2015 Review....Running, Biking, Scoring, and Stockings....Mostly Running Though...

That is correct!  It is hard to believe that the entire year just flew by like that.  ( Or ran...by...get it?) It seems like only yesterday that Cheryl and I traveled to Minnesota and ran the Polar Dash.  Cheryl then managed to run at least one run every month until that darn Turkey Trot.  Looks like December will be the only month without a run to brag about.  We were forced to skip out on the Jingle run and looks like the 2016 Yeti Polar Dash....Ah well,  better to take the time to get healed than re-run a run you already ran...right?...(Run, run run ran run!)
Here's to looking back.   A few of the many many photos:

Polar Dash 5K

Ground Hog Run 10K

Run for Chocolate 5 K

Lucky Run 10K

Lucky Run 1st Place Female Age Group

Lincoln Presidential Half Marathon First Half Marathon

Lincoln Half Marathon, First 13.1 Run Completed

Red Shoe Half Marathon

Run To Home 5K

Grandma's Marathon

Red, White, and Boom Half  Marathon

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Bix 7 Mile

Glow Run 5K

Glow Run Winner Overall Female

Madison Half  Marathon

                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Omaha Half  Marathon

Twin Cities Marathon.  Boston Qualifier!

Des Moines Half Marathon

Turkey Trot 10 K.   Last Race of the year....2nd Place Female Age group

From such Humble beginnings,  we managed to travel to 7 states and run a bunch or races,  Taking pictures of Mascots along the way.  If you managed to page down this far,  I have to mention that I really hate the format Blogger has for their postings.   I really miss my Windows Live Writer.   With that, I could simply put things in a folder and be done with it.  Ah well.  At least I get to post the Pictures in Super size this time.

Meb!   Our Fist celebrity Runner!

President Lincoln...Our First...President picture?

There was also Scoring and Subaru hiccups,  Kitchen and bathroom plumbing problems, Novel writing,  Kite Flying, and lots of Custom Dog Christmas Stockings....I think it was a pretty good year over all.

Oh!  Before I go for the year,  I should mention that we both went to the Pool today and tried to eek out one last bit of exercise before the ball drops.  I have to mention that it has been over 20 years since I swam in pool where you could swim laps.   I thought swimming freestyle would be like riding a bike.....( that you don't forget it, not similar in action)  Truth is...It is actually something you can get out of practice!   I managed to do the back stroke, side stroke, and T stroke.   But Freestyle requires you to stagger your Breathing, and I have to re-learn the technique.
Cheryl, on the other hand, discovered a Runners Water Belt that allows you to "run" in the water   It keeps you afloat so you can do the running action without sinking like a rock.   She had a much easier time doing that at the pool than before.

So...for 2016...I would like to re-familiarize myself with swimming,   Continue to Bike and chase Cheryl with a Camera on her runs,   And...most importantly:   Finish my novel.....If I'm lucky,   perhaps even get to work on my second one.  ( not sure which one I should tackle next.)   And all the usual ones:   Try to be a better person,  lose some weight,  get in shape,  eat better,  and never lose money.  I wanted to throw in becoming a Ninja, but that probably would interfere with my Professional Video Gamer.    Hope everyone has a Happy New Year 2016!  YEAH!

29000 words! And even more Deer!

Time to get back in the saddle...

As the title suggests,  I have been trying to continue on with the book project.  Seems like a lost causes nearly a month after the initial deadline.   But hey,  what else is there for me?

I'm not sure where I left off in the count...probably 28000 words.   But the scene I have been working on is a carefully layered scene were little or no action takes place, but a bunch of groundworks has to be laid.  There will be references later that are meant to be foreshadowed...( at least that is what I intended to do.)   I have to create a situation where the author has to change the current situation, after spending nearly 1000 words describing how he does not want the situation to change.   Confused?   Hopefully I will be better at sorting out things in the actually chapter.  We shall see.

Worth the extra .5 miles in the snow...

Other than that,  Cheryl and I walked to Dunkin Donuts today on our snow walk.  It's slightly farther ( about 4 miles.)  but the call of a Boston Creme donut  is worth the extra effort.

