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By kilax, July 30, 2014 5:29 am

One last RAGBRAI post – because I have to share Steven and Mom’s adventures.

As anyone who’s spectated an endurance event knows – it’s no easy task! You’re up at the same time (or before!) the athlete, you’re hauling their stuff around, you’re taking photos, you’re tracking them, driving or running around to see them, you’re cheering them on… woot woot, let’s hear it for the spectators! Who is/are your pro spectator(s)?

I tried to be somewhat helpful by creating a map for them of our bike route* and the pass-through towns where they could meet us. I was hoping we’d get a chance to go over a potential route for them to take, but we didn’t have the time, so I just advised they stay south of the course, and not try to cross it. 

It’s crazy when you look at this map and see how little of Iowa that the course actually goes through! That is why they change it each year.

Steven was really getting in to spectating. You’ve seen the movie, Twister, right? He was likening what their day would be like to that movie. You know, pulling over in a corn field and throwing a map on the car hood to try to figure out where to go, getting passed by the pros (Lance Armstrong’s bus), driving through cornfields… gosh, he was cracking me up. I was happy he was so enthusiastic! 

So, my map is above, and I drew this map below to show what actually transpired. 

The first item on the agenda was breakfast and coffee, but when they got on the highway and saw bikes on an adjacent road, they decided to take an exit on the off chance they would see us, and they did!

Then the search for coffee/food (and added, bathrooms) was on. They got to the second pass-through town (Lamont) quite a bit before us and had time to get all those things (taken care of). Steven texted me to say where they were right as we were walking by that spot. Happy coincidence!

I said to Steven after the event, “We never got a photo of you with your donut and coffee! How am I supposed to document what you and Mom were up to?!”

Oh wait, the GoPro did. Thanks, GoPro!

At this point, their stories were a bit on the tame side – they didn’t have to park very far away, they helped someone else with directions, etc. 

The plan after this was to meet them in Strawberry Point, the third pass-through town. My mom REALLY wanted to Steven to see the big strawberry. Well, if you look at the map, they tried to get there, but it didn’t happen. They had to cross the bike course, and on a gravel road, to see us, then cross back at some point after. I got a text from Steven that we’d see them in pass-through town four, Edgewood, instead. 

But Steven and Mom didn’t waste their time trying to get there. They saw the perfect spot to stop and set up the tripod and pose for their Twister photo. Freaking dorks. I love it. 

(the actual photo)

This is when Steven told my mom about his brother’s idea for the “Photographer Photographer” book – a book of photographers taking photographs. This has been a family joke for a few years, so I quite often take a photo of Steven taking pictures and send it to Andrew. Mom’s in on it too, now. 

Continue reading 'RAGBRAI Day 7 – Pro Spectators'»

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By kilax, July 29, 2014 12:34 pm

This is not a sponsored post. My husband and his family gave me a GoPro for my birthday. 

It was so nice to have the GoPro to use at RAGBRAI Day 7. I knew I would want to take photos to document our trip, but definitely didn’t want to use my cell phone – that’s just too dangerous (for me, anyway). 

With the GoPro mounted on my helmet, the trip documentation was a second thought and I just enjoyed the ride! This is a big deal for someone who is constantly getting their phone out to take pictures – it felt so freeing! I never worried about capturing anything, but I was super curious/excited to see what the GoPro did take photos of!

As we started the trip, I set it to take a photo every 60 seconds (it goes down to a photo every .5 seconds!), and only looked at it a few times at stops to make sure it was still taking photos. I also stopped toward the end to switch it over to video camera mode for our descent in to the finish (which I could have done via an app but did manually). And that was all the futzing around I did with it. The GoPro is super easy to use and I am stoked to use it MOAR!!! My parents gave me a head strap for it so I can take it on runs, too (in case I don’t want to wear my helmet when running… maybe not a bad idea?!). 

The only bad thing during the ride was that I think the weight of it made my neck a bit sore – but that could be my bad posture on the bike. Also, it ran out of battery half way through. BUT! My friend Dave had loaned me TWO batteries (cause he rocks) so I was all set with a spare to swap it out!

So, anyway. Along with my earlier post about the ride, I wanted to share what the GoPro was documenting. It remembered a lot more than I did! (There are only two things I am bummed it didn’t capture – the “giant” strawberry in Strawberry Point (so I could show Steven how not giant it is and my mom would see it’s okay that he didn’t get to see it) and the Amish communities we rode by. I am happy it did NOT capture the road kill that people decorated… even though Dad found that very amusing.)

Continue reading 'RAGBRAI Day 7 – Let the GoPro tell the story'»

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By kilax, July 29, 2014 7:12 am

Wow. RAGBRAI was so much fun. It completely exceeded everything I imagined it would be. I can see why it’s something people do over and over again!

