Cheryl's Disappointing Race At The Quad-Cities (Half) Marathon.

Cheryl Ready for a New PR

What a busy weekend.   Actually,  what a busy Week!   So much to blog about and no internet to waste all my time on.   I am forced, once again, to blog about everything in a single post and waste several hours infront of the HyVee Gas station using their Free WiFi.   But listen to me,  complaining again.  Let's get into some highlights...

Last year, Cheryl had her sights set on the Quad-Cities Marathon in Moline Illinois.  (And Davenport, IA.)  But then she got Broke, (in more ways than one.) And could not attend the race as scheduled.  Last year, was a rather bum year for Cheryl's racing plans.

Power Up.  Bing! 

Expo Time

But this year has been differant.   With a new training regement, diet, determination, and Job,   Cheryl planned on righting the wrongs of the past.   Add in her new secret weapon of mushroom suppliments and voodoo rituals and she was setting the stage for a new PR (Personal Record) in the half marathon distance.   Why only the half marathon and not the full?   Well,  her training and time have been essentially cut in half by the job she was forced to take.   And since she only worked a half week last week,   it only made sense to give half of everything else.

And the course

Checking out the finsh line

We spent the better part of Saturday traveling to Davenport for the Expo.   I should say Moline;  but the quad cities is 4 cities in one and Davenport is the most familiar.  In fact, most of the race was run on the Iowa side with Bettendorf and Davenport making up several of the miles.  Plus Davenport is the city we are most familiar with since we used to train/bike/run there quite a bit in previous years.

Expo events.

Just grab the packet.

The Expo was larger than expected, but we were not into any more merchandise.  We pretty much picked up the packet and headed directly home, planning on an early morning wake-up to make it to the start line on time.  We did drive around the course to make sure I had my spectator spots locked in.

And poster.

Cheryl's prediction for tomorrow?

  I was a little nervious on this one as I was the essential link for Cheryl's hydration, nutrition, and motivation.  No small task!   But I was determined to do my best!

Way to early.

Still dark

3 A.M. in the Morning!  We were forced to make and bring our own coffee and breakfast, since no stores were open.  We drove to the Quad cities in complete darkness and narrowly avoided several deer, a raccoon, coyote, and cat along the way.  The air was brisk and cool, but not as cold as predicted.   Cheryl dressed accordingly.

Find the bathrooms and start line.

Watch out for Deer.

I thought she might get too hot, but I had to leave her at the start line to get to my designated station. ( mile 5)

John Deer...that is. 

Sun almost up.  Better get in place.

Cheryl is getting antsy

With her traveling at "PR Speed", there was a chance I might not make it in time unless I left early to avoid "Spectator Traffic".  She entered the gate with her longsleeved shirt and gloves.  With 10 minutes before "Gun Time".  I headed out towards Mile 5.

Mile five!

I'm rEady with Beverage!

Mile 5!   I did not know it was going to be so popular.   A watering station and Elite drink station was located in my super secret spectator spot.  My mission:  To deliver high fructose corn syrup in the form of a mixture of diet and regular Coke to Cheryl as she passed by.  The secret blend of fuel was carefully mixed in advance so there would be no carbination in it.   And the entire contents was sealed in a special container. 

The Gun goes BOOM!

See the runners on the bridge.

I could hear the cannon  go off from the other side of the river,  I watched as the runners crossed the river with the Sun outlining them on the bridge.  Cheryl forced me to download an App so I could track her, which worked for the most part.   It was a little slow.

The Elites race by.

Kenyans in the Lead.

The Kenyans and Ethiopians came across first.   Most of them were running the full marathon.  Cheryl was close behind, a full minute faster than she had predicted.  I handed her some pop while she forced me to help her get her shirt off.  While she drank,  I slipped the shirt ( containing the Bib and timing chip) into the back of her sports bra.  And she was OFF!

Cheryl wants me to rip her shirt off....in PUBLIC!    I agree to help.

I skipped ahead to Mile 8 to repeat the process.   She had lost a full minute just from the wardrobe change!   She was determined to catch it back up.

Race to mile 8. Next to the Runners.

Professional Handoff

Mile 9 and I managed to get her one last time before the finish.  She did not take long to fuel up and, instead, focused on her times.

Cheryl races towards the Finish.

I raced back to the finish line.  Surprisingly, it was not as difficult as I had imagined it in my head.  Most of the race was on familiar territory, and I can't help but think that that played an important part.   It did not take long for Cheryl to round the bend and race towards the finish line.  I cheered her on to beat the 1:43:00 time on the clock.   She did!  By just a few seconds.

Gotta Beat 1:43:00

She does!

Now you may be thinking that 1:43 for 13.1 miles sounds good.  But it is not.   Why?  Because it was not a PR for Cheryl for the half marathon distance.  She was very upset with the preformance.  I tried my best to console her, but it was pointless.

But not a PR>

But lets see what she wins...

Even the news that she got first place in her division was not enough.   They even threw in an award!   Still, no good.   Nope,  it was all about breaking that PR.  Nothing else mattered.

And there is MORE?

A shiny new Major Award! 

But she did get a shiny new medal for her troubles.  She can add it to her collection.  And she can now save money by not buying any more of those Mushroom Suppliments that she was counting on.   They obviously did not work.   I'm not sure where she got the idea of using mushrooms  in the first place...

Showing love?

Hiding her disappointment.

Well,  I despite all the shortcomings,  I guess you could call this race a success.... From my point of view, anyway.   She got a medal, got a T-shirt, got an award, and did not break herself.  And all the bad stuff that happened was not my fault....Big Win for ME! We learned a few things along the way as well...  Don't wear warm clothes on a cool day,  Don't drink too much regular Coke at mile 5, and don't plan to PR if your head is not in the game.  ( That last one is still a mystery, but I'm sure she will figure it out...whatever it is.) We have another race coming up which will be shorter and not as taxing.  Hopefully, I will be able to keep  the postings short as I do not like reading novels either....   Nor writing them.

