Just because you CAN, doesn't mean you SHOULD...

 

Looking back to move forward

“We do not learn from experience … we learn from reflecting on experience.” --John Dewey

I believe that Dewey, an education reformer and philosopher, was correct.  And I feel like my triathlon season this past July and August is rife with lessons...but now I need to do the work of learning them.  So this is my reflection on the 5 races in 6 weeks that comprised my multisport season in 2021. 

Races and Highlights

The first two races. the Door County Tri Relay and the Screw City Du Relay, were the subject of my previous post "Slaying Dragons" so I won't go into detail here. But there were 3 others the Naperville Sprint Tri, The Iron Girl Sprint Tri and the 4WomenTri Minisprint. 

Big finish at Naperville

The Naperville Sprint Tri was August 1, in Naperville, Illinois.  I had done this race before, a few years ago, and was hoping for at least as good a race as I had before. The first time was very hot...but I will admit I was more rested then.  

I started the day feeling relatively good as I waited in line to start the swim at Centennial Beach (a man-made pond/lake the makes the swim like a cross between open water and the pool).  The swim was 375 meters and I was truly not concerned about it until about halfway through when someone accidentally grabbed my left leg and pulled me under. I recovered alright, but my leg felt "tweaked" and it had been a little bit of a freak out. 

The bike was uneventful, expect perhaps for the uphill and into the wind portion...but that is pretty par for the course.  

I struggled through the "run."  The tweaked leg was unhappy and my back was tightening up.  Glenda met me and went with me for a little while, and I managed to create a big finish at the end.  

It was pure cussed-ness and the compliments on the Ciao Bella Tri suit (which I'll admit is pretty awesome) that got me through.  I wasn't fast, but I wasn't last.  I was pretty toasted. 

Over the next day I developed a hitch in my ribs...which turned out to be tight lateral muscles and seemed to take a long time to loosen up.  Let's just say sneezing was a joy. I started questioning whether I could do the next race two weeks later...

Iron Girl in the Buddy Wave with my best buddy

The Iron Girl Sprint Tri in Pleasant Prairie was on August 15.  It would be my longest swim in a race ever.  One of the unique things about this race is that it has a buddy wave.  This means that unlike most triathlons which are very fixed on individual effort (ie no outside help, no pacers etc.) there is one non-competitive wave that allows you to do the event with a designated buddy. If you signed up for the buddy wave you were not eligible for awards, but I wasn't worried about that anyway. Glenda agreed to be my buddy, mostly because of the long swim.  

Although after Naperville, I debated for two weeks about whether to do this race we were there on race morning.  We had spent two entries for the not-inexpensive race and I felt recovered enough, though not completely recovered. So we decided we "could."  Thinking about "should" didn't really happen until after.

Since we were racing as buddies, we decided that we needed to dress as buddies. And since it was a women's only race, we decided to go old school and channel our inner Tough Cookies (TC was a women's training group we had been involved with back in Austin).  Glenda said she was going to wear her pink tutu on the run....so, OF COURSE, I had to make myself a pink tutu for the run as well. 

The swim was 800 meters...there were plenty of buoys and platforms marking the course, and giving the uncertain swimmer a place to breathe a moment.  There were lifeguards on every platform and in kayaks on the water.  It was an exceptionally safe course...and an exceptionally difficult one in that it was straight east into the sunrise. We planned to swim to the right of the course, for ease of taking a quick breathe at the platforms if needed.  We started out, and with the glare on the water I couldn't see the platform or the far shore or ANYTHING.  I sort of freaked out, but Glenda grabbed my hand and put it on the first platform (I'd have swum right into it!) and as I calmed a little she said, "Sighting is tough, but I can do it...just stay on my hip."  and I did.  After the initial frenzy, I actually had a very good swim.

Then it was on to the bike which Glenda and I rode together as well.  I had trouble hitting a rhythm...but otherwise it was a great course, only a few hills and closed to traffic.  By the end I was feeling it and the fact that I was probably not fully recovered after Naperville was definitely an issue.