And that I got to ride it with my dad is so darn cool. I love to see him challenging himself with these workout goals… and enjoying them, too! 

So let’s see… last year I asked him to run a 5K with me “for my birthday,” and we did that on July 27. This year I asked him to cycle 70 miles with me “for my birthday” and we did that on July 26. Any ideas on what I should ask Dad to do next year? Ha ha ha. He already said no to a swimming event. 

Let’s back up a bit. What is RAGBRAI? And wasn’t I supposed to ride this with Will? (Skip the next two paragraphs if you already know the answers to these questions!)

RAGBRAI is an acronym for the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa. It’s a non competitive biking event that started in 1973 when two writers for the Des Moines Register decided to bike across Iowa, invited readers to join them, and wrote about it during the event. It’s grown each year, and now it’s a week long event, that includes a start point (at the Missouri River) and an end point (at the Mississippi River) and six overnight stops in between. It maxes out at 8,500 week riders and 1,500 day riders (but so many ride without registering).  The total route varies between 400-500 miles each year, with varying distances between stops, and a different route each year.

You can ride the whole week or get day passes, and this year, the route was perfect for me to ride the last day – it started near my hometown, and ended in the town my grandmother lives in! I signed Will and myself up in January, then he found out in April he had to be in a wedding the same day as the ride. It just didn’t work out. So I asked my dad in April if he would take Will’s spot (he officially transferred his name) and he (eventually, ha!) said yes! Woo hoo! I think he actually put more miles in training then me, and even got slicker tires for his bike. He was ready to go!!!

So on to the start, already!

You can begin the day’s ride as early/late as you want. You just have to be to the overnight town by a certain time.  I wanted to hit the road (cycling) by 7:00 am. I was thinking we would average 10mph with stops, and finish at 2:00pm… giving us enough time to hit up the beach and soak our tired legs in the afternoon. Ha ha, priorities!

Steven ordered a new bike rack to use for this event (and after) and I LOVE it – it’s so easy to use!

We picked my parents up in my hometown, to make the thirty minute drive to the start in Independence. The coordination of this event is a bit tricky (and even more so for people who do the whole week!), since you start and stop someplace different. How do you get to the start and back home from the finish? Luckily, my mom and dad left a car in the finish town earlier in the week – so that they would have a way home after the ride, and Steven and my mom could use our car during the ride, then we could drive it home after. Confusing, right? Anyway.

My mom’s brother, Rob, was actually riding the entire week of RAGBRAI, so we met him to start together in Independence. He looked pretty… rough. He said he was happy to be almost done. I’ll get in to it more later, but I think I would like to do this again, but probably only a day or two. 

All week I had been planning what to bring in my jersey. I didn’t want to bring anything I’d not use… or forget anything. I am happy to report I used everything I brought!

Oh, and we got SO MANY comments on our jerseys, which is funny, because the review I read on Amazon (where I bought them) said the same thing. People really think they are funny! “Did you guys run out of gas?” “You should eat more beans and fiber!” “I don’t think my wife would let me wear that!” Of course, I got them to be a bit funny… we aren’t always so gas-less.

I wasn’t quite sure if there was a specific “start” point in town. Looking at the map, it looked like there was a road “out” for the day’s ride, so we just got close to that, and soon enough we joined up with a huge group of cyclists!

Riding in such a big group was really exciting. There was a great vibe/energy to it. Dad and I both agreed it was most fun when we were around a big group. And mostly everyone had fantastic riding etiquette, calling passes, calling out rumble strip or cracks in the road, car up/ car back, signaling if they were coming on or off the road. I never felt worried or boxed in or anything (we did see a few crash aftermaths though – not sure if it was people colliding or just falling off their bike).

Continue reading 'RAGBRAI Day 7 – Ride Report'»

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By kilax, July 28, 2014 8:33 am

Highlight of the Week: Riding the last day of RAGBRAI with my dad!

Monday | July 21, 2014: 6 m run (w/Kelly) + teaching strength class + 3 m run (w/Bobbi)
Loc: Grayslake, Temp: 60°/61°, Time: 1:00:16, Pace: 10:03 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good/happy
Strength: Kettlebells and plyo box with boxing, Difficulty: medium, Felt: so sweaty
Loc: Grayslake, Temp: 84°/81°, Time: 32:32, Pace: 10:51 avg, Difficulty: medium, Felt: wiped. out.
Tuesday | July 22, 2014: rest
Wednesday | July 23, 2014: rest
Thursday | July 24, 2014: 4.5 m run (w/Kelly) + Softball Game #9
Loc: Grayslake, Temp: 54°/53°, Time: 43:59, Pace: 9:45 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: surprisingly good!
Friday | July 25, 2014: teaching strength class + 4 m run (w/Dawn)
Strength: Kettlebells and plyo box with boxing, Difficulty: easy, Felt: sort of tired
Loc: Grayslake, Temp: 57°/60°, Time: 41:37, Pace: 10:24, Difficulty: easy, Felt: surprisingly good (again!)
Saturday | July 26, 2014: RAGBRAI Day 7 (71.05 m, w/Dad) + 3.1 m ride (w/Dad)
Loc: Independence to Guttenberg, Temp: 64°/79°, Time: 5:18:38, Pace: 13.4 mph avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: great
Loc: Guttenberg, Time: 17:57, Pace: 10.4 mph avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: saddle sore
Sunday | July 27, 2014: 14 m run (w/Dad on bike for 12)
Loc: Guttenberg, Temp: 70°/74°, Time: 2:47:22, Pace: 11:57 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: pretty good

