Cross Country Riding

Some photos I took of my daughter riding her horse, Kane.

They are working hard on his jumping and dressage skills.







Happy 4th of July to my US readers!

July 2017 Free Calendar Download - Roses

Summertime means flowers galore. These roses grace a park in the middle of Saugatuck, Michigan.



To download this month's calendar, click on this link from Box.com
Link -> July 2017 Desktop Calendar - Roses

Along My Run | 25 - Spring into Summer

It's been a while since I posted about running. After my Ultra at the end of March, I cut back on running in April. The Ultra must have taken a harder toll on my body than I realized - I lost my motivation to run and when I did get out, I labored through what I consider an easy pace. It wasn't until the end of April until I got my running mojo back, so maybe there is truth to the adage that runners need to take a day for each mile after a race.

I've continued to run a mix of road and trails, although my longest distances have been on the trail. I've turned into one of those trail converts as the road feels hard and pounding now.


1. Spring is in the air, 2. Reversal, 3. Golden Glimmers , 4. Off Season , 5. Take Nothing for Granted , 6. I Found Snippets of Trail Out Here , 7. Illinois Marathon Day! , 8. Kicking It This Morning y, 9. Sunday Runday Perfection , 10. Somebody's Watching Me , 11. 50th Birthday #Run Group , 12. The Last Curve

I turned 50 at the end of May and celebrated it with a 50 minute group run. Afterwards we enjoyed post run goodies- cinnamon breads, scones and coffee. My birthday fell the Friday before Memorial Day, and each event that weekend continued the celebratory vibe.

My Running Friends Help Celebrate my 50th Birthday!

On Memorial Day, I coordinated another group run out on a new trail that turned into an adventure. Due to our wet May, the trail was muddy and overgrown with portions under water. At the first water hazard (huge knee deep puddle across the trail), we found an alternate way around. We were feeling pretty trail-tough when we ran up to a small waterway crossing - with no bridge to cross! The footbridge had been moved to the bank, presumably due to flooding. No one wanted to climb down the 6 foot bank into water of unknown depth. We opted to turn around at that point and attempted to run the course backwards. We got lost three or four times. What was supposed to be a 7 mile loop ended up being 9 discombobulated miles. Still, we had a great time. In true trail running fashion, we enjoyed some treats at the end of the run - strawberries, almond butter on wheat bread, fresh scones and cold water.

Before We Got Lost - Trail Buddies

In mid June, I volunteered as a race marshal for the Countryside 10k race sponsored by my running club. In addition to marshaling duties, I became the official race photographer. Even though the race starts and ends at a nice park, the course winds through country roads with very little tree cover. In the warmer months, I like to start my runs very early (like 5 or 6am), so this race, with its 8am start, was a scorcher. Another reason for me to take photos instead!

It's Called the Country Side 10K for a Reason

Alex, The Overall Winner 35:57

Robyn, the Top Female 42:45

My Running Friends

Age Group - Cowbell Winners

Second Wind Running Club Representation

The end of June means 2017 is half over! Here are some running stats for the first half of the year.
Total Miles - 805 (I just hit that on this morning's 14 mile run)
I'm too lazy to calculate my average pace right now - I know it is slower than previous years due to the number of trail miles I now run. I should track my road miles separately I guess; something to consider for the second half of 2017.

So what is up for the rest of 2017? I am considering a fall marathon (Indianapolis Monumental Marathon) and maybe a half marathon in Arizona with some friends. In October, I'll find out if my lottery entry into the London Marathon was accepted (Several of my running friends entered with me and we've decided to go if picked).

As always, I feel blessed to be able to run the distances I do and I am grateful for my running friends who make it fun. Happy Running!

June 2017 Free Calendar Download - Cardiff, Wales

Occasionally I travel for work, and in 2016 I spent a week in the UK. I visited my sister who lives in London before taking the train to Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. This port city has experienced significant development over the years, yielding a vibrant waterfront center with commercial, entertainment and sporting venues.

And while I am not a Dr. Who aficionado, I learned the current series was filmed around Cardiff, so the area is a draw for fans of the series.

My previous trips to the area were during winter months, so I never had the chance to see the waterfront in the daylight! I got lucky this time with a couple of clear, temperate days. I took the photo below from Waterfront park, looking back at the Pierhead Building.



To download this month's calendar, click on this link from Box.com
Link -> June 2017 Desktop Calendar - Cardiff, Wales

Prom Season

It’s the end of May and here in the Mid-west, May ushers in Prom Season, Graduation Season, the end of school and the start of summer.

My son went to Prom a few weeks back. Prior to this year, the prom experience involved my daughter and I can say things are very different with a son. Some elements were easier - for example, hair, ie, no elaborate updo’s for my son! Choosing and renting a tux was fairly painless, although I don’t recommend waiting until the week before to complete that task. Surprisingly, the cost to rent the tux was higher than what my daughter spent on her dresses, but at least I don’t have a tux taking up space in my closet.

