Races

Upon having a conversation with our neighbors last week that started with "um, you guys like to exercise a lot, huh?"  We decided that we have 2 options.  Either (A) stop our 11:00 pm basement interval sessions with me on the treadmill and Aaron on the road bike trainer, TV turned up as loud as the volume will go (do you know how LOUD a treadmill and trainer can be in an echoing half-finished basement?), all with the windows wide open for air flow or (B) move to a home in a more remote location where this kind of behavior can't be heard by the neighbors.  Ooops. I prefer Option B.  Just so ya know.
Aaaaaanyway...
Two weeks ago Aaron and I were eating dinner (I think it was a Thursday night) when we realized that we had BOTH signed up for races the same day, the same time.  Not just any ordinary races either.  Aaron had his greatly anticipated Heber Century bike race and I had the long-coming Dirty Dash.  So we convinced Grandpa to babysit (which really didn't take ALL that much convincing) and parted ways.
I was able to make the start AND finish line of Aaron's race.  Because obviously I run faster than he can bike.  (ignore the glaring fact of bike race=107 miles, dirty dash=6.4 miles).
A little background info, the Dirty Dash is a 10k race traversing mountain trails covered in deep mud.  Oh, and add in some obstacle courses and a massive mud covered slip and slide.  Teams of five could help each other along.  It was by far the most fun time running I think I have had yet.
These ended up being the last races of the season for us - and what a great way to end.  Aaron killed the bike race and mom and I... well the Dirty Dash was more of a race to see who could get muddiest, moreso than finish time.  So I would say we were successful as well.

This is at the finish line with our good friend Travis.  Travis is his race/riding buddy.

Here is our team pre-race waiting for our start time.  Nice and clean.  I think there were around 4,000 racers.

Coming up to the finish line.  You had to go through this massive mud pit to cross the finish.

After...

Washing off via fire hose.

 

I also competed in my first triathlon this fall.  I used to swim competitively when I was young (I blame my unusually wide shoulders on being a well-versed butterflier at age 5), but I haven't swam since college.  That was over 5 years ago.  Man I seem OLD.  But how hard could it be right?  The swimming portion was just in the pool.  One of my really good friends did it with me.  Even though we didn't find out we were both doing it until a party the night before.  I was just doing it for fun, as a goal I guess to prove to myself.  But when we left directly after I finished (baby was SOOOO sick, and it was horrible weather) I got a call from Ari saying I placed!  Holy Cow! 

  

(I am the one in the 3rd lane up... next to the guy in the red swim cap.)