tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53970443818415328872024-03-12T20:03:41.687-07:00What Are We Ironing?winjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182136023558011232noreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397044381841532887.post-37057659367218931282022-10-29T20:25:00.001-07:002022-10-29T20:25:35.414-07:00Race Report: winja's IRONMAN California - Sacramento (October 23, 2022)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU7PUDbfTY1VqxlYzx4JHljgqA1L6-2wlHvZFp-1_ttHdGcy_ZNgeMQG6QlnWAUkWtW4HimjA6ljCdkKEvyscBWHoPF-x5ugXPba9UnKFeLW_eVph2Y8KyUuOOwjZB7kS2Bx-VYFRFmth9LkDE-cg5vZTXVAuyDd0LCn0ap4xbx53IMMZM1g6Z9L7F-w/s1964/IMG_9006.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1473" data-original-width="1964" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU7PUDbfTY1VqxlYzx4JHljgqA1L6-2wlHvZFp-1_ttHdGcy_ZNgeMQG6QlnWAUkWtW4HimjA6ljCdkKEvyscBWHoPF-x5ugXPba9UnKFeLW_eVph2Y8KyUuOOwjZB7kS2Bx-VYFRFmth9LkDE-cg5vZTXVAuyDd0LCn0ap4xbx53IMMZM1g6Z9L7F-w/s320/IMG_9006.heic" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>1,625. </p><p>That's how many days separated my 2nd Ironman and this last one. But well OVER 4 years later, I have finally completed my 3rd Ironman. It's been a long time coming. </p><p>Some who know me have known that my dream is to make it to the Ironman Championships. If you're not the top of your age group, you can qualify a few other wats, including by being invited or by completing 12 full ironman distances and join as a "legacy athlete" - maybe one day I'll make it! I'm now 1/4 of the way there 😜</p><p>But 3 Iron distances completed? This is a big deal. When <a href="https://www.whatareweironing.com/2016/11/race-report-winjas-ironman-arizona_23.html" target="_blank">I did my first race</a>, I thought it was a fluke. When <a href="https://www.whatareweironing.com/2018/05/race-report-winjas-ironman-santa-rosa.html" target="_blank">I did my second race</a>, I felt like I had finally proved to myself that I was an athlete. This time around, I felt like I had let too much time pass, and I felt like I wasn't worth enough to wear the mantle anymore. Finishing was a hope but I knew there was a big chance I wasn't going to make it too. </p><p><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;">For those who don't know, an IRONMAN is 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of cycling, and 26.2 miles of running. To qualify as an IRONMAN, one must complete all three legs in 17 hours, or it will not count. That's similar to swimming from SF to Alcatraz, Biking from Long Beach to San Diego, and then running from Dodger Stadium to the Santa Monica Pier. All in one day. If you don't finish within the time constraints, they will call you a FINISHER, but not an IRONMAN. </span></p><p>-----</p><p>My buddy Chris (who you've probably seen in many of my other recaps!) and I have done a few other races together - Indian Wells 70.3, Calgary 70.3, Memphis 70.3, and countless shorter distances. After a lot of peer pressure, Chris agreed to do the race (his first ironman!) and was so committed to it that he even hired a coach! There were points where I felt like we were so, so different in training: His dedication to the sport and the sheer number of hours he spent training made me feel like there was no way I would finish - but I admired him for his tenacity and held on to my "it's all mental" strategy. </p><p>----</p><p>Ready for the recap? As always, please note that I don't write this for anyone except myself. I love going back and reading my adventures over an over again, and I love to be able to re-live my experiences each time. You know - because memories fade over time and all. </p><p>-----</p><p><b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><u>PRE-RACE:</u></b></p><p>Unlike my last race, I spent a lot of time thinking about this race. Did I train? I had every intention of doing so, but life got in the way. I had hope to train for the majority of 2022 - but I was in a car accident a week before the LA Marathon (yes, I still did it), then got COVID after a work trip... which sidelined me from doing IRONMAN 70.3 Hawaii (and gave me a dry cough for 8 weeks). I traveled a few more times in the summer, and ultimately only trained on my bike the 8 weeks leading to the race. </p><p>I swam twice in Tokyo and didn't do so again until the race. </p><p>I have not run in a very, very long time. My only training for this portion was the many morning and afternoon walks I took my pups on!</p><p>But as the days of the race neared, I started to worry more and more, and I told myself that I would just start the race and see where it took me. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIdkTrEAr1xeBFoIx6RCTASoPsi6edj53Kxhc_tXGdPcayoxEQ8nP2a4BOYLLXzzd30yeYUKAU01FAGs0OT02RDer9KgO_G0jGKGi7utlvUc0EW3dEjqBisySu5j4bAsVKFkzIMlXq3nk_rPVE2Jj_JUVjbhj896aT-AJW5fFQ_xQ9JoWB6gJjydsgA/s4032/IMG_4778.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIdkTrEAr1xeBFoIx6RCTASoPsi6edj53Kxhc_tXGdPcayoxEQ8nP2a4BOYLLXzzd30yeYUKAU01FAGs0OT02RDer9KgO_G0jGKGi7utlvUc0EW3dEjqBisySu5j4bAsVKFkzIMlXq3nk_rPVE2Jj_JUVjbhj896aT-AJW5fFQ_xQ9JoWB6gJjydsgA/s320/IMG_4778.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgob9edB3paPhIXkMhlXFRudXXOqpBO2M_2wovRXRVqazFO0PeCHVzZAYz2gmQo5leZ4Et7RuMAGP-mq98E3Jsw0jn_oEep3mXg5fDc7vMWyQgMTyr7FxxFSdehKYjFJfFMtqVR20kqDdT_5puJTu180TCxgyIeNV_3QH6XZ69mqwOpGf7P3qMYRTbH4Q/s4032/IMG_4819.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgob9edB3paPhIXkMhlXFRudXXOqpBO2M_2wovRXRVqazFO0PeCHVzZAYz2gmQo5leZ4Et7RuMAGP-mq98E3Jsw0jn_oEep3mXg5fDc7vMWyQgMTyr7FxxFSdehKYjFJfFMtqVR20kqDdT_5puJTu180TCxgyIeNV_3QH6XZ69mqwOpGf7P3qMYRTbH4Q/s320/IMG_4819.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>I made labels... and then I packed. I packed for every minute that we would be in Sacramento because there was nothing else I could do to prep myself for this race! I even packed spares of everything (half a suitcase full) - just in case?? Hah!</p><p>We made our way up to Sacramento at 5am in hopes of getting in line for Merchandise (gotta get that swag!). On the way up, we were met with a little bit of traffic and were diverted from the 5 to the 99. Got some things to remember the race by (as I was paying I was also praying I'd finish so I could actually wear the clothes I purchased). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmeON6SfN19Ez0-3568B0795sVBtWPbdx-htAghi8RdmrfuENQ3GXkaEZd-J5sc67_F9NHoAPcXCs0v6ysDRTnFpEPyhEAgezpxmYqNlIdlFBOvzBOIS-WgrZ8fh73uqtc8GyEGDIYSApIwB4jDuo7UbaHr0aS-lPr-NtcLQRSxb4vMTHoOh4OXvVEhw/s4032/IMG_4853.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmeON6SfN19Ez0-3568B0795sVBtWPbdx-htAghi8RdmrfuENQ3GXkaEZd-J5sc67_F9NHoAPcXCs0v6ysDRTnFpEPyhEAgezpxmYqNlIdlFBOvzBOIS-WgrZ8fh73uqtc8GyEGDIYSApIwB4jDuo7UbaHr0aS-lPr-NtcLQRSxb4vMTHoOh4OXvVEhw/s320/IMG_4853.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>It was my first time in Sacramento, so seeing the Capitol Building was really cool. I had heard about the homeless population there but was not aware of how prevalent it truly was. Some of the locals told us that there were parts of the race that were cleared off to make way for us to participate.</p><p>We shopped, walked around Ironman Village, settled in to our hotel rooms, and then went to dinner at Morton's.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2DUni5vinSwT-7e6WouVIz-hx9B3csHZ5yBBlB6XWy7_jyhJgoARVtP0jSW2xbQl-FETut0ZkTK5RYd8jUhJQtiaQUA7vHXLN7nn9EFkdC_crYRAWIPeHtxsG2TheqK9d3Qim0l3Vtya1xrv-VQhKL1YCxY0t4GfyLnYVMjGeiuWKlYLAS9TZK7e5hw/s4032/IMG_8977.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2DUni5vinSwT-7e6WouVIz-hx9B3csHZ5yBBlB6XWy7_jyhJgoARVtP0jSW2xbQl-FETut0ZkTK5RYd8jUhJQtiaQUA7vHXLN7nn9EFkdC_crYRAWIPeHtxsG2TheqK9d3Qim0l3Vtya1xrv-VQhKL1YCxY0t4GfyLnYVMjGeiuWKlYLAS9TZK7e5hw/s320/IMG_8977.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgln75gjw3xAMw8Yzmw6nCTF9-eLTgeon2PutFgQzKAYrwM67hINKzdYG5VaeX3XwRml4qqy12vvu0PNcxjBNsknCN17O_k_j5Xga4g1qZCAIFiA4ekQ8w6JFuTYyhoDg61o7kbnDEOVXpZCJyrbJhQgbW8AzmKNMVHVBa4lIxhJ4EslKqHwMitpnnctA/s4032/IMG_8978.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgln75gjw3xAMw8Yzmw6nCTF9-eLTgeon2PutFgQzKAYrwM67hINKzdYG5VaeX3XwRml4qqy12vvu0PNcxjBNsknCN17O_k_j5Xga4g1qZCAIFiA4ekQ8w6JFuTYyhoDg61o7kbnDEOVXpZCJyrbJhQgbW8AzmKNMVHVBa4lIxhJ4EslKqHwMitpnnctA/s320/IMG_8978.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx44dQ-ryB1AZr4Q6IFnkykLzkDsuEuoQfwbePckZDC_lAmsD3MmikffO33QOkCBR0fL8Rtpq9EnxP5-g74tExSgBVFkViIDwXeVI4oPOEuCbW68Ts56jR9oql9C4EDASnAafScYMpyKvB1QIyoCWHBAq3AKyeuvYWIEDHVS2r-NZ9TvcXDttiKLrxiQ/s4032/IMG_4878.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx44dQ-ryB1AZr4Q6IFnkykLzkDsuEuoQfwbePckZDC_lAmsD3MmikffO33QOkCBR0fL8Rtpq9EnxP5-g74tExSgBVFkViIDwXeVI4oPOEuCbW68Ts56jR9oql9C4EDASnAafScYMpyKvB1QIyoCWHBAq3AKyeuvYWIEDHVS2r-NZ9TvcXDttiKLrxiQ/s320/IMG_4878.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUIEp_w1VjV-l-bVJdEf5Bj0dY2JY2v_YA1N-qsGdVVjJ8Wt4LVKM_mBJKpXW97V39myLF_9d14ecwGH3pJIYr_9BdA5xIZzYBHjWcMvdU__pY8yBpWoSdAs7yXj2gu5rUlHsHmMIUZYmSoto3Vc_dw-Ef31KOIWEPiPTZDT2FoujEQmXJe3Y85xyfRg/s4032/IMG_4883.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUIEp_w1VjV-l-bVJdEf5Bj0dY2JY2v_YA1N-qsGdVVjJ8Wt4LVKM_mBJKpXW97V39myLF_9d14ecwGH3pJIYr_9BdA5xIZzYBHjWcMvdU__pY8yBpWoSdAs7yXj2gu5rUlHsHmMIUZYmSoto3Vc_dw-Ef31KOIWEPiPTZDT2FoujEQmXJe3Y85xyfRg/s320/IMG_4883.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>On Friday, we checked in with Chris's Team: Go The Distance, and got our Bib numbers before heading to lunch at Il Fornaio. It was so tasty we agreed we'd go back the next night for our pre-race meal. <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbX0h_trvpnkL_bPmAcytQE7maAmPmrc3ND0FyA-RVT8a1nkLc6zUTMa9NnKig3Urhki4cFEgzpSVA1aReB9WcpwGTWhajPPPSAIbgSkUJZt3URZBYCBnzPKQAr2PyFpCXyA1KdSS7jod2OO5r2YXpTCg6IzmP2hrFt8CDFQjC_yck2LSXO4bUV_CGFQ/s4032/IMG_4914.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbX0h_trvpnkL_bPmAcytQE7maAmPmrc3ND0FyA-RVT8a1nkLc6zUTMa9NnKig3Urhki4cFEgzpSVA1aReB9WcpwGTWhajPPPSAIbgSkUJZt3URZBYCBnzPKQAr2PyFpCXyA1KdSS7jod2OO5r2YXpTCg6IzmP2hrFt8CDFQjC_yck2LSXO4bUV_CGFQ/s320/IMG_4914.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJVkpO0uEX5N4-tPAMOwIn1CrmZaP9cof_7KykcMt7Fil48d_liY_Ep1_VyzHK72g63FFUJ6vZXR3slO-_FDRjDxXplSh7Npc3gULw7UdiKCFsRhLEjRUUHYtpDgS8GCIu27aACWLx8Iu0NnJuaj-w-NsTL7y-UpDALm2GKWT-mukqlDuETnDVmo5dNQ/s4032/IMG_4915.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJVkpO0uEX5N4-tPAMOwIn1CrmZaP9cof_7KykcMt7Fil48d_liY_Ep1_VyzHK72g63FFUJ6vZXR3slO-_FDRjDxXplSh7Npc3gULw7UdiKCFsRhLEjRUUHYtpDgS8GCIu27aACWLx8Iu0NnJuaj-w-NsTL7y-UpDALm2GKWT-mukqlDuETnDVmo5dNQ/s320/IMG_4915.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2SXMHN9I16oSIvZvld4-3oPugczHD9ka46GYaSoGxe-aUqM4YbHhAcyc4MM1anyiDUIqGhgMCKchncdLOX7l7rtwgopNlQEvnTg-W-GjzAIbSeketl71X5pnlk-2hzxqSpFyAUo5yL_Oulqm69MBIgoMNVZtDyrPGN7L_ZSRGeMA6NG-sWQ-VpinI0w/s1953/IMG_8996.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1465" data-original-width="1953" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2SXMHN9I16oSIvZvld4-3oPugczHD9ka46GYaSoGxe-aUqM4YbHhAcyc4MM1anyiDUIqGhgMCKchncdLOX7l7rtwgopNlQEvnTg-W-GjzAIbSeketl71X5pnlk-2hzxqSpFyAUo5yL_Oulqm69MBIgoMNVZtDyrPGN7L_ZSRGeMA6NG-sWQ-VpinI0w/s320/IMG_8996.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>On Saturday, we dropped off our bikes. Chris went with his team to do a workout (I had not worked out since the Sunday prior), so I went on my own and tried to soak it all up while I was there. I love pre-race prep because it's like going on a first date: you don't know what to expect but the butterflies are there!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJglLK9Qh3xQqew7RkbDbzWD8t5PwNDVhbLxVd38ucdhLUpdvCvCpXxdH2P8Z1jldjiWlsjPos8SFvbzK_xh9hqV3S8iYVmS6g_yGaBdnDsDY6ryDAQAHsyEK056yZuFvZBV28Nyq7mQSoR3B_nSXXL3ve1KMmjd74ZkngUjSz49Ie4MaEytu2CmjFLA/s4032/IMG_4934.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJglLK9Qh3xQqew7RkbDbzWD8t5PwNDVhbLxVd38ucdhLUpdvCvCpXxdH2P8Z1jldjiWlsjPos8SFvbzK_xh9hqV3S8iYVmS6g_yGaBdnDsDY6ryDAQAHsyEK056yZuFvZBV28Nyq7mQSoR3B_nSXXL3ve1KMmjd74ZkngUjSz49Ie4MaEytu2CmjFLA/s320/IMG_4934.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDE1JaDnSJHUMu726NZVupq3QozqgtUxj9DFfaUstuzbTgTIBj9Fu4pT5CjR_Jg99sPHbY-AaTca4Lf-jkMRF2iMBqK0QTe8nDEGqUDKEhmgzHmhll4CXmiyLIp-yQSFNcOphmaScSt5odeNa4GWVIKTAmQg1RJN3Ai5V7CXIw9M_mblQDR8vA9eeakg/s3672/IMG_4941.