Aspen Trip

Since we were there anyway for the race, we spent last weekend in Aspen, Colorado. It was a beautiful weekend to be there because the leaves are at or near their peak. We stayed at the Independence Square Hotel. It was right smack downtown (on the same street as Ralph Lauren and Prada, not that I was keeping track;) and I would highly recommend it if you are staying in Aspen.

After the race on Saturday (and a nice little nap for all three of us), we walked around town, got ice cream, and then went to dinner. Yes, after ice cream. We were on vacation.

The next morning, we got up and went to the John Denver Sanctuary.

Then we took Independence Pass over towards Leadville on the way home.

It was SUCH a relaxing and wonderful weekend, and much needed after all the craziness around here. I'm ready to go back!!!

Race Report: Golden Leaf Half Marathon

I woke up and almost literally jumped out of bed at 6:00 a.m. Saturday morning in Aspen because I was so nervous for the Golden Leaf Half Marathon. I got dressed and woke up Dan and Noah saying, "We're leaving at 6:25 on the dot." Dan was like, "But the race doesn't start until 8:30." Whatever, dude, let's go.

We got coffee at McDonald's because the hotel wasn't with it that early and went to get on the 6:45 shuttle to Snowmass. It was too full for the stroller, so I lovingly abandoned my husband and son and got on, yelling over my shoulder for them to take the next bus. Never mind that they got up that early to support me on this run. I was nervous and I had to get there.

On the shuttle, I sat next to a local couple who have run this race all 30 years. OK, 29 since one year it was canceled for the weather. Their advice: "Watch your footing." Turned out to be some pretty good advice since many people finished the race bloody and/or bruised.

I got to the start, picked up my timing chip, used the bathroom 15 times or so, and found Dan and Noah. I have to give them credit for taking the next shuttle and not just saying, "Screw this," and heading back to the hotel. Take my word for it, I am not the most pleasant person to be around when I am getting ready to run a race, and Dan did not have an easy day taking shuttles all over Aspen/Snowmass with a headstrong toddler and a jogging stroller. Thank you, Dan, for being there!


Dan wanted before and after pictures...here are the "befores," from about 2 minutes before I lined up at the start of the race.

Yeah, who was I kidding with that tough guy picture???

The race started with a mile and a half straight up Snowmass Ski Area.

My strategy was to just run really slowly for that first mile and a half. Turns out, that is pretty much impossible and most mortals walk at least some of that. I did, and my first mile took over 16 minutes. It was at that point that I started re-thinking my time goals for the race. But then I thought I might be ok when I heard someone at the top of Snowmass say, "It's all downhill from here."

OK, I'll be fine, right?

Except that that dude is an evil SOB liar because it was most certainly NOT all downhill from there. And the truth of the matter is that I went faster on a lot of the uphill than I did on the downhill anyway. The trail was pretty rough, but it sure was beautiful. I didn't take any pics during the race obviously, but here is a picture of the leaves from the same area.

There were parts of the trail that were just blanketed with golden colored aspen leaves. You'd run through a grove of dark green pine and then a grove of bright yellow aspen lit up from behind by the sun. And then you'd hit a little clearing where you could see all the surrounding mountains... and then you'd trip over some roots or a rock because you took your eyes off the trail for like one second to take it all in.

This was by far the hardest race I've ever done and also the most rewarding. I'd do it again in a heartbeat even though it took me something like 2:45 to finish!!! And I am actually ok with that time.

At about 11 miles I passed a lady and took out my headphones. I said, "Do you want to hear a funny joke?"

She looked at me like I'd lost my mind and said, "OK."

I said, "I thought I was prepared for this race. Isn't that a funny joke?"

She gave me another strange look and kind of a half laugh as I ran off cackling manaically. I think by then I'd been deprived of sufficient oxygen for too long.

But here are the things that I will do to prepare myself better for my next trail run.

1. Practice stream crossings. I didn't do that at all and there were tons of them. What was I thinking? Of course there are stream crossings between Snowmass and Aspen.

2. Practice more uphill. If I could have gotten up that first hill just a little faster, my finishing time would have been much better. Because most of the run is on singletrack trail, once you are behind someone, it is really hard to pass. There were bottlenecks at some of the stream crossings and some sketchy stretches of trail where I was literally just standing still.