Here’s the main reason for this post – Prom pictures!

My son and his lovely date, A:


Each class designates the location for photos and for the Class of 2018 it was Foelinger Auditorium on the south end of the Main Quad at the University of Illinois. All the couples and their families enjoyed the lovely spring weather. We felt lucky as the previous weekend's prom goers endured torrential rainstorms.



Red was a popular color this year. You can't really tell from the above photo, but the two of them are wearing the same dress. The nice thing is neither really cared.


My son with his date's family. Aside note - I learned a few days after Prom that A's family lives two blocks from us!

With friends:


Brian with his long time friend, E. They have known each other since they were both three years old. They are all grown up now....

Harbingers of Spring

Spring came early to Central Illinois - the trees bloomed in early April and most have fully leafed out. It was so short lived that I didn't get to enjoy it.

However, I made a last minute trip out east to the Boston area and got to enjoy an early spring all over again. I normally visit the area in summer, so the landscape was very different from what I am used to.







My runs took me to a local pond and even in the off season, it was calm and inviting.


Even with a bit of rain, there was no wind (in Illinois, rain is almost always accompanied by straight line winds).

May 2017 Free Calendar Download - Black Beauty

I post a lot about my daughter's equestrian adventures, so I always make sure to feature a horse in my photo calendars. We encountered Black Beauty in the heart of horse country - at Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington - while waiting to compete in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association's National event.




To download this month's calendar, click on this link from Box.com
Link -> May 2017 Desktop Calendar - Black Beauty

Tulips Make Me Happy

There's not too much to add. I hope Spring is blooming around you.

April 2017 Desktop Calendar Free Download - Sakura

We are having an early spring, with blossoms abound. The streets are lined with flowering pear trees and the cherry trees at the local Arboretum are showing off their fluffy white flowers.
It is fitting that this month's free desktop calendar features the same blossoms.



To download this month's calendar, click on this link from Box.com
April 2017 Desktop Calendar - Sakura

Clinton Lake Ultra Recap - The Mudfest

If Running Events were people, the marathon and big road races would be the glitzy, gregarious, trendy and popular Hollywood stars; they are the big name rock artist with the high octane light show in a stadium filled concert. By contrast, the Ultra is its earthy and quiet sister playing in an indie, acoustic band; the venue, an intimate performance house.


Members of the Second Wind Running Club before the start of the race.

Stripped of all the glamour (but maintaining the brawn of a marathon), an Ultra is a simple run in the woods or the mountains. There are no massive crowds, no bag drop service and no big-podium-pulsating music at the start. There are no cow-bell yielding cheering stations – out on the course, you imagine the chattering spring frogs as applause, the birds crying overhead calling your name. There are aid stations, but they are stocked with real food, even freshly prepared hot items. Instead of electronic timing chips, mats, online runner tracking or other technical conveniences, there’s a guy at the check in station logging your number while encouraging you on. Many runners experience the later miles alone, conquering the course on their own.

So I completed my first Ultra Marathon! Here's the the short race recap summary:
I finished in 6:31 and something seconds, 37th out of 98 runners who started the race. I felt great throughout the race and (most importantly) didn’t fall and hurt myself. Due to rain the night before, the course was slippery and got extremely muddy which made the hills extra fun. Instead of the forecasted heavy rain and thunderstorms, we ran in light rain and mist with temperatures in the high 50s. I was happy with my race and enjoyed the overall (muddy) experience. I ran the entire race with my training partner and friend, Pramod. Our friend, Nancy, joined us for our last loop as a pacer, keeping us focused on finishing.

The longer version:
For a Saturday morning race, I take Friday off from work in order to relax and prepare my bags with my running gear. The weather was not looking good, with a 90% chance of rain and thunderstorms starting Friday night and all day Saturday. Due to the nature of the course, runners have access to their car after each loop, so I decided to pack multiples of everything. For during the race – 3 long sleeve shirts, 3 short sleeve shirts, 3 pairs of socks, 3 hats, 2 rain jackets, 2 pairs of shoes, an extra set of shorts, a pair of gloves (and a partridge in a pear tree). I tend to get cold if I leave my sweaty running clothes on after a long run, so I always pack a set of dry clothes to change into – a long sleeve shirt, fleece pullover, sweatpants, hat and a towel.

Then there was my bag of food – almond butter / Nutella / tortilla sandwiches (pre-race fuel), Miso rice sushi rolls (fuel between loops), Tailwind Endurance drink (electrolytes and fuel), water, salt tablets and a bag of sports beans. I’ve learned that I perform better if I eat “real food” while running long distances and had trained with all these items without any digestive issues (I must have an iron stomach).