Cheryl is so sad,  I can hardly film it. 

If you have read this far,  thanks for stopping in and hanging on until the end.  With so many pictures, hopefully the long-winded words were not so hard to slosh through.   Have a Great Weekend!

Julie And Mike's Visit. The Rest Of The Story.

Cheryl Runs in Prep for Family

My last post seemed a little Over-Simplified.  (Or "Truncated",  As our fellow Pearson Coworkers might say.) So I thought I would follow up with a few more pictures and paragraphs filling in the various entertaining details to the rest of the story.  (Or "More Developement"   Another Pearson Coloquialism.)   So let's get started.

First stop!

We visited with them Friday Night after work and planned out the Saturday Adventures.   They were very agreeable with Cheryl's schelduled activities.  As with previous family visitations, there was always the chance that the state of Iowa would throw a wrench into the mechanics.  So we buckled up and hoped for the best, while planning for the worst.

Busy as always.

Early Morning coffee, and we were off to the Iowa City Farmer's Market.   A Pleasant affair that was filled with vegitables, colors, baked goods and politicians begging for votes.  (Must be nearing election time.)   We grabbed a few goodies, talked with some locals, and moved on to out next item on our itinerary.    Apples!

Next stop.  Crazy Busy!

People from Michigan should simply be enchanted with the way Iowa does apples.... Right?   Well, kinda.  Let's face it,  Only Washington State can  possibly rival Michigan when it comes to Apples.  ( It is a FACT! )   So after about 15 minutes, we had showed them everything that Iowa Apples had to offer.   Fresh baked Turnovers with Cinnimon Ice Cream. ( Still Very good though!)  Wilson's Orchard was flooded with families and kids.   Lots and lots of kids.    So there was no chance to pet any kittens or find a quiet place to relax and enjoy your fresh turnover. (What else would anyone do at the apple orchard?)   So on o the next item.

Perfect Bolete!   Mushrooms!

Crab Brittlegill.   Russela

Mushrooms!   I was not planning on even reaching this part.   The weather was heating up and Mike and Jules had stated their lack of "Mushroom Appreciation."   It has also been pretty dry this
entire week, so I was expecting no huge blooms of fruiting bodies.   The best I was hoping for was a pleasant walk in the shade.

They Look like they are having a Fabulous Time!

                   Julie Shows off he Bolete.            

I was pleasantly "disappointed" when Mike began to find Russelas and Milkies all over.   Many of them in "fresh" condition. Julie found a King Bolete and A Purple "Butt Shaped" mushroom.  (We called it the "Julius Glutius"!)  We spent a couple hours finding a vast variety of mushrooms.   King Boletes!   Fresh ones!   Lots and lots of Russelas ( Brittlegills) and several unknown "Julius Glutius" mushrooms.

Check out the goodies!

Not a Purple Cort?

 These are not Corts nor are they Blewits.  Once we get the Internet back ( or Cheryl's new book arrives) we will hopefully find the true identity. (They also has a white spore print,  Definately not a Cort!) Also some red stemmed Crab Brittlegills.  Very tasty! I can't wait to eat 'em!

Cheryl Shows off her Medals.

Inside our Tiny Apartment

Having worked up an appetite and feeling hot and sticky from the hike, we decided to catch a quick bite, top off the beverages and head for home.   We stopped by the store for some last minute items while Mike and I  looked at the local beer.   Some Beer from Kelona, Big Grove, and Cedar Rapids were selected;  along with some Hard Cider from Wilson's Orchard. (We could not find it at the actual orchard.... go figure.)  Mike says he enjoys sampling the local brews and bringing some home whenever he travels.

Inside our Kitchen...in out Tiny Aparment.

You Build It Pizza Party.

Pizza Making time!   Each of us made our own pizza, because that is how we treat our "guests" around here. They are responsible for their own tastes and flavors,  that way they can only blame themselves when they don't like it.   (Genius! if I do say so myself. )   Julie is "Gluten Free"  Meaning: fussy.    So she got the Glutten free pizza crust.  Mike and Cheryl enjoyed Flat bread.   And I got the Fresh hand-made pizza dough.   Because I'm
worth it!

Mike works on the fire.

His camping skils come in handy.

I was impressed that they sampled several varieties of mushrooms.   We did not add any of the wild ones on the pizza ( those are all MINE!  And for a later date.)   I did not want to be blamed for any mis-haps that might occur if someone got a tummy ache.   (Another Genius move by myself.)

Cheryl tries to roast Marshmallows.

After that,  we sampled the beer, Mike and I talked about camping and cars, and we went outside to build a fire and make s'mores.   After several attempts, I'm proud to say that the "men" got the fire going strong enough to get the marshmallows roasted.

She fails at the "challenge."

The Dog Stinkhorn.... For Julie

Overall, the day was a success!   At least for us.   We managed to entertain the family and not have to cancel any plans during the process. There were many other small things that I probably missed, but without pictures, there is very little point in mentioning it here and not.   

An Iowa Dust Devil.  Rare Sight!

The antique visit was brief and handly worth mentioning, but thankfully, was not the only thing that was on the table. A spectacular Dust Devil appeared on the gravel road near the Port-A-Jon Place.  It would have been nicer if the weather had been cooler, but I will take what I can get.  Especially here in Iowa, where Corn, Pigs, and Sun rule the day.   Perhaps next time they will bring their bikes and we can ride the trails.   We shall see.