This and That

With Jason traveling to various places teaching clinics I haven't had as much time as I would like to write. I wanted to write down a few things that are coming up that I'm really looking forward to.

Starting with next week! I'll be getting a half arm sleeve tattoo. I've been wanting this for some time but haven't been able to get it done due to moving around so much. I was supposed to get one back in September but the timing was off. I didn't think it would be the best idea to get this tattoo the day before my 50 miler so I put it off. I'll let the design be a surprise but will post pictures next week and say it will have the initials of my brother and grandmother who passed away somewhere in it.

Secondly, I signed up for Bandera 100k in Texas on January 7th. I've never run this distance before and I'm really looking forward to it. I crave running these long distances like I never imagined I would. I meet people on the trails that even if I never see them again I consider them life long friends. We connect in a way that I can't quite fully explain other than we share kindred spirits, a love of the trails and a sense of adventure. I love the whole experience of ultras and it's probably why I try talking so many people into running them.

Lastly, I have a few options of the next 100 miler I am going to sign up for. After not completing the last one I am anxious to sign up knowing it's out there in the future. I have a few circulating in my head but will hold off on saying what they are until I sign up.

Something I've been thinking about when deciding which one to sign up for is what type of terrain to run in. I really love the mountains and I love tough, technical trails. When I signed up for my first marathon I signed up for a trail marathon and to this day it remains one of my favorite races and one of the toughest races I've run. It was hot, humid, muddy and had sections of the course where we had to use ropes to climb down the terrain. I loved it! I later ran a road marathon out of curiosity to see how fast I could run it. While I could run it much faster than the trail marathon it didn't hold the same appeal for me. I missed that the solitude and comradery that the trails hold.

I could sign up for a flat, relatively easy 100 mile race but I know it won't hold the same appeal for me as something much more rugged and hilly. I've looked at some of the cut off times for different 100 milers and feared if it took the really good runners longer to run the course what makes me think I can run it?

I kept coming back to my first trail marathon experience and how much I enjoyed it. I'm not going to be scared off with cutoff times. I know I'm a slow runner but I also know that what I love most is running in the mountains.

If all goes well, I'll sign up soon for that race and be able to look forward to my goal race soon!

Calling all Ladies!

Why aren't there more ladies running in minimalist shoes? I'm not sure I have the answer to that question but I would love to share my thoughts on why it works for me. Prior to making the change I would have never dreamt of running one marathon much less running 6 in the past year and making the jump into running ultras. Making the change for me has made running more fun, it's meant less injuries and better flexibility. I'm not the fastest runner out there but I am in love with long distance running and would not have made the leap if not for making the switch.

So for any ladies out there with questions about minimalist shoes Merrell will be hosting a series of chats about women and minimalist/barefoot running. The chats will take place on Merrell's Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/merrell).

(All times US EST)
12/01/11
1 to 2pm and 7 to 8pm – Emily Snayd

12/08/11
1 to 2pm – Iris Sutcliffe

12/15/11
1 to 2pm – Caity McCardell

12/22/11
1 to 2pm – Shelly Robillard

12/29/11
7 to 8pm – Krista Cavender

01/05/12
1 to 2pm – Katie Kift

Javalina Recap!

As all of our adventures begin, there is usually some shenanigans the night before the actual race and this did not disappoint. The day before running Javalina Jundred we picked up Jesse at the airport and headed out towards packet pickup.

Start/Finish line

I was a bundle of nerves and excited to see the start of the race and get my packet. P.F. Chang's brought a catered dinner to eat at packet pickup...yum! Heading through the line I opted for brown rice and cashew chicken but then spotted the rice noodles. I love rice noodles so I asked for a scoop of them as well while secretly hoping to get two scoops. There was that awkward moment of holding my plate up waiting for the scoop before realizing there wouldn't be another. Yes, I like to eat!

Seeing the start/finish was really cool. It had a very laid back, fun vibe to it. After we ate, we headed back to the hotel. Originally, I thought we would be camping near the start/finish but as we found out in Arizona we did not meet the standard age requirement needed to stay at most RV parks. We were neither 55 and had small children. Who knew we would have such a hard time finding a park that accepted 55 and below! Since we were over an hour away we opted to get a hotel closer to the start/finish.

On the way back to the hotel we all decided we were still hungry and made a quick stop to El Pollo Loco. Talk about delicious fast Mexican food. I got a rice bowl while Jason and Jesse ate tacos and burritos.

