Mileage Update

I did something today that I hadn't done in a LONG time - I ran a half marathon! I don't think I've run anything longer than 10 miles this year, so earlier this week I decided it was time to do one.

It was a perfect morning for it. 55 degrees when I got up, 59 when I got home. I watched the moon set as I ran towards the west for the first half, then watched the sun rise in the east as I headed home.

I wasn't as fast as I would have liked ~ I'm definitely out of practice when it comes to running long distances. I also couldn't remember how far to run before I turned around, since my route going home is slightly shorter. Here are the stats:

13.40 miles
2 hours, 23 minutes, 58 seconds
Average pace 10 minutes, 49 seconds a mile
Average heart rate 140, max 160
1348 calories burned

This is the elevation map. As you can see, it's a very hilly route! I was feeling it at mile 11 - that little uphill was hurting!


Totals for Week ending July 16:
Running: 31.77
Cycling: 31.55
Total: 63.32

Year-to-Date:
Running: 713.87
Cycling: 682.65
Total: 1396.52

Friday Foodie

Since I wasn't satisfied with the recipe I tried last week, I made my own version of Peach Soup this week.


Chilled Peach Soup

6 fresh peaches, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp. sugar
1 cup V-8 Fusion Peach-Mango juice
dash ground cinnamon

1. Add all ingredients to blender.
2. Process until smooth
3. Chill for 2-3 hours before serving.

This is what I was hoping for! I think using fresh peaches helped too, they were juicier than frozen.

Nutritional info: 55 calories / 0.33 g protein / 13 g carbs / 1.0 g fiber / 0.0 g fat / 1 WW points plus per serving. Makes 6 servings

Share the Road

Les and I rode our mountain bikes together this morning. We were about a mile up the trail when we saw a very young coyote. He was so little, hadn't grown into his ears or nose yet. When we came up behind him, he never made a sound, just kept on going up the trail while looking over his shoulder. We gladly shared the trail with him. We didn't want to hurt him or make him do anything crazy and cause a crash, so we just pedaled slowly by. I felt a little sorry for him and wondered where his mama was.


The Tour de France is going on right now. There are have been a number of crashes, causing broken bones and withdrawals from the race. There was one crash that could have been avoided completely. During Sunday's stage, a group of five riders were racing along, working together to collect time bonuses and hopefully win the stage for the day...

As always, there were several vehicles behind this group of riders. For some still unknown reason, one of the cars decided to pass the riders. Unfortunately the road was not wide enough, so just as the car was even the with the riders it sped up, swerved into the pack and hit Juan Antonio Flecha, one of the riders! Flecha then crashed in to Johnny Hoogerland who took the brunt of the crash, and was launched onto a barbed wire fence along the right-hand side of the road. Oh! Ow!


Both riders were able to remount and finish the stage, albeit in considerable pain. Hoogerland suffered deep lacerations to his legs and arrived in Saint-Flour sporting bandages applied by a Tour doctor. He later ended up with 33 stitches. All because someone was too impatient to wait for a better place to pass.

We're all on the road of life. Life seems to move at the speed of light sometimes, but we cannot be uncaring of those we pass. When we only focus on our needs or problems or successes or stresses, we run the risk of pushing someone else into the barbed wire.

The story of the good Samaritan in Luke chapter 10 tells about a man who "went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead." How are suppose to treat our fallen brothers? Love them as ourselves. Shew mercy on he who is fallen. Bind up their wounds. Take care of them. Don't walk on by. In other words, share the road!

Bookin' It

I saw the most amazing thing this morning. Just as I was finishing up a 10 mile run, I saw a woman coming towards me. She had something in her hand. As I got closer, I realized she was reading a book as she walked her dog!! I'm sure I would have fallen flat on my face if I had tried such a feat.


While on the subject of books, I have to say again how much I am enjoying my Kindle. After reading Jane Eyre, I downloaded several other classics for free. My latest read was The Count of Monte Cristo. I had never read it before and didn't really have any idea what it was about. It is fascinating! The classics are so rich with dialogue. The authors took the time to build the characters. I was really pulling for the Count as the story progressed!


I also read the second installment to the Walk Series by Richard Paul Evans. Miles to Go picks up where The Walk ended and continues to be a great read. It's such an incredible journey.


So what should I read next? Any recommendations? What is your favorite classic?

Death Ride 2011 Recap

Here is Les' recap from his ride that he shared with family and friends:

Death Ride 2011 is in the books and I emerged victorious in the rubber match. I now stand at 2-1 on the Completed-DNF count.