The "run" was a mosey, a ramble, a shuffle from bench to bench. I was doing 25 minute miles and barely holding on.  But I had Glenda, and I had my tutu (which got lots of cheers and compliments....and that kept me going).  We were the last people to cross the finish line and the announcer stopped awards to have us cheered in (which was very special).  We were not, by the way, the last in terms of time on course...there were people in earlier waves that took longer. But either way it didn't matter...I was just glad to be done and praying that I could recover enough to do the mini sprint the next weekend. 

Nearing the end of the mini sprint at 4WomenTri

The 4WomenTri was a first year event in Chanhassen, MN. Glenda had received an e-mail about it and after some consideration we decided to support this new event.  Glenda did the sprint, and I did the mini sprint which was advertised as 100 meters/6 miles/1 mile....a perfect distance for a fun race to cap the season.

The race venue, Lake Ann,  was beautiful.  They took some time to set up the swim area for the sprint, and told of us doing the mini to follow the buoys for the swim area. Which we did, only to find that the swim was more like 150-180 yards...not a big deal, but longer than expected.  It went by quickly and uneventfully.

 

Then up the hill and through transition onto the bike.  The bike was only 6 miles long...but Holy Hills, Batman!  I concentrated on trying to keep steady up the hills and lower the impact on my legs by using the downhill for recovery.  Again, it was relatively quick and uneventful, and soon I was rolling into transition again. I lost a little time there as I ran right past my bike spot!

My major goal for the run was to run some of it, not walk, mosey, stumble and sit my way through it as I did in the longer races.  I was feeling the long season that came before this race and was clearly not fully recovered, but I did it, running and walking, not fast but at regular intervals.

Because this was a short race, I did it in my TomBoyX rainbow swimsuit.  I just added biking undies and a bra for comfort and a bib skirt to hold my bib on the run.  This suit is very bright and can be seen for miles around...or so it seems.  It was a stroke of brilliance, because before the race, after the race and during every leg there were positive comments and questions about it. It made me visible and got me cheers...not a bad thing when you are struggling in a race (and pretty good even when you aren't struggling).

Lessons learned 

Lesson #1--Just because you can, doesn't mean you should

It is not surprising, I suppose that I piled on so many races.  So many things were cancelled in 2020 that I (along with many other people) was hungry to do some in person events.  Naperville was  a deferral from 2020,  Door County we were working for the photo company so why not be on-site and do the race, Screw City was one of the few races we were able to do in 2020 and we wanted to support them, Iron Girl had been on our radar for a while and 4WomenTri was a lark.  These were all things we COULD do.

However, the day after the Door County race while I was editing photos for the Half Iron distance race, I found myself feeling run down and very achey and just really tired.  I ended up sleeping nearly 12 hours that night.  I wasn't sick, I was just very tired.  I chalked it up to a hard race, maybe a little dehydration or issue with nutrition.  The same thing happened after Naperville and Iron Girl...each time there were more extra aches and pains and it seemed harder to recover. 

Looking back, I raced 10.5 hours over that 6 week period...multiple marathons for some people...without enough recovery. My body yelled at me especially loudly after anything that took more than 2 hours.  I heard it yell, but I didn't listen.  

I should have listened.  I am very grateful that I am not injured...because I could easily have been.  I have decided that I have to scale back to be able to do this longer.  And the new mantra in race planning (and maybe in other parts of my life) is going to be "just because you can, doesn't necessarily mean you should."

Lesson #2--Never underestimate the power of a great outfit

You might noticed that I mentioned what I wore for the various events. And though it may sound vain or silly, I've discovered more than ever that it matters.  Why?  A couple of reasons.  First is how what you're wearing makes you feel...obviously you want to be comfortable, but does the outfit make you feel confident? fast? fun? Does it make you bold?  Does it make you smile? Picking the right outfit for a race is a kind of a serious matter for me.

The other reason is what reaction do you get from others.  (Hint: this is also part of the reason I like to run in costume).  If my outfit makes other people smile or provokes a reaction like "great kit!" "love the tutu!" or "where did you get that suit?" it just automatically makes me smile back. It also makes me feel seen and lifts my sometimes flagging body and mind.  In short it helps me keep going and give it my best effort. 

So silly or vain it may be...it is still powerful.

Lesson #3--Keep moving, they can't bury a moving body

This lesson I learned from a fellow competitor at the final race of my tri season.  Her name is Judy Rykken, she is 83 years old and she was the last to cross the finish line in the Sprint at the 4WomenTri...she also won her age group! She did two things after the race that impressed me.  

