Serendipity versus The F'its

Anyone who knows me well knows my life is busy most of the time.  Filled with soccer games, scouting adventures, interspersed with busy work demands and my individual adventures.  Needless to say it can be easy to get overwhelmed and things came to a head at the end of May.  We had just had my car detailed with the intention to sell it, as it had been nothing but trouble since the day we drove it off the lot.  I was called to a last minute early morning meeting so my car and I rolled south to get there by 7am.  I had just pulled off the freeway into downtown Des Moines and was passing through an intersection when things exploded around me with airbags and crunching metal.  A woman had run a fresh red light and smashed into the driver side of my SUV.  We both walked away with totaled cars but grateful that was all.  I was delivered to my meeting just 15 minutes late thanks to the kindness of a Des Moines police officer (did I mention it was my birthday?). It worked out in the end as we ended up getting a big ol Chevy pickup truck from a Federal government auction.  Its great driving a truck again despite it being a king cab with a full sized bed... yes I am running in to a fair number of curbs but we are working things out the two of us and it is great having a a vehicle to haul stuff and seat six humans.

Walking a half ironman

The crash was three weeks before I was to race in my 3rd 1/2 Ironman triathlon (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run).  Needless to say my training was derailed after the wreck but I managed to get some shorter runs and swims in but only one trainer ride in the three weeks leading up to the race.  I had the green light to race but knew it wasn't going to be the race I had planned.  Travel for this race was part of our family vacation to Chicago and Madison with stops to see family throughout so not going was not an option.  I was realistic that this was not going to be an easy day for me and for more details you can read my race report for a day that ended up being great but not what I expected.  It was part of a string of events over the summer months that had me in a battle between serendipity and the F'its.

On the F'its side my body was fighting me.  I spent all summer rehabbing shoulder damage from the crash on a shoulder that already had issues from a decade old soccer injury.  The going was slow and my drive wasn't great.  I diligently did my exercises each week but always felt like I should have been working harder to be worthy of the time with my physical therapist.  The downside is being heavier with tighter pants than I've had in years, but I know I can fight back from that again because I have done it before.  The bright light from the shoulder injury is my PT is a friend and I enjoyed hanging out with her even if there was pain involved.

I was racing triathlons this summer with Pearl Izumi as my sponsor and 90 plus lady racing companions around the country, so my goal at the season onset was to do four triathlons (1 1/2 Ironman,

My best girl

2 Olympic distance races and one Sprint.). Needless to say my season turned into 1 1/2 Ironman, 1 Olympic race and two sprints combined with a near loss for the love of a sport I've been participating in since 2007.  I lost that competitive edge somewhere in the stream of medical appointments June through September.  I even had some fleeting thoughts about quitting triathlon for good.  The last two races, the sprints, I ended up just doing for fun and the love of sport with no expectation of PRs or age group wins.  My last race of the season I had my daughter with me cheering me on and that was worth more than any finishing awards so while my season was tough it wasn't without bright lite along the way.

Abby and Bella

Another time suck for me in the spring and summer was many a trip out to my friends farm.  Abby (our future family vet) and her friend Chloe have been raising goats to show at the county fair.  It feels like a family venture since I had to drive her there each time and nearly daily in the last couple of month leading up to the fair (between soccer practices, etc.). Fortunately these are some of my favorite people. I got to spend time visiting with my friends, play with kittens, feed the chickens and pigs, snuggle baby goats, weed the gardens and help with the harvest but most of all watching our girls grow in their experiences.  While it was a burden to get back and forth I think I got more from it than I gave most of the time.