It was a spectacular day in the CA Alps, with weather even better than last year. Temps were warmer at the start and cooler during the day than either of my previous rides (2010 and 2008). Never saw a wisp of a cloud all day, and the only wind worth mentioning was the headwinds up the final 12 mile climb to Carson Pass. I'm not complaining about the headwinds though, because I've heard from riders more experienced than me with DR is that the 2 choices for the Carson Pass climb are headwinds or freezing rain & hail. I'll take the wind any day.

This year was also more enjoyable because I had more riding companionship than just my iPod Shuffle. This year, I got by with a little help from my friends as there were 4 fellow riders and friends from the CVC, as well as a couple of others from the So Cal area I've ridden with in the past. The good news is that we all made the entire 125 miles and 15,000 feet of climbing. This year's riding mates were Steve Barson, Mike Wynn, Karen Johnson, Mike Brand and David Newman.

My total rolling time was 11:29, seven minutes slower than last year. But hey, I am year older, so give me a break! (I would like to think it had more to do with my head-on deer collision and flu that I had in the final 4 weeks of training than my aging, but if I'm dreaming, don't wake me.)

Highlights of the weekend included:

• Steve B. and I applying advanced engineering principles to mitigate damage and increase structural integrity of Karen's windshield. (Which is to say, we applied duct tape to a golf ball sized hole that was punched in her windshield by an errant rock on the drive up the 395.)
• A Friday lunch cruise on the Tahoe Queen across Lake Tahoe from SLT to Emerald Bay and back. (OK, this had nothing to do with the ride other than to take my mind off of it for a few hours.)
• The Death Ride Last Supper. (Can you say carbo-loading? 12 DR riders and family members rendezvoused in SLT at Tep's Villa Roma for some serious caloric consumption.)
• Seeing a downed deer roadside that neither me nor my bike had anything to do with. (I'm not saying seeing the deer downed was good, but not seeing me downed this time was.)
  
• Hearing Karen J. repeatedly scream "Yea Baby!!!" as we sumitted Carson Pass and knew we had it in the bag. (Where did she get all that oxygen at 8,500 feet? She must not have been riding fast enough!)
• Breaking the 40mph speed limit in Markleeville aboard the B-Train. (Those of you who have grabbed Steve Barson's wheel on a descent when he's in his aero bars know well what I'm talking about.)
  
• Oh yea, the ride itself!
  

Thanks for reading, hope to see you up there for DR 2012,

Les McElhaney

I hadn't posted just how sick Les was the week before Death Ride. He traveled to Des Moines the week before and came home unable to talk. I wondered if he was going to attempt it, but he not only attempted it, he conquered it! As you can see, he's already thinking about next year!

At the top ~ Mike Brand, David Newman, Les, and Steve Barson.
Les and Mike are having ice cream while Steve enjoys a Coke!
They earned it!!

Lake Tahoe 2011

It has taken me all day to write this post! I am tired and I didn't even ride 125 miles...


We had a wonderful time in the Lake Tahoe area this weekend. The weather was perfect, still lots of snow in the mountains, the rivers are really flowing, and best of all - Les did the Death Ride without any problems or crashes!


It seemed like the drive up to Tahoe just flew this time. Les has been out of a town a couple of times the past two weeks, so it was nice to have uninterrupted "us" time.


Just as we got to Bishop, we met up with two other Death Riders - Steve and Karen. A large rock hit Karen's windshield, so Steve and Les (both with engineering degrees) helped her cover it with the number one fix-it-all - duct tape!


We all caravaned the rest of the way to Turtle Rock Park in Markleeville, where Steve, Karen, and Les picked up their Death Ride packets. Another one of their training partner's, Mike Wynn, was at Turtle Rock with his family. Les was the only one of the four who had completed the Death Ride so they were relying on his "expertise" to get them through.


Each year there is a giant poster at the top of the final climb, Carson Pass. Those who make it to the top get to sign it. This is last year's, with Les' initials (LBM)...


After getting through the details, it was time for a little relaxation and fun! We enjoyed pizza at The Brewery at Lake Tahoe on Thursday night. One half was a typical sausage with veggies. The other was Thai Chicken and it was wonderful! Instead of marinara sauce, they used a spicy peanut sauce. It was very spicy, so of course I loved it!