Back at the hotel, we met up with another minimalist shoe runner, Buzz. He lives in the area and has talked via the Internet with Jason and Jesse. We were still waiting for the last crew member, Jon to arrive who was driving in from San Diego.

Around 10 pm I opted for bed while the guys stayed up talking, drinking and waiting for Jon. The next portion of this report was retold to me by Jesse Scott and while I certainly wished I was up for the events, hearing Jesse retell it had me laughing until I cried.

Scene - Jesse and Jason sitting in chairs with the hotel shades open. The room was set on the first floor where you could see the pool and hot tub. The shades were open so they could easily spot Jon. Time: 10:30ish

There's a knock on the door and Jason gets up to open it. He didn't see Jon from the window but he assumes he just missed him.

Jesse sees a young woman knocking but does nothing to stop Jason from opening the door.

Jason opens the door a little surprised. The young lady says "I saw you guys creeping on us through the window"

Jason blinks rapidly and stutters "Ummmm...uuuuhhhh......no, we were waiting for our friend to show up"

The young girls says "We wanted to know if you guys were 20 friendly."

Jason - "Ummmmmm.......uuuhhhh.........ummmm." and is in a state of confusion.

Meanwhile Jesse is giggling in his chair knowing what she's talking about but making no attempt to fill in the blanks for Jason.

The young girls says again "So, are you guys 20 friendly?"

More rapid blinking and stammering from Jason while realization sets in as to what she's asking for: marijuana.

Jason "Ummmm...no. we don't have any"

Young girl "What about your friend. When he shows up will he be 20 friendly?"

Jason: "Not that we have anything against it but no, we don't have any."

Eventually the young girl realizes they really aren't 20 friendly and leaves. Jon eventually shows up and they stay up until 2 a.m. drinking.

My alarm went off at 3:30 a.m. and I get ready. We're out the door by 4 to head to the start. The race started at 6:00 a.m. with a shuttle to the start so we wanted to make sure we had plenty of time and we did.

Ready at the hotel

There were many people dressed up in costume. I was trying to work a Catholic school girl look. There was a man in a full toilet costume which was hilarious but must have been hot as hell later on the course. Below, are some pictures of people in costumes.

Catra!

The start seemed really surreal for me. It felt like I was watching someone else get ready to run. I was still trying to wrap my head around 100 miles but I was going in with total excitement.

Jesse and I trying to stay warm at the start

Jon's experiment with boiling water. It boiled over and almost gave him third degree burns

I'm ready!

The guy in the silver had a toilet on his front - hilarious!

I started out with a jacket, gloves and my headlamp since it was still chilly and dark. The first stretch of the course was pretty congested so I walked until it thinned out. I wasn't sure how to pace myself given the distance to be covered.

The first loop (which was just shy of 16 miles) felt great. I chatted with several runners, was full of smiles and surrounded by beautiful mountains, cactus, a full moon, some blue sky and puffy clouds. After each aid station I was running on a sugar fueled high.

I spotted someone wearing huaraches and asked him how they were holding up on the course. It turned out to be Leif who Jason has known for several years. It was great talking about running and kids with him. He also has 3 around the same ages as ours. I have a theory going that the second child in the family is quite stubborn. He only confirmed my theory :)

Leif and I after Loop 1

At the end of loop 1 I got to see Jesse and Jason. Jon was catching up on his sleep. I was fueling on GU, salted potatoes and chips. For hydration I was using HEED but only had access to it in my drop bag and at the start. I was filling up with water at the other two aid stations.

I headed back out for loop 2 and chatted again for a little while with Leif but he eventually ran ahead. Loop 2 got really toasty. The sun was out making things very warm. I had already taken off my jacket and had only one long sleeve white shirt. I like the heat though and never felt like it was too hot but I did think about grabbing an extra hand held to keep hydrated at the end of the second loop.

I met more great runners and chatted at various times during this loop. Towards the end of loop 2 I was feeling stiff and that ultra ache was setting in. The last aid station before the start/finish was 2 miles away. I quickly drained the refilled water bottle due to the heat.

At the end of Loop 2

At the end of the second loop I was feeling really hungry. I didn't eat as much as I probably should have (of course this is hindsight talking too). While potatoes and GU were working I was thinking I should get something more substantial.

Sadly, I don't think I refueled properly, again hindsight but I headed out for the third loop. This was the beginning of the end for me.