Day one on the Island

While all of this was going on I had a series of not great visits with my doctors.  My blood work numbers were all over the place and continued to get worse through the summer along with a heaviness that ended up being depression fueled by my MS meds.  The veil lifted a bit in early August when a planned break from my MS meds started.  I was planning on a backpacking trip with my cousin to see the beauty and wilds of Isle Royale a National Park on an Island off the tip of Minnesota and Michigan in Lake Superior.  I knew I wasn't in the physical shape I'd hoped to be in by the time it came to head north.  My shoulder was stable but not healed, my pack was new and heavy, but my spirit was lighter and my need for time away in nature was huge.  The planned break from my meds ended up being nearly three months off but back on track now however that is a blog for another day.

Unseasonably warm weather the first days on the trail, followed by a major ankle blow out at the end of the first day hiking made things tough.  The next two days were cooler and increasingly wetter.  My shoulder had me ebbing on the edge of tears at times, and I needed a big stick to keep marching forward on my unsteady ankle, but you know I wouldn't have traded any of it.  It was an exercise in physical and mental toughness that had become my specialty this summer.  It didn't end up being the reset I had hoped for but it rekindled my love for backpacking, tent sleeping and enjoyment of the great outdoors with interesting people.  I hope to have years of great family and personal adventures hiking the trails and experiences in the parks of America.

My brother and I at the crash site in Clear Lake

My best guys

While my summer experiences were a balance of the F'its and serendipity, overall I am grateful for every one of them even if they were not what I expected.  I am appreciative of every day where I can push myself, learn from the good and bad, and spend time contemplating on my own as well as in good company.  I wrapped up the summer with the kids heading back to school, soccer and scouts... but also family camping (first time with all four of us ever!), geocaching adventures and great times with my folks, brother and kiddos.  Life is good, and while it has its challenges and rarely ends up the way I expect, I am grateful for every new day.  Sending my love out into the world to each of you until next we meet.

Cubs Win the World Series

Well, I finally have a few minutes to process my thoughts.  I would not say I'm an avid Cubs fan but I am a consistent Cubs fan.  My first major league baseball game was at Wrigley field with my Grandpa Jerry, my Dad and my Aunt Joyce.  It was a beautiful summer day and I experienced my family's love for the Cubbies and my love (wonderful for a eight or nine year old little girl) for the Chocolate Frosty Malt eaten with a wooden paddle.  It was a great adventure and I don't even remember if the Cubs won but we had a lot of fun.  This year I made sure my family made it to a game Wrigley Field to continue the tradition in an epic year for our Cubbies.  We got our picture in front of the Wrigley Field sign again and Arietta and Cubbies put on a great show for us against the Pirates.

Growing up, while in season, I remember many a ballgame being broadcast on the radio in the garage, or on the TV in family living rooms.  Often with the men folk hovering nearby between activities.  If the Cubs were on then someone was listening.  My kids are taking in some of the same sports noise at our house, although it's mostly with their Dad watching the Royals, Tottenham soccer, or Husker/Cowboys football depending on the season.  The great thing about sports is that is brings

people together, even if we aren't cheering for the same teams.  What a wonderful experience to watch the Royals play to the World Series the last two years, and then to see the Beloved Cubbies as my great grandma would say, play to win the World Series this year.

You see I am at least a fourth generation Cubs fan.  I learned a lot about my family history through the three playoff series with the Cubs this year. I have captured some of the quotes below that my Aunts and Cousins posted and I lead with my favorite, which was a story I hadn't heard yet.

Posted by my Dad's sister Joyce - "This Cubs winning the World Series is so emotional for me. My grandfather Ed and my dad went to Wrigley to see the 1945 Cubs play while my mom, newly engaged, went wedding dress shopping in Marshall Fields. Ed and Clara raised 6 children all diehard Cub fans. Now they finally get to see this in heaven and Aunt Rhode and Uncle Arnie still with us today. FLY the W. Grandpa Ed have your shot and chase it with a beer in heaven."

Posted by my Dad's cousin Nancy C. "Was thinking of all of them while watching the game. It is a wonder we didn't have thunder from the cheers from heaven."