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3672" data-original-width="2066" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDE1JaDnSJHUMu726NZVupq3QozqgtUxj9DFfaUstuzbTgTIBj9Fu4pT5CjR_Jg99sPHbY-AaTca4Lf-jkMRF2iMBqK0QTe8nDEGqUDKEhmgzHmhll4CXmiyLIp-yQSFNcOphmaScSt5odeNa4GWVIKTAmQg1RJN3Ai5V7CXIw9M_mblQDR8vA9eeakg/s320/IMG_4941.JPG" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSimvaF9Hjj9VMIZM-k6BmuiKLERQKe4adB7j8QFjUtnxZgyRr_4nqJsgZ8Qdy_moF9v5o7VaidT4noYR0Ulvd8feLD3ih-1T900Bv3C7qfFobSHy6GvdjV_D_2qO2pcupAVRD1nfHYg-hEzb7totwjzGl9QxyioeyCFvERHz_RcCR8TiJw_ulR2iNjA/s3672/IMG_4954.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3672" data-original-width="2066" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSimvaF9Hjj9VMIZM-k6BmuiKLERQKe4adB7j8QFjUtnxZgyRr_4nqJsgZ8Qdy_moF9v5o7VaidT4noYR0Ulvd8feLD3ih-1T900Bv3C7qfFobSHy6GvdjV_D_2qO2pcupAVRD1nfHYg-hEzb7totwjzGl9QxyioeyCFvERHz_RcCR8TiJw_ulR2iNjA/s320/IMG_4954.JPG" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcpkAWzmKNeWg14GK5Zp208LPPet9w_7xnsF03IjYs5egeS8uwxTHuGJir2mp_qM-baQ1EtjuwXwupCg1pKv6ANFH31fHnQEMete4VYyrrXR5cXPribrilPltfo1fBpABTax6ZnbIIJyZsbWPToZmTLbeQRkyb9rJULCLi5wkeBDF1Py3Qnm9PdS9Www/s3088/IMG_4969.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcpkAWzmKNeWg14GK5Zp208LPPet9w_7xnsF03IjYs5egeS8uwxTHuGJir2mp_qM-baQ1EtjuwXwupCg1pKv6ANFH31fHnQEMete4VYyrrXR5cXPribrilPltfo1fBpABTax6ZnbIIJyZsbWPToZmTLbeQRkyb9rJULCLi5wkeBDF1Py3Qnm9PdS9Www/s320/IMG_4969.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /><p>Chris dropped off his bike shortly after, and then we all headed over to take a look at the swim exit. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgzvoryUhgH2h1SA2FYUjaToWUCSj7nRta92sg9raQfTvG7XScYXlxGbotyliEtEqMZUu3Ut40CtVF3Oej9lcrYk16WWjE7rSCMmmiJKRg3UBtLDbxhA16ysw1MGXKC0SiTUGMl6RSlOWhDtxlZr5oXg-DdnyexusPVfyZChOjwd2D4UDJ2s42BGyJCQ/s4032/IMG_7555.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgzvoryUhgH2h1SA2FYUjaToWUCSj7nRta92sg9raQfTvG7XScYXlxGbotyliEtEqMZUu3Ut40CtVF3Oej9lcrYk16WWjE7rSCMmmiJKRg3UBtLDbxhA16ysw1MGXKC0SiTUGMl6RSlOWhDtxlZr5oXg-DdnyexusPVfyZChOjwd2D4UDJ2s42BGyJCQ/s320/IMG_7555.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>I had every intention of driving the bike course, but I was drained from all of the activities, so we went back to our respective rooms and napped and packed everything for our race. I got smart this time around and just pre-packed each one of my bags so all I had to do was empty my pre-packed bags into my special needs and bike/run bags and be done with it!</p><p>Another thing I did was google map the course to familiarize myself with it. Saved myself 56 miles in gas, but probably something I won't do again. I would much rather drive the course! </p><p><span face="arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"></span><b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><u>RACE DAY. </u></b></p><p>We lucked out with a hotel room only a few blocks from the start and finish line, so instead of my usual 2:30 alarm, I got up at 3! Chris and I met up at the lobby with the rest of our bags for the race, and walked over to the stadium where are bikes were. We were told to drop off our bike special needs bags and our run special needs bags, and then we headed inside the stadium - I filled the water in my bottles, added my nutrition to my bags, and met up with Chris so we could try to catch a bus to the swim start.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdXltbi-fMvdaCqmPg4Uv8jZ105zltScQ_Mx2csTc7WVHp5gVl3z-wVgKU9Nu6b5ZoAQIlwO6vw6Q-7ih4r9kHtTrKG4ih9yfkv_SJRrPTmcUk2XiNNcZvMpLcnfRbyuu17LM5oqY39YdPF14iRoWAFUUp67fEdcKUcfmZgs1zWcF4-iC8hhjS6Hdhxw/s3088/IMG_7573.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdXltbi-fMvdaCqmPg4Uv8jZ105zltScQ_Mx2csTc7WVHp5gVl3z-wVgKU9Nu6b5ZoAQIlwO6vw6Q-7ih4r9kHtTrKG4ih9yfkv_SJRrPTmcUk2XiNNcZvMpLcnfRbyuu17LM5oqY39YdPF14iRoWAFUUp67fEdcKUcfmZgs1zWcF4-iC8hhjS6Hdhxw/s320/IMG_7573.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinTvPPXvp5dd3CDr_7egVbAlRM2maeLV02Pf3peZS6z4jBK4XiwwLz_PFc9Jzc7X67wuAeVt4Xwe6hy0bm7x7JDqJ2b09BcPXqrIKB8V03WtbivZWxXm7huQgc7COtwPMtGKTaakzyAecCV5u1EU-Vt8oMC_bhL9LAOG0Rlnv5-z5zfb6PECpKkbYf2w/s3088/IMG_7575.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinTvPPXvp5dd3CDr_7egVbAlRM2maeLV02Pf3peZS6z4jBK4XiwwLz_PFc9Jzc7X67wuAeVt4Xwe6hy0bm7x7JDqJ2b09BcPXqrIKB8V03WtbivZWxXm7huQgc7COtwPMtGKTaakzyAecCV5u1EU-Vt8oMC_bhL9LAOG0Rlnv5-z5zfb6PECpKkbYf2w/s320/IMG_7575.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>We walked out of the stadium only to find a massive line leading to.... who knows what? We asked and apparently it was the shuttle line. We stood around for what felt like 45 minutes, and the line moved slowly. Staff came around to tell us that spectators were in a different line and that they needed to prioritize swimmers. </p><p>The race started at 7, and at 7 we were still in line. We finally got onto a shuttle and were dropped off at the swim start - 2 miles away but felt like it took us 20 minutes to get there. We hustled and lined ourselves up with the 1:20 swim finishers, got in line... and were off!</p><p><b><u>SWIM</u></b></p><p>As soon as I was the water, my heart rate elevated. I couldn't calm down. Was doing this race the right thing? Was I going to finish? How would I do 2.4 miles?! Was there E.Coli in the water? Should I let water get in my mouth? What creatures lived in this river? How shallow was it? </p><p>We were instructed to keep the buoys to our left, but based on feedback from other athletes it sounded like some of the buoys were taken by the current. At one point, when the American River turned into the Sacramento River, athletes were swimming upstream to try to go around the buoy. It was a cluster for everyone who tried to obey the rules of the race in keeping the buoys to the left. Clearly mother nature had different plans!</p><p>But all's well that ends well - at least for now. </p><p>I finished my swim with the fastest swim time I've ever done! Thank you, current!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaPvOCNdgINhvC2jedIG_NJe_wSqD9FoJVduOyPWvmREKai83gJwmVSTwCdgc21pIQoFYxtY7rw3qbn7j6Nyqfrrg2xjRXFSChGmi3Gvhh0SeSO3a_fkKYqx5y4FWhXpOhutZ1lqok9Yr0vDRDbFnKNy8d0MB3BQIsg5Icn6qjAk5GXSH6Mc_KDm38NQ/s2070/Screen%20Shot%202022-10-29%20at%204.09.19%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="958" data-original-width="2070" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaPvOCNdgINhvC2jedIG_NJe_wSqD9FoJVduOyPWvmREKai83gJwmVSTwCdgc21pIQoFYxtY7rw3qbn7j6Nyqfrrg2xjRXFSChGmi3Gvhh0SeSO3a_fkKYqx5y4FWhXpOhutZ1lqok9Yr0vDRDbFnKNy8d0MB3BQIsg5Icn6qjAk5GXSH6Mc_KDm38NQ/s320/Screen%20Shot%202022-10-29%20at%204.09.19%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>There's a point in the data that shows an extra slow lap - I'm assuming that's when I fought the current to get around the buoy!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDrOetT52W2p4WQOrHuDg_DGvav3NGaVHaLc2TTH5HVp__afCM92_QFAM1m1LUQQR4EaI7hJl1qXsbw6FQwdyPOQfUJhPgLGaem8872z2kAExk8qPWg1i32yGrno7gV0VjLPSWFTWtxTrJ2ER5_hIWN27TFackC9c4pKDia8VwvsM78s7Dcf-KBDkTCQ/s2078/Screen%20Shot%202022-10-29%20at%204.12.34%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="644" data-original-width="2078" height="99" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDrOetT52W2p4WQOrHuDg_DGvav3NGaVHaLc2TTH5HVp__afCM92_QFAM1m1LUQQR4EaI7hJl1qXsbw6FQwdyPOQfUJhPgLGaem8872z2kAExk8qPWg1i32yGrno7gV0VjLPSWFTWtxTrJ2ER5_hIWN27TFackC9c4pKDia8VwvsM78s7Dcf-KBDkTCQ/s320/Screen%20Shot%202022-10-29%20at%204.12.34%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>It's also worth noting that the wind at this time as 8.3 mph and that my pace was 1:40! I'm usually a 2:10-er :) <a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/8010754342" target="_blank">You can find my swim stats here. </a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7B7nHHj8hLFI87lIqTw2lGwLWV5jAaxq-W8-nU_Arm8uLPvUw34fTES1vmZ9Hjitj3cj7WQ-8c1Cx_YrPqfEw9LaBszO7bUj1vp28PxduBA_UjnkVF7J9Fb9BJyKJE67rlC5mnnyA6P4th1_ZZqgCMcyHXnSKTe5US-6M0gPbHs9Mzv8oGuX6fll5xQ/s3200/2_m-FPIX-3-01094836-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-4456_022534-20609468.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="2134" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7B7nHHj8hLFI87lIqTw2lGwLWV5jAaxq-W8-nU_Arm8uLPvUw34fTES1vmZ9Hjitj3cj7WQ-8c1Cx_YrPqfEw9LaBszO7bUj1vp28PxduBA_UjnkVF7J9Fb9BJyKJE67rlC5mnnyA6P4th1_ZZqgCMcyHXnSKTe5US-6M0gPbHs9Mzv8oGuX6fll5xQ/s320/2_m-FPIX-3-01094836-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-4456_022534-20609468.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMTr2EA0GsS-csQoUfK_DT5QvydlbH5KaoXJIQ5S_-eWFzU9ikYtEVltPxkSpkbGTECf2wZzRLwSmvPzjDfGefBs7mgb712o13UM7JQdfbKIkIYEmglJkYLE4hgBwgTgCUvzh1s9MWHU7yOXAQOzgReAwb8pCfPq_5cpDtg66G4ov-WH6ZUC6GUB-jQg/s4032/IMG_5071.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMTr2EA0GsS-csQoUfK_DT5QvydlbH5KaoXJIQ5S_-eWFzU9ikYtEVltPxkSpkbGTECf2wZzRLwSmvPzjDfGefBs7mgb712o13UM7JQdfbKIkIYEmglJkYLE4hgBwgTgCUvzh1s9MWHU7yOXAQOzgReAwb8pCfPq_5cpDtg66G4ov-WH6ZUC6GUB-jQg/s320/IMG_5071.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>I beach myself like a whale and get out of the water, then head up the ramp, out of the embankment, across the street (said hello to Matt, Colette, and Terry!), into the stadium - grabbed my bike bag, and went into the changing tent. I was hoping to get some help with changing (in my last two races, I had some great volunteers, and this time around I even packed two gift cards to give!) - but much to my chagrin, no one offered to help or even walked to my area of the tent. </p><p>I put on my cycling shoes, my helmet, glasses and gloves, and shoved some of my nutrition (hawaiian sweet rolls!) down my throat as I stashed my inhaler, my chapstick, and more nutrition in my back pocket. A quick spray of the sunblock on my face, and I was out of the changing tent and headed for my bike. </p><p>The transition was so long I couldn't tell if I should jog to my bike or just walk it at that point. That morning, Chris's teammate Naomi mentioned that the bags to the bikes were roughly half a mile! Total transition had to have been at least a mile. Anyway - after 20 minutes in transition, I was off to the bike portion!</p><p><b><u>BIKE</u></b></p><p>In the days leading up to the race, Chris had mentioned that if you sectioned off the bike into four parts, you'd get four 28-mile segments that were out, back, out, and back. It was a nice way to digest the bike ride - instead of a 112 mile trek, you were doing 28 miles at a time. I loved that plan. </p><p>I typically average 15 mph on my rides, but for part 1, I was averaging 23. I felt so amazing. I thought to myself, "the ride back probably won't be so nice, but I may just PR the bike portion!" Lies. So many lies. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCuzI4boKAoqOnyAZoH6EUob0_JaaE7IPTPYgfZKbvF4Lwuz-hYC-mdj74nzhRgNFlLQoYz9CxKjYS3HCZSYiw-GlBhtLKVlsPYONiKlkicYrkBz-l6yvHvPgYcHqgmGMYvvdvJtLl31ovCQ8UJGxYwOgDU7d195YxOcdfrdIAI6d_gVNNfCfhvfmWQ/s3200/12_m-FPIX-3-01094836-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-4456_039848-20609478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2139" data-original-width="3200" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCuzI4boKAoqOnyAZoH6EUob0_JaaE7IPTPYgfZKbvF4Lwuz-hYC-mdj74nzhRgNFlLQoYz9CxKjYS3HCZSYiw-GlBhtLKVlsPYONiKlkicYrkBz-l6yvHvPgYcHqgmGMYvvdvJtLl31ovCQ8UJGxYwOgDU7d195YxOcdfrdIAI6d_gVNNfCfhvfmWQ/s320/12_m-FPIX-3-01094836-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-4456_039848-20609478.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>I started to feel the wind toward the end of part 1. When we hit the southernmost point of the ride, there were cones to demarcate a U-Turn, and I'm pretty sure that U-turn was what broke me. I felt the gusts of wind immediately. My speed on the bike went from 23 down to 8. I truly felt like I was biking uphill - for 28 miles in part 2. I started to tear up. I did a bunch of math in my head, and my time went from a 6 hour finish to a 10 hour finish. There was no way I was going to make the bike finish. </p><p>But I put my head down and kept riding. I was terrified to lift my hands off the bike because I felt like I was going to blow away. At the 56 mile marker (and at the end of part 2), I stopped for my personal needs bag. I didn't need it (minus the gift card I put aside for my volunteer) - but I wanted to get off my bike and stretch. Matt and Cheryl were waiting for me! It was so nice to see them, even though I felt like a fragment of myself. