Happiest Thanksgiving Ever!

The only thing that could've made yesterday any better woulda been if the sisters could've run together (well... maybe if we had won an entry into a super cool relay race.... or won the lottery so we could afford to sign up for more traveling and super cool racing those might've been cooler).  But alas the stars did not align and so we "ran" our separate ways.  I at the Pilgram's Prance in Coast Guard Park and Mird on a training run with friends in the GC (Gratiot County).  At least we both primed our respective metabolisms in preparation for the Thanksgiving Feast(s) and at least we got to spend a lot of time together post runs!  And for that we were both VERY THANKFUL!

This year Black Friday means that Mird is busy peddling Christmas Trees at the family Christmas Tree Farm (Sidenote: our Grandpa has sold trees since we were knee high to a grasshopper and it is tradtion in our family to help with selling trees; as kids it was one of our favorite parts of the holiday season.  We spent every weekend at the farm helping families pick out the perfect tree!)  I wish I was selling trees, but I am the designated babysitter-- watching our five children, cleaning house and writing blogs (sidenote number 2 our grandma has health issues that makes having our kids around for long peirods of time stressful so we hung our for a few hours and then headed back to Base Camp (ie our parents farm))!  All is well, at least neither of us ended up at (H*ll) uh I mean Walmart this year!  We are still hoping to sneak away on a run later, but our mother in convinced we will be shot by a hunter if we run around these parts this time of year...so we will have to be very sneaky to do so... and possibly go after dark when everyone else is tucked all snug in their beds.  I guess it might seem like the good old days when we used to sneak out to go "hang out" with our friends....our mom never was a fan of "hanging out" and now that I have three kids of my own I understand why.

It wouldn't be Thanksgiving or the Pilgram Prance without a Pilgram!   

And it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without the Native Americans!

Later on we hope to sit around, drink a beer (or seven), possibly sneak out for a run and of course plan our next, crazy, epic and amazing running adventure in 2017!  

PS the Pilgrams Prance is a great event. It's free. It's local and lots of people come. The trails at Coast Guard Park are amazing challenging and oh so beautiful and if you happen to win (like I did two years ago) you get to dress as a pilgram or indian depending on your gender!  So fun and a killer workout too!

Happiest Thanksgiving to All and to All a good night!
Vern and Mird Out

A bunch of cheeseheads

Where to start with our latest sisterhood adventure is a bit of a conundrum.  Do we start with the amount of searching we did for just the right birthday race experience for my 40th!?  Or with the crazy early morning departure westward on my birthday Eve?  Or how about with the night we called our big sister and asked her to join in the fun... and she actually AGREED to come?  Man, I just don't know where to begin...Heck, I am just gonna start writing and hope it turns out okay. You know fly by the seat of my pants!

fly (or drive) by the seat of one's pants

phrase of pants

1. 1.

   informal

   rely on instinct rather than logic or knowledge. 
2. 
   
3. (my google search findings for this phrase;  this may actually be my lifestyle not just a momentary situational gig)

BACKGROUND

In our family (the one we grew up in not the one I am busy raising) we tend to overdue it in the celebration category and I don't mean we are drunk all the time (although occasionally we are), but we will use any excuse to throw a party.  Any. Excuse.  The neighbor's dog turned 10?  Oh, let's party.  We built a new fire pit!?  Let's throw a party.  We got done with hay season? Party.  You get the idea.  We like to party.  (We like, we like to party!)

RESEARCH
So anyhow, we did in fact spend countless hours trying to plan the perfect 40th party for me.  And of course, it had to involve an EPIC race because that's how I roll so the amount of research spent planning this thing was paramount to the research that Pfizer is spending trying to find a vaccine for cancer (or some other serious disease because I actually have no idea if they are searching for a vaccine for cancer or not).  We spent a lot of time searching for this race.  There were races in Vegas, Virginia, Maryland and Michigan being considered for the special day.  And we were struggling with the decision because just like Goldilocks none of them seemed "just right".  And then it happened, after all this time (and wine) because you have to drink wine while planning a party...and after all the back and forth debating the pros and cons of all the options, Mird found "The (just right) One",  Ragnar Relay Northwoods Trails.  I had heard of Ragnar because I know folks who have done road Ragnars, but I had no idea Ragnar also did the more rugged, out-in-nature, trail versions of these relay races.  And guess what?  The race started on my actual 40th birthday (a friday) which is typically a pretty hard day of the week to locate a race.  We knew we had to run the race, but also knew we needed other like-minded people willing to join us because we certainly couldn't run 130 miles in 24 hours alone.  Us sisters are pretty awesome, but not that AWESOME!