Posted by my Dad's cousin Christine - "Today I am grateful for this woman, Julia Byrne Noll, who instilled in me the love of the Chicago Cubs. She would sit in the living room with a baseball game on TV and listening to another on her little transistor radio. It was usually her beloved Cubs. For my Dad and Mom who bought a Cub baseball hat for me even when it wasn't cool for a girl to wear a baseball hat or collected baseball cards with my cousin Mike, Laurie, Heather. Lots of emotion today."

Posted by my Dad's cousin Katherine CUBS WIN! Grandma Noll would be thrilled." 

Posted by my Dad's cousin Judy - "Omg the Cubbies did it! My grandma is doing a jig in heaven."

Posted by my Cousin Phil - "The 3 biggest Cubs fans that I know that were not available to Celebrate with me tonight, that I know are going crazy in heaven tonight!!!   RIP... James (Shoe Boy) White"

Posted by my Cousin Cyndy - "Thank you Cubs!!  Many people have asked me, "Why are you a Cubs fan? They never win, why do you stick with them?  My theory is this: The Cubs won the World Series in 1908.  They went to the World Series in 1945.  In 1945, my Grandpas were fighting in WWII.  Back home families were waiting for news of their loved ones. To keep their minds off of the war, the families back home, had something to hope for, something to cheer for, something to take their minds off of the bad times.  Our families and friends had passion, hope for something and patience. That has passed down from generation-to generation. Thank you Grandpa George & Grandpa Bob for watching games on WGN with us, listening on the radio, taking us to games and sticking with them through thick and thin.  Grandpa George, Grandpa Bob, Jimmy I know you are dancin'. Thanks for the fun, memories and ups-and-downs we shared together. Grandma GiGi you made it!  Now: WE WON!  Cubbies thank you!!!!"

So you can see what an emotional, sleep deprived adventure this has been for my family (both sides), and for families like mine around the country.  We lost many a wonderful Cubs fan over the years but we gained a lifetime community.  I suspect the rain delay of game 7 was tears from Heaven from the Cubs fans gone before us at the blown lead.  It ended up giving them time to regroup, gather strength and energy from generations of Cubs fans watching and listening eagerly around the country.  We may never see this again in our lifetime (although they could have a fantastic team again next year!!) but the joy, and love and history of this Cubbies World Series win will carry us through any rough years that we may encounter in the future, because it isn't important that the Cubs win.  What is important is the love and community of our nationwide Cubbie family.

 

So I leave you with "Go Cubs go, go Cubs go, hey Chicago what'd ya say, the Cubs are gonna win today"! 🏆  #FlytheW

National Parks 100th Aniversary - Adventures on Isle Royale

National Park Adventures of Two Middle Aged Cousins

Prehike

In my college years I did a fair amount of backpacking at locations across the country.  I am really happy when I am in a nature environment and with the daily grind of work, kids sports, and stressors I need to reboot in nature.  My cousin Stephen and I did a trip to Colorado in 2011 and had talked about going to Isle Royale even back then so when he asked if I was game in going with him this summer I was intrigued by the option.  Once we set a date we were in planning mode.  I was in a wreck in May and wasn't sure how my shoulder would do and of course planned to do some local hikes with pack weight ahead of time but alas only did one.

Stephen on the boat

I drove up through Iowa and Minnesota.  I spent a little time stretching my legs at a lovely park in Duluth later afternoon along the way.  I picked up a geocache or two as well amongst all the Pokemon users.  Stephen and I met at a hotel casino on the American side of the Northwest tip of Minnesota and tried to guess how much stuff we could cram into our packs and stay at or under 40 lbs.  The boat we rode over on (Voyeger II) is shown to the left and we rolled out early the next morning to catch the boat.  I spent most of our ride over to the Island reading a book about the history of the Island in the quiet lower level of the boat.  We had Canada off to our left and Lake Superior all around us. As we got closer to the island we saw smaller islands around it.  There was a stop at the Windego ranger station where we picked up our backcountry permits and then we hopped back on the boat to wait for our stop at McCargo Cove.