The first was immediately after we had all cheered her in and the race director asked if she needed anything.  Her reply was "just to sit down."  They got her a chair and I thought there is a woman after my own heart, because that is always the first thing I want after pretty much any race. 

The more important thing, though, was the advice that she offered to us all during the awards ceremony.."just keep moving, doesn't matter how or how fast...remember they can't bury a moving body."  And in that sentiment is a new mantra for me ... Keep Moving, They Can't Bury a Moving Body. It seems a very useful and important mantra as I approach my 65th birthday!

Sorry, not sorry...but not again!

So, do I regret doing all those races in such a short time?  No, not really.  Do I think it might have been healthier and better for me if I had maybe backed it off a bit?  For sure.  

It was good for me to know that I could do these things, however slowly.  But it was better to learn that though I could do these things, It would probably have been happier (and healthier) if I had spread things out.  My body just needs more time to recover, and the slow recovery took a mental toll too.

So I'm proud that I could pull this off, but I have NO plans to try to do so much in the future.

A season of slaying dragons

This dragon is on a circus wagon at the Circus World Museum

 What are my dragons?

For me, a dragon is something I consider "unfinished business."  For instance, the biggest one I have probably ever dealt with is my Ph.D.  My daughter had her accident about halfway through my course work and I ended up taking a leave of absence with no expectation in my own mind that I would ever go back.  I assumed it was over, but after about a year and a half I went back (oddly, Glenda and Melanie both always assumed that I would finish..I did not).  I didn't meet my goal of a degree by 50, but I was only a few months late.

That was huge...but there have been other little dragons. Most recently they have had been athletics related.  There are only 3 races that I ever started and didn't finish: A half marathon in San Antonio, The Door County Tri and the Screw City Du.  San Antonio never became a dragon for me, for reasons I won't go into here. But those other two...or more particularly, PARTS of those other two became dragons that popped up to taunt me now and then. 

Why did they need slaying?

Well, strictly speaking, I don't suppose they had to be slain.  There is some virtue in just letting it go.  Oddly enough, though, only some of my unfinished business becomes something that needs finishing...but when something does get in my head, I do need to get it done.

The two races that were stuck in dragon mode were both multisport.  At Door County on the first try, I had been pulled from the swim, finished the bike strong and blown up on the run.  The conditions were not great in the swim that year and many people were pulled...that didn't bother me particularly. But not finishing the run, even though it was the right choice for that day, just bugged me.  I needed to know I could finish a run after such a relatively long bike.

Similarly, the first time I attempted the Screw City Du I got through the first run...and it was soooo hot and miserable I stopped there and dropped to the 2 mile run category.  I wanted to go back this year...not to do the whole race but to run more than 2 miles for sure.  Technically there was a 2 mile run division so I finished the first time, but it did not satisfy me, I wanted to finish something there that I actually set out to do. So I set out with different expectations. 

How did I do it?

In both cases, I chose to close the book on this unfinished business...to slay these particular dragons...by setting out to finish relays. And I did them just 8 days apart!  It was my short season of slaying some old dragons. 

When I did Door County the first time in 2019 as I mentioned above,  I was pulled from the swim (I didn't argue, the conditions were not good for me, and several people were pulled that day). I went on to have a really good bike, and I'm proud of that still, but in the end I pulled out of the run about 1.25 miles in.  Partly that was mental (having been pulled from the swim I couldn't claim a finish so it was hard to care enough to push through) and partly physical (I had biked frustrated and pushed too hard). I didn't feel any need to do the swim again, so I signed up for a relay.  Glenda swam and I biked and ran.  

I knew I could finish the bike, but didn't know I could do it as fast as I did

So I started with the bike, and I tried not to go too hard, because I wanted to have enough "legs" left to get through the run.  Even so, I biked it 3 or so minutes faster than in 2019...a big surprise to me!

I might possibly have walked most of the run (OK I did), but there was some run left at the finish!

