weekend recap...

one of my favorite shots from the trip. i never take a camera with, but this race i felt really needed the camera present. i absolutely love fall & the woods overall...

and while i'm not wholly unhappy with myself with this race's results, i'm not thrilled either.

finished my last big race of the year (that i've planned).

i was consistent. i did run well for almost all of the race. but i also tanked on the same bleeping last 2 miles that i've tanked on in the 2 previous half marathons i completed. lack of energy, side stitch, where-the-bleep-is-the-finish-line-since-i-don't-know-this-course???

while i realize that the majority of the world's population are not distance runners, and yes, it's great to just complete this milestone, it's still frustrating when you let the brain win, and let your guard down enough and you fail yourself. or walk when you know you should push through. running is *SO* mental. and i have more work to do...

i tend to not get over things very easily, as a few of my friends have pointed out recently. hard to hear? yes, in fact when it's said right to my face it ticks me off like a spark to a match. but i know they're right. sigh. i'm pretty passionate about a lot of things, and i tend to take things too hard and care too much, which honest to god really can mess with me at times. i hate it. but it makes me who i am so i have to figure out how to spin that and make it work in my *favor* for once. or more often...

overall, big picture of the weekend as a whole? it *WAS* a good weekend~ AMAZING colors! beautiful course! almost all wide flat awesome trail...2 girls finished the full marathon, 4 of us the half. one of my friends had a runner's worst nightmare....had to pull out of the marathon race due to pushing herself too hard..made herself sick...she was really hoping to qualify for the boston marathon. a MAJOR goal for many experienced runners. She was crushed to have to pull out at mile 17, but she and Allycat have another marathon in 6 days (yes really!) so she did the right thing by pulling herself out. (no other choice really other than walking the remaining 9 miles back, which of course no one would really want to do, esp after being sick).

met some new people, spent time bonding as runners and great girlfriends, and ran into some familiar surprise faces you didn't know you'd see up at this particular race. (one of my regular's at ursula's was there which was a great surprise!)

i packed exactly TWO pairs of shoes. my asics and my ariat cowboy boots. that's it. that is the least amount of shoes i believe i have ever packed. on top of that? my two absolute favorite pairs...and it was great to see more cowboy boots & hats on local's at the brewery place than not. i think i'd do well in a small town...

a few pictures....they're pretty big files so click em to make em bigger if you wish...

the start of the half marathon in moquah...


the first mile...on a beautiful morning...


right before the final half mile...are we in wisconsin or what? pointing folks who use the trail to the nearby bar :) had to take a photo of that...


the first four half marathon finishers...


marathoners ally & karen icing in the mother lake...which it might look really silly to wear all that garb on your body to just soak your lower legs in icy water, but it really does help them stay warm in the right places...


allison & i at the post race brewery dinner....good beer, great friends, a photo or two..


on top of being disappointed in my finish is my post-vacation funk. and the plan that i have no races on the books, no major vacation plans for the future and that all feels wrong. almost stifling. and somehow lonely. which is probably just lame to write...

i sometimes feel like i get tired of planning trips or getaways all the time, but i almost always have something on the books to look forward to. since i have no real races planned, the running is going into a much more relaxed pattern. no more super long workouts. no more strict plans for so many miles per week...not until next training season in march. oh i'll still run 3-4 times a week, but if i miss a day or two or three, it'll be *okay*.

now we're in the thick of music season, so mark is gone almost every night during the week between music rehearsals or gigs, and working full time retail. so it'll be a lot of solo time hanging out at home, and it's time to break out the knitting and put some of my creative powers to work to make some christmas gifts. i can actually read more books (such a novel idea for a librarian).

to end on a glass-half-full kinda note, i AM proud of my accomplishments and goals that i did attain in the past 7-8 months. and here is the bling, all 5 medals, that make great reminders in my daily routine that every step, every mile, every race, good or bad, were worth it. ~jd