McCargo Cove

It was a warm day when we put in at McCargo and we got our packs first and chugged up the hill to find shelter as McCargo had almost a dozen little shelter available to stay in.  After checking one side we found a group moving from one shelter to another so we took their vacated space and threw down our gear.  We filled our water bottles and then since it was early afternoon we took an couple of hours to explore the trail and visit an abandoned mine nearby.  We ended up sharing the cabin with another couple and had quite a windstorm that night so I had some restless sleep.

One entrance to part of the mine
and we walked through this.

The glorious thimbleberry

One great thing about the island is it fed us along the way and we ate a lot of thimbleberries as well as blueberries and raspberries where we could find them.  The thimbleberries got to brightening our days as we got farther into the trip across the island.  The first official day on the trail it was breezy, sunny and a bit more warm and humid than we were expecting.  We took our time and enjoyed the views coming over part of the Minong Trail.  Fortunately the hot weather week was the week before we got there so we only caught the tail end.  We were a bit loopy by the end of this day and as we were looking for a campsite nature got the best of me. 

 

First day on Minong

First day on Minong -
Photo bomb??

Small lake north of Minong
before Todd Harbor

Canada in the far ground.
Minong Trail

We stopped on the Minong a couple of times for snacks and water.  Then had a late lunch at Todd Harbor and enjoyed the views and lake breezes.  From the ridge line, lakes that look small on the map look quite large in real life.  I don't know what these lakes are called without looking on a more detailed map however they were small for Isle Royale.  After stopping in Todd Harbor we turned south off the Minong trail to head to Hatchet Lake for our overnight stop.  I spent much of the day with the view below letting Stephen set the pace.  My shoulder was nagging a bit throughout the day with the pack weight pulling on it and I was pretty certain the hiking boots I was using (normally reserved for snow shoeing) were giving me blisters.  We were hot and tired after around ten miles on the trail.

Finally coming into Hatchet Lake

Rock Cairn on Minong Ridge Trail

Campsite at Hatchet Lake

Cool Moose Antlers in the
Hatchet Lake campsite

Mother Nature decided to mess with me at this point, and as we bushwhacked our way into the Hatchet Lake campsite. I must have hit a root running parallel with the trail and the next thing I knew I was cursing from the Thimbleberry bushes.  There was a huge pop in my ankle when I went down and this is the same ankle I tore up in 1996 and 2012  so I was fearing the worst.  Yes this was the end of the FIRST DAY on the trail. 

Lake Hatchett

Stephen found a campsite for us while I whimpered and cursed next to the trail on a rock.  I gingerly followed him up to the site and then powered through the first setting up of the tent for this trip and made myself a walking stick.  I found my way to the outhouse and met a lovely couple from Rock Island, Illinois who later took mercy on me and gave me an ace wrap (yes I normally carry one with me but transitioned to a new pack for this trip and didn't transition my ace wrap... GRRRR!)  Once we were set up, had fresh water, and had eaten I assessed my toes (small blisters on my pinky toes were rehabbed) and ankle, and then read quietly for a bit before heading to bed.

First views from the Greenstone Ridge
Hatchett Lake in the background

My walking stick
on the Greenstone Ridge

The next day (day two on the trail) we had a quick breakfast and filtered some more water.  Then I broke down the tent and got a head start while Stephen finished his morning routine.  















I figured he'd catch me eventually gimping along. The first half mile was switchbacks straight up the side of the Greenstone Ridge to get to the Greenstone Trail.  I powered up that trail with my trusty stick and then stopped to admire what would be our waning views for the day.