THE SEARCH FOR TEAM AWESOME
So we embarked on a serious campaign search for the perfect team.  We were so determined to do this race that our standards were fairly low, but we also wanted to be cautious because if you get one person who doesn't fit it can really destroy the chemistry of a team in a hurry.  I started by asking all my close friends who run.  This yielded an add on so we were up to 3.  We then turned all mafia style and started to make threats.  This yielded no new runners (shocking) but at this point in time the race entry fee was going to increase soon so we started to panic.  And then I went to run club... on a Wednesday night.  Eureka!  We added three runners (and at a later date a fourth from the group).  In hindsight, I should've started at runclub by its very definition it is full of runners and on Wednesdays everyone drinks a couple beers after the group run.  If you hit someone up for something like Ragnar, it is beneficial if they have a good buzz.  From there we knew we would be able to get a team together so we saved the date (ha it was my 40th birthday a hard date to forget) and figured we would continue on with our mission to fill our roster.

Third Sister
It is unclear exactly how our older sister, Dominica, came to be on our team.  There are several versions of the story.  She doesn't actually run so that is a bit perplexing, but she does know how to party so that part makes sense.  Anyhow, we invited her once and she said firmly no, but then somehow we invited her twice and she said yes.  It is possible that alcohol also played a roll in her commitment or it is also possible that an alien imposter agreed to her joining our team.  I dunno. Whatever happened that magical night when we called her for a second time and she (or an alien imposter who sounded like her) said, "Yes"; I am just truly thankful for whatever that was (alien life form, tequila or what have you) because  Dominica was just what our team needed.  Someone who gets things done and doesn't mess around and knows how to party, plays well with others and is willing to endure pain and sleep deprivation in the name of LOVE.   I am so PROUD of my big sister for kicking ass in Wisconsin and I am sure Mird feels the same.

The sisterhood is growing!!!

The Waiting Game
The worst part about any good party is the waiting.  Waiting is hard for me.  But the waiting is also important because it allows for the anticipation and excitement to build. For those who don't fly by the seat of their pants, it allows for planning.  For the next few months that is just what happened. Our team of 8 giddy school girls waited.  And then one of our giddy runner girls broke her wrist and she wasn't going to be able to run.  For a short time, we went into panic mode until Richard (who shares the same exact birthday as me he is just 3 years my junior) agreed to join our otherwise all female team.  At this precise moment in time, Team Awesome_Constantine-Birthday Bashers added another name to its already lengthy title, Richard's Angels.  Richard officially became my hero that day.

Preparation and Getting There
From there on out we were a team, forged together in the name of my 40th birthday party (Oh and in the name of running a lot on tough trails and in the name of tent camping and in the name of serious road trips). Everyone trained independently, but on September 22nd we would all join together for the voyage into Cheesehead Country (Wisconsin for anyone who doesn't know).  Just getting there proved to be a challenge as the weatherman called for flash floods and rain the week prior to the race and for the race a 30% chance of rain for the weekend as well.  Also, Dominica's flight out of DC was delayed resulting in her missing her connection to Wassau so Car Number Two had to rescue her.  This proved to be a blessing because it gave all my Runclub friends time to get to know her and vice versa. By the time they pulled into camp, Mird, Courtney and I (Car Number One) had camp all  settled and Dominica and all the Runclub members had bonded through the journey that is a four hour road trip through unending construction zones!

Race Day
On race day we ran.  A lot. Like 130ish miles.  Now unlike many relays, Ragnar Races run for 24 hours straight. Yes, you run through the woods in the pitch black cover of the overnight hours and you're all alone.   It is intimidating and many of our team members were nervous and anxious for their night time legs.  (Not me because I am super brave). But everyone finished their dark legs feeling a sense of major accomplishment and with a rush of endorphins second to none.  We raced better and faster than I ever could've dreamed and we celebrated 40 like it is going out of style (It's not though... it is still cool to be 40) and we finished the race which was an amazing indescribable feeling of euphoria.  We made so many great memories that I hardly noticed I got older at all!  And then it was over. In a flash, the whole dadgum, wonderful experience was done and we were packed up to head to the hotel.


Conclusions
The Ragnar Relay Northwoods was the absolute PERFECT 40th Birthday Celebration.  I am eternally grateful to each and everyone one of my team members for sharing in this wonderful day.

 Finish line frenzy!  

Look Who's 40!?  

PS  Who knew my 40th birthday would include a bunch of cheeseheads!? I certainly didn't, but now thanks to this adventure and my super thoughtful friends I have all these great memories and a super cool wine bottle topper that is a big chunch of cheese... and that my friends is priceless.

PPS the only possible drawback was the serious Ragnover (think running hangover and you get the idea) we had afterwards.

Wassau,Wisconsin State Number 6

Northwoods Trail

Vern out

We're back!

This past weekend we went on another sisterhood adventure!  I know; it's about damn time right?  Just a half hour away from Mird's place is this really stellar state park-- Sleepy Hollow State Park-- to be exact and we headed there for a 10k trail run.

