2013 A great year with wife, friends, and adventures

2013, life was so good.  Abigail and I have a wonderful life together with Abigail.  She continues to inspire me, making me better in all aspects of my life.

While my fitness level has increased in 2013, something more important. I shared fantastic experiences with so many friends, new and old.  Here is a sampling of just some of what fun times I shared with you.  Let's see what 2014 will bring.  Like 2013, I expect even more adventures with you.

Starting off the new year, Will, Eric Z, and Dave and I did the Siberian Express.  It is a trail race held the first weekend in January in Kickapoo State Park.

We follow this up with Trek/Fleet Feet of Schererville's Polar Bear Ride and Fun.  It's an evening fun run in January that starts and ends at the Crown Point Brewery.  This was our 3rd time doing this and had two cars going.

 

In February, Eric Z, my new friend Bart and I did the Indoor Triathlon at HF Fitness and Racquet Club.

March brought on the Mountain Goat road race back in Kickapoo.  In spite of a hiccup with our vehicle, I introduced my friends to some hills in Illinois.

My fellow motorcycle instructor Danielle had never ran a 5k.  To encourage her, Austin and I signed up to run the Bunny Rock 5K.  I am not a fan of crowded races, but was happy to be part of Danielle's experience.

In May, it was Abigail and my 10th year wedding anniversary.  To celebrate, we went early to a conference I had in Montreal.  4 days of playing and exploring together before the conference started.

Time to get a little dirty.  Bart, Jenny, Joel, Dave and I ran in Muddy Monk's May Day trail race in Arie Crown Woods.  Some of the trails were new paths through bushes and muddy slime throughout.  Side note, Bart, Joel, and I seem to have found healthy doses of poison ivy/oak.

Sometime late spring/early summer, I came to know a new running club, Homewood Flossmoor Community Running Club.  What a great group of new friends.  A good contingent ran the local 4th of July 5K.

Beth invited Bart and I to do Crystal Lake's Open Water Swim Race.  We did the 1 mile distance and Beth put us both in our place.  It was my first open water swimming race.

Time for our annual off road triathlon in August.  This year we went back to Logansport which is a little easier than the one at Versailles.  Eric, Dave, Joel (his first tri), and I had a great time.

Like two kids, Bart and I seemed to have rediscovered lunch recess.  At least that is what it felt like.  In August and September we found ourselves running to Lake Michigan, suiting up on cold water days, swimming, then running back.  One run/swim/run included a swim out to the Silver Splay shipwreck.

On my own, with support of Abigail, I did my first road triathlon, the Great Illini Olympic distance.  The temp was 95 with a heat index in the 110's.  Just brutal and different without in friends to share the misery.

Working too many motorcycle classes, I didn't manage to get in a formal century.  To combat that, David C, Eric Z, Jason, Bart and I did a self supported century ride from Homewood to Michigan City in September.  The turnaround point, Shoreline Brewery.

October brought my annual trek to Massachusetts for an advisory board meeting.  As is a recent pattern, I went early to play with Scott.  This year it included bagging 3 peaks in the White Mountain on the Franconia Ridge Trail.  Still feeling change by this experience with a need to do this again.  Scott added trying to surf to the mix which had me catching 2 waves on my knees and chipping 3 teeth..  On the mornings of the advisory board, I ran with Eric B who happened.

Then there was a morning race in Izaak Walton, The Run Forest Run race.

With all of these Master's Swimming noon workout, I decided to bite the bullet and sign up for a Master's Swim Meet.  Beth joined this noon adventure.  She herself had not swam in a meet since high school.

Marcothon what?  It's Tabitha's fault.  She came across this endurance event and invited HFCRC runners to join her.  The rules require a minimum of 3 miles a day, if you haven't been using a treadmill, you can't start.  I managed to make all days outside except two that were done on a treadmill.  A few of us ended Marcothon with a run in Izaak Walton.

Post noon workout

The biggest problem I have with noon workouts is the mid afternoon crash. Besides the hunger,  my energy level bottoms out. My solution is to have a chip of coffee and work the afternoon shift on the reference desk.

Getting started

I wanted to find a place to bring it all together.  There are too many things going on in my life and none of the singly warrant a focused blog.  Instead there will be a mix of work, family, adventure, and plain old life.