I felt pretty good off the bike, but I was fatigued and it was getting hotter.  I started out trying to run more, but in the end it became more of a slog...lots of walking. I kept telling myself that if I just got through this it would done and I would never have to do it again. About a third or quarter mile from the finish Glenda met up with me and I told her I wasn't sure I could do it.  But she reminded me that I had come that far and it would be silly not to finish.  She came with me from that point, and I even mustered up a run at the finish. 

As for the Screw City Du, it was one of the only races that we did live in 2020, so I had a stake in doing well.  But it was also almost 90 degrees that morning.  I couldn't even face the bike after the first run.  So I dropped to the 2 miles run and called it a day.  Good enough, I suppose...but I wanted more.  Not necessarily the whole race, but more.  So Glenda and I decided to do the relay...I would do the 2 runs and she would bike. 

Pre-race at Screw City Du in our Ciao Bella kit

I ran the first run, and though it wasn't fast in usual terms, the first mile was the fastest I had run in quite a while.  The second was mostly uphill and slower, but overall it was faster than expected.  I sort of blew it out.  Glenda killed the bike and sort of blew it out too.  We then muddled through the second run together.  About 3/4 of a mile in, I tripped and nearly fell...which probably would have ended my day.  Fortunately, however, I managed to save it and we managed to muddle to the end. 

Yep, definitely finished!

And I definitely left it out there!

Having spent a couple of weeks putting these dragons to rest, I am moving forward to other things.  I am sure there will be other dragons, athletic and otherwise, but for now, it's on to more fun stuff

Live Races are Back! And so much more!

Races are back!  And this Slow Runner is back on the Road!

Catching up

It has been a long time since I last wrote here and sooo many things have happened! 

Moderate travel returned for us before we were really ready, due to family issues.  We had planned to visit Glenda's family in October.  We had barely determined to suck it up and go (while being very careful) when we were told that her father was ill.  At that point they had thought it was a sinus infection and cough that just wouldn't let go.  Of course we were concerned it might be COVID, but he had a negative test and the doctors were quite sure that that was not the case.  And we felt we definitely had to go. 

It was clear that my father-in-law, Robert, was quite ill.  A week or so after we came home we got a definitive diagnosis, sarcomatoid mesotheleoma (lung cancer).  We went back to help with some things in early November and Glenda went again by herself around Thanksgiving.  Several days after this third trip, in early December, Robert Adams passed away.  From an active 80 year old who travelled the world and shepherded young boys through all manner of projects when volunteering to run the boys' club at church, to gone....in less than 3 months. We went back to St. George, separately and together,  a number of times since then...for the funeral, to help with some clean-up projects, and just to visit Glenda's mother, Janice. And of course Glenda did the St. George Half Iron in May. 

Winter was rough. Within a few week's of Robert's passing, my mother's last remaining sibling passed and my son's family lost a beloved pet (a puggle named Drucker) rather suddenly.  Right before Christmas my daughter was diagnosed with COVID-19.  She did reasonably well despite being one of those people who tested positive (with no symptoms) for months.  Spring couldn't come soon enough for us!

Running continues...virtually and in person

We were what you might call "early adopters" of the return of in-person racing.  Our first one was a trail race in late October.  However, it was different from earlier races.  Masking was required when near others and start times were broadly spread out to ensure maximum social distancing.  Still it WAS a race with other people.  What didn't change was our penchant for costumes! 

Cookie Monster chases a Girl Scout for our first in person running race

The virtual races continued, from September 2020 to July 2021, I did 20 or so virtual races, everything from 3k to sprint dus and tris.  It helped me keep my sanity, but I'll admit, I was plenty ready to get back to in-person racing more regularly.

Just some of the virtual races, in costume and not during the time that live races were very rare

After the October trail race we took another brief hiatus from in person racing until the socially distanced spring race series...three 5ks in March and April.  We got even more brave in May and drove to Mackinaw Island for the Fort to Fort 5 miler, then 2 5ks on Memorial Day weekend and one on the 4th of July.  Each had some new rules in an attempt to keep everyone safe and healthy....but they felt more and more like the real thing.

As live races resumed, the costumes continued....

Pleasure travel is back

Given the rate of our travel before the pandemic got in the way, we were beyond eager to do some traveling.  A brief winter weekend visit to a cabin an hour from home helped, but by Spring we really wanted to get away a bit. Sooo, even before we were vaccinated we signed up for the Mackinac Island Fort to Fort 5 mile race and made plans to stay isolated and masked up (the race itself already had a good social distance plan).  