Notes:

• The reason for the front-loaded Monday workouts is that I was in the office all day Tuesday and Wednesday, and I typically rest on “in office” days because of the 3+ hour (total, daily) commute. It’s time to get back in to the groove of working out on those days though! I typically only go to my office one day a week and use that as my rest day, but I’ll be down there more now, and I need to fit in workouts on those days, like I used to when I was down there 4-5 days a week! When are the trains going to have a “workout” car?! Ha ha. 
• We only have one softball game left! Crazy how fast the season has gone by! I am curious to see who on our team will want to play again next year. 
• RAGBRAI was SO MUCH FUN. And the day just flew by! I am really excited to telling you guys all about it, and share the photos from Steven, my mom, Grandma, my brother and the GoPro!
• I’m incredibly pleased I actually did my long run the day after RAGBRAI. I didn’t get much sleep Thursday or Friday night, and felt exhausted! But… I knew I’d be really annoyed with myself if I didn’t get it in, and luckily, I had my dad to keep me company (on his bike). I was surprised how good I felt taking it nice and easy – my legs weren’t sore at all! 

Link to Training Week 248

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By kilax, July 25, 2014 7:05 am

Do you use certain text or ring tones for specific people? Who gets their own? Or do you just use the default on your phone?

I recently wiped my phone clean to start fresh with a new OS, and before I did, I took note of all the special ring and text tones I use, so I could set them up again. For whatever reason (my innate anxiety?) I feel better if I know who is calling or texting, when I hear my phone doing something. When I hear the default noise, I am all “WHO IS THAT AND WHAT DO THEY WANT?”

Just me? Ha ha. 

Of course, I keep my phone on silent most of the time anyway. But on the off chance I don’t have silence turned on…  

And… TwoThree other random things!

1. This is a week of two anniversaries for me! July 21 was my blogiversary, and today is the anniversary of when I got my ACE personal trainer certification! Woo hoo! I have my continuing education already done (for the two year period) and have my eye on another certification. 
2. My mom called me this morning, very excited, because she saw Lance Armstrong’s support RV in our hometown. He must be doing RAGBRAI this year?
3. And as an update to the last Friday question… Steven and his family gifted me a GoPro as an early birthday gift! I can’t wait to use it during RAGBRAI!

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By kilax, July 24, 2014 6:12 am

It’s so much fun to hear and follow everyone’s geographical/numerical/etc racing goals – 50 marathons by (age) 50, 30 half marathons by (age) 30, marathons on every continent, halves in every state, all of the races in a series, and so on!

I was looking at my past data, and noticed I’ve raced in a new-to-me state for the past four years (states in order raced that year, new state bolded):

2007: IL, IA
2008: IL, IA
2009: IL, WI, IA
2010: IL, WI, IA
2011: IL, IA, WI, MO, NY
2012: NY, IL, IA, WI, MO, IN
2013: NY, IL, WI, UT, KS, IA
2014: IL, TX, WI, IA, KS

I am not one to set goals… but maybe a race in a new state (or country!) each year could be a fun one! I already have a good head start, right (that is the trick to setting a goal – something you’ve already done/know you can do, ha ha)?

Do you have any specific geographical or numerical (or whatever!) running/exercise goals? How many states have you raced in?

I could see myself racing in Minnesota, Michigan, Colorado, California or Alaska next year. Now the trick is, if I am going to be serious about the goal, to spread out the travel. Ha ha ha, who am I kidding? I take most travel opportunities, look for races every time I travel, and am awful with goals. Let’s see how far I get with this!

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By kilax, July 23, 2014 12:07 pm

Would you wear a bracelet that allows you to instantly send Facebook friend requests to people you just met? Or would you use one at an event… for funsies?

Don’t worry, this bracelet can do other things as well. Like allow you entry to places. Or you can make payments with it.

Confused yet? Or maybe interested? Ha ha.