Small 4 point with 4 does

In addition to seeing a slightly new path,  we also saw another group of deer.   This time a small group of 4 with a moderate 4 point buck trailing along the end.   It was cool, because one of the does walked right up to us.   Cheryl was a little concerned that we were getting too close, but there was no danger of a confrontation.
  I guess the Doe must have been used to people to get that close.   I wonder if I had had a carrot or something if she would have walked right up to us.   Who knows?   We were able to watch them for quite some time, with the buck hanging towards the back while the doe did all the investigating.  It was another cool moment in Coralville.

Looks like so much fun!

Another note about the walk:   The weather was cool, but lacked the wind that usually makes snow walks so much "fun".   There were obviously several other people out on the trail over the last several days, ( judging by the tracks) but the only folks we saw out there while we were walking were the cross country skiers.   They made it look so fun, even Cheryl suggested that we may have to look into that in the future.

I'm finally able to go swimming now!

As for Now,  My swimming goggles, cap, and water shoes all arrived today, so Cheryl has deemed it "swim day" tomorrow.   I can't wait!   Either to try out my stuff and look cool....or sink like a stone and look foolish after all that grief I gave Cheryl last time.    Wish me luck!

Freezing Rain and Snow have Finally Arrived in Iowa

The Warning was sent out.

Snow and rain, and Freezing rain?

So it is snowing today.   Mere moments after blogging about how it has been a green Christmas,  I learned that there was a storm heading our way.   I'm not sure when it started, but it was called to begin around 4 AM.  The Freezing rain is always a game changer.   No matter how good your vehicle may be at handling snow,  a frictionless surface will make the most reliable vehicle look silly as it slides off the road.  For that reason,  we had prepared to stay home today.

Snow like sugar....just like this.

Subie LOVES the snow!

I guess the idea was on everyone's mind.   The other tenants all skipped out on their jobs today,  choosing to stay home in the safety and warmth instead of sliding off the back country roads and having to hitchhike in the cold.   However,  we noticed that the snow was more like a granulated sugar and not like a sheet of ice or slush.   Subie actually had pretty good traction in this form of snow.

AND the Rain!

So we decided to see if we could make it to Iowa City.   I took the back roads because I did not want some 4x4 Chevy or Ford blowing by me thinking they can handle the slick spots better.   I was able to go around 50 mph most of the way,  but it was nice being able to slow around curves where I needed to .

Taking it easy around the curves....

 By the way,  I'm SOOO happy I fixed up Subie YESTERDAY.   Before this slop came down.

We didn't check out the pool today.   A couple of reasons.   One:  It was possibly that they might have not been open.   Two:   I'm missing my swimming goggles!   And three:   Cheryl was not to hip on swimming after she scoped it out last time.   I guess the bad form must have strained a shoulder muscle  for a couple of days.   So instead....we decided to take a walk.

Snowmanned!

Walking in a rain and snow mixture is a bit of a challenge.   The grainy snow was similar to walking on the beach.  Only you are walking in heavy boots and coats.    The heavy snow that is falling sticks to your clothes and begins to create a snow man effect.   Snow man.   Where you look like a snow man because you are covered in snow...   Am I the only one who has ever used that term?

Other Crazy People

There are advantages to walking in miserable weather though.   The first is that you are the only one ( usually) that is stupid enough to walk out in a snow mixed with rain storm.   ( There were foot prints on the trail, suggesting there were "others".)   And second,  you get to see things that you may not see on a typical day.   Today..that was Deer.  

So Field and Stream stories are TRUE...if you live in Iowa.

We have seen the deer before,  but today there was a flood of them.    11 in all ran by us as we walked through the hills.   The best part was a large buck that followed the herd.   It was like I was reading a field and stream "how to" article.   All those stories  about bucks and their harems I thought were fictitious.   Well,  they are TRUE!...  but only here in Iowa I guess.

Currently, the snow continues to beat against the windows and scare the cat.   It sounds like someone is throwing sand against the glass.   But I hear it is supposed to stop around midnight tonight.    The snow is heavy and compact, so it does not look like there will be a huge thick fluffy blanket.   I just hope it does not freeze on the roads for tomorrow.    It's quite heavy and sloppy.  Perhaps we may even be able to swim a few laps tomorrow....even without the goggles.   We shall see.

As I write this,  one of the neighbors just got stuck in the Driveway.   A Ford I think.....Should have bought a Subaru!