The Stone Rabbit

A WEEK OF FALL FIRSTS!

 

This really was a week full of Fall Firsts!  So.....maybe they weren't all huge firsts ( a couple were!), but they were firsts in their own way!!

It started a week ago on Saturday when (L to Right) Dana (that's me), Mary and Karen volunteered to be "course monitors" for a local 5K/10K run.  It was our "first" time to deck out in pumpkin sacks and direct traffic so the runners and walkers would be safe!  Actually, it was a cold and windy morning and the plastic sacks really helped us keep warm!

 

 

On Sunday, the temps had gone up and the sun came out!!   Karen couldn't run that day, but another friend could for a bit.  I had a goal of completing 6 miles.  Melita and I ran two miles together, then she had to head back, so (and here's the "first" part) for the first time, I ran by myself on that trail.....6 more miles, giving me a total of 8 for the outing!   

I really do not like being on the trail by myself, but on Sunday, there was a marathon taking place, so I saw tons of other runners and didn't feel "alone".   

 

 

 

On Monday, Twiggy was busy rearranging our kitchen rugs.   She told me it was her way of supporting the ROYALS as they prepared to take on the METS the next evening in the first game of the 2015 World Series .  It was taking place right here in Kansas City at the beautiful Kauffman Stadium!!

OK...this was not the "first" time Twiggy has rolled up those rugs, but it is the "first" time she gave me a reason that made sense!

 

 

On Tuesday, our local HY-VEE grocery store had restocked their ROYALS shirts supply again!    Last year this store couldn't keep up with the demand ....as it was the first time the ROYALS had gone to the World Series in a VERRRRRRRY long time.    This year, and the second trip to the Series for our hometown boys, brought about just as much demand for new and better shirts!

Well...the "first" for Tuesday when the ROYALS won the first game in the series!  Oh my goodness....it turned out to be a 14 inning nail biter with the Royals winning 5-4!

 

 

On Wednesday, everyone was pretty sleepy from the late night game, but also nervous about Game 2 that would be starting around 7:00 p.m.   We still met for our Wed. night  group run....it took our minds off of what would be about to start in an hour and a half!!

Because there are no lights on the chat trail we have been running on all summer, we've had to change our location to an asphault trail-like that stretch that goes along side a streetlight illumninated road.  Wednesday was our "first" night at our new location!!

While I love the flat, chat trail, I also enjoy running here because it gives us more practice  on hills.  Karen, Melita and I did this route with our old group last winter and it really helped keep us in shape during the long cold months.   It's very motivating to know others will there, taking on the hills, too!

L to R:  Karen, Sue, Dana (me), Carol and Melita

 

 

WOW!!!!  What a game #2 of the series turned out to be!!!  Both teams did a great job....but on that night the ROYALS were truly amazing, winning the game 7-1!

By Thursday morning, it was in the 30s, but Izzy and I were still flying high from the night before and we didn't feel the cold.  This was, however, her "first" day to sport her coat this fall!

 

 

This morning (Friday) we had our "first" frost!!  Last night, I covered the few plants I'm still trying to keep alive for awhile as we are expecting the temps to be back in the 70s by Sunday.

Today, we are getting excited and nervous again as Game 3 of the Series will be played this evening.

 

 

The ROYALS  are in New York now, so they don't have home field advantage (and we all know that really helps a team), but they do have what it takes to be a great team.    

It's an exciting time to be a ROYALS fan. . .30 years ago they won the 1985 World Series.......followed by years of not so great seasons.  However, we have an outstanding group of players and staff who have given us two amazing seasons!!  

Whatever the outcome of this year's series, we are so proud of this team and we are:  FOREVER ROYAL!!!

 

 

We hope you have a great PINK SATURDAY and that you will be sure to visit Beverly's blog HOW SWEET THE SOUND!!  She will certainly have a huge lineup of other bloggers who are ready with their weekly shares just for YOU!

 

DANA 

KANSAS CITY HALF-MARATHON 2015. . .we did it!!!

 

WARNING....WARNING.....WARNING....this is a picture heavy post . 

