Month: December 2014

A Merry Gluteus MaxiMOOSE

I found these in Breckenridge, Colorado
I discovered these in Breckenridge, Colorado

MGM is my favorite VHTRC running event of the year.  This year I was extra-stoked because (a) I would finally get to sport the pair of MaxiMOOSE boxers I had found with such jubilation in a sock store in Breckenridge last May, and (b) I couldn’t wait to at long last meet Seangela!

Team Macomb Street!
Team Macomb Street!

The weather cooperated beautifully with my shorts plan, warm enough to go with shorts but not so hot that cotton boxers would be uncomfortable, and the MaxiMOOSIES were greeted with the raves they deserved.  Mr Andrish on the other hand wasn’t so cooperative.  Something about ‘work’.  There was a good bit of grumbling on my part about another major Sean Bail, but Ragan and Joey were pretty tolerant.  In fact, trotting along with Ragan and Joey made the miles tick by, and in no time I found myself doing the whole 50k.  The last time I ran over 30 miles without pain in my injuries at the end was…..was…..well not Montana…..not Highland Sky……well it must have been Bull Run!

Nice weather brought out a big-ass group this year
Nice weather brought out a big-ole group this year.  But no Seangela.

As much as MGM is a social event for me, I didn’t mind it that I ended up running most of the section that overlaps with the Women’s Half Marathon course alone.  My heart thumps a little differently along those stretches.

 

Ice Capades

A White Thanksgiving in Shendandoah
A White Vicki’s Death March in Shenandoah [this awesome photo is from John; all the rest of the awesome photos are from Keith]
There was a reason no one else was up on Old Rag today
There was a reason no one else was up on Old Rag that day
Vicki's Death March lived up to its name.
It was bloody cold up there, but fortunately Keith had taught me how to stick my hands down my pants.
Vicki's Death March lives up to its name
No joke. It took us an hour to cover one mile.
Great
But it was great getting out on my first VHTRC group run in over a year (darn injuries…)
Aaron
Aaron was especially happy to be taking a breather from the Six Days of Thanksgiving FamilyThon!
Kathleen being adorable
Kathleen being adorable
Keith's mastery of camera angles (btw, all these pictures are from Keith)
I don’t know how Keith takes pictures while running on snow/ice without killing himself.
More killa cam skillz from keith
Aaron and I kept to the original course, tromping through six inches of snow in places.  Tough going at times, but winter was in the air!
This picture brings out the Finnish in me.
The Finnish side of me digs this
Gotta love VHTRC
VHTRC is so adorable

So here’s the one story I’d like to tell from VDM.  After a very long day of snow and ice, Aaron and I were running the last half mile on the road back to the parking lot.  Others had taken the quicker way on roads, and we figured the parking lot would be mostly abandoned.  ‘No, I reconsidered, I bet Gary and Q will still be there shooting back Knob Creek.’  Sure enough, the parking lot was pretty sparse and the light was getting dim, but much to my delight there were Gary and Q, right on call.

 

Cecily and Ben were the guest stars of the Bethesda Turkey Chase
Our other Thanksgiving tradition: Cecily and Ben were the guest stars of the Bethesda Turkey Chase