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDJtxGMU6teDrlq-1lwY-IJprzWVWe3YiY9SBbhPNjw6yuqe9A4VFvXCYNC7wWa9vdm2ae936AqRDI4WL9XGwLcYkEtjbW3RElnOqVXYCV6fIlhGY6VGWe5AjF2ONNlibxq3p98zJG4cyGk1xl7EL964tX4lIoOhgf3LRc19Yclr7YSOq4nNqMFZME6g/s4032/IMG_9049.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDJtxGMU6teDrlq-1lwY-IJprzWVWe3YiY9SBbhPNjw6yuqe9A4VFvXCYNC7wWa9vdm2ae936AqRDI4WL9XGwLcYkEtjbW3RElnOqVXYCV6fIlhGY6VGWe5AjF2ONNlibxq3p98zJG4cyGk1xl7EL964tX4lIoOhgf3LRc19Yclr7YSOq4nNqMFZME6g/s320/IMG_9049.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9mQBqcL8zBKAUEsX_bhlk5jkap2rdRqsOhH3oUCNwPUWa0knwIvAlLxpebI155mIKhNCMAf6KbivLEkkaJuDvARANvhydUm99LMQxk-FYt2_Rr5YjRm4c9U5bmh3166HL6mh5UfAjVn1tJLw947twBB9ZbkNKBBbJZohBbsGAVA33NxJEjO57A_frRw/s4032/IMG_5076.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9mQBqcL8zBKAUEsX_bhlk5jkap2rdRqsOhH3oUCNwPUWa0knwIvAlLxpebI155mIKhNCMAf6KbivLEkkaJuDvARANvhydUm99LMQxk-FYt2_Rr5YjRm4c9U5bmh3166HL6mh5UfAjVn1tJLw947twBB9ZbkNKBBbJZohBbsGAVA33NxJEjO57A_frRw/s320/IMG_5076.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>I had shoved food into my mouth because I hardly got to eat on part 2. I was hungry. I was angry. But I was relieved to see people I knew. After a minute or so, I climb back onto the bike. </p><p>Part 3 was nice... look at me cheesing for the camera!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWrooOThzz0qW2dPqZRcoj3AYpg2HdgkrJs46Jjqc1gNxmHUZWCSLJbDyqV_yXcwlDFnbgSdWvt2FLqXdEcKEO6J8WgNwa8C-UKWpou_kGgOdxxwPKZNG9nVEvu3hgwNaDipRN0Xsc9KBH_X_nmbppzlmH1Gnql28wc3uwG0SH3W63feog9yGgZeOneA/s3200/54_m-FPIX-3-01094836-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-4456_066199-20609520.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="2133" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWrooOThzz0qW2dPqZRcoj3AYpg2HdgkrJs46Jjqc1gNxmHUZWCSLJbDyqV_yXcwlDFnbgSdWvt2FLqXdEcKEO6J8WgNwa8C-UKWpou_kGgOdxxwPKZNG9nVEvu3hgwNaDipRN0Xsc9KBH_X_nmbppzlmH1Gnql28wc3uwG0SH3W63feog9yGgZeOneA/s320/54_m-FPIX-3-01094836-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-4456_066199-20609520.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><br /><p>and Part 4... well, let's just not talk about it. The running joke for everyone in the IMCA facebook group is that we basically biked 56 miles up a continuous hill. They say the gusts were 35-40mph, but garmin says it was only 11mph. I don't believe it. I literally felt like I was going to blow off my bike. </p><p>At one point, I wanted to quit. I was envisioning one of those wind tunnels that people did - but tried to come to terms with doing it for an extended amount of time. I typically do my half ironman bike portions at 3-3:15 hours. For this race, I hit halfway at 3:45, so I knew the earliest I would come in would be at 7 and a half hours. Even during IM Santa Rosa, my longest bike time (4,000 climb) was 7 hours. </p><p>I was tracking for 7.5, which meant that I would be 30 minutes late for the run portion. My secret has always been that if I could get off the bike and onto the run portion by 4pm (7 hours of biking), I could walk an 18-minute mile and still finish. </p><p>My marathon window was getting smaller and smaller. 7.5 hours on the bike roll by, and I'm in tears again. Would I make the bike cut off? I started to ask people who rode by me, and every time I asked, no one seemed to know the answer. It was probably because they couldn't hear me over the wind, but it got more and more demoralizing. I started to see less and less people on the bike path, and I started to wonder if I had already missed the deadline but race organizers just wanted me to ride in versus pick me up in the SAG truck. </p><p>At 8 hours, I finish the bike. All the time I had saved on the swim was used up, and I only had 7 hours to complete the marathon. The LA marathon earlier in March of this year was 7 hours. Would I make it?</p><p>I dismount my bike, crushed but thankful that I wasn't pulled off the course for being too late. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhifjfXeu0uRei8ARDI8-9UO4AljMkb63s_hSxJTw2jjf8SrTQAC-iFYvpJEGoQHFg9mZwbBH6ISwWpYEviqMHUbWEdGPPg2mko4P6WfMk5rwLGXfxopSh6PolaMlICGLRTJ481QzYB_aP9F7PamppB6NYP-j4TND09gmX0Vz0KURIsnxBoct4hbj6XiQ/s2044/Screen%20Shot%202022-10-29%20at%205.01.55%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="2044" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhifjfXeu0uRei8ARDI8-9UO4AljMkb63s_hSxJTw2jjf8SrTQAC-iFYvpJEGoQHFg9mZwbBH6ISwWpYEviqMHUbWEdGPPg2mko4P6WfMk5rwLGXfxopSh6PolaMlICGLRTJ481QzYB_aP9F7PamppB6NYP-j4TND09gmX0Vz0KURIsnxBoct4hbj6XiQ/s320/Screen%20Shot%202022-10-29%20at%205.01.55%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtTuZSBlCWe12vWrN9wvw06FCWFRsINVsVbFv7D91CTCQVxroVtMKg1IFt0Za-1bIftKX7aO8t8sNzVoKhBEPSLEYEMPS9ljGoDfK7ixECT4rE4TPtO_AZkEkNWAMi5sBrZUyg_iLw7uU9go48AN3zA3KnAlh-H-oz_P6w3gxEa6ldHGQEQisSAKIz6g/s2052/Screen%20Shot%202022-10-29%20at%205.02.15%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1018" data-original-width="2052" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtTuZSBlCWe12vWrN9wvw06FCWFRsINVsVbFv7D91CTCQVxroVtMKg1IFt0Za-1bIftKX7aO8t8sNzVoKhBEPSLEYEMPS9ljGoDfK7ixECT4rE4TPtO_AZkEkNWAMi5sBrZUyg_iLw7uU9go48AN3zA3KnAlh-H-oz_P6w3gxEa6ldHGQEQisSAKIz6g/s320/Screen%20Shot%202022-10-29%20at%205.02.15%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>What I would say about this bike ride: It sucked. Under normal conditions (and the weather was beautiful the day before and the day after), it would have been an amazing ride - flat and fast - but the wind made it the most challenging ride I've ever been on. Would I do it again? Not without the guarantee of good weather. This bike ride broke me. <a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/8010754404/overview" target="_blank">You can see the rest of my stats here. </a></p><p><br /></p><p><b><u>RUN</u></b></p><p>Those who know me know I don't run anymore. I had plantar fasciitis after my first ironman, and then a stress fracture, and truthfully, I just didn't train for this race. I walk the dogs a few miles every morning and night, and that is the extent of my training. With that said, however, I can be a fast walker when I want to be!</p><p>When I got off my bike, I knew something was wrong. My toes had fallen asleep and everything in my shoes hurt - but it wasn't until I felt the blisters after I got off my bike that I knew running wasn't in the cards. Blisters had developed in between my toes and on the balls of both of my feet. They were just forming, but I knew a marathon would just make them worse. </p><p>Transition was short, so let's just get to the meat of the run portion. </p><p>I tried to jog the first mile, but I forgot to empty out my back pockets from the bike, so I had WAY too much stuff with me. I kept doing the math in my head, and even if I did a 16 minute mile, there was a chance I would not finish on time. I had to try to hit 15 minute miles or bank any of the seconds I did under 16 miles. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHcXdfFrCBcR4LIrgismXkSs8QUhNa7WzH8m-cGAH14eif715KZVH5YaL1n6ZAw-Cpnpz-WZ2nkcOC3M8H31iiT2xypBxGZ6GMOBHhVpaEYQcOxJTjPRK_haz9_IT63vRhwfb5G2B6vg7yJntv7Di_FPcUIxXwpDajgvJ09kvhdUDi_fxrZTJY4EfzcA/s4032/IMG_5088.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHcXdfFrCBcR4LIrgismXkSs8QUhNa7WzH8m-cGAH14eif715KZVH5YaL1n6ZAw-Cpnpz-WZ2nkcOC3M8H31iiT2xypBxGZ6GMOBHhVpaEYQcOxJTjPRK_haz9_IT63vRhwfb5G2B6vg7yJntv7Di_FPcUIxXwpDajgvJ09kvhdUDi_fxrZTJY4EfzcA/s320/IMG_5088.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo7ozdYXMVJaWB3cv4xgTV0XYOKFkGbm0v4Gc4rZGg5uew4nesCm8Ydi9RVEALZ8REE5Vj_3FxJgpGKdhVCGTMMxyKO9EvnT53cs86qJ3VZo_y6BMUxq_XlUYnAmYmwTcmuQkqc3K52NP24LeZz2LtjGd0qEGLFPDQAHkhMePHHoeXeCyuQpisUNQsxw/s4032/IMG_5087.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo7ozdYXMVJaWB3cv4xgTV0XYOKFkGbm0v4Gc4rZGg5uew4nesCm8Ydi9RVEALZ8REE5Vj_3FxJgpGKdhVCGTMMxyKO9EvnT53cs86qJ3VZo_y6BMUxq_XlUYnAmYmwTcmuQkqc3K52NP24LeZz2LtjGd0qEGLFPDQAHkhMePHHoeXeCyuQpisUNQsxw/s320/IMG_5087.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>The route had us go through a few different places, down a long bike path, and then back to the Capitol building, where we had to do 2 laps before finishing. Very straightforward. It got dark very quickly, which was fine - the only issue was that there was no lighting in the park. I packed a running light in transition and another one in my special needs bag, but I FORGOT to pull it from my special needs. I didn't want my only light to run out - especially since there were others on the run still - so I turned my light off and fumbled in the dark. In retrospect I really do wish I had grabbed that second light, just in case. </p><p>At mile 20, someone kept shouting at me from the side of the road, but I ignored the voice until I realized it was Matt. I was in such a brain fog that I didn't even recognize him. I just wanted everything to be over. My pace was getting slower and slower, the number of people started to dwindle, and I found moments where I as on the path by myself, dragging my poor blistered feet along. </p><p>When I got to the Capitol, I was both relieved and disappointed. 4 more miles separated me from the finish line. Luckily, they passed by quickly, and with 20 minutes left to spare, I crossed the finish line as a 3-TIME IRONMAN!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwTrDrXV_XYT1FLLI5SZ6q6aKdaHunnOYZjPj-dyQktaa4sADkpJO_mj6Iqj5_KxmpF-506U3MitYbzMWr9JJJbKG07apozh4J0zGBJJH0Wg-f4mrlxx8c5u7RODNfp7icF5CJdH-zuyAFZXqDm3RuvegqgvAi5M4_a0GiS6riC9GXHtR-yPz_oOGnkA/s3200/130_m-FPIX-3-01094836-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-4456_285956-20609596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="2133" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwTrDrXV_XYT1FLLI5SZ6q6aKdaHunnOYZjPj-dyQktaa4sADkpJO_mj6Iqj5_KxmpF-506U3MitYbzMWr9JJJbKG07apozh4J0zGBJJH0Wg-f4mrlxx8c5u7RODNfp7icF5CJdH-zuyAFZXqDm3RuvegqgvAi5M4_a0GiS6riC9GXHtR-yPz_oOGnkA/s320/130_m-FPIX-3-01094836-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-4456_285956-20609596.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVjLPJQhNrHFReYAHr1LBrBGaIjI087tX20OFCHl5-JTr00wJS74bQH3-zOZdVy96wXy3sBkXyVBqv5toSmY6h6jcqE6txpNOzoZsPS1_R8ySfosaYa9-vk8fHd0blmC7REvHEfcOdSLL2NEauwsZLM28YyXH9UmsocbI5iOJ1z1_S87zPuT_8mmorVw/s3200/80_m-FPIX-3-01094836-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-4456_188007-20609546.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="2134" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVjLPJQhNrHFReYAHr1LBrBGaIjI087tX20OFCHl5-JTr00wJS74bQH3-zOZdVy96wXy3sBkXyVBqv5toSmY6h6jcqE6txpNOzoZsPS1_R8ySfosaYa9-vk8fHd0blmC7REvHEfcOdSLL2NEauwsZLM28YyXH9UmsocbI5iOJ1z1_S87zPuT_8mmorVw/s320/80_m-FPIX-3-01094836-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-4456_188007-20609546.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><br /><p>This year has been one of the most challenging years of my life - I would never wish it on anyone. But it's also been one of the best years of my life - I've had the opportunity to travel, to move up in my career, and to prove myself both physically and mentally. I would not trade it for anything else. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHHJdbmt-o-d6WpaWpq05KPGkYqY1HB-IH5R_sOZSdf3whbwGzj8r03RsowLpV4EDkHS1bx_Xxlv1vSDHgrd-t1nFfd660TYlyfS7cEShDJmeLnBhWnTwn2uhIisGpLv5sXcUKBnMkJ4_eHWol2y5fvNkdu_fsvxv8c-cdBQWAzxUnMkv7c8oPrLpl2w/s2066/Screen%20Shot%202022-10-29%20at%205.20.32%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="558" data-original-width="2066" height="86" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHHJdbmt-o-d6WpaWpq05KPGkYqY1HB-IH5R_sOZSdf3whbwGzj8r03RsowLpV4EDkHS1bx_Xxlv1vSDHgrd-t1nFfd660TYlyfS7cEShDJmeLnBhWnTwn2uhIisGpLv5sXcUKBnMkJ4_eHWol2y5fvNkdu_fsvxv8c-cdBQWAzxUnMkv7c8oPrLpl2w/s320/Screen%20Shot%202022-10-29%20at%205.20.32%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Note the 15 mph winds! <a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/8010754457" target="_blank">You can find the rest of my run stats here. </a></p><p>8 years ago, I did my first triathlon. At that time, it was the biggest physical accomplishment I had ever done. 6 years ago, I did my first Ironman. I never thought I'd do one, let alone 3. The first one was a fluke, the second one I proved myself, and this third one was just to renew my membership. Hopefully there will be many more to come. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Many congratulations to Chris for finishing his first IRONMAN! Welcome to the club. :) </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSko4pDTgEak2w2eCWYCWXqZt2tj9Mb7NmfYbuOKWbB58y0lgDjT-Q4L2ZJdRk_6nXiamFWPoXXD8oDX45nU8EZ5vaC-1PQe2Q2ids1mm2mpydo42QITgmJgc6M96tyJ5NDwZCwQLltjpgzVSm4XNPra-HHHujGvSr9FE1wslrNdr0vT7uqYK5zXHPFg/s4032/IMG_9130.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSko4pDTgEak2w2eCWYCWXqZt2tj9Mb7NmfYbuOKWbB58y0lgDjT-Q4L2ZJdRk_6nXiamFWPoXXD8oDX45nU8EZ5vaC-1PQe2Q2ids1mm2mpydo42QITgmJgc6M96tyJ5NDwZCwQLltjpgzVSm4XNPra-HHHujGvSr9FE1wslrNdr0vT7uqYK5zXHPFg/s320/IMG_9130.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>