3. Practice more on rougher trails. I knew there would be rocky sections...I just didn't think the whole race was going to be so rocky.

4. Get my mind prepared for the fact that there are NO flat sections. Everything is either a down or uphill. And realize the down is just as hard as the up on that kind of terrain. I guess I logically should have known this too, but I really wasn't ready for it.

But the important thing is that I finished! And I finished without more than a few bruises. I noticed at the finish line that some others weren't so lucky. And I wasn't last! Not even close! I even beat a whole bunch of dudes! Here's the "after" picture. Dan tried to get a pic of me finishing, but he said I just came around the corner too fast (yeah, that's right...I'm too FAST!).


Here's a picture of my socks after the race. They were inside my shoes. Why are they so dirty?


And here is a picture of Noah and me in my finisher shirt that night (after a margarita or 2).


The food after the race was the best I've ever had at a post race celebration! They had the most amazing mushroom soup and sandwiches and pasta salad and fantastic cookies.

If you ever get the chance, RUN THIS RACE! They run it at the end of September every year on the trails from Aspen to Snowmass. It's an amazing experience and it was an outstanding introduction to trail running.

Noah's School Pics and Other Random Things

Noah got his picture taken at school this week and they are pretty good! If you want the link to see the pics, leave a comment and I'll email it to you.

I didn't win my friend Josh's contest overall, but Dan and I won one category! Click here for the results.

We are leaving for Aspen tomorrow! Dan and Noah and I are all taking the day off and driving up. The news said fall colors are at their peak up there, so it should be beautiful.

Contest

Check out this link for a cool contest! Hey Josh, what's the prize?

In 6 Days

At this moment next Saturday, I will be on a trail outside of Aspen running. For 13.3 miles. And right now, the weather forecast looks pretty good! There is a chance of showers, but with a forecast high of 73, it should really be pretty perfect. I am nervous already, but I also can't wait.

Debunking Republican Lies

I wish people on both sides of the political spectrum would do some research on the truth of what their candidate says. Instead, people just repeat their party's talking points. I have done the research, and here are some of the lies I have found on the side of the republicans. I've had people tell me, "Oh, well that just happens on both sides in a political contest." Yes, but the republicans are worse, at least in this campaign, and I can give you evidence of that.

Lie #1: Barack Obama wants to raise taxes on the middle class.

Truth: Only if your definition on the middle class includes those who make more than $227,000 per year (oh, wait...that probably is John McCain's definition...Mr. I wear $500 Ferragamo loafers). Anyway, click here for the evidence.

Lie #2: If Barack Obama is elected, our energy prices will be higher.

Truth: Obama has a multifaceted plan to help our country move into the future and help keep energy prices reasonable long term. In a move that didn't make me particularly happy, he even decided (just like McCain) that some new offshore drilling could be included. Click here to read the facts on his energy policy.

Lie #3: Our country will not be safe from terrorists under Barack Obama.

Truth: Nobody who knows anything about national defense really believes this...even the republicans. Click here for the evidence.

Lie #4: Barack Obama wants to teach your kindergartener about sex.

Truth: OK, let's really think about this. No one wants kindergarteners to know about sex. But let me invite you to come join the real world. As a teacher, I know that sex ed in kindergarten simply means teaching little kids that no one should touch their private parts inappropriately. Don't you want your kid to learn that? I know I do. And yes, I will teach him about it at home first. But kids always need reinforcement of what they learn.

Lie #5: You should be afraid of Barack Obama.

Truth: Only if you are a racist. I really don't have any evidence for that, it's just my opinion.

Lie #6: Barack Obama does not have enough experience to be president.

Truth: there have been plenty of great presidents with equivalent experience or even less including Roosevelt, Kennedy, and Lincoln. Click here for the evidence.

Lie #7: Democrats are for big government and taxing and spending; republicans are for small government, smart money management, and reducing the debt.

Truth: This one is just funny to me now. Look at what has happened to the deficit under Bush's administration (hint: it has doubled). Click here for the evidence.