Greenstone Ridge

It was less humid and cooler, however the afternoon brought light drizzle.  We ate our lunch under the observation tower at 1377 ft on the Greenstone Ridge trail chatting with many of the people we had been camping near over the last couple of nights.  We created trail nicknames to keep them straight between the two of us.  There was party of six from Minneapolis which were part of a hiking club from there.  They usually blew by us pretty quick.  There was party of 4 from Illinois who were two grandpas, a son and grandson and they usually headed out around the same time as us or passed us early on.  Then we ran into several groups of two along the way like the one who gave me a wrap.  I think their nickname related to them taking the float plane to the island.  We enjoyed chatting with them along the trail and in the campsite each night.

Lake Desor land of the mighty mosquito

The end of the second day of hiking, around 8 miles, brought us to the very large Lake Desor, land of the mosquitoes.  We did not spend much time outside of the tent in our camping space because it was very buggy.  

We did however hang out on the beach with the multi-generational crew for a while and listened to their stories of many, many trips (11 and 18) to Isle Royale over the years.  Isle Royal is one of the least visited National Parks because it is difficult and expensive to get to, but one of the most revisited National Parks because it is beautiful and offers many different paths to traverse.

Despite the discomfort I had been in the entire day I was already formulating a plan to come back in a couple of years with my kiddos.

Me and Lake Desor... still smiling

Have to stay hydrated

At 24 hours later...
toes and ankle purple and swollen

We turned in early this night because the drizzle that eventually gave way to rain and lots of it. Surprisingly I slept pretty good with the nearly constant patter of rain on the tent... and the buzzing of mosquitoes outside.  In the morning it was still raining so we waited a little bit for a lull in the weather and broke down camp as quickly as we could and set out with an extra five lbs of damp tent on my back for good measure.

Soggy and miserable...
pausing for nourishment
not quite halfway there

The last day of hiking on Isle Royale was a mental and physical challenge.  The trails were wet, slick and muddy in places.  I didn't take my camera out much this day but did use my phones a couple of times to capture things here and there.

We spent much of the 11 plus mile trail day in rain of varying intensities but also trying to find the highest point along the trail so I could get a screen shot to submit for an Earth Cache I was working on.  Most of the hike was  walking through maple forests and bushwhacking through berry bushes.  Needless to say we were very soggy all day.  I had chosen to wear my quick drying shorts that day but it ended up allowing water to pour into my boots all day.

Whenever one of us would get hangry we would take a couple of minutes, regroup, and have a snack.  With the persistent rain and no shelters along the way we mostly just trudged along.

My pack was trying to stay dry too

We knew from the grandpas that once the forest changed from Maples to Evergreen trees along with a persistent down slope in trail that were were getting close to our final destination.  However we weren't sure how close and it felt like those last couple of miles took for ever.  

Wonderful Dry Shelter

The final challenge was finding a shelter in the campground.  Since Windigo is a popular day tripping and base camping location they have a lot of shelters there.  The trick is finding a shelter with the current inhabitants in it to see if they had room for two more.  After checking 10 or 12 of them we finally found one we could move into.

Clean and fed before I caught
 my boat to the mainland

The cabins are basically three sided with a roof and raised floor for you to put your sleeping bag down.  The last side is screened in so it is essentially protected from the weather and larger critters.  We stayed in one of these two out of four nights and it was a nice respite from the close quarters of our two person tent.

Windigo was a wonderful oasis and functions as a tiny city.  It has a store, a ranger station, potable water, laundry and SHOWERS!  After being wet all day we could hardly wait to get clean.  Stephen was staying on the island for a few more days to solo hike and decided to do a load of laundry so I left Isle Royale smelling fresh with a pack full of clean clothes.

Beautiful Flowers

That evening we went to an interpretive talk at the ranger station to learn about the geology of Isle Royale... I know... you totally didn't expect me to be excited about that but it was fun.  For an added bonus a lady from one of the boats docked there gave me a bag of ice and so, on the third day after 20 miles on the trail I finally iced my swollen bruised ankle.