I am being selfish here, but I wanted to document our big day ,last Saturday, when we ran the Kansas City Half-Marathon.   I hope my running friends will enjoy this and my non-running friends will tolerate it!  :)

Karen and I worked hard all summer to prepare for the last half we did in September and then this one.  We have one more lined up in November.....then that's that for 2015.  That's plenty.  :)

We ended our training for the KC Half by meeting up early the morning before for a short run.   The trail was dark at 5:30 a.m., so the headlamps were necessary!

 

 

Later on Friday, Mary and I attended the "packet pickup" for the run.  This great sign was outside the entrance to the expo.

 

 

We studied the course map that showed the routes for all of the events to be held the next morning:  the 5k, the half and the marathon!  It was the same route as the one we ran the year before. . .killer hills in the first three miles.  :) 

 

 

We went to the "pacer booth" to pick up "pace bracelets" to wear during the run so we could monitor the progress (time wise) we would be making along the way.  The picture shows some of the "pacer sticks" that are carried by  amazing runners.    

The first year we did the half we sorta "fell" into the 2:50 group (two hours and 50 minutes, meaning if we stayed with them we would most likely finish the run in that amount of time).  We actually did just that.  Last year, Karen and I just wanted to do as well as the previous year. . .so we stuck again with the 2:50 pacing group AND we came in right at that time.  This year, we still planned on using intervals of run/walking, but we had been training all summer to use 1 min. walking rather than 2 min., but still keep the runing intervals at 3 minutes.  

I spoke at great length with Vita, who also paced the half we had done in Sept.. . . we were able to stay with her group.   For this run, she was pacing the 2:45. . .so I picked up bracelets for the 2:45 AND (being real hopeful) the 2:40 times.

 

 

While I've loved this run each time I've done it, this year was truly a bit more special because my son and daughter ran it, too (yes, they ran it a lot faster)!  Here we are not too long before we got in the corral to start the run.  We had hoped to meet up with a few others for a group picture, but that didn't happen.  It's pretty crazy at these huge runs. . . and it's hard to actually "find" folks some times.  

 

 

We ended up being almost as far back in the crowd as you can go by the time we lined up.  Looking north, in the direction we would soon be running, I couldn't even see the 2:40 or 2:45 pacers, but that was OK, cuz I figured we'd catch them at some point along the route.

 

 

And wouldn't you know it. . . .two of the folks we had hoped to take a pre-run photo with actually FOUND us in that pack of people!!

This was the first half for three in this photo. . .so that really added to the excitement of that moment. I had my son take our picture.  Left to Right: Julie, Sue, Bridget (all about to run their first half marathon) Mary, Karen and I'm in the middle front.  We are all in a running group that meets once a week on the local trail!

 

 

One of the things that makes this half so special is that it takes us through so many of the great "spots" of Kansas City.  The first mile goes by the SPRINT CENTER. . .that's quiet a feeling to run by that enormous structure.

 

 

 Mile two goes up the VERY CHALLENGING "hospital hill" (really more than one hill), then in  another mile we are at the  LIBERTY MEMORIAL/WWI MUSEUM.  This is one of the best parts of the run to me as we are heading toward that awesome monument. 

 

 

 

We are so lucky to have photographers (provided by the event!) who take our pictures along the way. (AND the photos are FREE on line later).

I have fianlly learned to be on alert for them, because I have been captured with the most horrible looks on my face during various runs.  Mercifully, I saw this one in time to wave and smile.  It was also still early in the distance.....10.1 miles to go!   

 

 

After we left Liberty Memorial, we had the last awful hill, then made our way through the mid-town area, then over through another neat part of town that's full of fun shops and restaurants : WESTPORT.  I didn't take a bunch of photos there as we starting to "feel" the run.  I'm thinking that was round miles 5 - 6....I may be off.  Anyway, we headed South on Roanoke which is residential.  That's where we were when we saw this puppy handing our hi-fives.   

 

 

 

Next, we found ourselves in another pretty part of town, The Country Club Plaza.   The Plaza is full of fine shops,  dining venues, fountains and beautiful buildings.

 

 

ROYALS flags were waving in the breeze as with headed East through The Plaza.