There are so many more, but I'll have to do a part two at some point because this is just making me tired and sad. PLEASE check out what your candidate says. DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU HEAR!

ISU Noah

I am sure you all know, I am no big fan of ISU, but my child is cute in anything! Plus, I know his Grandma and Grandpa Kangley are dying to see these!

The New Job

A bunch of people have asked me the following 2 questions lately:

1. Are you glad you took your new job? The answer is an unequivocal and emphatic, "Yes!"

2. Are you glad to be out of the classroom? That question is much harder to answer.

There are pros and cons to being out of the classroom. I love having the freedom to plan my day without worrying about who is going to cover my class. I miss the close relationships you get with kids in a classroom. I love going to many different centers in any given day. I miss the fun you have with a class full of kids. I love the wide variety of people I've met in my experiences so far at the new place. (I was just telling Dan the other day that I haven't met this many really cool people since my Camp Buckskin days.) I really really miss the close knit group of people I worked with for the past 10 years. They really were (probably still are) my second family. I love that now I am able to have an influence on the education of so many kids...literally hundreds. I miss having the daily influence on that one child who comes back in 6 years and tells you they finished school because of your teaching.

In short, I am not thrilled to be out of the classroom, but I AM thrilled with my new job. It is stressful and crazy and discombobulated and scary and unknown and exciting and challenging and fun and educational and really it's what I've always wanted to do. I feel so lucky to have this job that sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not just dreaming.

The New Place

We're in, it's done, and we even have a yard. I can't say much for our unpacking though. Everything is still a mess and there are boxes all over. Even with the chaos, it has been really fun and I'm glad we made the move!

It's Official

We're moving! We closed on the house yesterday and everything went smoothly. The landscaping isn't finished yet, but everything else is done. I will post a picture as soon as they finish the yard (in the next week or so). We move in Saturday.

WOHM vs SAHM

For years, there has been an internet and real-life debate between WOHMs (work-outside-the-home-moms) and SAHMs (stay-at-home-moms). I still don't get why there is so much strife between the two groups. It seems to me that it's obvious that some families work better with a WOHM and some families work better with a SAHM.

Personally, my family runs best with a WOHM. Noah loves his school. I love my job. Win-Win.

I feel like I have an important job that literally changes other people's lives. My life feels richer for the kids I have met/taught and for the adults I work with. For the record, adults who work with kids are generally some of the coolest people you'll ever meet.

And, in my particular job, there are a lot of breaks. Spring break. Winter break. Summer break. Fall break. And all the President's Day type days in between. So I still feel like I get tons of time with Noah. Not to mention the fact that I was blessed with 6 months off after he was born.

I guess this all stems from my friend Josh's blog. He recently wrote a post about how happy he is with his life and his gratefulness for that.

But it also stems from the judgement I feel sometimes from the moms in my community who stay at home. Why do they care what I do?

I can't say I am entirely blameless in this scenario though either. When I am at the park with Noah and ask another kid's mom what she does, often the answer is, "I am a stay at home mom." I usually feel incredibly uncomfortable after this statement, and I am sure that shows. I don't feel uncomfortable because I am judging the fact that she isn't working. I don't really care if she works or stays at home. I think the discomfort comes from 2 things:

1. I feel like I SHOULD feel guilty for working.

or

2. I fear that she is judging me for not staying at home with my young child.

OK, but the reality is, I don't feel guilty for working. This doesn't go for everyone, but in my case, I am giving Noah a more fulfilled and happier mom by working. I am also giving him a college education by working and opportunities he could never have otherwise. I am also giving him positive school experiences at a young age. As a teacher, I know that it is vital for young kids to learn how to act at school, whether their parents both work or not.

So why does it bug me? I'm not sure, but I wish SAHMs and WOHMs could just support each others' life decisions and let it go!

Oakland Raiders vs Denver Broncos

Oakland Raiders vs Denver Broncos DSC_0217
Originally uploaded by Eyeshotpictures

Broncos 41

Raiders 14.

'Nuff said!

Silly pictures

Here is how Dan dressed Noah for bed tonight.



And a picture of Noah with his favorite Star Wars character, Yoda:

Go Chiefs!