<br /><br />winjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182136023558011232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397044381841532887.post-66619742470162774612022-08-26T17:40:00.001-07:002022-08-26T17:40:27.315-07:00JAPAN (Aug 7-20) 2022 - Tokyo14 days in Japan is a really long time. It's especially long when you're on your own for a lot of it. Fortunately, I've been keeping myself busy with both work and sightseeing! <div><br /></div><div>Since this is my longest trip, I'm going to do my best to break out my experiences into additional posts so that I can go into more details on some things versus others!</div><div><br /></div><div>I... am exhausted. But let's get started! I don't want to forget a single moment of this trip. Please note: all opinions here are my own and not of the company I work for. I'm pulling a lot of the business part out of this and only talking about parts that I am able to. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.whatareweironing.com/2022/08/all-food-i-ate-in-tokyo-japan-aug-2022.html" target="_blank">Also - for anyone who is interested, here's all the food I ate in Tokyo.</a></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Sunday - August 7, 2022 & Monday - August 8, 2022</u></b></div><div><br /></div><div>I got up at 5am PST to walk the dogs before leaving for the airport. After checking in, it was just a matter of waiting for the flight. Since Japan is still not open to tourists, the plane was relatively empty, and the flight was seamless minus the fact that I couldn't sleep through it. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXQ7BA7ozVrOcBiD2FiykEKSso_rkRtQC01Prb2pvDgS0tD3QBEY1rAP38L9zDGkDwFb1MSUVtETtpmNH9eN1hAxGVudv7_2cFF19tdpw2RsvL-lYe4LFVNs3LVCKPGDcnCpNj6gOsomlEHQSWpA1LEt4tXJv0E2non5q6suU5kZSDVg8tHO7Q_6maPA/s4032/IMG_2264.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXQ7BA7ozVrOcBiD2FiykEKSso_rkRtQC01Prb2pvDgS0tD3QBEY1rAP38L9zDGkDwFb1MSUVtETtpmNH9eN1hAxGVudv7_2cFF19tdpw2RsvL-lYe4LFVNs3LVCKPGDcnCpNj6gOsomlEHQSWpA1LEt4tXJv0E2non5q6suU5kZSDVg8tHO7Q_6maPA/s320/IMG_2264.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Unfortunately, the plane ride took so much out of me - by the time we got to the hotel and checked in, I was ready to nap. That nap turned into bedtime, so I woke up bright and early...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><u>Tuesday - August 9, 2022</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4am on Tuesday morning! I watched the sun rise from my hotel room, and then went for a quick run outside. It was humid and muggy and I definitely wasn't ready for it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQRFztP4AAS0DQqSQPD0ALCPzsCZeNLJNSIj5YmzaRagTaTvVu8w0YSdBHfQb0CYkt8mnWYdstkj6h83Rx22YhxyODM-TfpPnkivYl7RkgycACbbUGH9S8RngOpBEQVV2v6TvvG2KJwA0-SRK6JCLQ0vZUqVsJD4wL4p4KCGZtrVUS-xatrTP1UxD8aw/s4032/IMG_2309.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQRFztP4AAS0DQqSQPD0ALCPzsCZeNLJNSIj5YmzaRagTaTvVu8w0YSdBHfQb0CYkt8mnWYdstkj6h83Rx22YhxyODM-TfpPnkivYl7RkgycACbbUGH9S8RngOpBEQVV2v6TvvG2KJwA0-SRK6JCLQ0vZUqVsJD4wL4p4KCGZtrVUS-xatrTP1UxD8aw/s320/IMG_2309.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I found myself inside Shinjuku Chuo Park, and ended up at Shinjuku Juniso Kumano-jinja Shrine (inside the park!). I watched as someone clapped twice loudly, bowed twice, and clapped again. I googled the process and did the same - praying silently for a few things - and then ran back toward the hotel. The cicadas joined me. All of them. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The rest of the day was dedicated to work: Over the course of the last few months, many of the teams at HT <a href="https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/617258" target="_blank">worked</a> <a href="https://ec.ghibli-harajukucollective-ec.com/" target="_blank">with</a> <a href="https://soranews24.com/2022/07/29/hot-topic-and-studio-ghibli-are-opening-a-fashion-store-in-tokyos-harajuku%E3%80%90photos%E3%80%91/" target="_blank">Studio Ghibli</a> <a href="https://www.licenseglobal.com/apparel/hot-topic-launches-harajuku-collective-collection" target="_blank">to</a> <a href="https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/shopping/harajuku-collective-pop-up-store" target="_blank">launch</a> the <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@hottopic/video/7130008607147461931?is_from_webapp=v1&item_id=7130008607147461931" target="_blank">Harajuku Collective</a> - an exclusive collection designed in the US and brought to life in Tokyo! </div><div><p>The collection was announced at WonderCon in March, and premiered at San Diego Comic Con in July. Launching in Japan was like watching a project see its course - an amazing course at that. </p><p>I still <a href="On August 10, the Studio Ghibli x Hot Topic Harajuku Collective finally launchd! The collection was announced at WonderCon in March, and premiered at San Diego Comic Con in July. Launching in Japan was like watching a project see its course - an amazing course at that. We previewed the collection for press and partners on the 9th, and opened to the public (online and in store) on the 10th! Many Japanese influencers stopped by to preview the collection, but HT was fortunate enough to be joined by 3 from the US: Ashley, Nava, and Ati. The shop opens 11 - 7 every day until August 29, and will live online until product sells out or 12/31/2022. 📍 ASOBIFACTORY 3 -21-8 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001 You can shop the collection at Hottopic.com as well!" target="_blank">can't get over </a><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@hottopic/video/7130292012267375914?is_from_webapp=v1&item_id=7130292012267375914" target="_blank">all</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@hottopic/video/7131091725115968814?is_from_webapp=v1&item_id=7131091725115968814" target="_blank">the</a> great social content and <a href="https://www.licenseglobal.com/apparel/hot-topic-launches-harajuku-collective-collection" target="_blank">press</a> <a href="https://soranews24.com/2022/07/29/hot-topic-and-studio-ghibli-are-opening-a-fashion-store-in-tokyos-harajuku%E3%80%90photos%E3%80%91/" target="_blank">surrounding</a> <a href="https://epicstream.com/article/hot-topic-releases-new-studio-ghibli-merch-inspired-by-japanese-fashion" target="_blank">this</a> event!</p><p>We previewed the collection for press and partners on the 9th, and opened to the public (online and in store) on the 10th!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijxVJ2x1Hu2Gx0oAbL0HBRl16Bo7wfq3Wt_rHva6eMuKdz5JiXpVNQVjoxAyy-mkM4BoQZ-dozcBBbS22WiL7MZ2z5mpcR0S8_fp5HmmQAwvxwLD9sbxzzwT-znPB6nqlqfi3HBleUBu4SA-Eu9GXPl7M8rMLoFyN6FvCabx4LuXpJwodMZ2nsQ9jpog" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijxVJ2x1Hu2Gx0oAbL0HBRl16Bo7wfq3Wt_rHva6eMuKdz5JiXpVNQVjoxAyy-mkM4BoQZ-dozcBBbS22WiL7MZ2z5mpcR0S8_fp5HmmQAwvxwLD9sbxzzwT-znPB6nqlqfi3HBleUBu4SA-Eu9GXPl7M8rMLoFyN6FvCabx4LuXpJwodMZ2nsQ9jpog" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxgwVmNcYaGqomV3pv7FWZCydjY3wpqXOTBiIgUMIRmvMrK2ONuD7wL7vfMYBa_DTAFz_4Pwvhq91_18St4ug' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div>Many Japanese influencers stopped by to preview the collection, but HT was fortunate enough to be joined by 3 from the US: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ashleyeckstein/" target="_blank">Ashley</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thenavarose/" target="_blank">Nava</a>, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/atikhunk/" target="_blank">Ati</a>. <div><br /></div><div>The shop opens 11 - 7 every day until August 29, and will live online until product sells out or 12/31/2022.</div><div>📍 ASOBIFACTORY 3 -21-8 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001</div><div><br /></div><div>You can shop the collection at Hottopic.com as well!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Wednesday - August 10, 2022</u></b></div><div><br />Something must have been wrong with me, because just about every morning I went for a walk, a run, or a swim. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1VI_ECAL2uWsXBHlO-9EI_Cz3Xw6nt28dQiy-iXSHCUgRhWThVMQFssfPpCb9wT3Fucmk8VvQi5vc3mXpjnUsJW8viusGz_VUiBZ3pTChq8vpg9TezSogUBbBCn_7KELLm91ka-DKD89H1By521JF4ZXdnnX90qonyoI8qDM25zlq0ii3Rk-dsKKPg/s4032/IMG_2421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1VI_ECAL2uWsXBHlO-9EI_Cz3Xw6nt28dQiy-iXSHCUgRhWThVMQFssfPpCb9wT3Fucmk8VvQi5vc3mXpjnUsJW8viusGz_VUiBZ3pTChq8vpg9TezSogUBbBCn_7KELLm91ka-DKD89H1By521JF4ZXdnnX90qonyoI8qDM25zlq0ii3Rk-dsKKPg/s320/IMG_2421.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div>Found me a Robert Indiana LOVE sign!</div><div><br /></div><div>We went back to the pop up shop a few times over the course of the week, but also stopped by Takeshita street - the most popular street in Harajuku.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8fKbaDp6Maz27y9-j2XT-5PqDj3zNNbgMToAgf8VcL4jWvGDw537BbHbfSTJtfqidXEaH3hn5AioFeFl_zmsrP4PcaLvUzn5gmd0ExyJQ7pHDV9gvK02lMOK2MS-suNsy9emyZPk8JptRgeGHV6XseN-oa0QiiBqUe2zkmp_ag1aYcQ8srDQkeUdxQ/s4032/IMG_1471.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8fKbaDp6Maz27y9-j2XT-5PqDj3zNNbgMToAgf8VcL4jWvGDw537BbHbfSTJtfqidXEaH3hn5AioFeFl_zmsrP4PcaLvUzn5gmd0ExyJQ7pHDV9gvK02lMOK2MS-suNsy9emyZPk8JptRgeGHV6XseN-oa0QiiBqUe2zkmp_ag1aYcQ8srDQkeUdxQ/s320/IMG_1471.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Japan isn't open to the public just yet - I think group tours, business, and a few other reasons - but definitely not much tourism. We stuck out like sore thumbs! With that said, it was nice to people watch and take a look at the stores in Japan. So much and so little have changed since I was there in 2019. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.whatareweironing.com/2022/08/all-food-i-ate-in-tokyo-japan-aug-2022.html" target="_blank">I talked about this in another post</a>, but I still can't get over the 36 cent ice cream cone at IKEA!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijrrxNekEsxF8M7QgTra6oGLrPHt-Ouw1tiyxkM5IYdyyyIdJjsoR5_qUUt4BSfB0DLPfYlBx7nkGjaJ-va26Am4sPBnoogIEtA_bdmEZAe62ZJ0vjaaiAwsHeu3Q2KtVk24l3m0pWRsrm6uAwfsj_vPeGd230goBF3Pr3eAPU-khO9r1NsdxAsm4sgQ/s4032/IMG_2459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijrrxNekEsxF8M7QgTra6oGLrPHt-Ouw1tiyxkM5IYdyyyIdJjsoR5_qUUt4BSfB0DLPfYlBx7nkGjaJ-va26Am4sPBnoogIEtA_bdmEZAe62ZJ0vjaaiAwsHeu3Q2KtVk24l3m0pWRsrm6uAwfsj_vPeGd230goBF3Pr3eAPU-khO9r1NsdxAsm4sgQ/s320/IMG_2459.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Stopped at the Harry Potter Store in Akasaka and was blown away by the whimsy - </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqgV01XqrZ_cU_hSxd5C8x23hxRp-3p4o8w1fGVoyOKfBzrJ2XG0ww-dI3p3zWvcMBEg8iXEadBj0TekVDEa9-socHNee6y0VSfGDx-O05bQRj1OLqRgOYIzDhYgZICrt2aid6U7McosLQFnRPGu052o5oJ_gQxw6jf8P_VQGuH-tZ3QEew5ZHJeMqVg/s4032/IMG_1645.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqgV01XqrZ_cU_hSxd5C8x23hxRp-3p4o8w1fGVoyOKfBzrJ2XG0ww-dI3p3zWvcMBEg8iXEadBj0TekVDEa9-socHNee6y0VSfGDx-O05bQRj1OLqRgOYIzDhYgZICrt2aid6U7McosLQFnRPGu052o5oJ_gQxw6jf8P_VQGuH-tZ3QEew5ZHJeMqVg/s320/IMG_1645.