 

 

 We were on the look out for this lovely lady...Fritzi!!   She was the course monitor for the spot where the half marathoners turned left and the marathoners turned right!   This was right before mile 8!

 

 

Fritzi is known in our area as a great runner and supporter of the running community.   She's one of the first "real runners" I met when I started my own running journey five years ago.  I have so much admiration for her. 

 

 

I didn't take many photos from this point on......with 5 more miles left to go, I was just trying to "get this over with"!   I did manage to catch up with the 2:45 group at some point......I don't recall just when.   I know we ran north on the beautiful Harrison Parkway for quite awhile, then we turned right and got on Paseo Blvd. until we reached 18th street.

 

 

By this point a nice young man struck up a conversation with me (I think he thought I was nuts taking pictures of the mile markers).  Anyway, he wanted to know how long I'd been doing half-marathons. . .of couse I'm thinking "he figures  if that old lady can do it I know I can "......I answered this was "my third time to do this particular run and my third half for the year" and that I had one more "planned in a month".    He then said he thought "women did better at running long distances than men" ( was he thinking the old lady is able to do it because she's a she and not a he? ).....I said well, I didn't think that "was true" and yet while there were  usually more women running the halfs I'd done, that most of the marathoners seemed to be men.    With that, we had a nice chat for that looong last mile to where we turned and headed for the finish line.    I really appreciated that distration, because that last mile seems like forty.

 

 

The first time I crossed that finish line, in 2013, I cried.  It was such an accomplishment for me.  This year, I just felt great that I had actually crossed it and still felt pretty decent....that's definitely an improvement.   My time was 6 min. faster than the years before AND my son was waiting for me.  He'd crossed a long time before I did. . .with a great time....and he was cold and ready to go home!  :) 

 

 

One of the best parts of the "post race" festivities is taking advantage of the free cup of beer and the sandwich.  I never would have thought that a cold beer would taste so good as it does right after I'd just completed a half....but it's wonderful!   

 

 

We didn't stay too long after the run. . .we had our beer and food and checked our "official times"  and spent a bit of time just trying to catch up on how we were all feeling now that it was over.   We were tired and starting to get cold.  However, we had to take a few moments to get our "post run" picture in front of the fountains at Crown Center.   Once again, they are BLUE this year in honor of our hometown boys THE KANSAS CITY ROYALS who , we hope, will get to play in the World Series again this year!

L to R:  Karen, Pan, me, Mary

 

 

THE STONE RABBIT really loved our Half Marathon goodies!!  The finishers medal and the personalized race bibs were great. . and WOW, what an awesome  shirt!   Most of all, he loved seeing all of the pictures and hearing all about our experience.   He's such a supportive rabbit!

 

 

So that's it. . .you really are lucky cuz I do have lots more pictures. .. I held myself back!  haha

I hope you won't hold back about visiting Beverly's blog HOW SWEET THE SOUND because there will be a lot of other bloggers who are ready to share their posts with you, too!

Have a great PINK SATURDAY!

DANA

 

We are READY!!!

 

It's so hard to believe that a year has gone by since we ran the Half Marathon portion of the Kansas City Marathon!!  

In the photo below I believe we were around the 11 mi. mark. . .still feeling perky enough to smile for the pix!  haha  

Karen (on the right) and I have worked hard all year long to get to this point again.  We have met, on a regular basis to increase our long miles and to work on getting faster on our short runs.  We've made so many new running/walking friends this year through the various groups we've joined. . .it's just amazing!

 

 

Like last year, our KC ROYALS were ready to try to win a spot in the World Series!  The whole town was decked out in blue as were we!  This is a photo I took as we ran through the Plaza (a few miles before the photo above).

 

 

 

We had just finished the run in this picture!  Even the water fountain at Crown Center, where the race starts and finishes, was a gorgeous blue!!  I'm sure it is this year, too!!  