We didn't get enough cruising in the Mediterranean, so we booked an excursion on the Tahoe Queen for Friday morning. This was a 3 1/2 hour cruise across Lake Tahoe to Emerald Bay.




The Tahoe Queen has two giant paddle wheels...


We even got a little spray on our feet!


There were a number of parasailers out...


When we reached Emerald Bay, our captain pointed out this eagle's nest. He thought we might see an eagle or two, but we didn't.


This is Fannette Island in the middle of Emerald Bay. It is the only island in Lake Tahoe.


The house pictured below is Vikingsholm. It was built as a summer home by Mrs. Lora Josephine Knight in 1929 and is fashioned after the castles found in the fiords of Norway. After Mrs. Knight's death in 1945 the home changed hands several times until it was sold to the State of California in 1953. It is open for tours during the summer. And yes, I'd love to see inside!


We also saw these kayakers in Emerald Bay.


On Saturday morning, while Les was out riding, I walked around the city of South Lake Tahoe. The cyclists who live in Lake Tahoe are crazy!! They cross the four lane Lake Tahoe Blvd in the middle of traffic, not wearing helmets, and not seeming to care if traffic has to stop for them. I don't believe anyone would want to ride these, though...



On the way home, we saw fantastic views of Mammoth Mountain ski resort. They skied until July 4th again this year and could probably keep going if crazy mountain bikers weren't begging to hit the trails! We decided Les needs to ski Mammoth and ride Death Ride in the same week some year...


We stopped for lunch in Lee Vining on our way home yesterday. Bodie Mike's ~ Good as Gold. I don't know about that, but their burgers were yummy!


As always, it was a great time, but I was glad to sleep in my own bed last night!

Mr. Two Time Five Pass Finisher!!

Just got off the phone with Les. He did it again!!

Full report to follow...

Friday Foodie

After a very cool Spring, Summer arrived in full force this week. Highs in the 90s, staring at triple digits. What's a person to eat? Chilled soup, of course! I've tried three different recipes since we got back from our cruise - two this week. They have all been wonderful! On our cruise the soups were served as appetizers, we've been having them for dessert.

Blueberry Orange Soup

2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
3 cups orange juice (I used Tropicana Light)
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water

1. In a saucepan bring blueberries, orange juice, brown sugar and cinnamon to a boil; stir to combine. Dissolve cornstarch with water; gradually stir into blueberry mixture. Cook and stir until clear and lightly thickened.
2. Pour into a bowl; refrigerate overnight. Serve with Cool Whip swirled in. Garnish with blueberries and mint, if desired.

Nutritional info: 105 calories / 0.5 g protein / 13.75 g carbs / 2 g fiber / 0.0 g fat / 2 WW points plus per serving. Makes 4 servings

Chilled Berry Soup

1 cup vanilla soymilk
2 cups frozen unsweetened strawberries, partially thawed
1/3 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons sugar
Sliced fresh strawberries, if desired
Fresh mint sprigs, if desired

1. In blender or food processor, place soymilk, frozen strawberries, orange juice and sugar.
2. Cover; blend on high speed about 30 seconds or until smooth.
3. Pour into individual serving bowls; top with sliced fresh strawberries and mint.

This took no time at all. I didn't have orange juice on hand when I made this one, so I substituted V-8 Fusion Light Pomegranate Blueberry juice. Mmmm!! We didn't top with fresh mint, but we did add a little Cool Whip.

Nutritional info: 81 calories / 2.5 g protein / 15 g carbs / 2.25 g fiber / 0.375 g fat / 2 WW points plus per serving. Makes 4 servings

Chilled Peach Soup

16 oz. frozen peaches, thawed slightly
2 tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup vanilla soymilk
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups orange juice (again, I used Tropicana Light)
dash ground cinnamon

1. Add all ingredients to blender.
2. Process until smooth
3. Chill for 2-3 hours before serving.

This was not as "peachy" tasting as I would have liked. It was good, but the orange juice overpowered the peaches. I'll probably try V-8 Fusion in Peach Mango flavor next time.

Nutritional info: 98 calories / 0.875 g protein / 18 g carbs / 1.5 g fiber / 0.10 g fat / 2 WW points plus per serving. Makes 6 servings

Markleeville or Bust

We're headed north this morning. We'll be traveling up the 395 then heading west on California route 89, over Monitor Pass. Destination: Markleeville, California, home to the Tour of the California Alps, AKA the Death Ride.


