We came across this video and had to post it on here. Aside from being a fun video (and you know how we like our videos) the song is fun too! We’re just jealous that we didn’t think of this first! Enjoy!

A professional display of 50 No Handed Bike Moves* performed to “Golden Tree” by Martin Brooks.

More from Martin Brooks here: http://www.myspace.com/martinbrooks
http://vimeo.com/user4541890

Made by www.niniandoff.com
http://twitter.com/NinianDoff

*approved by the Official Federation of No Handed Bikes Skills ™

We both woke up to the alarm at 5:00AM, but neither of us moved towards actually getting out of bed.  When I heard rain hit the rooftop at 7, I justified it by saying that if we had gotten up to run, we would have been soggy and miserable.  After hitting snooze for the umpteenth time we finally rolled out of bed close to 11.  Oops.  Knowing our plans for that night had been canceled, we chose instead to make a day of it and then go for my 14 mile run around 7 or so when the sun was starting its descent and would start to cool off a little.  Our errands took us out around Mugs Up in Independence around 5:30.  Christopher has raved about these burgers since we started dating, and knowing it might be a good calorie boost (and hoping it wouldn’t make me sick instead!) I opted to try it out.  We had the famous whiz burgers and fries before heading back home to get ready to run.

Once home we cranked the music, started sipping on our energy drinks, and set about preparing to head out to my favorite starting point at Oak Grove Park.  Christopher made sure his bike was aired up and ready to go while I got my head screwed on straight.  We packed a cooler, made a pit stop at the gas station for supplies, and were off and running by 7:30PM. Because Christopher’s shins have been sore and giving him problems, he opted to sit today’s run out entirely and just bike along with me.  He has enough time between now and September 17th to prepare for the Wakarusa Challenge without having to push himself and risk injury.   At this point he’s planning on taking this whole next week off to let his body heal in the hopes that he will be rested and fresh and ready to hit the pavement in full force the following week.  He’s at such a great point in his training that he has very little work to do to get himself in optimum running condition before the challenge.

Even though it was still close to 90 degrees, it didn’t feel as hot and humid as it had been.  I viewed the first loop, which is 4 miles around, as a warmup.  It took me a little while to find my stride and settle in; because of the big meal beforehand I felt a little heavy and slow, and I was burping up whiz burgers the first few miles I have to say, although at the time it didn’t feel smart, the mini carb load seemed to help!  The next 4 miles felt better, and I started picking up the pace. My long runs are extremely important to me; it’s basically a race simulation and an environment in which I can figure out what works for me and what doesn’t.  For instance, I consumed a Power Bar Energy Gel with caffeine at mile 8 which seemed to give me the added boost of energy that I needed.  Water was the drink of choice for this run; I didn’t seem to need Gatorade as much.  I use trial and error and will try different things during my longer runs on the weekends to see what method will be the most efficient for me on race day.  I want to try to train my body to get by with as little as possible without impeding my run.  I think about life during my long runs…heck, I’m running for over 2 hours, so this gives me lots of quality introspection time! To be honest, what fuels me and keeps me moving forward when it gets tough is the thought that this is why I’m doing it: It hurts.  It’s hard.  I have an uncanny ability to put up with really difficult situations for an extremely long time.  I envision this challenge, this goal that I’m reaching for as one that is making me grow and become that much better.  So I welcome the pain…I welcome the side stitches, the leg cramps, the cold chills, and blackouts.  Adapt and overcome.  What I go through now will make those 26.2 miles in October that much easier.

Christopher decided to bring along his Schwinn Cutter which was something of a crap shoot.  We’ve had the worst luck in keeping his rear tire aired up; it seems every time he goes to ride it the back tire goes flat.  To our good fortune he was able to ride along with me without incident! As the sun set we could see an approaching storm to the south and lightning in the distance.  There was a nice cool breeze which helped keep me from overheating.  I stopped every 4 miles to refuel with water and gatorade, thanks to Christopher who was at the ready with anything I needed.  Toward the end of my long runs I will usually stop more frequently as needed to stretch my aching legs and grab some water.  I was able to complete the 14 miles in 2:06, not including stops for water; I felt very happy with this! I love that this was how we spent our Saturday night! I feel so very fortunate to have a husband who not only supports me on these crazy ventures of mine but will come along wholeheartedly, supporting me, and cheering me on the whole way.  He makes training seem not like a chore but a privilege and something I look forward to.  It’s easier to do something that is so mentally and physically draining when you have your favorite person by your side.  I’m a very lucky woman.  I look forward to every chance I get to return the favor.

Well, this completes week 5 of training, and I really couldn’t be happier with the way things are progressing thus far.  I feel great; I’m strong, positive, and injury free.  I just hope that I’m still feeling the same way at the end of the 16th week!  Catch you all on the flip side!

