Happy holidays!

Happy hanukkah and merry xmas!

I am finally taking a week or so off to hang with the kids and Jon is off for the long weekend...a much needed block of time catching up with Spencer and Shoshi. December has turned into a whirlwind month.

This year December started with a marathon for me. Another 26.2 (#4) and a really fun week with Jon and I and this time no munchkins. I ran the California International Marathon in Sacramento, along with our friends Shelly and Brian. I finished in 4:14, almost 20 minutes faster than last year. I was really happy and very sore and then very relaxed as we headed to Sonoma for a few days. We stayed at a very amazing hotel (the Hotel Healdsburg, for anyone looking for a recommendation), drank wine, slept late, ate well and (I) hobbled around the wineries.

Below is a race recap and some marathon pics (consider that a warning...you can skip to the more entertaining family stuff after I ramble about my running adventure).

My summary of the marathon experience: it is by far one of the hardest physical and mental challenges...ever, but quite a feeling of accomplishment (by comparison, raising two amazing kids is by far more gratifying, but this is a completely different ballgame). During periods of training and the race I question the sanity of distance running. But it all seems worth it and each marathon seems to get better and more rewarding for me and each one seems to get me past limits I never thought possible.

The day started with a really early morning bus ride to the start (at folsom prison...made famous by the johnny cash song) and the ride seemed to go on forever (which is a little disheartening when you know you have to run all the way back). Shelly, Brian and I met in the lobby and we ran into my neighbor who was running her first marathon. The weather was great (a little cool, which is nice) and the course was good (CIM is the smallest marathon I've ever run and I like that cozier feel). The leaves were still changing colors which was something pretty to look at (for the first bunch of miles...I seem to not notice much scenary about halfway through!).

Jon met me at mile 20 (he was originally planning on stopping at mile 13 or so but the traffic made that difficult). It was so great to see him but I said a quick hello, got a super cap recap on how Shelly and Brian were doing (thanks to live runner tracking), threw him my fuel belt (at that point I had one more gu left which I kept in my pocket) and went on my way.
This race was a big mental accomplishment for me as well as a physical one. When it starts getting really tough I always want to give up, sit down and cry (which I've never done but those thoughts seem to take over). This time was different for me...once I started feeling that way I said f*** it, not only will I not stop (I don't let myself stop and stretch or walk...nothing good comes of that!) but I will kick it in. The first half I ran a pace between 8:50-9:10 or so per mile, then from miles 14-20 I was about 9:40 pace. Starting mile 20 I was just over 10 min/mile and then between 10 and 10:50 the last few miles. My pace slowed down a bit but I managed to keep a fairly even effort (although the last hour or so it takes so much focus to keep putting one foot in front of the other). The end is really just about toughing it out. Just when you think it should be over and it gets really hard there's still about an hour left. Dig deep!

Jon was waiting at the finish in the crowds which is such a welcome site and Brian was just on the other side of the finish line. The race ended at the capitol building and our hotel was across the street (which seems like another 26.2 miles). I gobbled down a few pancakes, stretched for a few minutes, called my running bud Kathy and then we headed to the hotel. Thankfully there was a startbucks between the finish line and the hotel. I usually can't eat a whole lot the day of my run but a salted caramel mocha became my post-long run drink of choice (chocolate milk is a good recovery drink...I figure this is close) and it never tasted better! We also got some cake thing on a stick which I admired for months but held off until post-marathon. Unfortunately my stomach was a little unsettled so we threw it on the car on our way to Sonoma and found the cake pop thing found several days later on the backseat. So much for indulgence!

I showered and we caught up with Shelly and Brian for lunch. They're great friends of ours and it was really fun to share the experience and the weekend with them (and they both did amazing!).

Admittedly around mile 20 I silently proclaimed my marathon retirement but by the time we hit the airport on Wednesday I was furiously searching the internet to figure out which marathon to run next year. I still have a goal of breaking 4 hours and of course I need to run New York one day. And maybe Kauai. Stay tuned for the 2012 marathon decision...



Here's me at 26.1...only .1 to go!



Hooray!



Me, Shelly and Brian after our post-marathon lunch. My pants hide my hot pink compression socks (and Shelly's boots hide her compression tights)...what an amazing invention!

I love having Jon at the finish line! This is the first marathon my parents weren't there which was a little sad.



 

 



That's me talking to Kathy



After lunch we packed up (Jon packed, I was horizontal on the bed texting my parents and friends) and headed to Sonoma for a really great and relaxing few days (and a very needed massage!). Jon's mom and dad Vonnie and Don had a great time back home with the kiddos so that made our trip all the more enjoyable.

I learned that although I love a glass or two of wine I'm not a big wine taster and prefer to sit outside watching the grapes grow rather than talking about wine. In the picture below we actually tasted every one of those wines. The wine guy was super nice and fun to talk to but there are no chairs in tasting rooms and after running 26.2 miles all I wanted was to sit down! Nonetheless, good wine drinking = good napping and so by the time we headed back home on Wednesday I was well rested and very relaxed!

We returned to Denver on Wednesday and then on Friday headed to the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs for a work event my firm hosts. We stayed with the kids Friday night, came back Saturday to a few holiday parties (one at our crossfit gym and one at our good friends (and running buddy) Becky and Michael's across the street. The next week we had several nights of work events and the kids stayed behind with babysitters so by Friday we were really missing the kids and they really missed us. This past week I planned to take some days off but we I had a work deadline (we're trying to get hired by Denver Airport and we had this never ending proposal to finish up). That's done and now we get some very great family time!

This update wouldn't be complete without a few more festive pics of the kids. They are so much fun and it's amazing watching them play together.

I took the kids sledding yesterday. Shoshi looks happy (and really stinkin' cute) but this was the end of her smilng...about a minute after I took this picture she got off her sled and Spencer barreled over her!

We have made the Turkey Trot an annual tradition...and decided to get festive hats for the run (or the picture before the run!). The race is 4 miles and goes around the park by our house. Spencer ran about 1/16 of a mile this year and we can't wait for him to join us out of the double jogger in years to come!



Me and Shoshi and a birthday party for Spency's friend

We went up to Winter Park the day after Thanksgiving. Spencer and Jon skiied while Shoshi and I snowshoed with Shelly and one of her boys, Kyle.

Not only does Spencer love skiing but he'll be better than me in about a month!

The girls...

...and the boys

We are in the midst of celebrating Hanukkah (we had our neighbors Andrea, Sander and their girls Kaia (Spency's buddy) and Elise (Shoshi's bud) over last night for latkes and homemade french onion soup (I'll spare you the picture!). Tonight we're headed to zoo lights for our annual xmas eve night and then tomorrow I make ebelskivers (stuffed pancake things) for breakfast and the kids open gifts.

We wish everyone a very happy holiday and happy new year and look forward to sharing many more adventures with you in 2012!