Four of us carpooled together to the race – Jeff, Pramod, Minh and me. Fortunately, Jeff’s minivan provided ample space for our week’s worth of clothing, shoes and food! We left town at 6am under cloudy skies and barely damp roads. We felt hopeful for similar conditions at the race site, 35 miles away, until we encountered the steady rain en route. A light rain had been falling for several hours. I felt chilled, donned the rain jacket I wore during last spring’s marathon in the rain and braced for a repeat of running in constant rain.

The race started at 7:30 under dreary and rainy skies. The course was wet and already muddy. Add in 100 pairs of tromping feet and watch the mud grow. Since we start right into the single track trail, it was slow going for 2 miles while the field spread out. The rain stopped (or it was less noticeable in the forest) and I got hot, so off with the rain jacket, tied it to my waist and continued on. We got into the groove, successfully finding our “trail legs” to navigate the slippery declines. On the first loop, Pramod, Jeff and I stayed together. At the start, Minh forged ahead of us, so we didn’t see him the rest of the race.

The first aid station is after 4.5 miles, at the “top” or north side of the 10 mile loop. You cross an iron bridge to reach the aid station / parking lot, so the race organizers have dubbed this aid station the “Iron Bridge Grill”. Yes, there is a grill and yes, they are cooking food. I didn’t take anything other than water the first time through.

I am familiar with the course and know the second 5.5 miles of the loop is harder than the first 4.5 miles, with challenging inclines / declines and narrow, root filled straight sections. Miles 6-8 are the hardest to maneuver, then the terrain eases up and by mile 9 you know the end is near. The milestone I look for is a steep meadow crossing which immediately turns back into the woods via the last hill of the loop. As I started up this hill, I slid in the mud and it took me down to my knees. Our little cluster of runners start crawling through the mud to reach the top which emerges out to the street. We run downhill on asphalt to the starting line, ending our first loop.


Along the trail, taken in February during a training run

After each loop, I changed into a fresh short sleeved shirt and consumed my sushi roll, refilled my fuel bottle, took extra fuel, water and a salt tablet. The rain stopped and a bit of hazy sun peaked out of the clouds - it was getting warm out and I had to make sure I took enough fluids.

The first part of the second loop went by quickly and at the Iron Bridge Grill stop, I considered taking some additional food - I opted to try the roasted potatoes dipped in salt. Yummy! I think I needed extra fuel because during the rest of loop 2, I consumed my back up sports beans.

We finished loop 2 in just over 4 hours, right on schedule. My shoes and calves were caked with mud and little rocks had made their way into my left shoe, so I took the time to take off the shoes and get fresh socks (felt so good). Nancy was ready to pace Pramod and me through the last loop. On the last loop, Pramod led the way, keeping the pace at an even, slower keel (and keeping me reined in because I wanted to run faster). Pramod learned from his experience last year that going out too fast on the start of the last loop caused him to hit the wall after mile 26. I started to experience those little muscle pings, the precursor to muscle cramps that tend to plague me after 20 miles. At our final stop at the Iron Bridge Grill, I took extra - extra salt with my potatoes and tried the sugared bacon. Wow, that bacon was really good and I ate a couple pieces. We had 5 and a half miles left.

In addition to the conversation between the three of us, I occupied my mind by noticing all the signs along the trail. When the hazy sun filtered through the trees, it cast a golden glow on the moss. The forest floor had greened up since our training run three weeks ago. Once barren branches were now tipped in chartreuse. I didn't notice the little white flowers dotting the forest floor during the first two loops, but on the last 5 miles, I couldn't help but see the abundance of delicate blooms. We took the hills with care after Pramod slipped and tumbled off the trail into some branches. Nancy and I had to help him back on his feet. We were prepared for the last slippery slope after the meadow and finally hit the final stretch of asphalt leading back to the start line.

Our friend, Brenda was there, cheering us on and taking photos of us as we finished. 6 hours, 31 minutes and something seconds. Minh had finished about 10 minutes ahead of us. Jeff would finish at 7:45, just under the 8 hour cut off.

You can see some the mud splatter on the front of my shins. The backs of my calves were completely encrusted in mud. Of all the things I packed, the towel I brought came in super handy for cleaning all of that up.

With Nancy, our 3rd loop pacer. I guess I missed the memo about wearing Illinois Marathon shirts (I wore mine on the 2nd loop)


Then there were my shoes - after the race and a day later, after I hit them with the hose and washed them in the sink.


Finally, instead of a finisher's medal, we were given these really nice stainless steel cups. Perfect for filling up with water.

We also received a long sleeve quarter zip technical top with the same squirrel logo. The little squirrel charm was attached to my set of bib safety pins - I think that was just for the women runners.

Two days post race and I am definitely sore, especially my quads. The mud made things extra challenging. Will I do another similar race? Probably! I don't have a race lined up for the fall, so maybe another local 50K Ultra as the leaves are changing.