My ride to the mainland

My last day on the island we explored a bit, went to two more ranger talks, one on the lighthouses and sunken ships around the island, and one on the animals of the island.  I also did another Earth Cache and got to meet the cache owners, friends of a friend, and talk geocaching. Despite being there for nearly a week we only saw signs and sounds of animals but did not spot any moose, fox or wolves.  We did see tiny squirrels but that seemed fairly anti-climatic.  

Mid afternoon I bid farewell to Stephen and the island.  I wished I had a couple more days to stay and explore from Windigo.  The boat I returned on is a day trip vessel and half of the people on it were only on the island for four hours.  The other half were hikers like me heading for home.  I was able to catch up with a father and son from Miami who we had come to the island with and we got a close up shot of on of the lighthouses.  Despite my aches and pains, and the mixed weather, I really enjoyed my time on the island and will certainly be going back in a couple of years.  While it is a challenge to get there, it is definitely worth the journey.

Funky mushrooms

Funky mushrooms

Thank you for reading along.  


“The nation behaves well if it treats its natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased, and not impaired, in value.” – Theodore Roosevelt

Race Report Times Two - Cyman Triathlon Sprint 2016

Missing the triracer ladies but
here I am with the fellas.
We had seven total.

Just knocking out some race reports tonight.  Last one of the season on Cyman Triathlon sprint distance 2016.  Since I had spent the day before hanging with my girl doing some volunteering for the Special Olympic equestrian games I figured she owed me some cheering for my last race of the season.  It was nice that this race doesn't start until 9am so we rolled out with the sunrise to head to Bondurant.  Another gorgeous day to race and a tad warmer on land and in the water than when I did this race two years ago.

My biggest concern going into this race would be my ankle. I know I still owe you a blog with that story and I will queue that one up soon.  Needless to day I was looking at the water exit from the lake straight up an embankment and a tad worried.  I had my KT tape on my ankle and I hoped that would be enough.  Although it was mid September the water temps were between 68 - 70 so I opted for my wetsuit for the swim.  It was a calm lovely day for a swim.  They adjusted the buoys a bit so we wouldn't be swimming directly into the sun for the first buoy.  We waited on the Olympic racers to do their heats and most were coming out of the water before we got started.  It was a solid swim for me but I probably held back a bit and my shoulder was barking a bit on the return trip.  They had four or five people on the climb out of the lake to pull people out of the water so getting out of the lake was not an issue.

Starting the bike
Photo by Abby

I made it through transition and headed out on the bike.  This course is a bit of a roller through the beautiful Iowa countryside.  Lots of farms, animals, and topography variety to keep me entertained.  The course essentially has two loops and a couple of short stretches were we overlapped going in the opposite direction.  Despite not having done many rides this year I had a much faster ride than when  I did Bluff Creek six weeks earlier.  All in all I felt a lot more comfortable on my bike for this race.

The run was a different course then when I did Cyman in 2014 so while I knew it was on a paved trail it wasn't on the same trail as before.  There were stretches of shade and sun along the trail.   It was starting to get warm towards the end but I felt like I was having a solid run and really tried to push the pace as I ran the last mile back around the lake to the finish.

The best part of the day was having my best girl Abigail with me.  She is twelve now and has a couple of triathlons under her belt as well.  It is important to me for her to see me race, and the payoff from all the hard work I do leading up to my races.  I also hope that she can see that I push on despite my limitations with MS and injury do the things I love like racing in triathlons.  Either way she was my rock star support team and was rocking the cowbell at the finish for all the finishers coming in.  Super proud of her and grateful to have her by my side.

My best girl and I after the race.

Another season is in the books since my running was derailed so no marathon to close things out. I'm looking ahead to next year and trying to figure out what races to do.  I'd hoped to do my first marathon at Grandmas in Duluth but it looks like I will be in Muscatine celebrating with my crazy extended family that weekend so will have to look towards some other options.  Time to formulate a plan.

As always thanks to my teammates (Triracers and Pearl Izumi), my fleet of medical professionals, and my family for another great year in the wilds of the Midwest.  #endureandenjoy