I ran for a bit then started to walk. My legs were so tight. I thought it was a hydration issue so I again quickly drained my water bottle before the first aid station at 2 miles. At that aid station I ate more potatoes which were losing their appeal for me. They felt gummy and had a strange after taste so I ate a GU instead.

This is where things quickly took a nose dive. The next aid station was 6 miles away and during the previous 2 loops it felt like one of the longest stretches of the course. It was more difficult and the most technical part of the loop so maybe that's why it felt longer. During the previous two stretches I loved that section. This time it became my enemy.

A sweet older gentleman saw me struggling and asked how I was doing. I told him "Not well. I feel nauseous and dizzy." He told me "Don't worry, it will get better."

At this point self doubt was creeping in. Could I do this? Am I mentally and physically strong enough? Maybe I'm just not a good runner.

Many people passed me at this point and all were beyond nice. I had drained my water bottle and continued to feel nauseous. I had visions of dropping at the next aid station but continued to hobble on.

When I finally got there I seriously contemplated dropping. If not for the fact that I would have to ask someone to bring me back to the start/finish line I think I would have. Instead I picked up my jacket. It was starting to get cold again and my flashlight and headlamp because it would be reaching sunset soon.

Beautiful sunset

I grabbed some chicken broth because it sounded good, ate a Rice Krispie treat and maybe a GU. Things got fuzzy at this point and I was not thinking clearly.

I had one more aid station to go until I saw my crew again. I continued on and was only walking at this point.

It was during this stretch I knew I would be dropping at the start/finish line. I was in a dark, dark place. Self doubt and my ability to dig deep and get myself out of this low was gone. My body ached, my feet were swollen and I could not get myself from a hobble into any sort of a shuffle or a run.

My running armor was slowly being peeled away. It didn't matter what my 5k PR was, it didn't matter that I felt great at the end of my 50k three weeks ago and it didn't matter that I had completed a 50 miler (actually 54 because I went off course). I was feeling raw and exposed. And while I've felt this way before and managed to get through it I was not able to do it this time.

I made it to the next aid station and filled up on hot cocoa, potatoes (blah!) and a GU. I refilled my empty water bottle and turned on my flashlight and headed towards the end.

My only reason for going on was so I could stop. I knew Jason and the rest of the crew would try and talk me out of quitting and I was mentally preparing what I would say to them. During this last stretch there were tears shed knowing I wouldn't be completing my goal today. There were tears shed because I didn't feel I could go on. There were tears shed because I was worry I would be disappointing my crew.

Finally, I got to the finish and my crew was reading to refill my water bottle, get me food and any other aid I might need. Jason asked how I was doing and I had a muffled "Not good" answer. I told him let me sit down and we would talk.

In my crew's defense they tried to talk me into continuing on but I knew there was nothing they could say to make me change my mind. Sometimes my stubbornness works for me and sometimes against. This was the latter.

I sadly walked to the aid station and told them I was dropping. I could have opted to continue on for one more loop and finish as a 100k finisher but I didn't want to continue on if I wasn't going to be able to finish the complete distance.

Many thoughts filled my head that night. I wasn't disappointed or beating myself up because I didn't finish. I wondered if I had it in me to finish 100 miles. Was I missing something that others had? Was I not tough enough?

This is where having a great crew and awesome husband who has run several 100 mile races was the best! That night and the next day we rehashed what had happened to me out on the course. The day I dropped I didn't know if I wanted to tackle another 100 miler, the next day it was clear I did.

This is what I learned from my experience:

* I did not eat enough. I needed many more calories going in based on the distance I was going. My huge low was largely due to those lack of calories. Even if I didn't eat whole food I wasn't eating enough GU or other like products partly because of my intolerance to gluten. I knew this going in so it's my own fault for not bringing more food items that I could eat. Much of the food at the aid stations were either sandwiches, pizza or wraps. While potatoes and GU got me through a 50 miler they were not enough for me during this race.

* I never picked up a second handheld for water. I thought about it but never followed through.

*I should have carried Heed with me to mix with my water or chosen half water/half Gatorade mixture instead of filling up on just water. This would have given me more calories to drink to help replace those that I was losing. I was scared to take Gatorade after getting nauseous during my 50 miler. After talking to others, most said if it was watered down you didn't get those issues.

* I believed I couldn't come out of my low. I thought I was too foregone with hydration and eating. I realized the next day I just needed to eat more. Physically, I felt good. My feet weren't too swollen, muscles weren't too sore. After my 50 miler I was physically more beat up and I knew I could have run more.

