their dinner.  I spent Thursday and Friday playing SAG - Support and Gear - with Mr. SAGMan.  Here's a sampling of how the days played out:

6:00-6:30 a.m. - Up and at 'em! (this hurt, because it was 3:00 a.m. California time.) 
Breakfast time at the hotel.  Les and Lance fueled up with oatmeal, waffles, eggs, coffee, juice, milk, yogurt and fruit.  SAGMan headed to the ice machine to fill the ice chest that had accompanied them on the journey.  Water bottles were filled and the van was reloaded.

7:00 a.m - Final pre-ride check-in.
Short devotion and prayer led by SAGMan.  This was an important part of each day.  It lasted about five minutes, but each day the three of them focused on thanks for safety so far and continued safety for that day.

7:30 a.m. - Roll out!
Les and Lance would start riding.  SAGMan would drive 15-20 miles down the road to a predetermined location.  I followed in my rental car on Thursday and led the way on Friday.  We would ride and wait, ride and wait.  Surprisingly, we really didn't wait that long.  We all have Life360 on our phones - Les' phone was in the SAGWagon, Lance had his phone in his jersey and I had mine with me.  I had watched their progress from afar for 26 stages and it was cool to see them so close.  Les and Lance would get more water for their water bottles, eat a snack, take off jackets, tell us our next stop, and roll out again.

2:00 - Final check-in
When the guys had about 15 miles of riding left they would have one final check-in with Pops.  At that point Pops would head to the chosen hotel for the night (typically Days Inn or something similar.)  He would get checked in and bring in the bags they would all need for the evening/next day.

3:00-4:00 p.m. - Roll in
As soon as the guys got to the hotel they would do three things:  start re-fueling, shower, and upload their data.

5:30 p.m. - Dinner
Les was very consistent with what he ate most nights - chicken, pasta, pizza.  They stayed away from fried foods and heavy meat.  They needed a good balance of protein to recover and carbs to fuel the next day.

7:30 p.m. - Nightly Prep
Bikes were checked, tires pumped, water bottles cleaned.  Les would write his nightly blog.  Bedtime snack.

9:30-10:00 p.m. - Lights Out

They did this for 28 days.  Some days the miles were longer than others, but they rode every single day for 28 days.  Remarkably, they didn't have any mechanical issues and they didn't get rained on a single time!

Friday afternoon was so exciting.  Les and I had plans to stay on Tybee Island for a couple of nights while Lance and Pops were going to drive back to Cookeville, Tennessee.  I checked in to the Admiral's Inn, then Pops and I wandered around waiting for the triumphant entry.  I'll write a separate post about Tybee Island - it's a cool place!

Right about 3:00 p.m. on Friday, October 27th, Les and Lance made their final left turn from Butler Avenue on to 16th Street.  They rode the Strand Avenue traffic circle where Pops and I had a small group waiting.  (I attracted a bit of attention standing on a bench, hollering, with two phones in my hand - one for pictures and one for video!)

Les took his shoes and socks off and walked right on to the beach and into the ocean carrying his bike!  It was such a cool moment - I am SO glad I was there!  So much happiness with these three.

After several more minutes of savoring the accomplishment we headed to the hotel.  Lance took a quick shower and Les unloaded his things from the van.  We borrowed one of Pops' suitcases to bring home with us - Les had put some supplies in the rental van in boxes and we needed a way to get things home.

The final moments before Lance and Pops drove away were so sweet.  We stood by the van and gave thanks to God for such an amazing journey.  I listened as these three men shared final words after 28 days of constant contact.  It's pretty cool when you love your family as much as these three do.

Remarkable

Les and Lance have now pedaled their way into their eighth of nine states!  They crossed the Mississippi/Alabama border this morning and are nearing the 2300 mile mark.  They have had an amazing trip and if all continues as planned they will reach Savannah, Georgia and the Atlantic Ocean this Friday!!

But let me tell you about someone else who is remarkable - my neighbor, Joe.  I introduced him on this blog over five years ago.  He is one of many smiling faces I see on a regular basis when I'm out running or riding my bike.  Joe is an avid hiker and always has a smile for me.