M&C

Like always, we had plans to go to bed early Friday night in an attempt to get up at the crack of dawn to get in a long bike ride and run before the heat of the day set in. Like always, we failed that attempt and didn’t get up at 6am like we wanted; rather we rolled out of bed around 10:30, and it was already close to 90 degrees. My marathon training called for a 12 mile run that day, and since we had our Rock the Crossroads 5K scheduled that night at 7:30, I decided to run the remaining 9 miles beforehand for a collective 12. Even with the heat soaring around noon, I was able to get in 5 miles outside with Christopher biking alongside me; he took it fairly slow with me in an attempt to conserve some energy and not overexert ourselves. We didn’t want to be too exhausted for our run that evening! We then headed to the gym where he got in a strong arm workout, and I ran the last 4 miles on the treadmill. We had just enough time to get in some food and lie down for about 30 minutes before we had to start getting ready for the race.

Our friend Tom met us at our house, and the three of us headed out for Grinders in  the Crossroads of KC where the race would start and finish. It was extremely hot and humid and well over 90 degrees. There were over 700 people who had signed up, and crowds were milling about as we walked over to the start. The course looped around Grinders and through downtown KC, and there was one killer of a hill to climb! There were a few water stations along the way and thankfully some kind people with hoses and sprinklers to cool off! The heat and humidity were a little overwhelming, but we were able to complete all 3.1 miles in 31 minutes and 25 seconds, making this Christopher’s 2nd official 5K! He’s well under way to becoming prepared for his 6 mile run in September at the Wakarusa Off-Road Challenge, and his determination and desire to take on new challenges never ceases to amaze me.  I am so proud of him, and he continues to inspire me!  Tom finished 5th in his age group with a time of  21:21.  Congratulations, Tom!

After the race we cooled down with LOTS of water and a towel soaking in ice. We were drenched with sweat but still headed over to Grinders with the rest of the crowd to celebrate with a chili bomb pizza and delicious beer! The night ended up gorgeous and somewhat cool, and we spent the rest of the night relaxing and enjoying live music. Our 2nd 5K race together was another success! Check out our video below and the links for photos and race results.

Stay tuned for our next adventure!

M&C

Rock the Crossroads 2011 Race Results

Rock the Crossroads 2011 Photos

For the second year in a row, I entered the Tour de Cure benefit bicycle ride.  This year I was able to raise $280 to help the fight for the cure for Diabetes.  Instead of killing myself on my single gear or fixie, I opted for putting road tires on my mountain bike.  This would help me with speed and make the ride a little easier.  The weather was great; it was a little cloudy with a threat of rain, but we lucked out.  Some friends of mine, Gary and Chris, joined me on the 40 mile route.  The beginning of the ride I had some issues with the shifting and the derailer on my bike.  Thankfully there were bike mechanics at the first sag stop that helped enable my shifting better for the ride.  After that it was smooth sailing and good times.  There were a few hills that were a bit menacing, but nonetheless we were able to finish in a timely fashion and still have a good time.  All in all it was a good day with a good ride, and the rain stayed away.  I was especially happy that I had Mandy at every stop waiting for me.  It made every stop a little more enjoyable.  Next year, I might possibly own a good road bike for this event and do the 60 mile route.  Thanks again to everyone who helped my efforts by donating to the charity.

Christopher

Well it is quickly approaching that time again: marathon training starts June 27^th! After the marathon last October I had decided to take a little hiatus from running and hadn’t planned on training for any full marathons for at least a year or two.  Training is extremely time consuming, and it seems as though life revolves around squeezing in workouts and keeping up with proper nutrition.  I’ve been lucky enough to have an insanely supportive partner who not only puts up with my neurotic training schedule and excessive need for perfection, but he also comes with me on my long runs and is my number one fan and helper.

I was slightly disappointed with my last marathon; the heat required me to cut short some of my longer runs, and I didn’t feel like I had the level of endurance needed to reach the goal of breaking 3:50:00 that I had set for myself.  I hit a wall at mile 21 and barely finished the remaining 5 miles.  I was also extremely happy and relaxed with my relationship and my life, and the “inner rage” that I usually rely on to fuel myself and push myself harder was suddenly gone.  I am definitely not complaining; but Happy Mandy is not conducive to be molded into the badass marathon runner that I wanted to be!

After October I set my sights on lifting heavy to put on a little muscle and to be more available for bike rides with Christopher.  He started running more, and we entered 5K races over the winter to stay active; we also collected more bicycles and completed some longer distance bike rides.  It was a great change of pace, but then I got the itch.  Running a mile here and there turned to two miles, and then to 3, and then before I knew it I was back up to cranking out 6 miles.  Running in my Vibrams, I took my runs outside to become acclimated to the shoes and change of stride…and then I got hurt.  At the height of my motivation I was sidelined for 7 weeks with a foot injury and am just now able to run without pain.  I bought the new Saucony Kinvara minimalist shoes with a little more support than the Vibrams, and they seem to be doing the trick. 

Seeing how much I miss training for races and how I long to push myself again, Christopher insisted I sign up for the Waddell & Reed Kansas City full marathon on October 15^th.  Acting like a child at Christmas, I’ve plotted out my training runs starting June 27^th. Injury cooperating, I’ll be running around the Northland again in the blazing heat with Christopher trailing behind me on his bike, setting my sights on 26.2 miles on October 15^th! Thank you to everyone who has supported us during all of our activities; we look forward to having you along with us on this adventure as well!

I leave you with a video of my most recent running song obsession…Enjoy!

 M&C