I didn't know just how much I wanted to complete a 100 miler until I didn't. I am even more eager to tackle one and oddly more confident in my ability to finish one. I am taking all that I learned from this experience to take me into the next one.

Lastly, I wanted to thank everyone for their kind comments on Facebook. I am a lucky girl and have the best friends, online or to be met someday in the future in person.

Two awesome ultrarunners who I want to thank are

*Kai Keliikuli - who told me not to get discouraged. If you can run 45 miles, you can run 100.

* Ben Dougherty - who it took 4 times to complete his first 100. He wisely told me to reflect, learn then go at it again!

Sometimes people don't realize how encouraging and powerful their words are so I wanted to thank them personally for their thoughtful words!

Thoughts about Javalina 100 miler...only 6 days away!

It's less than a week until Javalina 100 and I have many thoughts swirling around in my head. Am I ready for this? Did I prepare enough? Just how far can I push myself?.......and so on.

About 2 weeks ago I ran Bimblers Bluff 50k. I went into the race the morning feeling kind of blah. I'm still a beginner in ultra running but one thing I have found to be true is no matter how you are feeling on race day, that doesn't translate to how you will feel during the race. I have started some races feeling full of energy and ready to run and felt depleted of energy during the run. I have started some races with sore muscles, an upset stomach and it was one of the best races I've ever had. How you feel before is no guarantee of what it will be like out on the course.

That being said, I felt the best I've ever felt during a race all the way up until the end. The terrain was rocky, challenging and even had a few climbs where I got to use my hands to climb over large rocks. I loved it!

During that race I only experienced one low where I asked myself "Why don't I do normal things like hiking and picnics?" but that low quickly disappeared when I refueled and drank water at the next aid station. I finished the race in 8 hours but it felt like 2.

I felt strong at the end and never thought I would hear myself say that at the end of 31 miles of technical trail running. I even went back the next day to the toughest section, a huge hill/climb of the course to run on tired legs. While I started off stiff, I quickly loosened up and lost myself in the run.

This was a boost to my confidence going into Javalina. I may not be fast but I'm definitely scrappy! I have no expectations about what it will be like until I experience it for myself firsthand. I've had a glimpse of it during my 50 miler in September but only a glimpse.

I'm not trying to prove to the world I can do it and I'm not even trying to prove it to myself. I signed up to push myself far, far outside my comfort zone. I didn't want to play it safe and give myself a thousand excuses why now is not my time and why I shouldn't do it. I will never know what I am capable of doing if I don't try. I will never know how far I can push myself until I do it. I will never overcome obstacles by being static.

I am running because I love it. I am running because it gives me peace. I am running because it makes me feel alive and strong.

I am running.....because I can!

One Girl's Decision to Ditch Her Shoes

Two years ago, I had no idea what it would mean to ditch my shoes. I didn't know all the changes that were to come. I would like to think they were a result of that one decision.

I started out running barefoot but these days I run far more in minimalist shoes. I like running rugged terrain and for me that means some protection.

I grew up in a reserved family. I would call it repressed if I were to be truly accurate. I was taught not to adorn myself with jewelry and makeup. I needed to dress in a conservative manner and I should always worry about how I'm representing myself to the world. Instead I became someone who obsessively worried about what others think. I didn't say what I wanted to say because I had to be careful of offending someone. I didn't dress in the manner I would like to because you don't want to bring unwanted attention to yourself. My clothing choices couldn't be too baggy yet they couldn't be too tight either.

By taking off my shoes I was inviting people to ask me questions. Being the center of attention made me uncomfortable. After a few runs I got used to the looks and questions and even welcomed them.

My running clothes of choice were big, unflattering, and mostly black. I thought I could make myself more invisible by dressing all in one color. I could blend into the crowd. I always admired people who could dress up in costume. They weren't afraid to be silly and didn't mind attention. I told myself I was going to be that person one day.

Me before - all black

Slowly, I changed my running clothes of choice. It started with a running skirt (black of course) and eventually changed into bright (mostly pink) colors. Instead of worrying about what others thought, I started to dress how I wanted to dress. At first it was a mental check list I would go through. I would ask myself “What does it matter if a stranger doesn’t like what you're wearing? If they don't like it, perhaps that a reflection of their inability to dress how they want. Does it matter what this person who doesn't know me thinks of me?”

Me after - in color

By going through my check list I realized at the end of the day I didn't care what others thought of me. It became a liberating feeling. Eventually I ran my costume race and went on to run others.