It’s funny that on the same day I was thinking about how fantastic it is to have Facebook to stay in touch with people I might never see again (like my snister’s fabulous bridesmaids) that I read this this opinion article (pdf here) about how these bracelets being used for a festival in Belgium allow you to instantly Facebook “friend” anyone you just meet (and also gain access to places, and so on). Simply stand next to them and press your “heart” button at the same time, and BOOM!, you’re Facebook friends (of course, after linking your account to the bracelet). IT’S SO EASY!!!

Wait, why can’t we just take the person’s name and search for them on Facebook later or the next day?

NO! SO MANY STEPS!

Hee hee.

This reminds me of the Bump app that (before it was shut down) allowed people to share contact information and files, by “bumping” their phones together. Nifty (I never used it). Of course, the difference between that and Facebook is that right away you are connected to a lot of information about that person, and somewhat guaranteed future encounters – if the Facebook algorithms show you their posts. 

When I first read that article on Friday I was thinking I would never use something like that. That I can just take someone’s name and look them up later (I have before). 

But then it dawned on me – this would actually be useful for my RAGBRAI ride this Saturday! Everyone’s ride kit included this little license plate to hang on the back of your bike, to spark conversation. I am sure it will, and I look forward to meeting lots of interesting people. And yes, maybe some that I would like to keep in touch with in the future!

Hmm, hmm, what to put for hometown?

And I am not going to want to get my phone out and mess with it (or drain the battery). I will want something quick and easy. Of course, NOT to use while riding. That is just a bad idea. Both hands on the bike for me, at all times!

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By kilax, July 23, 2014 6:02 am

Who’s your celebrity boyfriend/girlfriend? You know, your celebrity crush?!

I seem to stick with super heroes lately – Chris Hemsworth and Henry Cavill. 

My snister and I actually have an ongoing pretend (???) argument about whether Chris is actually her boyfriend or my boyfriend. I thought her getting married may seal the deal (that he’s MINE*) but I guess not:

So I was very surprised to get this package in the mail…

… does this mean Chris is mine now?!

Or maybe he’s just on loan? Either way, I am very happy he’s here to visit. I asked Christina where to put him.

“In your bed obv”

Okay!

Sweet dreams, right?

This gift just cracked me up SO much. I was giggling the whole time I opened it and when I set it up, too. Thanks, snister! I can’t wait to watch our boyfriend… with our boyfriend. Ha ha. 

*Plus the whole Chris and Chris thing just doesn’t work, right?

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By kilax, July 22, 2014 12:15 pm

You know the part of your brain that helps you connect sounds to decipher what someone is saying? When you don’t hear them and need to use logic/common sense to figure it out? I don’t think that part of my brain works. I’m constantly mishearing things:

Steven telling me something is off with his coffee:
What I heard: It doesn’t taste crushed.
What he said: It doesn’t taste fresh.

Steven pointing out a building we’re driving by:
What I heard: mind reading
What he said: winery

The hostess asking me a question when we get to Red Robin:
What I heard: Are you part of a party?
What she said: How many?

Steven’s response after I joined the air drum solo late on a car ride:
What I heard: Get out of the van
What he said: You’re out of the band

Rachel pointing something out to me at the Kansas City market:
What I heard: She’s smoking out of a clarinet!
What she said: She’s drinking out of a coconut!

It must be a blast to talk to me, ha ha! I hope it’s at least amusing.

WHAT’D YOU SAY?!

Seriously though, I don’t understand why I can’t “connect the dots” when I mishear something. It happens every day (it was fun to pick and choose the examples for this post). It’s frustrating for me, and even more, for the people trying to speak to me. I’m listening, I swear! And no, I don’t know why I thought someone would be smoking out of a clarinet!

Do you “mishear” things like this? Or know someone who does?

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By kilax, July 21, 2014 6:35 am

Craziness – today marks 9 years that I’ve been writing at ilaxSTUDIO.com!

I’ve said it many times before, but I never expected my blog to become what it has for me. I started it in 2005 to get used to writing (and hand coding) before I moved to Rome in January 2006 – my main intent was to use the blog to share stories while I lived overseas. But right away, it became a platform for connecting with other people and reading their stories. And it still amazes me that many of the people I love and consider to be family, are people I’ve met through blogging. 

Awww.

I am really happy with what my blog is – my stories/experiences/highlight reel, my training and a discussion board. And I am pleased with the reception and readership too. Like I said above, its main purpose started as documentation, so any connection beyond that is always exciting. I am honored that you stop by to read/participate!

I do sometimes wonder if blogging will die out, or if I will get sick of it… but I really don’t see that happening. It’s just such a useful tool for me – I use it to document my life, store photos, connect with people, keep myself entertained (and sometimes procrastinate), and to feel creative and engaged. Onward we go, in to year 10!

Which blog(s) have you been reading the longest? What makes you “stick” with reading a certain blog?