A bit of background info on this one because it is helpful to truly appreciating the experience and because it makes me smile to tell you:

1.  The entry to this race was actually a prize we won for winning our respective age groups last year at a race.  Pretty cool prize right?--a free race is the best prize in my opinion

2. We headed to the race a bit nervous because-- the only other time we had ever been to this particular park was for a girl's camping weekend some eleven years prior when Mird got so lost she ended up in Flint or Kalamazoo or somewhere strange like that

So we were a bit on edge going into this thing given our history with Sleepy Hollow State Park.  We headed out early in case we got lost because you know us sisters truly are the directionally challenged, leading the directionally challenged!  Thankfully we brought Courtney with us because she had a smart phone and is likely a much better navigator that either of us.  Fate was on our side, as we drove directly to the park without incident. We arrived to be greeted by a chipper state employee who asked if "we were there for the race!" Wow we thought that was a great sign, until we followed her directions to find a mostly empty parking lot with a couple of "joggers" in it.  We immediately assumed we had the wrong start time and/or the park worker was playing a horrible joke on us!

We of course went into Nancy Drew mode and started investigating the area and interrogating the few people we found.  What we learned was this:

• We were in fact there on the correct day at the correct time.  
• There were roughly 30+ people running (in all three events combined)
• The race director seemed a bit uncertain (route, the mile markers, H2O stations etc) 
• As usual, there were cool runner people who had come out to the event

Well it was settled then; we were going to run a wild and crazy (and not-well marked) trail run with a few other cool people and probably get lost and/or be thirsty.  Let's Run!

And run we did!

 And here we are afterwards, completely exhausted and bonafide champions (3rd,4th and 1st place overall females!)

It was a great adventure!

PS  I now declare that I am a professional athlete!! There was a $20 prize for the overall male and female winners so I earned twenty bucks for this one!

Vern Out

To heck with that old saying

You know that old adage about absence makes the heart grow fonder!? I used to believe in it, but lately I am starting to think it is bogus.  Maybe absence just makes you sad...It all started Saturday when I wanted to hang with my sister at a super cool race and try to win some Maple Syrup...

First things first though, we totally need to live closer to each other.  My sister and I that is.  She ran a 10k race this past weekend and I wanted to go too. She did great too!  PR time and 9th out of 12 in her age group!.. I wanted to be there so badly, you know so the sisterhood could run together and celebrate together, but it didn't work out. Well, with the distance that separates our homes (101 miles to be exact I just "mapquested" it) joining her and making it to my son's soccer game Saturday morning was just not possible. So instead I awoke early and ran a training run 10k at the same time of day as her 10k race which I suppose is kind of cool and so we almost ran together... if only we had been in the same physical location that would've been so much cooler.  Instead it sucked because we were apart, running alone with some 100 plus miles separating us...At least my son scored two goals so it was a great game and I wouldn't have wanted to miss that.

Does any of this make sense?  What does this all mean?!?  It means we need to move closer together. duh!  No worries. We have a slick retirement plan that includes cohabitation so in good time this will be a non issue. In the meantime, I will leave you with these silly, yet entertaining sister-related graphics I found when I googled, "what to do if you miss your sister like crazy".

This was obviously the most relevant one! And it has cute kittens in it so we get bonus points for those, right?!  I think this picture alone will definitely boost this blog post!

Now I am not certain because I am not Mird, but I am fairly sure that she has made similar comments of this nature about me to other people along life's journey. Many times. In many places. A lot...

But the real joke is on her because I always say this in regards to our little sister situation:

So Mird, I still think you should move to Nunica soon because I miss you like crazy, but until then I will leave you with these kind words...

  I think it is safe to say we are not just flowers from the same garden, but we are in fact the same variety of flowers and possibly even identical, twin flowers, who dress and act similarly... you know if just such a thing exists.  I have no idea because I am just a marginal Biologist at best, not an incredible botanist like you!

Happy Monday! 

Love ya, Mird, great job at the race! You did awesome!!

PS the race gives maple syrup as a prize to the winners which unfortunately my training run did not suffice as a finisher time and even if it had I was WAY TO SLOW to get any of the sticky stuff.

Vern Out

Is it Dublin, or doubling our fun?

We choose both!  Doubling and Dublin both apply to this crazy adventure!  Remember how our last story informed you that we signed up for a bunch of races when we got together to celebrate Valentines Day?  Well this past weekend was that race weekend--The we probably drank one too many beers and signed up for a bunch of races without really thinking it out too well--weekend.  It all worked out so I say drink on my friends (and run on too otherwise the drinking will catch up with you)!  We definitely had double the fun at these Dublin themed races! And We did the math...23 kilometers in 24 hours! Ahhhhmazing!

We found a real live leprechaun at the end of our 10k!!! IF that ain't lucky, then well I don't know what is.