About a month ago Les and I saw Joe while we were on a bike ride.  It was just a quick, "Good morning!" but I told Les, "Joe didn't seem himself."  Les wondered how I could tell in such a short greeting, but I just knew.

Fast forward to this morning while I was out for a run.  I saw Joe up ahead and determined to catch him.  I slowed to a walked when I caught him.  Our conversation started off like this:

Me:  How are you, Joe?
Joe:  I'm great!
Me:  You didn't seem yourself when I saw you a few weeks ago, are you okay?
Joe:  Well, I had my toes cut off...

To make a long story short, due to poor circulation, Joe's feet were not getting adequate blood supply.  In June he had the toes of his right foot removed and in July had the same procedure done on his left foot.  He is now walking on stumps.  He said he was in a lot of pain prior to the surgery but has had none since.  The main thing that has changed is the length of his stride, but his sunny outlook hasn't changed a bit.

I asked Joe if he had been able to resume hiking.  "I wanted to hike a certain mountain on my 80th birthday and I did just that on Wednesday!"  I am so in awe of this man!  80 years young, walking three miles, 5 days a week and in his words, "working at the Senior center to help those less fortunate," the other two days!

Joe reached his turn around point and we said goodbye for the day.  I finished my run with a huge smile on my face!  What an inspiration!

Tuesday Rambling

I have a lot of little things on my mind, none that deserve a full post, so here goes:

1500
I crossed the 1500 mile mark for the year sometime last week.  I also crossed the 1500 mile mark on my Specialized Vita that I got in March of last year.  Cycling miles add up quickly.  Unfortunately, my running miles have been on the low side the past couple months.  I've had IT band issues that make anything over 3 miles really painful.  I miss being able to go out for a medium/long run but I really want this to go away, so I'm trying to be patient and smart.

McBRAAM
Les and Lance have now ridden over 1,000 on their cross-country cycling trip.  They are making their way to Texas today - state #4!  I am continually amazed at how well they are doing.  They are loosely following America By Bicycle's Fast America South route.  They have already made one change - Friday's ride was 144 miles, Saturday was to be a rest day, followed by about 135 miles on Sunday.  They chose to split Sunday's ride in half, making Saturday and Sunday "short" rides of just under 70 miles each.  Les said as long as their bodies and the weather holds they really don't want to spend a full day hanging out at a hotel.

I'm really enjoying their trip from afar!  It's been amazing to see their progress and I'm glad everyday when I hear from Les that another ride is complete.  He is super upbeat.  They will have stories to tell for the rest of their lives.  Les has been the primary writer of the blog so far and he really is that entertaining in real life. 

Coming up on October 21st is the annual University of Tennessee vs. Alabama college football game.  This year it takes place in Tuscaloosa.  Les and Lance are both Tennessee boys, their parents and sister still live there.  If they stay on schedule, they will be riding in to Tuscaloosa that weekend.  They won't be wearing their UT cycling jerseys!

Pumpkin Muffins
About a month ago I had to go to Fresno for the funeral of a former boss.  I was asked to speak and decided to go up the night before to see my sister and her family.  I baked a batch of pumpkin muffins, took half with me and left the other half at home.  When I came home, a mere 24 hours later, they were all gone!  While I was at the grocery store today, I decided to pick up the ingredients for another batch.  I spotted a Devil's Food cake mix and decided to make chocolate pumpkin muffins instead.  They definitely don't have as strong of a pumpkin flavor, but they are still good.

Pumpkin or Spice Muffins

Makes 18 muffins
1 Spice Cake Mix
1 15 oz. can Pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) OR
1 15 oz. can Sweet potatoes in light syrup
1/2 cup Almond milk

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325.
Grease cupcake pans.  Puree sweet potatoes in the blender for about 30 seconds.  Mix ingredients (no egg or oil, just the cake mix, milk, and pumpkin or sweet potatoes) and pour in prepared pans.  Bake according to mix instructions for cupcakes, using the full amount of time (approximately 25 minutes).

Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins

Makes 18 muffins
1 Devil's Food Cake Mix
1 15 oz. can Pumpkin
1/2 cup Almond milk

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325.
Grease cupcake pans.  Mix ingredients (no egg or oil, just the cake mix, pumpkin and milk) and pour in prepared pans.  Bake according to mix instructions for cupcakes, using the full amount of time (approximately 25 minutes).

All of these are very dense muffins.  The spice cake mix is slightly higher in calories, each muffin is about 150 calories, while the chocolate are slightly under 100.  Not bad for a quick snack or addition to breakfast. If I was going for Wife of the Year, I'd Fed Ex some of these to Texas or Oklahoma...

Fall Running
This is the one time of year that I start getting a little run envy.  People across the country start talking about cooler temps, morning runs that are glorious, and needing an extra layer.  I know that I am spoiled because I can run outside all winter, but my least favorite is our current weather pattern.  Our temperatures are moderate, but Santa Ana winds are blowing and our current humidity is 10%.  We have a tree down in our front yard from yesterday's winds.  With my cranky IT band, I'd rather be on my bike, but when the wind is over 20 mph I'm a little afraid of being blown right off the bike!  If we didn't have weather, what would we complain about?

McBRAAM

There is an epic cycling race that has taken place for the past 36 years - Race Across America, otherwise known as RAAM.  It starts in Oceanside, under one of the longest piers in California, spans 3000 miles, climbs 175,000 feet, crosses 12 states and finishes at City Dock in Annapolis, Maryland.  I'm married to a cyclist who loves to ride and race but RAAM takes it to a level that he's not interested in.  Riding cross country, however, has been on his bucket list for a long time.  Which leads us to McBRAAM - The McElhaney Brothers' Bicycle Ride Across America.

Les and his older brother, Lance, will be embarking on an amazing journey this Saturday.  They will leave Southern California, with Savannah, Georgia on their minds.  Les' dad, Bill, affectionately known as Pops, will be driving the support vehicle.  The route looks something like this:

 

The two most common questions I have received:

1.  Are They Crazy??
Well, yes, a little.  Or maybe a lot.  However, this goal is not out of reach.  Les and Lance are both strong riders.  They will not be racing.  Pops will have water, fuel and tools in the van if (when) somethings goes wrong.  All three of them are very intelligent (it's actually kinda scary how smart they are) and they have spent months planning, researching, thinking, and planning some more.  The RAAM record is 7 days, 15 hours and 56 minutes.  These guys are planning on 25 days of riding across 28 days total.

2.  Are You Going With Them?
No.  Originally they had considered renting an RV and Les told me I was welcome to go along for part of the trip.  My response, "I'm not living in a rolling locker room for a month!"  This is a boys' only trip.  I am happy that they are doing this but I am happy to stay home.  I've got a to-do list that is growing and I hope to actually get it all done.  I will be flying to Atlanta during the final week to meet up with them and be in Savannah for the grand finale!

I'll be posting updates here from my perspective from time to time, but if you're interested they plan to blog daily at their own blog ~ McBRAAM. 

Cycle to the Sun 2017

Three weeks ago we flew to Hawaii.  Instead of our usual Hawaiian Airlines flight #1 to Honolulu, we flew to Maui.  It's been a while since we went to one of the other islands and had some down time.  Of course for us it's never just Rest and Relaxation, there's always some Recreation involved, too.  While I did a little bit of running, the biggie this time was for Les - Cycle to the Sun:

The legendary Cycle to the Sun is one of the most difficult bike climbs in the world.

The ride climbs 10,000 feet over 36 miles and reaches gradients up to 18%. As a comparison, the famed Mont Ventou in the Tour de France is only a 5,336 foot climb over 13.6 miles. It starts in Pa’ia at sea level and finishes up on top of the Haleakala Volcano at just above 10,000 feet (3,048 meters).

If you've ever been to Maui, you've seen ads for riding down Haleakala.  Les has ridden up Haleakala three other times but never raced it. We arrived on Wednesday and took Thursday and Friday as full on R & R.  Les got his bike ready and went for a short ride and I went for a short run, but there was a lot of relaxing involved, too.