Once again, Les will be tackling the monster ride ~ 129 miles, 15,000 feet of climbing, over 5 mountain passes. We're looking forward to some cooler temps and a visit to our favorite pizza place!


Why will he do this, you ask? Because earning five stickers once just wasn't enough!

Good to Know

I was reading my latest edition of Runner's World magazine. Along with many helpful hints about running in the heat, staying hydrated, etc., there was a little tidbit I found very interesting...

Gelato actually has less butterfat than ice cream. A half cup contains 150 calories and four grams of fat versus 200 or more calories and eight grams of fat for ice cream.

Now we know why I didn't gain weight on our cruise. They called gelato a healthier indulgence! Bravo, gelato! I just found out we have a gelateria nearby ~ has anyone eaten at Melt Gelato?? We'll be giving it a try as soon as we get a chance! And they have my favorite -Stracciatella!


The magazine also suggested eating cold soups... I will be posting three cold soup recipes this Friday! Quick, easy, tasty, and super low in calories/points! An even healthier indulgence.

Let Freedom Ring!

I wonder how many of the verses to this song would be eliminated today because of so many references to God?

AMERICA
My country, 'tis of Thee Lyrics
by Samuel F. Smith - 1832

My country, 'tis of Thee,
Sweet Land of Liberty
Of thee I sing;
Land where my fathers died,
Land of the pilgrims' pride,
From every mountain side
Let Freedom ring.


My native country, thee,
Land of the noble free,
Thy name I love;
I love thy rocks and rills,
Thy woods and templed hills,
My heart with rapture thrills
Like that above.


Let music swell the breeze,
And ring from all the trees
Sweet Freedom's song;
Let mortal tongues awake;
Let all that breathe partake;
Let rocks their silence break,
The sound prolong.


Our fathers' God to Thee,
Author of Liberty,
To thee we sing,
Long may our land be bright
With Freedom's holy light,
Protect us by thy might
Great God, our King.


Our glorious Land to-day,
'Neath Education's sway,
Soars upward still.
Its hills of learning fair,
Whose bounties all may share,
behold them everywhere
On vale and hill!


Thy safeguard, Liberty,
The school shall ever be,
Our Nation's pride!
No tyrant hand shall smite,
While with encircling might
All here are taught the Right
With Truth allied.


Beneath Heaven's gracious will
The stars of progress still
Our course do sway;
In unity sublime
To broader heights we climb,
Triumphant over Time,
God speeds our way!


Grand birthright of our sires,
Our altars and our fires
Keep we still pure!
Our starry flag unfurled,
The hope of all the world,
In peace and light impearled,
God hold secure!

Mileage Update and a New Challenge

I had a down week this week. I've been fighting a summer cold, nothing major, just enough to slow be down a bit. So I was happy to receive an email from the MapMyRide Team. I've decided to compete in the 2011 Aquaphor Le Tour Challenge.

The Tour de France starts today and the challenge goes until the end of the Tour on July 24th. I won't be riding the distance of the Tour riders, but I do want to increase my mileage and maybe, just maybe, I'll win a prize in the process! Here's a little more info:

The Challenge runs from July 2, 2011 - July 24, 2011. Give it your best and push through all 21 stages. You will be competing against cyclists from around the world to capture the daily Stage winner's jersey and the overall leader's yellow jersey.

Winners of the Random Prize Drawings and the daily Jersey Competition will be posted on our prize page and notified by email.

If you've got a bike, sign up! It's free.

Totals for Week ending July 2:
Running: 25.80
Cycling: 11.03
Total: 36.83

Year-to-Date:
Running: 663.96
Cycling: 620.89
Total: 1284.85

We're at the halfway point ~ I'm probably looking at a 2500-2600 mile year again! How is your fitness progressing?

Where?

Did the first half of this year go? July 1st, already?? Time to start my Christmas shopping at the speed this year is moving!

Let's review, shall we?

• January ~ booked our anniversary cruise
• February ~ paid for our anniversary cruise
• March ~ dreamed about our anniversary cruise
• April ~ counted down to our anniversary cruise
• May ~ took our anniversary cruise
• June ~ blogged for almost the entire month about our anniversary cruise!!

Ha! Okay, so there's been a whole lot more than that going on. Revival ~ Bible Studies ~ Missions Conference ~ Camp ~ Birthdays ~ Rain ~ AARP card ~ Running ~ Biking ~ Bike accidents ~ Laughter ~ Friendships. Life is good!

When you look back over the first half of this year, are you happy or frustrated with your progress? Make the second half even better!