And we had a ton of fun with various friends!!! Thanks to Dierdre, Sarah, Jane, Kate, Courtney, Becca, a bunch of fired up kids (Sarah and Jane's crew) and some really nice folks we met along the way.  We had a really terrific weekend!!!

It was the perfect therapy for us after the awful MSU loss Friday night.  GO GREEN!

PS I had a first during our adventure...I accidentally touched a guy's butt at the start of the Bay City 8k.  I didn't just brush up against him, but I basically grabbed his butt. It was embarrassing, but I survived and moved on. Then as I started the 5k, I heard  a voice from the sidewalk yell "hey ass grabber, have a great run!"  That was a first experience I don't hope to repeat any time soon; the guy involved was a really good sport so if you happen to read this "butt got grabbed guy" thanks for not giving me too hard of a time.

Mird and Vern OUT-- training for our next running adventure most likely!

Double Trouble

So us sisters went ahead and did something totally crazy this weekend!  I guess you can call it our own little Valentine's gift to ourselves...Or we can think of it this way which is a lot more fun and creative...We got a serious and acute, case of race sign-up frenzyitis.  It is a condition that can become chronic if left untreated whereby runners lose control over their common sense and other faculties and sign up for races without really thinking about it cerebrally, or with a shred of common sense. This condition is often found in combination with a drinking binge or with drug use but in our most recent case we were not under the influence.  However, we signed up for 3 races over St Patty's Day Weekend (March 19&20) in the matter of about five minutes time!  That might be some kind of record, but I am not sure.

So this St Patty's Day forget about us being lucky, we will be super fit and super having fun at a bunch 'o races!  You will see us out at the Claire Festival of Races 10k on Saturday and the Bay City Double Challenge (which consists of an 8k followed by a 5K race) on Sunday.  Isn't it awesome baby!?  23 kilometers in 26 hours time!  It makes me feel like this!

Vern and Mird looked a lot like this after they signed up for all this craziness!

or maybe they looked more like this:

Either way we are just a couple of happy dawgs gearing up for some fun running adventures!  And we just wanted to let everyone know in case they feel like joining the sisterhood for any of these upcoming adventures.  Or maybe just coming out to cheer for us that would be cool too!!!  Here are the registration links for both races:

Clare Registration March 19, 2016

Bay City St Patty's Day Double Challenge March 20, 2016

Hope to see some of our fans, or fellow running addicts, out at these wonderful events.

PS special thanks to my mom for helping with childcare for the weekend so that I can get away for this adventure!

PPS

Vern and Mird Out... on a training run most likely!  Now that we signed up for all these crazy 23 kilometers of races next month, we better get into shape!

The Lone Star State

This is long past due, but in my defense I have been gone a lot in 2016; Our laundry actually has a zip code of its own, work is really busy and remember I have 3 kids and a husband.  The good news.... along the way we somehow fit in a sisterhood race!!!

Anyhow, the whole Texas thing was last minute and was the result of our Spartans playing AWESOME football the last few weeks of the season and landing themselves in the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas! Yeah!  Arlington just happens to be a mere 6 hours from our Granny's house where we would be that very same week...I think you see where the story is heading...

That's right, TEXAS and The COTTON BOWL!  

This was before the game so Jeff was still smiling!

Mird and I being the excellent wives that we are bought our husbands tickets to the game!  And then, of course, we signed up for a trail run the following morning so that we could get Texas off our list.  We recognize a great opportunity when we see one!

If there is one thing you take away from this story it is this; You must understand, the Lone Star State was not kind to us: it kind of chewed us up, swished us around for a bit in a nasty smoker's mouth and then spit us out, dirty, exhausted and beaten down.  Not kind at all, but through it all we kept our heads held high, our spirits in check (for the most part) and most importantly we finished the damn race.

Here's what "chewed up and spit out" meant for this trip:

• The Cotton Bowl was a big part of it; 38-0 is just painful 
• Driving 6 hours with 5 kids to be blanked... in Cotton Bowl... by Alabama
• Hotel evacuation: 5 kids, pajamas clothed, 12 flights of stairs, without beer 
• Our beer got warm during the evacuation
• Trail run modified to a road race because of wet trail conditions
• Texas temperatures colder than MI
• We hoped to visit Jeff's cousin and that didn't work out
• The Daniels detoured through Oklahoma accidentally
• Did I mention the Cotton Bowl!?

State Number 5 Texas Cedar Hill State Park

Post run picture with our medals (made of cedar!)

Despite all of the chewing, swishing and spitting during this trip, it was a great start to what is proving to be a great year!  We ran the race together just the two of us and while it sucked being on pavement instead of rugged trails, we started our new year together running so we can hardly complain.  We have more race adventures in the planning stages so stay tuned for our next running domination dream...State Number 6!

 Happy New Years 2016

GO GREEN!!!