Lanai island

We had an early start on Saturday morning to get to the race on time.  We both knew quite a few of the riders (the race is capped at 200.)

After an Hawaiian blessing, they were off!

I knew I would have plenty of time to wait, so I headed to the nearest coffee shop.  I ended up spending two hours with a lady whose husband was also in the race.  We shared stories about family and adventures.  My plan was to drive to the summit and hopefully see Les a few times along the way.

I stopped at the Visitor Center and watched Les go through.  Then I drove a few more miles to see him again.  I cheered for every rider who came by.  I was disappointed in most of the other friends and family members who were at the lookout.  They just stood there and only cheered when their rider came through.  I had fun with it, even asked "are you questioning your sanity right now?"  One rider said, "No, that was 10 miles ago!"  It's a grueling race and I know even a few words of encouragement can mean a lot. 

Riding strong enough to flash the "I love you" sign!

I was at the summit when Les came across the finish line.  The friends and family there were a lot more active - cheering for each rider.

He had been sick for about 3 weeks leading up to the race.  This is no easy ride at 100%, so I was happy to see him finish with a smile!  This was Les' fourth attempt and fourth successful finish on this ride.  His fueling was right on and Dramamine on Friday night/Saturday morning kept altitude sickness at bay.

It was a very clear day at the top.  In the distance are Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii...

Since the race I have heard Les say about a dozen times, "I want to ride Haleakala again!"

Have you ever been to Maui and tried the downhill? 
We rode it on our first visit to Maui in 1996.  I hadn't been on a bike since about 6th grade so it was pretty scary to me.  I'd love to do it again but don't plan on riding up!

Challenging Stereotypes, One Teenager at a Time

We've been back in Hawaii for a couple weeks and attended a 4th of July picnic yesterday.  I had a really funny exchange with a group of young people.  The mom (J) of 2 of the girls (A and K) is a friend of mine.  While I was sitting in my lawn chair, J came by and said, "Come with me."  We headed over to the group that included her daughters, another young woman and a young man.  I didn't catch his name, but for the sake of this post I'll call him KIAT (know it all teen.)

J said, "He doesn't think middle aged women are active.  Tell him how many marathons you've run."  I held up the number four and that's when things got fun...

KIAT:  Well running's not really hard...
Me (laughing, and not really insulted):  Really?  Lace 'em up then, let's go!
KIAT:  Um....
Me:  How old do you think I am?
KIAT:  44  (okay he's my new BFF!)
Me:  You missed it by about a decade...
Me:  I've also hiked the Grand Canyon, kayaked the Napali Coast, and mountain biked on Mt. Etna on Sicily.  Should I go on?
All:  Yes!
Me:  My husband and I hiked Yosemite, that's where he proposed.  And I ran Tantalus on Sunday.
A to KIAT:  Do you know where Tantalus is?
KIAT: No...
A:  I've walked it, wow!
Me:  My husband rode 42 miles on his bike this morning.
KIAT:  Okay, I'm impressed with you guys
Me:  He also raced Haleakala a couple weeks ago (post about that coming soon!)
KIAT:  Okay, okay, I was wrong!

I walked away laughing.

This whole conversation made my day!  I laughed the whole time because I love it when people underestimate me and dozens of women just like me.  I also realize that he could have been talking about dozens of women I know, my age and younger, who do fit the stereotype.  My own Mom was like that.  She spent all her time taking care of her family and putting herself last.  I wonder if she'd still be alive today if she had spent even 30 minutes a day focusing on her health.

It's a balance that each of us has to find.  We can't neglect our families, but we can't neglect ourselves either.  I will always believe we're better wives, mothers, sisters, and daughters when we're taking care of ourselves. 

Do people ever underestimate you?  Do you struggle with balancing family life and taking care of yourself?

Our Crazy Life

Four years ago in January Les took a job working for a company based in Hawaii.  We spent most of 2013 in a rented Waikiki condo.  2014 and 2015 were filled with back and forth travel.  2016 we spent nine months renting part of a house in Hawaii Kai.  We've already made two trips to Oahu this year.  On top of the Hawaii trips, Les visits clients here on the mainland and attends industry conventions.  I'm fortunate enough that I don't have to work a paying job and can tag along often.