Fortunately, by May 15, the day of the race, we were both fully vaccinated, making the trip even safer (though we definitely had qualms on and off).  So off we went on a road trip, and some fun adventures. Highlights included a spur of the moment trip to Kitch-iti-springs (Big Springs) in the Upper Peninsula and, of course, the race. (Fort Mackinac played a role in the War of 1812 and our costumes were based on uniforms from that era).

Glenda on the view boat at the springs

What you could see from the boat

In addition to racing, we took a bike ride around the island

...and enjoyed the view and the food at the Pink Pony (a popular local restaurant)

In July Glenda's mother, Janice came to visit and we took her and my mom, Jeanne on a road trip to Door County.  More adventures!

Mom, Janice, me and Glenda enjoying a sunny day in Door County

And of course there were S'mores!

Now that we've caught up...what's next?

Well for one thing, we've gone back to live racing...carefully.  And we have further plans for that. 

Glenda has retired at the grand old age of 54, and I will be retired (again, ha!) by the time I publish this. So there will be new and different adventures.

My daughter Melanie is "between places" in a respite nursing home setting, and what's next for her remains to be seen.

My son and his family built a house and got a new puppy during the height of the pandemic...and I'm sure there will be more stories and adventures from that quarter too.  

Glenda's sister is going through some life changes, part of which involves her moving further from their mother.  So I'm sure there will be plenty of issues, stories and adventures for us (and them!) too. 

In other words, I am unlikely to run out of things to talk about. And so, until next time......

A Strange Season

Glenda personifies the current oddness of life

Since my last installment, pretty much everything that was on the calendar for 2020 was cancelled...but that doesn't mean we just gave up.  Sometimes you have to embrace the strange and do what you can with it. So this blog is a catching up for this strange season an there will be more focused posts going forward. I think it mainly goes to show that life changes, but at least for me the REALLY important things haven't stopped (just maybe gone a bit virtual).

VIRTUAL VACATION SHENANIGANS

In June, we took a virtual running cruise to Alaska!  It was appropriate, since Alaska is one of our favorite places to go...and running cruises are one of our favorite ways to travel.  The "trip" included a FaceBook page where there were several activities such as telling jokes on hump day and karaoke on friday as well as just general sharing.  

We definitely went all in on the jokes...here's an example

There was also Karaoke and other photos and videos. 

And at the end of the cruise we got an "Oscar" for all our shenanigans...and Shenanigans Studios was born.  (A bit more on that later)

And of course there were virtual races.

The first virtual Alaska was the Moosehead 5k.  We repped for Bullwinkle Moose's alma mater (and it was my latest 5k so far this season)

Who better for a treasure hunt than a pirate and a prospector

A couple of well-fed Ravens (in honor of the Skinny Raven running store in Anchorage) ran a trail predictor race the "Ward Lake Loop"

Claiming to be "Fittish" for the final 5k 

MORE VIRTUAL RACES (AND ONE REAL ONE!)

Besides the Alaska Races, there have been a number of other virtual races including a Summer series put on by some of the same people that do the Virtual (and real, when it is possible) running cruises.  As such they each had a different way to win the race, which I find very appealing. 

The Summer 5 x 5k series

Race #1 was a patriotic themed "treasure hunt" that we did on July 4. (I also added on to complete the Have a Blast 4-miler)

Race #2 was the Lemonade 5k...a prediction race (I never predict well!) So of course we were lemony!

Race #3 was the Ice Cream 5k, to win you had to have the median time.  I was slower and Glenda was faster, but we definitely had the ice cream gear

Race #4  The Lightning But was all about speed (and Glenda won!)...we ran in at dusk with firefly skirts and blinking lights

And finally, race #5...the Roller Coaster.  Cue the hills, the rollercoaster skirt and the silly shirts

Plus 2 Virtual 5ks, a Du and a Tri (or 2)

Also in the last couple of months, I did a couple of other virtual 5ks which appealed to me, the 2nd in my progressive Du series, and a Virtual Triathlon that replace a travel race slated for October.  I also did another tri, but I'll talk about that later. 