Running in the Irish Jig

Running in Alger Heights 5k

I
I decided I was going to take risks in the races I ran. My first big risk was signing up for a 12 hour ultramarathon. I would run as far as I could in that 12 hour time limit. It scared the piss out of me to think about running for that amount of time but I was going to do it regardless. That decision was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I made friendships that will last a lifetime, I learned I could push myself, and finished with 40 miles under my belt. Like other facets of my life, I realized I was the one holding myself back.

I signed up for my first trail marathon. Within 12 months I completed five more marathons. I attempted my first 50k in December and didn't finished. Instead of beating myself up, I learned cold weather is my krypnonite. I went on to complete my first 50 miler which was actually 54 miles because I went off course. I learned I could persevere in a race I was convinced I wasn't going to finish. If you had told me two years ago this was all in store for me I would have laughed and laughed.

This led to me taking a closer look at my personal relationships. I liked my new found ability to be myself and not care what others thought. I wanted to surround myself with like-minded individuals and for the most part I did. However, there were a few friendships that appeared strong but were actually draining and one sided. I was letting the few benefits I got from the relationship distract me from the reality that not all friendships were healthy. I had to make some tough decisions which ultimately were the best choices for me. It was a very hard decision for me but in the end led me to open myself to new relationships. In the past I would have closed myself off to those relationships.

This also led to taking a closer look at other decisions, like our careers. Jason and I began to questions our choices. We were both high school teachers but were restless to do something else. We also wanted to travel and kept coming up with reasons why we should stay in Michigan. We were creating reasons why we couldn't do what we wanted.

We decided that we were going to quit our jobs and travel. We could come up with a million reasons why we should stay in our relatively safe jobs and not take risks and do what we really wanted. We came up with a plan to quit our jobs at the end of the year and travel with our three kids. Initially, we weren't sure exactly how this would all come together. Our plan was to pay off any of our debts, get rid of our material possessions we wouldn’t be taking with us, and plan the details over the remaining eight months of the school year.

We should have been scared out of our minds. Instead we were oddly calm. It probably sounds glib to say things just fell into place but that's exactly what happened. One decision led to the next. We were taking a risk but I found risks weren't something to be feared any longer. Every risk I had taken, whether successful or not, was something that ultimately led to better things.

You're probably wondering what the hell does this have to do with barefoot and minimalist shoe running? For me, making that one decision was much more powerful than I realized at the time. It pushed me outside my comfort zone. It forced me to confront my own fears and anxieties which made me a better, stronger person. It led me to be myself and not care what others think. It led me to take risks and the ability to travel with my family. It led me the ability to run in spectacular places. It led me to quality friendships. It led me to a stronger relationship with Jason.

I no longer put self imposed restrictions on my abilities. Instead I think why not?

Racing with Jason

Lots of things have been happening and I have not been very good about listing any updates. Life on the road is awesome! I am having the most fun even in the moments when I wish my kids voiceboxes were removed.

One of the events we participated in granted us a free entry race into Freedom's Marathon, located in West Virginia. It's been a long time since we ran a race together and it was fun.

Although, I must say, it was also a strange experience for me. My finish time was 5:01 and some change. I seemed to have many issues that day. One being my bladder. I cannot remember peeing so much during a race. It was if I had retained water for a week and it came out on race day. From what I could tell I was the only girl peeing in the woods. They don't know what they're missing!

At around mile 11 we saw 2 runners on the side and asked if they were ok after spotting blood on the lady's knee. When we looked up she had a huge goose egg on her head and a swollen eye. Whatever fall she took, it messed her up. We offered to walk with them to the aid station because you never know with a fall like that. We walked with them for I think a mile and a half. The medics had a look at her and we found out later she was ok.

About halfway through I had what I thought was a bad reaction to peanuts and it turned out I had to visit the portapotty (as much as I hate them) and came out feeling 5 lbs. lighter. Was my body shutting down on me? :)

In the beginning I pushed myself to go faster probably because Jason was running with me. I have a tendency to run too conservatively and I don't think I push myself enough so this was a good thing for me. I didn't wear a watch so I had no idea how I was doing pace wise, especially after walking but I could tell I was running faster than if I were running solo.