Plans for a busy June are starting to firm up.  Les will be in four states/three time zones in the first week and a half of June.  We are also planning to go back to Hawaii some time in June.  Oh, and I have a marathon scheduled on June 10th. As our plans have firmed up, my "racecation" was looking more and more like a solo endeavor or a flyby. I have never been to Utah and really wanted a few days to see at least part of the state.

I checked the race website and saw a "defer" option.  I can defer to 2018 or 2019.  Les will be flying home from a convention that takes place in Orlando.  This particular event takes place each June and moves around the country each year.  In 2018 it will be in Nashville.  Les grew up there so we have tons of friends and family in the area so I definitely want to go on that trip.  In 2019 the convention will be in Phoenix, considerably closer to Utah.  The more I thought about it, the more sense it made to defer to the 2019 race.  There was a $15 change fee, but with so many "nonrefundable, nontransferable" races out there, this seemed like the right decision.  I wasn't going to let my free entry fee go to waste!

In case you're wondering, Les never even suggested that I not race.  He would have flown from Orlando to Salt Lake City (about 50 miles from Provo) just to be there.  This would have meant him being home about 48 hours the entire month of June.  Some things just don't make sense no matter how much you want them to.

I've been a runner for over 20 years.  In that time I've run a total of nine races.  That probably seems strange to some people, but I'm okay with it.  I ran 2600 miles one year and didn't run a single race!   I don't regret the training I've done.  It's gone well, not great, but good enough that I know I could have finished the marathon.  But the expenses to just go there, race, and come back home were adding up to more than I wanted to commit to.  So... Utah Valley Marathon 2019 here I come!

Right now I don't know if I'll try to run a marathon this year.  We tentatively have something really big on the calendar for this Fall so I'll just wait and see.  If we're on Oahu when they are having any of marathon readiness races I might do one of those because they are usually 12-15 miles and the registration fee is pretty small for last minute decisions.

Do you or any of your family members do a lot of business travel?
Ever deferred a race?

This is 53

I celebrated another birthday yesterday.  Les asked, "What do you want to do?"  "Let's take our bikes to Santa Monica."  So we did.  This is a ride we have been doing for years, but we hadn't ridden it in about five.  We parked at Santa Monica beach and hopped on the bike path, dodging other cyclists, walkers, runners, roller bladers, strollers, and dogs along the way.

We made it to Redondo Beach at the 19.5 mile mark and stopped for lunch.  At that point we had averaged 11 miles an hour, with no stops.

We made the return averaging 10.8 mph, not a significant drop in speed at all.  39 miles total and we were ready for dinner at Duke's in Malibu.  We had a great view and even saw whales and dolphins.

And no birthday celebration at Duke's is complete until you've had a piece of Hula Pie!

When is your next birthday?   How will you celebrate?

Steady ~ Four Weeks of Marathon Training Down (Weeks 9-11/52)

One of us ran and the other rode Tantalus on the same day!

It's been almost 3 weeks since I posted anything.  We were still in Hawaii when I last checked in.  We flew home on March 2nd and I brought a sinus infection with me.  I was in absolute misery as we landed and the pressure made my head feel like it was exploding.  #wimp.  I didn't run for several days, I got up and tried a couple of times but breathing is a crucial part of running.

Marathon training has been going great.  For these four weeks my planned long runs were 8, 10, 12, and 10 miles.  My actual runs were 10, 10, 12, and 10.  Yesterday's long run was one of my best (which means I'm due an ugly one soon.)  My first mile yesterday was my slowest and my last mile was my fastest.  I ran the second five miles only 11 seconds slower than the first five!  I've always struggled with going out too fast and bonking with a few miles to go, so that was a huge win in my book.

I've done intervals 3 of the 4 weeks and this week's session was my best so far.  I call it the Ladder of Pain - 2 x 400, 1 x 800, 1 x 1200, 1 x 800, 1 x 400.  My first three were right on target.  I had hills in the 1200 and 800 intervals so they were a bit slow but I finished with a strong 400.