I just realized the Chiefs are playing the Patriots today in Foxboro. I hate the Patriots and I grew up with the Chiefs. I know the odds are long, but it would just be the coolest if the Chiefs won.

On another sports note, how 'bout that Jayhawk football team?

GO JAYHAWKS!

15K Trail Run

My training plan called for a 15K race today, but that is a sort of odd distance and I couldn't find one. So I did 15K on the trails to see where I am for speed. Not where I want to be, it turns out. But the coolest things have been happening on my runs. Thursday morning on my 3 mile run, I saw a shooting star (it is still dark out when I am running). Then, today, I was running through the trees and a deer ran in front of me across the trail. It was so close that I could have reached out and touched it if I hadn't been so startled by it.

Anyway, here are my splits from this morning. I averaged about 30 seconds slower per mile than I wanted to, but I will cut myself a little slack for the terrain, I guess.

Mile 1: 10:50
Mile 2: 10:08
Mile 3: 10:51
Mile 4: 11:09
Mile 5: 11:01
Mile 6: 11:40
Mile 7: 10:43
Mile 8: 11:51
Mile 9: 10:04
Last .3 Mile: 2:41

Total: 1:41:02

Just the Facts, Ma'am

Have you been to factcheck.org? It's a neutral site that checks out the truthfulness of what the candidates say. Here are the links to the facts:

Obama's Speech

McCain's Speech

Palin, Guiliani, and Huckabee

Ok, they all stretch the truth and spin things. We know that. I am just repeatedly shocked by republican speeches and ads that are way beyond that. They are outright lies and this website exposes them. Don't get me wrong, I know that isn't one sided. But in my job, I am trained to look for frequency and duration of behaviors. McCain and Palin are seriously bordering on pathological.

What really gets me is the republican party's accusation that democrats want to spend too much government money. Who has taken our country from having a balanced budget at the end of the Clinton years to having a deficit of trillions of dollars in 8 years? Who has spent too much government money on a war we shouldn't have been fighting in the first place? It wasn't the dems, I can tell you that.

The NFL Season is Underway

This is a strange one for me. I am no longer a Packers fan. I am now a Jets fan. J-E-T-S Jets! Jets! Jets! I just couldn't stomach the way the Packers treated Brett Favre, so "Sayonara!" I'm still a Broncos fan, but it seems like most of my favorite players have either retired or been traded away. Cases in point: Rod Smith, John Lynch, and Dominique Foxworth. I guess I'm almost to the point that it doesn't really matter as long as the Patriots lose!

Sickness

Noah is sick. He has hand, foot, and mouth disease. He picked it up at preschool. The doctor said it sounds worse than it actually is and Noah has been a trooper. He always is when he is sick. I remember when he was first in the ER for wheezing, he was running around and laughing like a maniac just as they were about to admit him. I am so lucky to have such a good natured little toddler!

Are You Kidding Me With This?

I watched most of Sarah Palin's speech last night. I gotta tell ya, I was disappointed. I am sure you are all* shocked. I thought having a chick on the ticket would make the Republican Party more relevant to today's world. Instead, Sarah Palin took women backwards about 20 steps by talking about her family, the PTA, being a hockey mom, and then bagging on Obama for the rest of her speech. Nary a policy statement in sight. For example, she mocked Barack Obama's experience with community organizing. I guess that shouldn't surprise me since community organizing is the common person's way of fighting back against the same dirty politicians who have been running this country for the last 8 years. She almost makes me embarrassed to be a woman.

*By "all," I mean the 2 or so people who are still reading this blog since I'm sure I have offended most of my family with the anti-neocon rhetoric I've sprinkled throughout the blog.

Happy Birthday, Crystal!

Tomorrow is my sister Crystal's brithday. I am posting this now because I have a lot of schools to visit tomorrow and I might not have a chance. Crystal, your card is sitting on my counter still, as usual. All right, it's actually still at the store, but I am going there as soon as Noah gets up. I have a picture I want to post, but it is lost on our computer that is STILL having issues, so I will work on getting it posted when Dan is done fixing it. Have an awesome day, Crystal!

Happy Birthday, Crystal!!!