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLE5wGPixFkvgH-wXMTDeQ0X_xWKLqyWErxLfs1NkWMGOAmk8OEMaiWJNnwejbkOMBOiZLRDY-l-QO3UFKPQxAYtTjrAUcMzPWS6OKp0XE66M9axl7WWMR01R3gtTHkVOJ1hSu3UyrosmXh3MiDU-bCoMIM8a4UF0a_sVjmece17ag8X2LZAdRhj7HgA/s4032/IMG_1646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLE5wGPixFkvgH-wXMTDeQ0X_xWKLqyWErxLfs1NkWMGOAmk8OEMaiWJNnwejbkOMBOiZLRDY-l-QO3UFKPQxAYtTjrAUcMzPWS6OKp0XE66M9axl7WWMR01R3gtTHkVOJ1hSu3UyrosmXh3MiDU-bCoMIM8a4UF0a_sVjmece17ag8X2LZAdRhj7HgA/s320/IMG_1646.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtW6_b4Ey6IS7jFP2T-CVAfB1ndm3Ymaclljt2OGyH0s9zdPbZ4LeBudB8k1DYpEksVkMF_lDs7Kt5W_LmEtZY5rD-i0CeVMaw2egoS-DIGghQLjYY1DytMs71lKt4FyftZm6hAzQDgZp743JJYnsjG8Nea0c5fu3I5kyr0r5nVfYCQoZXVBVd97MRRA/s4032/IMG_2515.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtW6_b4Ey6IS7jFP2T-CVAfB1ndm3Ymaclljt2OGyH0s9zdPbZ4LeBudB8k1DYpEksVkMF_lDs7Kt5W_LmEtZY5rD-i0CeVMaw2egoS-DIGghQLjYY1DytMs71lKt4FyftZm6hAzQDgZp743JJYnsjG8Nea0c5fu3I5kyr0r5nVfYCQoZXVBVd97MRRA/s320/IMG_2515.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div>The Lego Sorting Hat even sorted me into Gryffindor! JK I sorted myself into Gryffindor 🤣</div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Thursday - August 11, 2022</u></b></div><div><br /><p></p><p>So many things to do, so little time. Our friends at Ghibli invited us to the Ghibli Exhibition - and boy, did it not disappoint! The beginning of the exhibition focuses on the life of Toshio Suzuki. No phones are allowed but I had to bust mine out because everything was in Japanese and I had NO IDEA what any of it said. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKpv-THzBGBHwryEZ3CUvKDBHsLjoWPHU-EDB4TmsMk_nTQEC_45zub_IzWPQ3GzTuXH_FoOhUUlnY9sA0Qt5Z4lKrxOe_cAbL5SWMEyEtxnyNk1p_32OdUhveJ-gar6P0eC1pe5SCrOVtMvBsXCbBhievZFdE5z-FAEirIOsSSETcVyrTNOoSgm6HPg/s4032/IMG_1672.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKpv-THzBGBHwryEZ3CUvKDBHsLjoWPHU-EDB4TmsMk_nTQEC_45zub_IzWPQ3GzTuXH_FoOhUUlnY9sA0Qt5Z4lKrxOe_cAbL5SWMEyEtxnyNk1p_32OdUhveJ-gar6P0eC1pe5SCrOVtMvBsXCbBhievZFdE5z-FAEirIOsSSETcVyrTNOoSgm6HPg/s320/IMG_1672.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUtz_TM_LSjDsmrTE5j9yTPN5kz9SgzDUD_aFWL3ct7nIDDTobJJFONmP_NkUvjuvRK4kHCRWV_tG2k8kNk01Bd265ZK8aEC5jk7u797TMf8upiFbAWNNZdC5qAPW9Iwd8eOQAspZRBTKAuV8OsEe2smoxxxB1w6IW4na-pcjzZXr3r1pO2TZtnlVDtA/s4032/IMG_1681.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUtz_TM_LSjDsmrTE5j9yTPN5kz9SgzDUD_aFWL3ct7nIDDTobJJFONmP_NkUvjuvRK4kHCRWV_tG2k8kNk01Bd265ZK8aEC5jk7u797TMf8upiFbAWNNZdC5qAPW9Iwd8eOQAspZRBTKAuV8OsEe2smoxxxB1w6IW4na-pcjzZXr3r1pO2TZtnlVDtA/s320/IMG_1681.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5fzJrce3WvMG3kM18AOy3-EbBHUtb8qx_tAqIM-w2iq6OIaq3oD6aY5kf73f9Jy20dTecEdDg0yqmBdiuDRqTARb8lRGCaxVfY7HnVlwjji2g0EcddxQFZmZRZQ0mXz4HMLr0u-EyGxgzAhKhpM1hhsEZ_K_fuQIVLW85mAixHQ02BIzfGPj9m6uCag/s3088/IMG_2572.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5fzJrce3WvMG3kM18AOy3-EbBHUtb8qx_tAqIM-w2iq6OIaq3oD6aY5kf73f9Jy20dTecEdDg0yqmBdiuDRqTARb8lRGCaxVfY7HnVlwjji2g0EcddxQFZmZRZQ0mXz4HMLr0u-EyGxgzAhKhpM1hhsEZ_K_fuQIVLW85mAixHQ02BIzfGPj9m6uCag/s320/IMG_2572.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcYdC_HIxWWM4-s6ZGwBn_YBDjZNZFGrB2y86F2M6_0Embd_t78cHlk_6sdaANFfV0PWBm-vTESLvcGJu-f7wc0Mh4UK-4hEpONiUmNeZCT14MLFSmCKpAqOs8baymiRpB69M4Ssyl5OTMQySXeKCNKj-o611vV29vK-Z28fsgTK-3BGMuBycesnwkZg/s4032/IMG_2605.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcYdC_HIxWWM4-s6ZGwBn_YBDjZNZFGrB2y86F2M6_0Embd_t78cHlk_6sdaANFfV0PWBm-vTESLvcGJu-f7wc0Mh4UK-4hEpONiUmNeZCT14MLFSmCKpAqOs8baymiRpB69M4Ssyl5OTMQySXeKCNKj-o611vV29vK-Z28fsgTK-3BGMuBycesnwkZg/s320/IMG_2605.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij-bmZxD6jyT_dMmpWdzg4PjE1HIDNoLwzHmo4nUzfU51w1gM_U36bmEwNBNRlar4bBLboEmCTZLLWztYXGM1TknayQjQQXd9efTaQ0q6xkLuKsCsPpFyf-Um1T-O1JySWW4ai4hh1lZsa_0-4DFoSu1KoYDH3HOjcoIKBaaf96s1NjeqTIqFHRNIicg/s4032/IMG_8716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij-bmZxD6jyT_dMmpWdzg4PjE1HIDNoLwzHmo4nUzfU51w1gM_U36bmEwNBNRlar4bBLboEmCTZLLWztYXGM1TknayQjQQXd9efTaQ0q6xkLuKsCsPpFyf-Um1T-O1JySWW4ai4hh1lZsa_0-4DFoSu1KoYDH3HOjcoIKBaaf96s1NjeqTIqFHRNIicg/s320/IMG_8716.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>They did allow pictures in certain areas, which was cool. And the very end of the exhibition? There are so many instagrammable moments!</p><p>Patty and I met up with Jason and Teiko for dinner. So happy I got to see them!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5mlipUy0s61VkNWLAuai5YHaO0Lx6AddR_NEBQfKs4YLQvb867AhNCMdKBfVoFa2WNU0PoGx4uMVqinjog7w-r-w_j32MDfY0OTTj_aMlx11xHjG_K5MB8Txy8CYRCBWrJylzTVE8D7Lg19xt9KlljWHFI-wcg0ATvxsZ_domowsfbMkcQXqrKYYhqA/s4032/IMG_2717.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5mlipUy0s61VkNWLAuai5YHaO0Lx6AddR_NEBQfKs4YLQvb867AhNCMdKBfVoFa2WNU0PoGx4uMVqinjog7w-r-w_j32MDfY0OTTj_aMlx11xHjG_K5MB8Txy8CYRCBWrJylzTVE8D7Lg19xt9KlljWHFI-wcg0ATvxsZ_domowsfbMkcQXqrKYYhqA/s320/IMG_2717.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div><b><u>Friday - August 12, 2022</u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpmTbAw1hrYjiuuJSbyjKwNClyk01tpjnLM26s0UNP2fgMh2J6zDu_CDzcqoGQhOXu3zxKwncdHp8S1DSfyuyV8_irBAliNKrikTqx3Xz6h6PBQDD7zYpT-bE6uc5_hLIqFkzp_Hp2heD1oxlfMTaMJpjdEn54Ybgr1RhDcFY_DkUA4czM5uelMWKHgw/s4032/IMG_2824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpmTbAw1hrYjiuuJSbyjKwNClyk01tpjnLM26s0UNP2fgMh2J6zDu_CDzcqoGQhOXu3zxKwncdHp8S1DSfyuyV8_irBAliNKrikTqx3Xz6h6PBQDD7zYpT-bE6uc5_hLIqFkzp_Hp2heD1oxlfMTaMJpjdEn54Ybgr1RhDcFY_DkUA4czM5uelMWKHgw/s320/IMG_2824.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u><a href="https://www.whatareweironing.com/2022/08/sukiyabashi-jiro-august-2022.html" target="_blank">Best day of my life.</a><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><p><b><u>Saturday - August 13, 2022</u></b></p></div></div><div>By Saturday, a Typhoon had hit Japan. I had never experienced one, but the rain was heavy, the wind was heavy, and all the discarded umbrellas on the side of the road essentially told me I probably shouldn't have gone out. Regardless, I left the hotel anyway and headed to Odaiba!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSNV52tJP7QFpes5gEPX2KRD_EgXeZsAiAkTzUlr4Qbo-MsVPv_EYP8r2aAokKETvcehoX4RE2UxvO18FZdt1B1QQVBgrKk8mrMHpMhdjjyqt4a0PpFYyy4iwBfHG2Z0Mqcl1GV3Ozb3Axn-F-BkQ3OmLy2GG06z7MaVEYpNJQief9u5j4iDLLfWzbOw/s4032/IMG_2878.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSNV52tJP7QFpes5gEPX2KRD_EgXeZsAiAkTzUlr4Qbo-MsVPv_EYP8r2aAokKETvcehoX4RE2UxvO18FZdt1B1QQVBgrKk8mrMHpMhdjjyqt4a0PpFYyy4iwBfHG2Z0Mqcl1GV3Ozb3Axn-F-BkQ3OmLy2GG06z7MaVEYpNJQief9u5j4iDLLfWzbOw/s320/IMG_2878.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV0us1gC2P5pOq5VRsxVtXAlHeayAq-ABJJr8fmQOaxhRK_9hohcIJYk2dnaUXC8ihRhuDyLfMj3BEMKWmnR_OM6TAWwA3ewnIdlEZdbpvNZ7Vb1_I8lWmeArXYErqBE09vkUnrangbWb9t7cfw_rbiGkYUZ2EX6CgzsaqyNGkA0T67UEFqBjQp98m-g/s4032/IMG_2892.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV0us1gC2P5pOq5VRsxVtXAlHeayAq-ABJJr8fmQOaxhRK_9hohcIJYk2dnaUXC8ihRhuDyLfMj3BEMKWmnR_OM6TAWwA3ewnIdlEZdbpvNZ7Vb1_I8lWmeArXYErqBE09vkUnrangbWb9t7cfw_rbiGkYUZ2EX6CgzsaqyNGkA0T67UEFqBjQp98m-g/s320/IMG_2892.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6JaJge6TJkkfrMpKyaYzlpkOQXqay2oS6jT1QgIS8Bw8aW6CDUGREC6WDy27RBVeYlHZRTAc0_yi1-pGflKcU31teD1yhZDiZCiqqBnxMG3gSpw_758zKxvh9ucOZC5abF9dgjOS1e-GbxHbO9T2x_eEdi-fh6xaoynkte_Y8HYQIFmZfa4hTUfV7vg/s4032/IMG_2938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6JaJge6TJkkfrMpKyaYzlpkOQXqay2oS6jT1QgIS8Bw8aW6CDUGREC6WDy27RBVeYlHZRTAc0_yi1-pGflKcU31teD1yhZDiZCiqqBnxMG3gSpw_758zKxvh9ucOZC5abF9dgjOS1e-GbxHbO9T2x_eEdi-fh6xaoynkte_Y8HYQIFmZfa4hTUfV7vg/s320/IMG_2938.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie6VmNaBkX7FogHXX_G8BIXJ89RBdZC-8hVerxBM-EQ1ko-cz838t9Pqsl82T6fhxFRZz1Tj-mmOaDijLrg5LVIlEvj6jQl7utVYkhfxeuaW4uLQvBRRMd6mEQLqHvcWOEl6uDA3cia4fKvGGEgRK8z-aII3C2VIqHnynGSaDCSI4zox_94MwR9Knc3w/s4032/IMG_2979.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie6VmNaBkX7FogHXX_G8BIXJ89RBdZC-8hVerxBM-EQ1ko-cz838t9Pqsl82T6fhxFRZz1Tj-mmOaDijLrg5LVIlEvj6jQl7utVYkhfxeuaW4uLQvBRRMd6mEQLqHvcWOEl6uDA3cia4fKvGGEgRK8z-aII3C2VIqHnynGSaDCSI4zox_94MwR9Knc3w/s320/IMG_2979.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Teamlab was such an immersive experience. I had never heard of it before, but apparently everyone knows about it? This one was cool. All the lights were interactive - If you hovered over a certain image, the light would react and the image would shrink. If you waved at a character, it would wave back to you. If you stood in a certain place, butterflies would grow on you and travel across the space. </div><div><br /></div><div>Loved it and then some. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisl7kMA7Y-MG5DjIJCuTGzcXlHxznIc6dwClZZtG10q6DtxSo49p57qZZpdpfdpyIlbj1HIGfdn8R6sxucOxOB3yLztrRSRl2NT6P1PJgS6qy9SdusxKiS2XYnyxXpk65LLUXtXFU5GRJ5ZTjdwT4Wr6P6RjSVzET4zwTdRKfz1UkDSQl6TWegpaK2ig/s3088/IMG_1713.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisl7kMA7Y-MG5DjIJCuTGzcXlHxznIc6dwClZZtG10q6DtxSo49p57qZZpdpfdpyIlbj1HIGfdn8R6sxucOxOB3yLztrRSRl2NT6P1PJgS6qy9SdusxKiS2XYnyxXpk65LLUXtXFU5GRJ5ZTjdwT4Wr6P6RjSVzET4zwTdRKfz1UkDSQl6TWegpaK2ig/s320/IMG_1713.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ZmX4aseiXyJ8KdtF6MZfau0ajcmdTOQrwsHNrO-Znso9iwVX36-MPCrEabc130vQOkCwO53s8qDIaEtkGzSfl_Lnx5vibTxtSx_Qx_dVzCQ4mnT6YzXxHL3xizK7oUvITBzPAQijyJwa7Drdez__-dMLJ124u2i_cD9ahPBSTpGiJoYJyqwOoSz8Cg/s3088/IMG_1736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ZmX4aseiXyJ8KdtF6MZfau0ajcmdTOQrwsHNrO-Znso9iwVX36-MPCrEabc130vQOkCwO53s8qDIaEtkGzSfl_Lnx5vibTxtSx_Qx_dVzCQ4mnT6YzXxHL3xizK7oUvITBzPAQijyJwa7Drdez__-dMLJ124u2i_cD9ahPBSTpGiJoYJyqwOoSz8Cg/s320/IMG_1736.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Can you tell I got caught in the rain? My hair curled!</div><div>Walked to the Gundam Statue in Odaiba and met up with my buddy Doraemon!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Sunday - August 14, 2022</u></b></div><div><br /></div><div>Sunday was the day I started to regret not being able to speak Japanese. I woke up early and made my way to the Inokashira Park Zoo - I say I regret not being able to speak Japanese because I got SO bit up by mosquitos that I couldn't figure out how to buy bug bite spray or calamine lotion. I now know that there is no such thing as Calamine lotion in Japan BUT that there is something called Muhi that is an after-bite thing that absolutely works!</div><div><br /></div><div>For repellants, use Skin Vape. Thank goodness for Buzzfeed, my news source of choice (listicles), as I would never have known without them. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgV_GBKBuYf2bkJKcJR7a1zNwHmA0XwIt6fPGvLQBvZCYqeRDJKdyY4oEJ0VGjRu1tqLGNbTxyZsML1QocmPr0Z6aQs65f-g9_e6QHc1kws_1oplLd7kxAHVeqFXPkojjFo7nlzua45BNi3GF3W8D9UmrnPBQr7VG3NsBdZIJvLWxU5Wte3mVCsfVRRg/s4032/IMG_1777.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgV_GBKBuYf2bkJKcJR7a1zNwHmA0XwIt6fPGvLQBvZCYqeRDJKdyY4oEJ0VGjRu1tqLGNbTxyZsML1QocmPr0Z6aQs65f-g9_e6QHc1kws_1oplLd7kxAHVeqFXPkojjFo7nlzua45BNi3GF3W8D9UmrnPBQr7VG3NsBdZIJvLWxU5Wte3mVCsfVRRg/s320/IMG_1777.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWwKO3tS9R4B7IX9laz_-uRWNaV0LCxg1AJ3fpxU77ADDAXPtSSgY-Tzm9llLjX-OjlYxYR6-QSpfEqNst_1Dg4siSZLl2WewNO12piXLPrNCgNoOfGoF-eIS8KlKFB1NM4nxNZMGZVKhj2OZQe4zIW37IUQCrS81k0iohTEg213CiNViAm_dj02E3g/s3520/IMG_1783.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3520" data-original-width="1980" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWwKO3tS9R4B7IX9laz_-uRWNaV0LCxg1AJ3fpxU77ADDAXPtSSgY-Tzm9llLjX-OjlYxYR6-QSpfEqNst_1Dg4siSZLl2WewNO12piXLPrNCgNoOfGoF-eIS8KlKFB1NM4nxNZMGZVKhj2OZQe4zIW37IUQCrS81k0iohTEg213CiNViAm_dj02E3g/s320/IMG_1783.JPG" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj14y3HDQSykKGCDDtVZac_Y25hFTIsXg2hu_3nJCPs5R_Dg1JABB_Z7Lhtg1i3xYAZGn6uwl6EZmx8Q-Eg4ArpaDRJp6z4eHKD5qwEANDiKIw4-mPy7R3CJQlcwQD0UfZbZ33WZ8lWZNZlpOiA8U15rBAkev6zN57CM697owjGLPhUsEfAXN1SRhOEUA/s3520/IMG_1789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3520" data-original-width="1980" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj14y3HDQSykKGCDDtVZac_Y25hFTIsXg2hu_3nJCPs5R_Dg1JABB_Z7Lhtg1i3xYAZGn6uwl6EZmx8Q-Eg4ArpaDRJp6z4eHKD5qwEANDiKIw4-mPy7R3CJQlcwQD0UfZbZ33WZ8lWZNZlpOiA8U15rBAkev6zN57CM697owjGLPhUsEfAXN1SRhOEUA/s320/IMG_1789.JPG" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLed_TpzLwOTnsvP3NxQmY0vnrFhjuY4hRUpv0aWGhmc3TZToheSGlnNKJt8-5Kd9_F0ad6kmUBHVGDnIdq8ni_4ibD16NxOLJXHwqzvAyUHmR7KXbXwY58d2UCx9_iWs1Gex0FnvMVRqjxgEpz9M61J7rzYxUtj8FrL8PHY4Cxq65K_C9FdqSFlSu-g/s3520/IMG_1826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3520" data-original-width="1980" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLed_TpzLwOTnsvP3NxQmY0vnrFhjuY4hRUpv0aWGhmc3TZToheSGlnNKJt8-5Kd9_F0ad6kmUBHVGDnIdq8ni_4ibD16NxOLJXHwqzvAyUHmR7KXbXwY58d2UCx9_iWs1Gex0FnvMVRqjxgEpz9M61J7rzYxUtj8FrL8PHY4Cxq65K_C9FdqSFlSu-g/s320/IMG_1826.JPG" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Okay, so. The Zoo. Many of you know that I try to go to the zoo in every city I visit - I just want to see what the offering is like! This one had a squirrel exhibit. When I told my mom about it later, she said that in China squirrels didn't exist! </div><div><br /></div><div>This zoo had an animal called a racoon dog. I wish I took a video because it literally walked like a dog but looked like a raccoon! So cute. I probably got the most bug bites here because I couldn't stop staring. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJb3qKmPAvzdnQJ_6Qw5ooliCxSSxHT3ZcBIJi7_Tr0RdBCO7gXbOwAvMrd7dKHYKnFf5Rpc6p6Tc7NQ3-zwNxTGumJ32Jkk5Lv1anWZWz-LZoEoN9z9ArMzeU6HPH17HmT--wpi8lQ9XNxGjizj-2LzJXiraaznpYn_R_TxvdUcg-coYJXCnCbG3D7g/s2080/DB44D3E6-E049-4196-892D-A98B288324AB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2080" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJb3qKmPAvzdnQJ_6Qw5ooliCxSSxHT3ZcBIJi7_Tr0RdBCO7gXbOwAvMrd7dKHYKnFf5Rpc6p6Tc7NQ3-zwNxTGumJ32Jkk5Lv1anWZWz-LZoEoN9z9ArMzeU6HPH17HmT--wpi8lQ9XNxGjizj-2LzJXiraaznpYn_R_TxvdUcg-coYJXCnCbG3D7g/s320/DB44D3E6-E049-4196-892D-A98B288324AB.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ6UBlBNBIMW_kajfmcNsjzdLtvv_HPRoIzNTeIQnKt6d5b5qcrRVxgUrOz1KI8ud8koCSYuuItFGFYGcp3SdGSAreQ4gzWjzWbzqxDKhK9YaR3F3vP_zlNKX7xrFOT6YTJnsEKJCKswpx7V2EjgOkR7aadMkJFv5keRESMFNSNwKozKzkH8UxiwtOSQ/s4032/IMG_3077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ6UBlBNBIMW_kajfmcNsjzdLtvv_HPRoIzNTeIQnKt6d5b5qcrRVxgUrOz1KI8ud8koCSYuuItFGFYGcp3SdGSAreQ4gzWjzWbzqxDKhK9YaR3F3vP_zlNKX7xrFOT6YTJnsEKJCKswpx7V2EjgOkR7aadMkJFv5keRESMFNSNwKozKzkH8UxiwtOSQ/s320/IMG_3077.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnBVda3pmAQjloO5qKtBozSYxh6XzRXrFmGsOdXDp0k0NplNwE6iEBGBx3ZqSJTVpmhGuR_rBoZnlJN9bJu7WjFVtBEf1HiQ3cwXEUH4S0UlVi83w5hYw_RRmxp69l4wbGzdpRLstYSEa9aS0gD07pD6__Teqq1dApc86asKpYX84PF6-RXdUGv0qC9g/s4032/IMG_3081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnBVda3pmAQjloO5qKtBozSYxh6XzRXrFmGsOdXDp0k0NplNwE6iEBGBx3ZqSJTVpmhGuR_rBoZnlJN9bJu7WjFVtBEf1HiQ3cwXEUH4S0UlVi83w5hYw_RRmxp69l4wbGzdpRLstYSEa9aS0gD07pD6__Teqq1dApc86asKpYX84PF6-RXdUGv0qC9g/s320/IMG_3081.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVr0_AiTPGLN81_NWe4ogcwdskhbkHsH79AbVARW-Nv04PHyf74arUk_U0zRo_f2vMNLMqcKOWAQZFXcr7zx6DjfJSmVNVgBz3wiEvc7uV6hNCkXimgRysNdhyMo773qBG9Y5b37I2g8ptXSXwlcGKc5S2UkitjYD_rCkChqxPv9JUZhzKT6N2WzTqg/s4032/IMG_3195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1952" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVr0_AiTPGLN81_NWe4ogcwdskhbkHsH79AbVARW-Nv04PHyf74arUk_U0zRo_f2vMNLMqcKOWAQZFXcr7zx6DjfJSmVNVgBz3wiEvc7uV6hNCkXimgRysNdhyMo773qBG9Y5b37I2g8ptXSXwlcGKc5S2UkitjYD_rCkChqxPv9JUZhzKT6N2WzTqg/s320/IMG_3195.JPG" width="155" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>The zoo and Ghibli Museum were in the same park, so I walked over to meet up with Chie and Takako. It was my second time at the museum but it never ceases to amaze me. We walked through everything, watched a short film about sumo wrestling mice, and then headed over to TOLO cafe, where we had some Totoro cream puffs!</div><div><br /></div><div>Rumor has it that Miyazaki's brother owns the shop, so the puffs are officially licensed!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzUGhYb1O8nxbB7QZ2d3-ftttRb3uYCkNZLRR6aeyNBSBUgl18pPX2uXZ688SdadOQya4zRscc1xn2PPjSHEnIVpjv8PDJSyeFG1R9jJWKjb4jF-RJBpN73SloOZJFeyXNXZngUa3n9egJ4TSNTBGnBCJM-4lhuXj1NkiNHa1oFMjczsRI0TkchtDSLw/s4032/IMG_3103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzUGhYb1O8nxbB7QZ2d3-ftttRb3uYCkNZLRR6aeyNBSBUgl18pPX2uXZ688SdadOQya4zRscc1xn2PPjSHEnIVpjv8PDJSyeFG1R9jJWKjb4jF-RJBpN73SloOZJFeyXNXZngUa3n9egJ4TSNTBGnBCJM-4lhuXj1NkiNHa1oFMjczsRI0TkchtDSLw/s320/IMG_3103.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggEfA4ZgZHuYeCP68TT3moD3ayTOlgAXv9Si_UHkVElSe3wvKtvtrZLm_XqUNHe2bYJ-_LO5BoCgqZ41saUui5zLx9xdl_Kjs9ot863LngbLv4_6Sfzp0X-vovzC489_b1deIf1i8kCzdw6L-ShILKYj3FetL52OrsDppZt33zSV1RhGHNNnKqK1V5XA/s4032/IMG_3105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggEfA4ZgZHuYeCP68TT3moD3ayTOlgAXv9Si_UHkVElSe3wvKtvtrZLm_XqUNHe2bYJ-_LO5BoCgqZ41saUui5zLx9xdl_Kjs9ot863LngbLv4_6Sfzp0X-vovzC489_b1deIf1i8kCzdw6L-ShILKYj3FetL52OrsDppZt33zSV1RhGHNNnKqK1V5XA/s320/IMG_3105.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Ended up in Akasaka, where the Harry Potter themed train station led us to a life-sized time turner! There was a line for pictures so... I noped on out of there. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5oGqPq1runPDo2oYw2zjncZpk9V2ZvzVlwXH-rl-5XqbXeW7HbjbG00WAXS89VxkO8sx3u8C_ZRnY6qupg8qr2JEv1adBTU5iqdsp6jM-qt2zIYm8jsXRV8CqMFMhl778bMeK44mL6NzjCCyfBBv7zhl22IojtoIH60dXeYqpRNwJ4JccmZvmwlssDg/s4032/IMG_1861.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5oGqPq1runPDo2oYw2zjncZpk9V2ZvzVlwXH-rl-5XqbXeW7HbjbG00WAXS89VxkO8sx3u8C_ZRnY6qupg8qr2JEv1adBTU5iqdsp6jM-qt2zIYm8jsXRV8CqMFMhl778bMeK44mL6NzjCCyfBBv7zhl22IojtoIH60dXeYqpRNwJ4JccmZvmwlssDg/s320/IMG_1861.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZL-rJIN7vghATV-BvdSzdU0N1yZSCXtSqPPoXrJl4930dgkyjCKAXy2MEkVN_qSR4Dt554j9brydvthWHJHvLHc4DfWqr6WmPfKvALr08ULtHEkUlGBJBGS1-tYLzkDMqKoJjHJ-Rpz1eColI5vThmTorMtNqjyQmqwuV9lrxUtQRv1toHrfR2Tx3g/s4032/IMG_3110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZL-rJIN7vghATV-BvdSzdU0N1yZSCXtSqPPoXrJl4930dgkyjCKAXy2MEkVN_qSR4Dt554j9brydvthWHJHvLHc4DfWqr6WmPfKvALr08ULtHEkUlGBJBGS1-tYLzkDMqKoJjHJ-Rpz1eColI5vThmTorMtNqjyQmqwuV9lrxUtQRv1toHrfR2Tx3g/s320/IMG_3110.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo2niEjc23G1YGaoVBgVPbFVFZxkBtAYyMTywzKohCJCYQvMMb26BUcGbhw0H5uXFdJAk1MmQe7yK8EJ5iIerAKEIkzHnI7TCefyMNZ5jRVl9kMA3qENzyv4zSYQQdwzLCPq6Ev6GYGAGn5E_kkL3BaHWroOQbhxQvDaq4VjIkxJ4o4vk53BK_kC_OSw/s4032/IMG_3135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo2niEjc23G1YGaoVBgVPbFVFZxkBtAYyMTywzKohCJCYQvMMb26BUcGbhw0H5uXFdJAk1MmQe7yK8EJ5iIerAKEIkzHnI7TCefyMNZ5jRVl9kMA3qENzyv4zSYQQdwzLCPq6Ev6GYGAGn5E_kkL3BaHWroOQbhxQvDaq4VjIkxJ4o4vk53BK_kC_OSw/s320/IMG_3135.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>We made our way to Hie Shrine, because I had asked to see Toriis but didn't want to go all the way to Hiroshima (one day!) - It was so peaceful and beautiful there. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Monday - August 15, 2022</u></b></div><div><br /></div><div>I don't know about y'all, but ever since we got solar at home, I don't experience life over 75 degrees. Tokyo? Hot. Disneyland? Humid. I don't know how anyone survives in this humidity!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUHgHGi2sxCOh-AgrEXxtVOhEHmmtdAFQmHEaUsms3asKNDXmUbxeCfFuAbaNCgrwkDOFA1iEEotEIlqDNHtEn-ismOaaVHgkqu4a8eTl54BjWsnvaw-qDx1mHElknZ6VaROgd9QoaEGAE4PABb85xu6GQDusoEkUUXxq-00Bd1spCCNo8ITZ36dZRRg/s4032/IMG_1880.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUHgHGi2sxCOh-AgrEXxtVOhEHmmtdAFQmHEaUsms3asKNDXmUbxeCfFuAbaNCgrwkDOFA1iEEotEIlqDNHtEn-ismOaaVHgkqu4a8eTl54BjWsnvaw-qDx1mHElknZ6VaROgd9QoaEGAE4PABb85xu6GQDusoEkUUXxq-00Bd1spCCNo8ITZ36dZRRg/s320/IMG_1880.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJew3Zcz6UxwJ0ssZdDHQ3YccrJWrHr0JSpqxGb6IdOwx4z_8yYxqQCmzDkDJLvN9B2dZ9zOaY20jno_xcmkGLorQvHWmPHpJ67bzgIACz0_zSfEzLCPCsQN874hdd_V_n6wJuYBD5eqIh45jlJwM9EsXM1sBrNOsmC4I1_t3L9wcdNbEFemSC2FYNAw/s4032/IMG_1884.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJew3Zcz6UxwJ0ssZdDHQ3YccrJWrHr0JSpqxGb6IdOwx4z_8yYxqQCmzDkDJLvN9B2dZ9zOaY20jno_xcmkGLorQvHWmPHpJ67bzgIACz0_zSfEzLCPCsQN874hdd_V_n6wJuYBD5eqIh45jlJwM9EsXM1sBrNOsmC4I1_t3L9wcdNbEFemSC2FYNAw/s320/IMG_1884.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4iZssPydWnfKyRk0OlY8a6erNJRQVFFehMOw89Wxos5kct0cYbbW1jyTFZ6siKvvpaP4K1f3WTS3rgmEnLVj2BVBF0T5fi2_uGZ18m6DVbW8XVVHumQjzPJcixiImCsF37Sjv-rrVGMhOVfTz6G5zkFIHTIU9SE49ojIuDwp0X-7vbl0JBgcucVrjYA/s4032/IMG_2017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4iZssPydWnfKyRk0OlY8a6erNJRQVFFehMOw89Wxos5kct0cYbbW1jyTFZ6siKvvpaP4K1f3WTS3rgmEnLVj2BVBF0T5fi2_uGZ18m6DVbW8XVVHumQjzPJcixiImCsF37Sjv-rrVGMhOVfTz6G5zkFIHTIU9SE49ojIuDwp0X-7vbl0JBgcucVrjYA/s320/IMG_2017.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>I spent the entire day sweating. I walked from shop to shop looking at everything they had to offer. At one point, I was so thirsty but couldn't find a vending machine for water because every machine had a line of 15 - 20 people. I finally got to one without a line and bought three drinks all at once - I drank two of them in 5 minutes. </div><div><br /></div><div>Ok - so... funny thing. I went to Disneyland to enjoy the day but when you're on your own there's no lollygagging. You just.. do what you need to do. Half way through the day, I was done and told myself I should go for a ride. But I didn't want to wait in line, so I went to one that had a short ride - the Stitch Encounter. In line, it felt like we were going to do some sort of Haunted Mansion walk through ride - Keep in mind I don't speak Japanese - </div><div><br /></div><div>No. This "ride" is like the Monsters Inc Laugh Floor at Disney World - an interactive show with the cast and the audience. And guess what. This audience member did NOT speak the language. Everything went over my head and for 15 minutes I felt like someone was going to pick me to speak and I was terrified. </div><div><br /></div><div>Never again. Next time I'm forcing someone to come with me. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Tuesday - August 16, 2022</u></b></div><div><br /></div><div>Lots more walking on Tuesday. My favorite stop, however, was a pet shop! </div><div>I didn't see a lot of pets in Japan, so this was my animal fix. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg24ibXUGlwMxlf6WwUwHa14I0u_COyqpkpJ4aUbyVRsHtyh5xyeddhG1A796Lnxkyo9MkSgh1G33J9V-XLYt3D-MVRniTEZsHYWFjLYkdyoVhTuzn0qk8n70CdmsgK6YBcLUArM5I-uZWch2H2ULZtaDEntXrktkOb_yTL4GiRil_yyKjW4oGcFTSHdw/s3520/IMG_2274.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3520" data-original-width="1980" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg24ibXUGlwMxlf6WwUwHa14I0u_COyqpkpJ4aUbyVRsHtyh5xyeddhG1A796Lnxkyo9MkSgh1G33J9V-XLYt3D-MVRniTEZsHYWFjLYkdyoVhTuzn0qk8n70CdmsgK6YBcLUArM5I-uZWch2H2ULZtaDEntXrktkOb_yTL4GiRil_yyKjW4oGcFTSHdw/s320/IMG_2274.JPG" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTsYeb2UgI26NiumTeDSAXKtZl_HN5Vprlai5rk6g23EjwSS53_cnDxn4S2Synt6LIJjRuj2m_Emf16QL39hd9X2FCsMHkJMhViX9urX2oZmI30RnyPTba6SFxnpftF8s54rI5__GX9DDv2CADUpQ8eYah1eDOGETMDKQ9ZBca_JTVrNalMQp-Zg1k_g/s3520/IMG_2284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3520" data-original-width="1980" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTsYeb2UgI26NiumTeDSAXKtZl_HN5Vprlai5rk6g23EjwSS53_cnDxn4S2Synt6LIJjRuj2m_Emf16QL39hd9X2FCsMHkJMhViX9urX2oZmI30RnyPTba6SFxnpftF8s54rI5__GX9DDv2CADUpQ8eYah1eDOGETMDKQ9ZBca_JTVrNalMQp-Zg1k_g/s320/IMG_2284.JPG" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>THE CUTEST!</div><div><br /></div><div>Ed arrived later that night and we had Okonomiya - they torched his 🤣</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv3_itzja35ctZBGXtb__H4lLVcznNgSq4e2bwjwLoaCS-TGRPuYkXZ6ot3ZL56HvxRfF7iulYlSEW0mBIKlOS3q3GtScTCcNhgPPXs6IrTEoZpKE6zRd-V_gGL1EbXAlNkehHzVxdTLHmYm_1ffW-9n4MGWwJvTMWpTL4UxTOK3FURBTvVPUXwSHEIQ/s3672/IMG_3333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3672" data-original-width="2066" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv3_itzja35ctZBGXtb__H4lLVcznNgSq4e2bwjwLoaCS-TGRPuYkXZ6ot3ZL56HvxRfF7iulYlSEW0mBIKlOS3q3GtScTCcNhgPPXs6IrTEoZpKE6zRd-V_gGL1EbXAlNkehHzVxdTLHmYm_1ffW-9n4MGWwJvTMWpTL4UxTOK3FURBTvVPUXwSHEIQ/s320/IMG_3333.JPG" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Wednesday - August 17, 2022</u></b></div><div><br /></div><div>Ermagerd. Who knew that I didn't know what theme park life really could have been?! </div><div>AIR CONDITIONED. We went to Puroland and it was an INDOOR, AIR CONDITIONED theme park. </div><div><i>*insert Jonah Hill screaming gif*</i> AHHH!!!