....leaves of Autumn.

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.
-John Muir

Tori and I got out before sunrise Sat. and drove down into the city for a chilly ride. It was only 40 degrees when we started and they had a pretty good crowd of about 60 people. We set out with a chatty leader and covered the urban 16 mile loop in about an hour or so. I dropped Tori off back at the bike shop and headed a few blocks away for a spin through Forest Park where I shot the picture with my camera phone and added about 8 miles on the day. The colors were amazing this weekend...our Indian Summer...made suffering all those cold, drizzly days of the Cardinals Red October worth it. I even drove the 25 miles back to Forest Park on Sunday to run a loop in the warm sunshine with just a hint of fall in the wind on my skin and the scent of leaves in the air. Beautiful. I hope it's enough to sustain me over the long, dark, cold months ahead.

A bicycle ride is a flight from sadness."--James E. Starrs, The Literary Cyclist

October 28: Take the Shark for a Ride



Join us for our Sharktoberfest ride!

Saturday October 28, 2006, ride starts at 7:00 a.m.

16, 36, and 57 mile routes, all routes sag supported; support stops at 1:00

Everyone who rides gets $10 Big Shark Bucks!

Food & Drink at Big Shark all day long!


Doesn't this sound fun!? (Cold and potholes and curbs, oh my!) Tori and I are going to put all our cold weather gear on and do this on Sat.. She's "recovering" from the Chicago Marathon this weekend (she is SUCH a slacker ;) ) so I'm not sure of the distance we're doing. I haven't posted much in the training log but I have been managing 4-6 mile runs several times a week. I'm also giving myself a pat on the back for setting up my trainer in the living room last night for a 60 minute spin. Along with changing my tubes I also have a brain block when it comes to getting my bike in the trainer. As usual, I ended up with grease everywhere...I KNOW this isn't supposed to be this hard but I did have an easier time than usual. I was a little disappointed that I wasn't able to watch the Cards start game 4 but mother nature just wouldn't cooperate.

"I get to go to overseas places, like Canada!"- Britney Spears

Why I'm afraid my 5 year old daughter might be following a little too closely in Britney's footsteps...

1. She bares her belly every chance she gets. (In her defense it IS very cute)
2. She loves cheetos and McDonalds.
3. She almost always has chipped nailpolish on.
4. She would wear flip-flops all year long if she could.
5. She hates wearing her seatbelt.
6. She sings "through her nose" and sings ALL THE TIME.
7. She thinks a lot of dark eye makeup looks good.
8. She loves to be tan.
9. She's constantly dropping her babies (in her case...dolls) on their heads.
10. She doesn't realize how ridiculous all this is....but in her defense again....she IS only 5.

Kate is a piece of work....but I love my little sass-box to death. I just wish I could find a pair of socks she would agree to wear.

GO CARDS!

Huh, check this out....

this Dove advertisement

More later...I have to keep getting up and moving around today because it is FRIGID in my office today and my fingers are frozen to the point of my fingernails looking PURPLE. I'm going to go look for some hot chocolate...

To accomplish great things we must not only act, but also dream, not only plan but also believe. -Anatole France

Well! I've been having a little trouble focusing lately but I'm still here! For me, life goes on. A perspective I need to be thankful for because a fellow classmate lost his battle with cancer yesterday and I've been thinking alot about him since I heard this morning. He made an impact on my life and I know this because thinking of him conjures up at least a half dozen images in my memory and in all of them he's smiling. Smiling, not for any particular reason that I recall, but it's not a bad way to remember someone. I hope his passing was peaceful and that he was surrounded by those who loved him.

How about my best girls!? ALL of them (Lisa, Paula, Josie,(& her sister Julie) & Tina finished their first (but not last) marathon (26.2 miles!) this sunday under a beautiful fall sky on the shores of Lake Michigan. They dreamt it, they planned for it, we all believed in it and they DID IT! So very proud of them. What I lacked in ambition I made up for in volume...and I'm sure Brenda (the leaky cheerleader ;), like me, still hears cowbells in her sleep. It was such an inspiring day to watch so many people push their limits that I got a little overzealous with the yelling and belling. A cowbell is the traditional noisemaker for alot of road races and I think I wore mine out. I fully expected to be punched in the face by a stranger towards the end of the trek but instead I got smiles, albeit weary ones, and even a few requests, "More cowbell!!!". They ROCK! Now I wonder....could I possibly do 26.2?

I cannot leave out the fact that Lisa qualified for the BOSTON MARATHON with a time of 3:40 and change. If you're not a runnergeek like me I must tell you that is HUGE. That would be like me qualifying for Kona (Ironman Hawaii) in my first ironman race. HUGE!!! I'll be saving my pennies for a trip to Beantown.

Anyone else spending too much time watching the new TV shows these days? I REALLY need to get up to speed and get either a DVR or TIVO. Grey's Anatomy, Jericho, Men In Trees and Scrubs is starting up again soon. Anything else I'm missing?