On July 13 I did my second du of the year, one I completely made up, based on one I did years ago...The Suellen's a Tough Cookie Du

On July 28, I repped for Wisconsin in the Big Ten Network 5k, a race I've been meaning to do for awhile that was virtual this year

On August 7, I completed the Ramblin' Rose Virtual Tri (250 yds/9 mile bike/2 mile run) which took the place of the race I was to have done in Chapel Hill, NC.  Incidentally, I got one of my favorite run pictures of the year so far

August 18, 2020 was the hundredth anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment "Women's Suffrage" ...I ran a 5k to honor the day.

And a racetastrophy

And then there was the real life Du that wasn't.  I signed up for the Screw City Du months and months ago.  It was actually held on the 26th of July (after a postponement from May).  There were lots of precautions in place and masks were required except while actually racing.  The day came and the heat index at the 8 am start was over 90 degrees and the heat was oppressive.  By the end of the first run I knew it wasn't my day...so I dropped to the 2 mile run option.  Probably my worst race day ever. 

Masks and medals at the hottest race(s) ever

A BIG BIRTHDAY REIMAGINED

On July 8, 2020 my Mom turned 90 years old.  Originally we had planned for a big party, but COVID-19 put a stop to that. So the family "divided and conquered" to come together

The birthday girl on her 90th...doesn't she look great?

First came the "card shower" before the birthday...she got cards and letters from many.  There were signs in her yard and on her door into the hall in her condo. 

On the day of her birthday, my son's family brought candy and the girls made a giant card, my brother and his wife brought her a steak dinner, and later we stopped by with cake. 

A few days later there was a firetruck parade, photos, another cake and a family Zoom meeting with special guest appearances by several old friends and co-workers. After all of this Mom declared herself more than sufficiently celebrated.

SUCKING IT UP FOR MY KIDDO

On July 21, 2020 my daughter. Melanie was scheduled for back surgery to extend her spinal fusion.  She was allowed one support person and I was elected.  

I hadn't been able to see Mel for some time as for several weeks her group home was being very careful about visitors. But once the surgery was scheduled, I attended her last two pre-op appointments. I also spent the night in a hotel the night before the surgery and sat in the hospital most of the day of surgery.

I was glad to do those things for her, but the anxiety about these visit was pretty overwhelming. 

Pre-surgery photo in her stylish chapeau. After a month, she is healing well, through inpatient rehab and back home.  Surgery appears to have been a success.

TAKING A CHANCE WITH A SHORT TRIP

We had MANY trips cancelled this year.  One of them was a trip with our granddaughters and their parents to Branson, MO in July.  At that point the virus was high in our area and blowing up in that area of Missouri/Arkansas, and none of us was comfortable with the trip.  

So we decided that we needed to try to find something safer.  We settled on a big house in Door County, WI with amenities that meant that we didn't have to interact with the rest of the world any more than we wanted. We were fortunately able to be quite certain that no one had the virus before we went.

There was fishing both in Sturgeon Bay (directly behind the house) and the stocked swimming/and fishing pond in the front of the house. 

Fisher Ellie

Fisher Maeve

Some of the fisher crew

Swimming was another favorite activity

The pond had a floating dock

And we put on our own triathlons,  one for us and one for the kids

Ellie finishes the tri

Maeve dashes to the finish

Glenda and I preparing to start our tri

And of course, there were s'more...because, s'mores!

S'mores!

BECOMING UNRETIRED

About 18 months ago I announced my retirement from adjunct teaching,  mostly because helping to deal with all of Melanie's issues before, during and after her major bladder surgery was consuming. Between that and our athletic and travel pursuits I couldn't really give my work the time and energy it deserved.  But I really never fully adjusted to being retired, I frankly did not like it.

Once Melanie was settled not quite a year ago, I told just one school (that I'd been adjunct for for almost 9 years at that point), that I might be willing to teach again. I early August they contacted me to see if I would teach a class...and by the time all was said and done I was teaching two, and have been assigned two more for the Spring. 

MORE SHENANIGANS AHEAD!

So what's next?  Lots of things.  For instance starting August 30 we will be doing another virtual cruise...this time Hawaii! And there will be more videos and races and general goofiness. All of our videos are now "credited" to Shenanigans Studios, an idea born in the wake of our Alaska videos. 