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkN83Mkx3y5KBeHaCKqvpNfuDW06qYRyOL_8e4gg5elZffDx5zrI7vXWr4FvgGymOEGj6TNJyW1ZToN1e6aqWctKuV9IL8AUdXMlJM37wGqNlJvacJx2LbBdZRQV4h5ljmgH4oud67PMdu_qyGDPc9kzx53aFoX1CfR5vO0G7UOWolYa8bMYL16mJKKA/s4032/IMG_3342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkN83Mkx3y5KBeHaCKqvpNfuDW06qYRyOL_8e4gg5elZffDx5zrI7vXWr4FvgGymOEGj6TNJyW1ZToN1e6aqWctKuV9IL8AUdXMlJM37wGqNlJvacJx2LbBdZRQV4h5ljmgH4oud67PMdu_qyGDPc9kzx53aFoX1CfR5vO0G7UOWolYa8bMYL16mJKKA/s320/IMG_3342.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL8Uq-0zGwWZS6zC1ADaCAQIAFGMfnXlHcxgkFpaNJGBogez2PgLeuiGbkAywH17VPB0Yr72ul7633ae4m-M-RCIO87RU2EoiF5xsdczLHFNEYwcj6hTSMhhJ-1x955S585oKxd1KYeCerJyIaVHUFvfDx0yNCQsiR2KX1F-qx78E2Yci1p10uwoUzKA/s4032/IMG_3350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL8Uq-0zGwWZS6zC1ADaCAQIAFGMfnXlHcxgkFpaNJGBogez2PgLeuiGbkAywH17VPB0Yr72ul7633ae4m-M-RCIO87RU2EoiF5xsdczLHFNEYwcj6hTSMhhJ-1x955S585oKxd1KYeCerJyIaVHUFvfDx0yNCQsiR2KX1F-qx78E2Yci1p10uwoUzKA/s320/IMG_3350.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxEb7XPhQ5g0UDCwfpVJFzAatbAzR5HGibSqkNdUvrWkB9XerOLiPYvmFLqEEDwhkCEqKk-xuWw8abpnHzruixZlUfrkPYdMn31e-fx8Tik2fPcaAhj713ysiLjsOCEePamR3Mzb7UQMpqhENzjYZNduYiODwH5gkpgLKsFoO7K7w06QDFE3cw_OZQkg/s3672/IMG_3366.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3672" data-original-width="2066" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxEb7XPhQ5g0UDCwfpVJFzAatbAzR5HGibSqkNdUvrWkB9XerOLiPYvmFLqEEDwhkCEqKk-xuWw8abpnHzruixZlUfrkPYdMn31e-fx8Tik2fPcaAhj713ysiLjsOCEePamR3Mzb7UQMpqhENzjYZNduYiODwH5gkpgLKsFoO7K7w06QDFE3cw_OZQkg/s320/IMG_3366.JPG" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>The park was amazing. Not only did I NOT sweat through my outfit, but we were lucky enough not to have to wait in line for anything! (Thank you to our friends at Sanrio!)</div><div><br /></div><div>The My Melody boat ride was adorable. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3XlRtJEJfdyYFEruFEhleX8AT2jsMls-LWHBZ3cyppt4yAGGeiKOpIRXTtvm5ODIdklqcB4XWtfbizMp5jxEeTxYHb7vrf5PUAX7TtvvhRsmDQ2KQnNdXKWh9YxXDFqutJO7kNzDjkyCGjGmRh1yBYrKcNSFstqv0fOxEZrG5YQyCSgEMEBlqzI-seg/s4032/Unknown-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3XlRtJEJfdyYFEruFEhleX8AT2jsMls-LWHBZ3cyppt4yAGGeiKOpIRXTtvm5ODIdklqcB4XWtfbizMp5jxEeTxYHb7vrf5PUAX7TtvvhRsmDQ2KQnNdXKWh9YxXDFqutJO7kNzDjkyCGjGmRh1yBYrKcNSFstqv0fOxEZrG5YQyCSgEMEBlqzI-seg/s320/Unknown-1.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-6cKJ-JdDPzfspqBk7qlcOs6YsNBHokjihnfQlSIgDpgRhRm93n2lThR9UdjA-w_2jEnJRPZNJtd9NYuqOe96NXuMA_MNcIzxW4O0e8xRizb9lzDN9EsEXFSA7IZDzilK8iZna3QzUmWpfpdWCUZSIIxzklpi_nM58G2Dq0spA24_CS7mXANt2keshg/s4032/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-6cKJ-JdDPzfspqBk7qlcOs6YsNBHokjihnfQlSIgDpgRhRm93n2lThR9UdjA-w_2jEnJRPZNJtd9NYuqOe96NXuMA_MNcIzxW4O0e8xRizb9lzDN9EsEXFSA7IZDzilK8iZna3QzUmWpfpdWCUZSIIxzklpi_nM58G2Dq0spA24_CS7mXANt2keshg/s320/Unknown.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div>We went to this thing called Kawaii Kabuki - which was this theatrical feature that introduced the younger generation to Kabuki. It was about a demon who was nice and how everyone was scared of him but eventually vouched for his niceness. I think. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhueU3BZAAd302H5X7FszxDHH7UtZNhLPubRAFzON7KmLXUsWA5PrSEsv0DDY5l9gxKmcSjTJsO6Ygti-NkpAloXi0-Pnzu0NYkbSV-qI6QIZWz7RLuCZ-QjB9kZdo1XLgpWGYyyefQWMADWQdTDT-Sz2JuLo8-XLWGJkLV7W0RZk1Hmx1u4sd5VB0KSA/s4032/IMG_3386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhueU3BZAAd302H5X7FszxDHH7UtZNhLPubRAFzON7KmLXUsWA5PrSEsv0DDY5l9gxKmcSjTJsO6Ygti-NkpAloXi0-Pnzu0NYkbSV-qI6QIZWz7RLuCZ-QjB9kZdo1XLgpWGYyyefQWMADWQdTDT-Sz2JuLo8-XLWGJkLV7W0RZk1Hmx1u4sd5VB0KSA/s320/IMG_3386.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Hello Kitty had a concert by the Wisdom Tree and I felt like I was at a rave. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-qsA6G4ihVhKaXcY-aQl8ukNFdkLcTsJ0nm78z-6adtq9ZTSPcTYb-6sqv0pUXzJGqET-sKDN5oXy4KYgBTmavPd0hScJRDlfCxyHDE6YQ3ErjCBXp8nHa_QBq4K-23L5YV9IE76hcjKvOGbdNl1-ykZ7pbkimi1MLiAbldYbohiF8AYfx_PU_Gurg/s3672/IMG_3387.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3672" data-original-width="2066" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-qsA6G4ihVhKaXcY-aQl8ukNFdkLcTsJ0nm78z-6adtq9ZTSPcTYb-6sqv0pUXzJGqET-sKDN5oXy4KYgBTmavPd0hScJRDlfCxyHDE6YQ3ErjCBXp8nHa_QBq4K-23L5YV9IE76hcjKvOGbdNl1-ykZ7pbkimi1MLiAbldYbohiF8AYfx_PU_Gurg/s320/IMG_3387.JPG" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9NQI-yy8UaFRehl9yi_3TcgSj36n2Ouo59kGSDdISEswBlR0wDg5FOBiRSTPU4VGysUn2BcPXqtN2RleFjQadennnAc9Rbco9SwXb1GCUX6IoVO8ygxkEVeotKROzLKZ7T5Iiyj-5KYDgyH-yAuvqgLZ9tY24EUB1wGGwL4k1OL7CVZAUwgmmTCEY2Q/s4032/IMG_3395.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9NQI-yy8UaFRehl9yi_3TcgSj36n2Ouo59kGSDdISEswBlR0wDg5FOBiRSTPU4VGysUn2BcPXqtN2RleFjQadennnAc9Rbco9SwXb1GCUX6IoVO8ygxkEVeotKROzLKZ7T5Iiyj-5KYDgyH-yAuvqgLZ9tY24EUB1wGGwL4k1OL7CVZAUwgmmTCEY2Q/s320/IMG_3395.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Here are a series of pictures to encapsulate the rest of the day:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8bYI9WddlMzN2IYaJ_Nr_V2ZUVZKVHVuQ5SnRVsUZz8U-0o-FyGZHyAavThrYpitWqEJ86hDhmNixUeN2Nn5YRDyi0a8b6j6oCxCC1I2plgwH7VkwT8qPIiVOU5iXmY_rAhsznKLm0pnJ4Q3mi2Pp_rynOEWTugB_nwfZ9zccJ1BoCwoafHk5lhV81g/s3024/758F710C-F6B5-4B80-82C9-D4923AF63437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8bYI9WddlMzN2IYaJ_Nr_V2ZUVZKVHVuQ5SnRVsUZz8U-0o-FyGZHyAavThrYpitWqEJ86hDhmNixUeN2Nn5YRDyi0a8b6j6oCxCC1I2plgwH7VkwT8qPIiVOU5iXmY_rAhsznKLm0pnJ4Q3mi2Pp_rynOEWTugB_nwfZ9zccJ1BoCwoafHk5lhV81g/s320/758F710C-F6B5-4B80-82C9-D4923AF63437.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq1Xt4Fe2mGjp-Z887U1L7hhc7iIKDK4HpmFsAc1ymxwHGhQy_-qLXRzdPHqz1O52YpkAQXy5Gz5x_sm5cjIng1ZHv2r5hD6ZpSRhLHAVYDxolpFkjpGaKo716oJxDDQX8YXXSNfDfRTdRGpusmv6CBX0IWJPInjlHqBIEQ-g8Cab4xiZDd80bS222JQ/s4032/IMG_3413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq1Xt4Fe2mGjp-Z887U1L7hhc7iIKDK4HpmFsAc1ymxwHGhQy_-qLXRzdPHqz1O52YpkAQXy5Gz5x_sm5cjIng1ZHv2r5hD6ZpSRhLHAVYDxolpFkjpGaKo716oJxDDQX8YXXSNfDfRTdRGpusmv6CBX0IWJPInjlHqBIEQ-g8Cab4xiZDd80bS222JQ/s320/IMG_3413.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglYk7BSpaW2zHPGbNP333xO05l9ZPPfa1ymuxAs-IsWW1K62prG87v14cOmtTBHnE_MbL9TNQ1Cp52tPEBi-lxb7CvUxEK0o0UC6E291ZkB4ukj32_mCBDB1abSrVXMisuTxPQk4eTxBsx02BgBEl3qmYwSoVl8YOxaQORO6VHnqjdD0FgiSwqEL8fNw/s3088/IMG_3464.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglYk7BSpaW2zHPGbNP333xO05l9ZPPfa1ymuxAs-IsWW1K62prG87v14cOmtTBHnE_MbL9TNQ1Cp52tPEBi-lxb7CvUxEK0o0UC6E291ZkB4ukj32_mCBDB1abSrVXMisuTxPQk4eTxBsx02BgBEl3qmYwSoVl8YOxaQORO6VHnqjdD0FgiSwqEL8fNw/s320/IMG_3464.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiGny2DFW6RjY79wsZYzdi2CNb8abF7yt44Q6gJKuVI1pVEIT6gvrjXuTHHBa1douNSkfUR9bUBzZ83qCPi-aDZNXXaIyXmBS5mNjSq9-p4fCo7yOvzXj3xStu5oilleBM_1YhDvYs4a24sGNDMOO0eF0ITiA0kvyoMzTLpr-1cQUW1-oJqTTnnf0Q8w/s4032/IMG_3470.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiGny2DFW6RjY79wsZYzdi2CNb8abF7yt44Q6gJKuVI1pVEIT6gvrjXuTHHBa1douNSkfUR9bUBzZ83qCPi-aDZNXXaIyXmBS5mNjSq9-p4fCo7yOvzXj3xStu5oilleBM_1YhDvYs4a24sGNDMOO0eF0ITiA0kvyoMzTLpr-1cQUW1-oJqTTnnf0Q8w/s320/IMG_3470.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-lz080kTsjz8dLdVHzm--a6JfBmvLzoN9A4DuKrEpFQEvihRRpwk8EQnr8VDzrjqiiO7Tc20KJb36H-4t0Hy9-CxDXb-a__a_fkApBvfVcnX_LSw-CmimUJhHeezpNYYEkwSEgg7YDdMi1vAumfHKlhRD7akEKXDOk7k2XvLkYE0fHGixOKcIdnHu4w/s4032/IMG_3488.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-lz080kTsjz8dLdVHzm--a6JfBmvLzoN9A4DuKrEpFQEvihRRpwk8EQnr8VDzrjqiiO7Tc20KJb36H-4t0Hy9-CxDXb-a__a_fkApBvfVcnX_LSw-CmimUJhHeezpNYYEkwSEgg7YDdMi1vAumfHKlhRD7akEKXDOk7k2XvLkYE0fHGixOKcIdnHu4w/s320/IMG_3488.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>The rest of our trip was filled with very eventful meetings and even though I've been back for almost a week, I'm still really jetlagged. In fact, I'm pretty sure I'm cutting this post short because I need to stop to take yet another nap. I really hope my body battery recharges soon!</div><div><br /></div><div>xoxo. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div>winjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182136023558011232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397044381841532887.post-78242474065835237592022-08-26T16:21:00.001-07:002022-08-26T16:21:21.446-07:00All the Food I ate in Tokyo, Japan (Aug 2022)<span style="font-size: x-small;">I just got back from a whirlwind trip in Japan - so here's everything I ate!</span><div><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">1. Mapo Soba with Baked Cheese at <b><u><a href="https://goo.gl/maps/ZGx1ZwUQCGXeqzbC9" target="_blank">Shibire Soba</a></u></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjViuQv_KSlbp3CiaH9ILgBnC_e6VBnfjUsYPLw6_0eMOw1jTgpv1Qwyjp-HmtbIIcDYNSFMVkZXPYeY0G8bhRMiHnlOD0WHSobAmfflPgUZSboQvYC_aKAXBr8Yln5cp0FvA6g45mIYEAGbo2JJI7pdr3sxKCF0mCZdILB-sbd7AkVL5mL-nxyNlUt2Q/s4032/IMG_2342.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjViuQv_KSlbp3CiaH9ILgBnC_e6VBnfjUsYPLw6_0eMOw1jTgpv1Qwyjp-HmtbIIcDYNSFMVkZXPYeY0G8bhRMiHnlOD0WHSobAmfflPgUZSboQvYC_aKAXBr8Yln5cp0FvA6g45mIYEAGbo2JJI7pdr3sxKCF0mCZdILB-sbd7AkVL5mL-nxyNlUt2Q/s320/IMG_2342.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>I dreamed about this for days after. Probably one of the best meals I've had in a really long time. I'm aleady a big fan of mapo tofu, to so add noodles under, a side of rice, and baked cheese on top? I might like this more than I like pho. and I REALLY LIKE pho. </li><li>They know it's messy so they give you a bib and no one says no 🤣</li><li>It's a really small restaurant to you'll probably have to split your party up</li><li>Credit cards are accepted! Always a plus</li><li>Winnie's Rating - 10/10</li></ul></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: small; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiENZ_qMvQK_6R7MTO-ZtYUsgkzR9WzhcNZnLZrD_Gui02SVS4LfYBWSdZPrfLGcRvFh3sTm-jUPuPCuB7Ehdb9qUTRIbeAuDj0fzRfz0SqZeza5lIn2ccKojHXERVetVdOunkwuFWrJ2gSiCs6WLgcgkaCyOZJ5vnnygxyfwuqPGHLiFGR1udF6AGBRg/s4032/IMG_2339.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiENZ_qMvQK_6R7MTO-ZtYUsgkzR9WzhcNZnLZrD_Gui02SVS4LfYBWSdZPrfLGcRvFh3sTm-jUPuPCuB7Ehdb9qUTRIbeAuDj0fzRfz0SqZeza5lIn2ccKojHXERVetVdOunkwuFWrJ2gSiCs6WLgcgkaCyOZJ5vnnygxyfwuqPGHLiFGR1udF6AGBRg/s320/IMG_2339.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">2. Grilled Iberian Pork Shoulder Loin at </span><b style="font-size: x-large;"><u><a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/eco-farm-cafe-632-%E6%B8%8B%E8%B0%B7%E5%8C%BA-2" target="_blank">Eco Farm Cafe 632</a></u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Ak9p6gkFXdUGIqx6t_bAPiF32pWdlpuagHqO6SxqHV5JmP-gltvXT1_7yneKBC-RID8dR1QHntXViAskK2ahGeri2DkOPEsRw6lV3Dtw2u8TVpEjWu-_9e3FKBBfNpEUAp59NpUmamNvkLjpuDxAjhf17lIVUdqjrgOuisbJfftsczxo1Ra7SaXjxA/s4032/IMG_2370.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Ak9p6gkFXdUGIqx6t_bAPiF32pWdlpuagHqO6SxqHV5JmP-gltvXT1_7yneKBC-RID8dR1QHntXViAskK2ahGeri2DkOPEsRw6lV3Dtw2u8TVpEjWu-_9e3FKBBfNpEUAp59NpUmamNvkLjpuDxAjhf17lIVUdqjrgOuisbJfftsczxo1Ra7SaXjxA/s320/IMG_2370.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii5Lr3FV8KtaW9gszEzMQwZLg16pF4SRz0eULCOlpym9RuJOBLpqtbLVTU_eAcJgw_FLRWDseDNMTeVnI0-hY057LroG8UvY5k1G8IiybGf5zyK5heMcW2nJipZkfwxa7dZfOSEdbbkFWN0jRdmbeHACwkYG3UwgnqDGWaUFTh0SJ3o81qzF-m0CwYhw/s4032/IMG_2371.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii5Lr3FV8KtaW9gszEzMQwZLg16pF4SRz0eULCOlpym9RuJOBLpqtbLVTU_eAcJgw_FLRWDseDNMTeVnI0-hY057LroG8UvY5k1G8IiybGf5zyK5heMcW2nJipZkfwxa7dZfOSEdbbkFWN0jRdmbeHACwkYG3UwgnqDGWaUFTh0SJ3o81qzF-m0CwYhw/s320/IMG_2371.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsfCimQxhoKlOE_LVMfQCs14D3hKze0eBJjcjxDo8AVPqnnNzVg7us4UbaV2VnYV2MfsI10l-ECM0DMCbr0Z1D7O3eiNgOLfTLu3Q-slJyotSGfAQzyRXM-d1Jwd_K5xdAudERVcqlpb6h55jnm_bRTBfY0ZOJimA94-rG927i08gwC6mhZNnYHFJv3w/s4032/IMG_2373.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsfCimQxhoKlOE_LVMfQCs14D3hKze0eBJjcjxDo8AVPqnnNzVg7us4UbaV2VnYV2MfsI10l-ECM0DMCbr0Z1D7O3eiNgOLfTLu3Q-slJyotSGfAQzyRXM-d1Jwd_K5xdAudERVcqlpb6h55jnm_bRTBfY0ZOJimA94-rG927i08gwC6mhZNnYHFJv3w/s320/IMG_2373.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6kV4f1W2UCPJgh9LJO_ZNQ1dehmLHtmvSa7cZGl0Pfg0ibkK9QzQo2DCCs8CPjNX6F-GpsHIaIUAHKlaXxKYGwHCSDZSJ18ns318KcLw--aKfaxZZ9WbTzDso8m35s3cb2VoHQILrDaS2xNKgtIn41kOF7_MX8RLH2dBmTYrLcCuJ7SEcUZUGcM5SCw/s4032/IMG_2375.