IM Wisconsin Bike Route

Jim and I snuck up to Madison for a little ride, run and some r&r. The rain and storms were fierce in the morning, so we didn't hit the road until 11:30 AM. Until then, we drove around Madison, grabbed some coffee, and visited the site of an open water swim which was much delayed due to weather.  By the time we hit the bikes in Madison, we decided to do the first and final 15 of the IM course, plus one of the 38 mile loops rather than two.  I indulged the pacing goddesses and took it as easy as possible.  The day was simply spectacular and provided a rare opportunity for photographs.  This course is absolutely breathtaking, but since we often feel like we're on death's door while we're riding, it's tough to appreciate.  Yesterday wasn't one of those days.  I slowed down, stopped for photo ops, and took in as much fuel as I could handle.  Here's a sampling of what I saw:

Mile 30 & 68, approximately. Outside of Mt. Horeb

Three weeks out from race day, you'll see a lot of this.

Soon after we turn onto one of our first major descents

same view

This ambitious hill is always an adventure, a mile or so beyond last shot.

Stopping to get a view, for once.

Fish eye view

This is farmland, after all

Peak of Mt. Horeb, views in every direction.

Mile 35, 73

Pit stop. I'm not alone.

Anyone need coaching?  We'll make you faster, smarter, stronger, and more gorgeous!

Mile 45, 83.  Crest of hill.

Mile 48 & 86 or so. Final big climb before tumbling into Verona, the start (again) of the loop, or return to Madison

This is looking back down the ascent

Either the first descent (mile 10) or the final hill (mile 98) either way, it's a hammerfest.

Heading back towards Madison.

Day trip to the nearest progressive college town can't miss a visit to the local bumpersticker shop.  Is this seriously 139 miles from my home? What happened to Karen? How could this be?

Baskin Robbins Ride!

More! More! More!

Our last day in town and it's time for a visit from Laura, who currently lives in Maryland.  Fun for the girls.



Carolyn, Jack, Laura, Ashby, Scott, Ann, Karen, Peter, Addie


Later on we picked Dad up after dinner and told him we were going out to BJ's for ice cream. He looked at me and said, "What was it that we used to call this?"  "A Baskin Robbins ride, Dad."  He grinned from ear to ear, "Oh, yes, I've been trying to remember that all day."

When I was younger, I guess young enough to not know what B-R was, my parents and brother, on a Sunday afternoon, suggested that we go for a Baskin Robbins ride.  I pouted, sulked and complained all the way up to the storefront, dreading a boring Sunday afternoon drive.  Years later, we still joke about the event, and Dad takes special delight in having tricked me, so many years ago.  So, although Baskin Robbins itself has lost some of it's allure for me as my tastes have matured and it became more of a chain donut/sugar/coffee stop, I still have a very tender place in my heart for Baskin Robbins, as I've mentioned on this very blog.

The World's Largest Granny Square Part 2

Looks like I have competition right here in Spruce Point! As you may recall, I'm working on the world's largest granny square, but on my most recent visit to Dad at his care facility, I grabbed afghans to warm our laps while we crocheted and watched movie on TV.  Lo and behold, a quite large granny square, but if I put my mind to it, I shouldn't have a problem surpassing this size, about the size for a small lap blanket.

My blanket, on the right, is a large granny square. Dad's is an afghan of joined squares.

Soon it was lunchtime and Peter joined us.  I'm so happy that Peter came to Oregon for the entire trip and he proved his weight in gold. He spent more time with Dad than any of us! Great bonding time. Dad has always loved "Pete" and this week proved it.

Peter and Jack, lunchtime

And just in case, loyal reader, you thought I'd visit Florence without including a photo of my beloved Siuslaw, forget it! Weather was extremely placid and I told Ashby that it was so beautiful that I could cry. 

low tide



"Why don't you cry, then?" She said.

"Oh, I don't know," I said.

Unencumbered at the beach

This summer Addie has discovered Agatha Christie

South Jetty Access. Can I say anything that the photos don't deliver? I was so spellbound, sitting there for hours looking at the ocean and my kids playing and chatting and laughing with Peter. The water was incredibly cold and beautiful. Addie stayed in for a very long time (of course). Ashby and I got wet. Peter got wet. It Doesn't get any better. I usually try to find a few key photos, but the scale is so overwhelming.  In fact, it's one of those things that's too beautiful to photograph. Ouch.

My Ocean, my beach. Sheltered from the freezing wind.
Up the hill.

Unencumbered.

There go my kids!

Mama's in it now.

Peter, ever loyal photographer in support of the blog.

Are you going in?

It's simply perfect!