The second half of the race was filled with some really big hills. I was disappointed the first half didn't have more hills and when we finally got to them it was a huge lift to my spirits. Jason would cruise to the top and wait for me. One day I might be able to keep up with him : )

Towards the end of the race, the temperatures cooled off, combined with a drizzling rain, I was getting cold. When we could see the finish line Jason pointed to a gentleman in front of me and told me to beat him. I wasn't sure I would be able to but I decided to give it a try which I have mixed feelings about. I ended up passing the guy but felt like kind of a tool about it. I caught up to him and told him "Sorry but my husband told me to chick you at the end." He was good natured about it and replied "Glad I could be of help!"

I was really surprised at my finish time given all the stops I had along the way. It makes me wonder what kind of finish time I could have had if I hadn't had so any issues.

It did give me pause for thought as to how much I push myself. I think generally I could push myself harder and have a hard time putting a finger on why I don't. It's something I'll have to think about for a bit.

My next race is in Connecticut. It's a 50k trail race that promises to get muddy! This will be my last race before Javalina 100 which is less than 5 weeks away! Can't wait!

Seattle Running

I flew to Seattle 5 days after my 50 mile race finish. I wasn't sure how my legs would hold up after the race but I knew when I got there I would be itching to run the trails.

I flew in on Thursday night arriving around midnight and was staying with a barefoot/minimalist friend I had met online, Seret. We visited for a bit when we got there and decided to run the watershed just outside her home the following morning.

My biggest concern post race was my toenail on my left foot. It had a big blister brewing underneath the toenail. Even with constant poking around, it was still very tender to the touch and wasn't quite done forming a blister. My left foot is bigger than my right foot and it's something I always struggle with since running longer distances. The shoe hitting the top of the toenail usually results in a blister of some kind. The mud at the previous race also didn't help matters.

My legs felt good and after a little footcare my toe was ok too. We headed out on the road, turned and Seret led Jason and I down the path. My legs felt a little heavy but overall the run felt great!

People talk about Seattle and how green it is but it's never quite what you imagine. There was tons of green and usually in Michigan or other areas you see other colors of flowers or weeds but in Seattle you see nothing but lush, full, green colors all around you. The forest is full of ferns, trees, moss and grass in almost a neon green color. To say it was beautiful is an understatement.

Seret was also taking us to Cougar Mountain on Sunday which I was really excited to run. I love running in the mountains and was anxious to see how it compared to the mountains I've run in Colorado and Pennsylvania.

We flew in for the Outdoor Fest on Saturday where Jason held a clinic. The people of Seattle seemed really laid back and friendly. One of the events organized was a 5k race in which people had to answer trivia questions and if they were wrong it would add a second to their overall time.

The race was sponsored by the Mountaineers which we learned was a group that focuses on getting outdoors whether that be running, hiking, kayaking and a variety of other outdoor activities. It was nice to see an area that put such a huge emphasis on physical activity. You really got the sense that everyone wanted to be active and outdoors.

Seret was the most accommodating host ever. We took a tour of Microsoft and saw just how huge their campus was and ate lunch in one of their cafeterias. The food choices alone were overwhelming. They had everything from grilled salmon to sushi.

Sunday morning finally arrived and we woke up early to run the mountain. The mountain itself was also lush and green. We were surrounded by moss, ferns and beautiful trees. I love hills and I was not disappointed when we ran because it was filled with many long climbs. Seret and Jason were much faster than me so they would run ahead a bit and eventually I would catch up. Seret is fast and she claims she is not. So far everyone I've met that claims they are slow are just being humble :)

Seret and me at Cougar Mountain

Jason and I at the base of the mountain

We had a great run and even ran into fellow minimalist runners who had read Jason's blog. Small world! We chatted with them a bit about shoes and races and then continued on our way. Seret was the best host. Her generosity to open her home to us and make us feel welcome was overwhelming. I can't thank her enough!

Seret and Jason on Cougar Mountain

We headed out later that night on the red eye back to Michigan. Our flight didn't take off until 11:30 p.m. How else to fill that time other than a few airport cocktails. I jokingly told Jason wouldn't it be funny if we fell asleep and missed our flight? Turns out, that almost happened.

We had a few drinks and still had 2 hours until boarding time. I laid my head on Jason's shoulder and fell asleep. Apparently, he followed suit and only woke up because he had to urgently pee. He saw a group of people standing in line and thought "What are they doing? Did they delay the flight and they're all trying to reschedule?" Without a thought to look at the time.

When he got back from the bathroom we finally realized they were boarding for the flight. Thank you Jason's bladder!

The following week we headed to New York City for the party of all parties.....details will be coming soon!