These green hills inspire me!  Here's a little Irish blessing a few days post St. Patrick's Day:

May those that love us, love us;
And those that don't love us, may God turn their hearts:
If He can't turn their hearts, may He turn their ankles,
So we'll know them by their limping.

How's your training going these days?  Hope you're not limping!

What a Week! And It's Only Wednesday...

Me and my Valentine

This is turning out to be an interesting week!  Sunday was our typical up early so Les could prepare a Sunday school lesson while I went for an easy spin.

Monday morning we hopped on the mountain bikes and hit the trail.  My legs were like lead and I couldn't seem to get warmed up.  Once we got to the trail I told Les to go for it and I'd meet him at the turn around.  After about a mile on the trail my legs finally loosened up.  Then it was pedal to the medal and I got my 3rd best time, only 8 seconds slower than my PR!

We bombed our way back down but because of the rain there is a barrier that we can't ride over. We had to get off the bikes for a few steps.  When we got back on the street it's downhill for about a mile with a stop sign about a third of the way down.  We were just rolling from the stop sign when Les realized he was in the wrong gear and almost came to a complete stop.  I didn't realize until it was too late and my front tire clipped his back tire.  I was on the ground before I had a chance to process what was happening.  My right knee is bruised and slightly scraped but no major damage thanks to good tights and full finger gloves.

We were up a little after 4:00 yesterday morning for our 7:45 flight to Honolulu.  After picking up our car at Les' office, we headed to the Ilikai where we'll be staying this time.  I opened my emails and saw this:

A free entry to the Utah Valley Marathon!  I may have shrieked a little in the car!!  I never win anything.  I am so excited to have a won!  The Utah Valley Marathon claims "its gentle downhill course not only enhances your speed but won’t beat up your legs."  The course elevation looks like this:

And before you think I'm crazy for running downhill, let me remind you of my most recent marathon, the Revel Canyon City Marathon:

It looks like the Utah Valley Marathon is going to be much more gentle!

So what happens now?  I pulled up TrainingPeaks to reapply my marathon training plan and guess when my 16 week training starts?  Next week!  The timing couldn't be better. Thank you, Wendy, for hosting this giveaway!!  I am so excited to have this race on my calendar.  Once again I'll be posting my training schedule each week followed by a weekly recap.

When is your next race?  Downhill running - yay or nay?
Anyone running the Utah Valley Marathon?  Have you run it in the past?  Any advice?

January Recap

 

Instead of goals for the year, I chose two areas to work on for the month of January.  I am happy with how they both went:

Running ~ Increase Endurance
I ran 9 times for a total of 61.6 miles, walked 4 times for 12.13 miles, and cycled 9 times for 115.71 miles for a total of 189.44 miles.  My long run for the month was 10 miles.  This is the highest January I have had since 2011, a solid month, especially with all the rain we received (over 7" for the month.)

Les and I went for a trail ride this morning and I was pleasantly surprised at how strong I was.  Riding on the trainer has forced me to work on keeping a high cadence.  I did that for the entire ride today and had my 18th best time of 104 tries on the 3.4 mile climb that is the heart of the trail.  (Thank you, Strava for those details!)  For the first time in several years the creek is flowing and we had three water crossings.  I know I've been smiling when there's mud on my teeth.

Mother Nature has been having major mood swings around here.  Last Sunday we got about 2" of rain.  Things dried out and the temps dropped on Tuesday:

Winds started kicking up over the weekend and this was Sunday:

I'll take the cold over the wind any day.

Health ~ Decrease Sugar Intake

After a Fall/Holiday season filled with sugar and more sugar, I knew my body needed a break.  I haven't cut sugar out completely as far as what is found in our foods, but I haven't had a single dessert all month.  That is a big win for me.  Bonus is I haven't had any anxiety attacks/heart palpitations like I had been having the past few months. 

I'm thinking about my February Focus and will blog about it on Friday.

How was your January?  What is February looking like for you?