Keep Er Movin'

Pictured is Charlie Berens of the the Manitowoc Minute

A few blog posts ago I talked about all the world travel and fabulous races planned for this year.  We got one trip in...and then, like everyone else, we were stymied by COVID-19.  It sucks...I mean REALLY sucks to be sure.  And we are not alone, I know many of you reading this are in exactly the same boat.  But at the end of the day, we are adaptable...and as a Midwesterner born and bred, I found myself needing to heed the words of Charlie Berens (it you don't know the Manitowoc Minute...click the link above and see an episode from late March/early April of 2020)...and find a way to "keep 'er movin'"

Glenda and I both kept working out, kept hoping for the best for our races, even when sometimes it felt futile.  

Easter Virtual Ash Dash/Cottontail Classic 5k featured Little Bunny FooFoo and a Chomped Chocolate Bunny

We ran a 5k (combining two virtual races) in our neighborhood and that was nice.  And we decided maybe we could run the odd virtual to help keep us motivated. Glenda had already said that she was going to run the distance on the day of her London Marathon, just because...

Glenda's London Marathon got picked up by the local news...click the link in the paragraph below to see the story

But THEN Glenda did something that kicked us in the right direction. She went big, and we did a lot of planning and she ran the London Marathon, in London, Wisconsin!   The news coverage was a surprise....but we were prepared to do it large.  I made lemon blueberry scones the day before, we made reconnaissance drives to pick out pubs (the local tavern), cathedrals (the local church), rivers (Koshkanong Creek became the River Thames), ships (someone's fishing boat became the Queen Mary), etc. along her route...we put up banners, a toilet paper finish line, got flags for spectators, procured cut outs of Her Majesty and Big Ben.  I made Glenda a skirt and of course we had masks with the Union Jack.  We invited friends to run along or cheer from a social distance (several did and all were respectful and careful).  And we ate fish and chips when it was done.  It was a glorious day...and I (along with Glenda) decided that in big and small ways I needed more of this. 

Glenda and I running to honor my mom...Mom took the photo!

Before long Mother's Day rolled around.  I wanted to find a way to honor my mom, but she is almost 90, and though very healthy for her age,  has some pre-existing health issues.  So hanging at her house or going out together seemed ill-advised.  We have been seeing her now and then, but alway at a distance and either outside or on her screened in porch.  I saw an ad for a Mother's Day Virtual Race with a good (anti-domestic abuse) charity...and a light went on.  Why not run a 5k for Mom...and do it at her house where she could watch and chat from the screen porch.  We put on our heart skirts, pink shirts and homemade bibs (mine was 2, as I am Mom's second child and Glenda was +1, because she is my +1)...took my Mom a homemade card and some homemade cookies and ran 7.5 hilly laps in her condo's circle drive.  Mom came out, took pictures and had a bit of a walk...again all great fun! 

Ready to roll on my self-made duathlon

But I haven't been training just for running...I had a duathlon on my schedule (and I still have triathlons coming up, no idea if they will happen).  My duathlon changed their schedule, rather than having a virtual option.  So I did a little research, and found a few dus...but the most popular were longer distances than I felt ready to do.  So I decided to create my own, and looked back at some of the duathlons I had done in the past.  Thus, the Suellen's personal progressive duathlon series was born. The first was based on an early season du I had done a couple of times in Texas...the TriGirl.  I called this version the "(I'm a) TriGirl Minisprint Du" .5 mile run/8 mile bike/2 mile run. I even gave a donation to an animal charity (The Wisconsin House Rabbit Society), as TriGirl usually partnered with animal charities.  (I'd have done the original TriGirl virtually, but they postponed, too).

 While Glenda did the USAT standard distance virtual...I did my minisprint.  We carefully planned a course and a place to park our transition area, and though her race took longer than mine, we were able to see each other on course and cheer each other.  I didn't know if a completely made up event would work for me, but it did!  The second in the series titled "Suellen is a Tough Cookie Du" will be 1.5 miles/10 miles/1.5 miles and is currently scheduled for July 11.

In June we have signed up for a virtual "trip" that includes weekly virtual races...so more shenanigans to look forward to and blog about!

Keep 'Er Movin'!