 

 

Yes, we, just like thousands of other runners and walkers, have worked hard for months to be ready for this weekend, whether they are participating in the Marathon, Half-Marathon or the 5K.  Starting in the freezing cold of the new year , right through the blazing heat of the summer months, ending in the fallish coolness this morning as we got in a short "headlamp" run . . .one last little run before the half tomorrow. . .WE ARE READY!  :)

Good luck to all of my family members and friends who will be participating in the various events tomorrow, too!  It will be so fun to see so many happy faces. . .and fast feet!!  :)

 

 

THE STONE RABBIT was pictured here last year with my new lucky shirt and an exciting headline from the KC STAR paper!!  Well, I'll be wearing that shirt tonight as we anxiously watch the first game of the ROYALS  against the BLUE JAYS in the ALCS!!  

 

 

Don't forget to visit Beverly's blog, HOW SWEET THE SOUND, for a long list of other bloggers who are ready with their weekly Pink Saturday shares!!

DANA

 

It's Time for Oktoberfest!

 

THE STONE RABBIT and I have been working  hard to get a few handmade items ready to take to our local Oktoberfest Craft Sale this weekend.

We've been doing this particular sale for about 15 years. . .and we decided that this year has been the most challenging one.  We've had lots of "life distractions" come our way that ate up "work time" and many other challenges that have made being "creative" very difficult. 

We didn't get a lot of items finished (that were on our "to do" list), but we feel our booth will still  look pretty nice , and with a little luck and a good crowd, we just might have a good show!

On the other hand, even if the sales stink, our booth is next to Bonnie's .....she's my good buddy.  Also,  Patty, another good buddy and my right arm girl at my sales over these many years,  will be there, too.  SOOO that means we will have a really fun time just visiting and hanging out!   

 

 

Have a great PINK SATURDAY!!

Don't forget to visit Beverly's blog HOW SWEET THE SOUND for a long list of other bloggers who are ready with their weekly shares!

DANA

 

 

Lee's Summit Half-Marathon. . .Yup, We DID it!!

 

Karen (on the right) and I have been training for the upcoming Kansas City Half-Marathon in mid October.  On the weekend the inaugural  Lee's Summit Half-Marathon was slated to happen (September 20) we were scheduled to run 12 miles on our training plan.  SOOOO when the entry price to participate in this new half became overwhelmingly "tempting", we decided to do it as part of our training for the next half.  It probably didn't make sound sense, but we didn't care!!  :)

The weather was PERFECT on the morning of the half!!  It was a bit nippy to start, but we certainly warmed in a hurry!

 

 

 

I had been documenting races through photos for awhile before it dawned on me that almost always, I'd get a picture of us with the porta potties in the background.   It's really funny, but not!!  Those porta potties are a welcome sight for those of us ready to run or walk or run/walk for several miles.  

 

 

We enjoyed the National Anthem and then we were off!!

 

 

I tried to be a more "serious" runner this time and refrain from a lot of photo taking.  HOWEVER, I love to take pictures of the mile markers.  We met a young runner who was doing his first half. . .he decided to hang out with us as we were doing run/walk intervals of 3 min. running and 1 min. walking.  He figured he could keep us with the old ladies who were run/walking.  Anyway, he was fun and really got into spotting the markers for me to photograph.  

Oh. . .and he kept up with us until about mile 10, then we lost him.  He told us that 7 miles was the longest run he'd had until that morning!  :)

 

 

We had a pretty good time for us . . .2hr and 42 min. and some seconds.  This was the fastest half we'd done so far!   

We are pictured with Steve, of BODIES RUNNING,  who was the organizer of this event. . .he also leads our Speed Workout Sessions every Tuesday morning!  I've really enjoyed that new addition to my running. . .and I really appreciate his guidance.

 

 

 THE STONE RABBIT and I both love the great NIKE shirts we received for doing the run, plus the awesome finishers medal!!

Karen and I have our next half in a couple of weeks, then we are doing one more in November so we can qualify to be members of the Half Fanatics!!   Yes, we are a little running crazy right now!

When I ran my first race, a 5K in Oct. of 2010, I never dreamed I'd be able to do any longer distance than that.   I was soooo wrong!  Since that day I've done gobs of 5Ks,  three 10Ks and now four half marathons....with two more to complete this year.  

 

 

 

 Please visit Beverly's blog HOW SWEET THE SOUND!!!  There you will find a lot of other bloggers who have their weekly shares ready for you to enjoy!!

HAPPY PINK SATURDAY!

DANA