Woo hoo!

Peter, unencumbered.

Family fun.

Insatiable Addie.



Two peas in a pod.



If only I had a record of everything she says.

Quite a hike to the beach, trail covers two dunes of grass.

Looking North, Coast Range in background.

The Long Run, Again



Ready to Rock and Roll, photo credit: Addie.





It's running!!!



I told Peter that I was going for a long run today and he said, "I thought you already did your last long run?" I replied, "this is my first long run." We laughed, he said, "Oh, yeah, the last one is in Madison". Yeah, real funny, smart guy. What can I say? He's always been there for the insanity, thick and thin. I might as well indulge loyal reader and let you know that I'm on the pristine Oregon Coast. Thank goddesses I finally got a break from that heat because insanity can only carry a middle aged mother so far, every run was costing me loads of sweat and causing stomach upset. The recovery time after these hot, humid runs is really something to behold. Why do I know this? Because I've run for three days running (heh heh) and I feel almost chipper! Yesterday I set out to plot my run course and even went to the lengths of driving the course to measure distance (a rare indulgence). I also wanted to take Dad's Subaru Loyale out for a ride to see how it's running. Mom is trying to get rid of the auto and I'm heartbroken that I can't drive it or ship it home without undue expense. We'll see how this storyline ends, I'm not completely surrendered, but goodbyes are likely on the horizon, sniff, sniff.  And yet, I digress, yesterday afternoon I took the car out and plotted a fabulous twenty mile ride/run. Loyal copilot in the backseat, we took a few shots, this is what we've got, not an over-documented run, which is a good thing, if you think that I was running, instead of walking, standing around, sitting, etc...So now that it's all over, how did it go, you ask?  Not so bad. Not really fast, but that's the way it rolls.  I stopped once at the Casino to use toilet (urgent) and refill water.  This is about 4.5 miles in.  Then again stop at mile 8 at roadside store for gatorade.  Both of these stops were unnecessarily long, so it definitely slowed me down.  Sometimes you just get to talking to somebody or doing something and there goes the run. poof! 



Mile 12.9...thinking about tomorrow morning. This is the North (and South) Jetty of Siuslaw River



I stopped again for water refill at mile 13, although I had hit the bushes or portolet more than once between.  Then at mile 15.3 stopped at public restroom where I had planted powerbar over a light fixture, then up the last hill to golf course, down into town on my usual loop, and back home.



On top of the hill, parking lot of golf course, mile 16





Pretty cheerful for a nearly four hour excursion.  Total?  64 oz. gatorade, water 64 oz. or less. 3 power bars.  Started at 51 degrees Fahrenheit and never rose above 70, negligible humidity and no wind.  4 significant hills, and numerous rollers. 

I ran into Kathy only minutes after I left Greentrees, and she was on her way back home.  We hugged and chatted, I told her how long I expected to be out, and she said I better get going!  Needless to say, as I turned the final corner onto 9th Street (mile 18.5) a red hybrid with a yellow ribbon magnet zoomed by, beep beep!  There she was, waving at me after so many hours out on the road. I knew I'd hear about this later, and I sure will!



No post-run photos, it was that sort of day.  I walked into all sorts of activity here at the house, but I finally got the new camera up and running so later on I had Addie take a few decent photos of the now-famous swimsuit cover-up of 2011.  I'm so proud of this piece, if you haven't heard, yet! 








Addie: "Smile, Mom!"





It doesn't get any better than this...



The back is a little slouchy, and crochet aficionados,

summer wear does, ahem, stretch out.

Summer...what Summer?

OK, it's confession time. The unencumbered woman comes at some expense. Peter often complains that I am out galavanting around while he slaves away in the consumer retail jungle. Poor guy, I'm the first to lament...in fact, we often worry that he misses entire seasons....like summer, for example.  But look! Here he is, enjoying the very height of summer.  You might want to ask how the unencumbered woman provides summer fun for her man, but alas...that'll have to wait until later....we're here enjoying one of Gill's Rock's three hundred and sixty five sunsets!

The world's largest granny square...

...or...at least a gal can try! I may have brought my goddess-worthy halter and cover-up to work on, but heck! I'm in Door County and it's time to begin construction on the world's largest granny square, made with none other than cast-off red heart super saver! It's great fun being trapped in this web-dead-zone, so's I can happily work on my square without surfing around, looking for some other person's version of the largest granny square.  So. Here I sit, listening to my Door County CD's (indigo's old burns) and jigsaw puzzling and waiting for the sunset at Gill's Rock.  I'll save the insane Ironman training for another post. Needless to say...my legs are tired!