Along My Run | 24 Clinton Lake Ultra Training

I haven’t posted much about running since October, after I ran the Chicago Marathon. Yes, I am still running. Yes, I am still taking photos out when I run. Yes, I am signed up for a Spring Race. And since it is officially Spring, yes, the race is this coming Saturday! No, it is not a marathon – it’s a little crazier than that – it’s my first Ultra Marathon!

In the beginning of 2016, I looked back at 2015 and set some future goals. One of those goals was to complete an Ultra in early 2017, before I turned 50 years old (this May). So here I am, ready to tackle 30 miles with 2,100 feet of elevation change on a single track trail.


1. Happy Trails, 2. Be my shelter, 3. On Saturdays We Wear Pink ... and Go Trail running, 4. Magic Carpet, 5. Landmark, 6. Trip the Light Fantastic, 7. Tracks, 8. Winter white glow, 9. The Rest of the Story, 10. Surreal Saturday, 11. The Sun Came Out! , 12. Oh Sun, How We've Missed You, 13. Such a Perfect Day for a Run in the Woods, 14. First Real Run in the Snow!, 15. Back to winter training on Campus, 16. Green Sparkles, 17. Wide Open Space, 18. Diversity, 19. Our Last Long Training Run, 20. Twin Peaks

I signed up for the Clinton Lake Ultra in November, the day race registration opened. The race is limited to 125 participants and I knew it would sell out before the end of the day (it sold out after 6 hours). The trail is a 10 mile loop around, you guessed it, Clinton Lake. I ran the loop for the first time in May last year, and it was the longest, hardest 10 miles I had ever completed. My average pace was 14 minutes / mile and a complete struggle. So I knew what I was getting myself into when I signed up – this would be something challenging and to be quite honest, something that scared me. Fortunately, a few of my friends signed up for the same race so I knew I would have training support (and consolation when it really got tough).

Starting at the end of November, I changed my running schedule to include two days of trail running at a forest preserve about 20 minutes away. During the 16 week training program, I estimate running a little over 50% of my miles on the trails. The hallmark of an Ultra training plan is back to back long runs on the weekends – at our peak weeks, we logged 35-38 miles over two days, including runs on the actual course. My running comrades and I have stuck together through the ice, wind, snow and cold conditions; we’ve run through the mud and ankle deep water. We also enjoyed the beautiful trail scenery, watched the deer thunder through the woods and been refreshed by a light misting rain while the spring frogs started to sing.

I am ready for the upcoming adventure, even if it rains (yeah, in the weather forecast). My goal is to finish within the allotted 8 hour time limit, and if the conditions are like what we trained in, I believe I can finish in a little over 6 hours.

One of my friends, a seasoned Ultra Marathoner (she’s completed two 100 milers and casually completes 50 milers like they are 5Ks) gave me this advice: “Walk all the hills (we’ve practiced that), and don’t stop moving forward. Walking is faster than standing there crying. Because I’ve done the crying thing and it doesn’t get you to the finish line any faster”.

Something to remember if it gets really tough on Saturday...

New York State of Mind

From my visit to the Big Apple back in August. Erica and I traveled there with my sister and her family via train from Boston. It was an unexpected, last minute trip. We crammed a lot of stuff into 48 hours - the Natural History Museum, the 911 Memorial and Museum, the MET, walks through Central Park and a ferry ride to Brooklyn for its amazing pizza.

Manhattan at dusk, from Brooklyn Park:


Cousins having a blast:


Julianni's Pizza, so yummy!


The Brooklyn Bridge At Night:


Bright Lights, City Nights


Later this week - Scenes from the Highline.

Out of the Panhandle - Palo Duro Canyon

Did you know the panhandle of Texas is the home to second largest canyon in the US?

Palo Duro Canyon State park, 30 minutes from Amarillo, emerges from a crest in the highway and you wonder if you've been transported out of Texas.

I visited the Amarillo area twice in 2016 - once with my daughter for her Collegiate Equestrian Competition, then again in September for work. During the first trip, I saw travel brochures featuring the Canyon, but I didn't have time to explore the area. In the fall, several of my co workers and I decided to take an afternoon to explore and hike one of the trails, the popular Lighthouse trail (6 miles round trip).

From the scenic overlook at the Visitor's Center


On the Lighthouse Trail, looking toward the Capitol Peak


The Road Runner doing what he does best - running away!


We made it to the Lighthouse.

You can climb up to the very top of the left structure. I chose not to. A group of teen boys passed us on the trail and they managed to get to the top.

Two of my co workers started the ascent to the top, but they stopped short when confronted by a 10 foot vertical section of rock. Age makes you smarter I think.


Proof I was there!


The sun started to set as we made our way back to the parking lot. Such beautiful colors in this canyon. If you ever find yourself traversing the Pan Handle of Texas, it's a great place to visit.