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6kV4f1W2UCPJgh9LJO_ZNQ1dehmLHtmvSa7cZGl0Pfg0ibkK9QzQo2DCCs8CPjNX6F-GpsHIaIUAHKlaXxKYGwHCSDZSJ18ns318KcLw--aKfaxZZ9WbTzDso8m35s3cb2VoHQILrDaS2xNKgtIn41kOF7_MX8RLH2dBmTYrLcCuJ7SEcUZUGcM5SCw/s320/IMG_2375.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>Not my favorite of all the restaurants I went to, but still really decent. My showstopper was the dessert - a Basil Ice Cream dish. I know, I know - basil on ice cream sounds weird - but I definitely recommend giving it a shot!</li><li>Winnie's Rating - 5/10</li></ul></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">3. Hotel Breakfast at </span><b style="font-size: x-large;"><u><a href="https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/tyohitw-hilton-tokyo/dining/" target="_blank">the Marble Lounge / Hilton Tokyo</a></u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-hJ4E8493-sMLO3D8y_2Ymra4rTSAmSTjee-waBKFh4NaHaRzviFMES6Lb1M7aMMxqXtkUXqTi5KLR-zv75R6PTgUjo_Nxu37vCz0gCxFU36LXWzeNbd7JMU6gcJpq3M3KcyqkyyH9dmOcO6tC-p-n4D1XwZqHK1dnH8DqOHpP6iQCN1-ECmJzPHFA/s4032/IMG_1466.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-hJ4E8493-sMLO3D8y_2Ymra4rTSAmSTjee-waBKFh4NaHaRzviFMES6Lb1M7aMMxqXtkUXqTi5KLR-zv75R6PTgUjo_Nxu37vCz0gCxFU36LXWzeNbd7JMU6gcJpq3M3KcyqkyyH9dmOcO6tC-p-n4D1XwZqHK1dnH8DqOHpP6iQCN1-ECmJzPHFA/s320/IMG_1466.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>This picture is definitely not an accurate depiction of what I ate each morning, but it'll have to do. I love the Hilton Tokyo - the breakfast has so many choices, but my favorites would have to be.... </li><ul><li>The omlette station (egg white with spinach please!)</li><li>Miso soup</li><li>build your own bagel</li></ul><li>they serve traditional Japanese breakfast here but have quite a few other options</li><li>there's a salad bar in the morning but I went for the salmon lox instead. </li><li>Winnie's Rating - 6/10</li></ul></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />4. Tonkatsu at </span><b style="font-size: x-large;"><u><a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g1066456-d807531-Reviews-Tonkatsu_Maisen_Aoyama-Shibuya_Tokyo_Tokyo_Prefecture_Kanto.html" target="_blank">Maisen</a></u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigSi84PCD48JJKK4qpm_52bZ_MRs97tIFHmM7DrbpP-1UvCy9B7NhJL1uIFDr-Y6iuTbutCXbIRNiEbPJrKK11c5uljs8BKo4zCMGbul7ZWlMVFc5U5fj6LZcbaJKllmoNDjlEWgZyXrO9yCcM18WUaWQDTh8F5rQbcdAa-WuVrpaNUjNwwBMq2TDEJg/s4032/IMG_2447%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigSi84PCD48JJKK4qpm_52bZ_MRs97tIFHmM7DrbpP-1UvCy9B7NhJL1uIFDr-Y6iuTbutCXbIRNiEbPJrKK11c5uljs8BKo4zCMGbul7ZWlMVFc5U5fj6LZcbaJKllmoNDjlEWgZyXrO9yCcM18WUaWQDTh8F5rQbcdAa-WuVrpaNUjNwwBMq2TDEJg/s320/IMG_2447%20(1).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOTzHtKVIV4uxFtvyQTsCx0jiPU13UHpncljSozhhIbywqf_ZI0O0mYzNamVeb7DF3-9UZntdh6rXScLWTcB2uXGeubbWfQH_qy2HWGFvaly9wGoQX733VWxxyJ6EwQYlOYV0w3k6YwAmmFyln2GcUKeQBOD6niW990i1Z7l6_Y5xD5jhk0Zd6d3wnfw/s4032/IMG_2444.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOTzHtKVIV4uxFtvyQTsCx0jiPU13UHpncljSozhhIbywqf_ZI0O0mYzNamVeb7DF3-9UZntdh6rXScLWTcB2uXGeubbWfQH_qy2HWGFvaly9wGoQX733VWxxyJ6EwQYlOYV0w3k6YwAmmFyln2GcUKeQBOD6niW990i1Z7l6_Y5xD5jhk0Zd6d3wnfw/s320/IMG_2444.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>I'm still drooling from this. I'm a fan of fried food but I know I shouldn't be. We kept talking about how this food must be fried a different way because it's so delicious! TEMPURA EVERYTHING PLEASE. </li><li>Maisen is definitely a must try when you're in Tokyo. </li><li>Winnie's Rating - 8/10</li></ul></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />5. Watermelon Soft Serve at </span><b style="font-size: x-large;"><u><a href="https://www.ikea.com/jp/en/stores/shibuya/" target="_blank">IKEA</a></u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwjOIolWvzblc4UG1eJwDA0Tvi7-bDGNMg5VFnOhIUhT3qxeSIy_2cqpQY2gilkIbOfGtium8Vfs8VG1xeVGD-1wRC8BiMLfplHdC6rBs4IRBLJQQ53GHso-rp73PM_mBHkO4fLNdyNnq7aSR_W8rIsePtOjpKuj19eOCdXye23rhlVWXZFMJFVY268A/s4032/IMG_2456.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwjOIolWvzblc4UG1eJwDA0Tvi7-bDGNMg5VFnOhIUhT3qxeSIy_2cqpQY2gilkIbOfGtium8Vfs8VG1xeVGD-1wRC8BiMLfplHdC6rBs4IRBLJQQ53GHso-rp73PM_mBHkO4fLNdyNnq7aSR_W8rIsePtOjpKuj19eOCdXye23rhlVWXZFMJFVY268A/s320/IMG_2456.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1AhouB5vXwnn6JWZC_5llPRPPd-xMk0hf05S1Ff75blciq76cnqcY5RW9rfwmX4A3JrPNKGaLoIRBqk2NKZgZyV-aVK8fsNa8Y7tLZ2QDnQtGBvLaoQCal5N4jptGNyN7-Zwzn9__nRtGjeG1wApMs6dYalBHUcqBJSi5x540l4E9_TNG9bkUFdRfg/s4032/IMG_2462.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1AhouB5vXwnn6JWZC_5llPRPPd-xMk0hf05S1Ff75blciq76cnqcY5RW9rfwmX4A3JrPNKGaLoIRBqk2NKZgZyV-aVK8fsNa8Y7tLZ2QDnQtGBvLaoQCal5N4jptGNyN7-Zwzn9__nRtGjeG1wApMs6dYalBHUcqBJSi5x540l4E9_TNG9bkUFdRfg/s320/IMG_2462.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>Did I spend my entire trip converting dollars and cents from yen? yes, yes I did. </li><li>Was it worth it? yes. Want to know why?</li><ul><li>This ice cream cone was 37 cents in USD</li><li>50. freakin. yen. </li></ul><li>It was so good and sooo worth it and if I had had more time I would have sat there all day and just asked if they could connect me to the ice cream machine. </li><li>Winnie's Rating - 10/10</li></ul></ul><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">6. Banana Yogurt Smoothie at </span><b style="font-size: x-large;"><u><a href="https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/news/theres-a-toy-story-cafe-in-tokyo-themed-after-the-little-green-men-071522" target="_blank">Toy Story Cafe</a></u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fkhfklWhOonMwQtE_sL3CVfmBMRE-FNIuUnZ7qEYNYyJM13946_ugAqetTmmD_x8GidFRSElLjtAJNX6T-S-QQCNVTeNjg_ptfjI96nEkXGLfQa7iF3kVxp6zH4La7xpToXoxtDb4J66skLGWSobrKBU62Z14nI488tVDpkH5HWwox2Qw8LeagxPgw/s4032/IMG_1631.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fkhfklWhOonMwQtE_sL3CVfmBMRE-FNIuUnZ7qEYNYyJM13946_ugAqetTmmD_x8GidFRSElLjtAJNX6T-S-QQCNVTeNjg_ptfjI96nEkXGLfQa7iF3kVxp6zH4La7xpToXoxtDb4J66skLGWSobrKBU62Z14nI488tVDpkH5HWwox2Qw8LeagxPgw/s320/IMG_1631.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObHwt6umirxqGeNKhLvFyf2q4oo64NNEMcDmNRU8KC4rU5H_BYRSItNxB9ELEeoBTBhnN9HkkuuCKNa08sz70VxEH2dGm9tagZ-xHLE7088WzB97eUj4ei4ITyJ9gWs-nsVOSkpGBUNTFHqMmCq49mRBkGgxRvg5Eavywk9gm2l7Ru3-7KhdQbZVayQ/s3088/IMG_2492.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObHwt6umirxqGeNKhLvFyf2q4oo64NNEMcDmNRU8KC4rU5H_BYRSItNxB9ELEeoBTBhnN9HkkuuCKNa08sz70VxEH2dGm9tagZ-xHLE7088WzB97eUj4ei4ITyJ9gWs-nsVOSkpGBUNTFHqMmCq49mRBkGgxRvg5Eavywk9gm2l7Ru3-7KhdQbZVayQ/s320/IMG_2492.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>This cafe was so cute but a little underwhelming. I was hoping that there would be more options, but due to time constraints we only had 15 minutes to enjoy a drink - I chose the banana smoothie and it while it was light and refreshing, banana flavored drinks are not for me (shame on me for not reading the menu and ordering based on cuteness!)</li><li>Winnie's Rating: 6/10</li></ul></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">7. Tapas at </span><b style="font-size: x-large;"><u><a href="https://thetraveltester.com/gonpachi-kill-bill-restaurant-tokyo-japan/" target="_blank">Gonpachi</a></u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgizvsnQZJLBiTBTa2iLceL99IuZfgX32NikoOfkOa1ImVg7B8Y8aK7t-Jd7IXY2wjIwCNwpsvae5Ihauet9veboiriiaF3RZjCbZs5uMJhpVcJJ_zY-R5aR1vTVNJWgvbQHLHuPoOVLKxvE5nA6SEvaGaOHCzNQ07Y6dJ9Xah3s9Bws72oty1dQW9FKg/s4032/IMG_1657.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgizvsnQZJLBiTBTa2iLceL99IuZfgX32NikoOfkOa1ImVg7B8Y8aK7t-Jd7IXY2wjIwCNwpsvae5Ihauet9veboiriiaF3RZjCbZs5uMJhpVcJJ_zY-R5aR1vTVNJWgvbQHLHuPoOVLKxvE5nA6SEvaGaOHCzNQ07Y6dJ9Xah3s9Bws72oty1dQW9FKg/s320/IMG_1657.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEPtb6IZ8TyO1e-wa7827KR49EPLT6xBQ5TfGQuTBaLr9iju19r7S-vohQ0N3iU0aTMQZLWb-nVehMbYNqr4EpkHWFBmYyW4Uwa5qu6giwTDUlo1ckH4EzFc-bLGktmBhgfNoHIQiASCDooVAOMnhh7U8ghFXbZ2RdROzDZ_u2jTENsYuW5XGjF9UvEg/s4032/IMG_2543.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEPtb6IZ8TyO1e-wa7827KR49EPLT6xBQ5TfGQuTBaLr9iju19r7S-vohQ0N3iU0aTMQZLWb-nVehMbYNqr4EpkHWFBmYyW4Uwa5qu6giwTDUlo1ckH4EzFc-bLGktmBhgfNoHIQiASCDooVAOMnhh7U8ghFXbZ2RdROzDZ_u2jTENsYuW5XGjF9UvEg/s320/IMG_2543.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgoAgmoVBcaVGBeZboJraMnvtp4XrlJcNGOB3MYi5bvILwncVKcZo7OxWp-n2_ycFBVXHUmfgp_WPf1vZFbemCUygVJAH42S8_ReOCg8gGj38RiyzG2cBwrujSt5W6O7Xmxw5MXkbdnTNM1kNoO6DPoubKkSqxdSNMzhBi6Xche17F-Z0D3iMUfkgzjQ/s4032/IMG_1661.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgoAgmoVBcaVGBeZboJraMnvtp4XrlJcNGOB3MYi5bvILwncVKcZo7OxWp-n2_ycFBVXHUmfgp_WPf1vZFbemCUygVJAH42S8_ReOCg8gGj38RiyzG2cBwrujSt5W6O7Xmxw5MXkbdnTNM1kNoO6DPoubKkSqxdSNMzhBi6Xche17F-Z0D3iMUfkgzjQ/s320/IMG_1661.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxSLEoSxeGiUwUL85aITGy3kutAN87AKYrXn5kVQmL8jFDVi1T588kQasdMus6C4KPBLmVeVYaRzPgtfMKtijTws83xfd4Upf7IK8drPA18oUqxZZwANKygt4QAHFrxlkWWncGQgmzSsqeMfN9K4XcSXHFwyKOD_0UDNSDj-vAG68Ux9d4F2mwBHdq8Q/s4032/IMG_2545.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxSLEoSxeGiUwUL85aITGy3kutAN87AKYrXn5kVQmL8jFDVi1T588kQasdMus6C4KPBLmVeVYaRzPgtfMKtijTws83xfd4Upf7IK8drPA18oUqxZZwANKygt4QAHFrxlkWWncGQgmzSsqeMfN9K4XcSXHFwyKOD_0UDNSDj-vAG68Ux9d4F2mwBHdq8Q/s320/IMG_2545.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>Apparently this restaurant is nicknamed the Kill Bill restaurant because Quentin Tarantino had dinner here one time and was so inspired that he used it as inspiration for the movie. </li><li>The restaurant seemed really amerianized - especially since there isn't much tourism in Japan right now. </li><li>The food was still great - we had yakitori, karaage, some sort of dumpling pizza, soba noodles, and really yummy desserts. </li><li>Winnie's Rating: 8/10</li></ul></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">8. Prosciutto Salad at </span><b style="font-size: x-large;"><u><a href="https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/restaurants/loccitane-cafe" target="_blank">L'Occitane Cafe</a></u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOjCycTM8pmd83wh4Rk4S3_gyncnIVWkbyoFHKnLLcxOUi8UQUMzugWK9b6h0J79U4SnKTfk9zzrUH3d-7Nl0b5RY_z4iAmYiWW30CuMqGzD4Xndw1tiUI6VK3hyqAJT5BwH-CyDiCGQR5Ub43mvFLRgsSrvk9vtdjL_UDCIltjWeI5SnfEv5sgszMWA/s4032/IMG_2684.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOjCycTM8pmd83wh4Rk4S3_gyncnIVWkbyoFHKnLLcxOUi8UQUMzugWK9b6h0J79U4SnKTfk9zzrUH3d-7Nl0b5RY_z4iAmYiWW30CuMqGzD4Xndw1tiUI6VK3hyqAJT5BwH-CyDiCGQR5Ub43mvFLRgsSrvk9vtdjL_UDCIltjWeI5SnfEv5sgszMWA/s320/IMG_2684.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>Is it me or are salads not popular in Tokyo?</li><li>This one was not only gorgeous - the tomatos were firm and the prosciutto reminded me of home. </li><li>If you're looking for a great view of the Shibuya Scramble, look no further. This one is right above and provides a great view if you're seated near a window</li><li>Winnie's Rating: 7/10</li></ul></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">9. Okonomiyaki at </span><b style="font-size: x-large;"><u><a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g14133667-d8356861-Reviews-Teppan_Baby_Shinjuku-Kabukicho_Shinjuku_Tokyo_Tokyo_Prefecture_Kanto.html" target="_blank">Teppan Baby</a></u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOuMbeaiZg6LB3sIN1JW0_tlZNNK8J1tiPolAQeePsR_vXUH68msF1SGCf-fEQEh9YkYXBKPKXK1qKDzHGJf2cWHyBLPhJfJQxEQXuMtXPIhad7dvpID08sRbZMREUujPp8I5wOkh0OZuLRJ8-qLlbPPKFV4EqVhWSM2q7sjTa_n2nxgUI7GjeLzRF2g/s4032/IMG_2708.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOuMbeaiZg6LB3sIN1JW0_tlZNNK8J1tiPolAQeePsR_vXUH68msF1SGCf-fEQEh9YkYXBKPKXK1qKDzHGJf2cWHyBLPhJfJQxEQXuMtXPIhad7dvpID08sRbZMREUujPp8I5wOkh0OZuLRJ8-qLlbPPKFV4EqVhWSM2q7sjTa_n2nxgUI7GjeLzRF2g/s320/IMG_2708.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW9WOR3DmAFXag7tdybSl81XDLvsdT6LaUYI5CZBldjGP-Zk4dTRRTFcs_A2i30uETnMIksbAx00SGYLrxrBRsTs2kvgdx6Kfij6DKRTQMj89pc3Fhsdo8R_tT_bMjhpBluILYUigGgcdwAMqJ9TX3AZnjB7gTOXUIu0iT4cl3LcvoEX2E8NZd-xS0aQ/s4032/IMG_2709.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW9WOR3DmAFXag7tdybSl81XDLvsdT6LaUYI5CZBldjGP-Zk4dTRRTFcs_A2i30uETnMIksbAx00SGYLrxrBRsTs2kvgdx6Kfij6DKRTQMj89pc3Fhsdo8R_tT_bMjhpBluILYUigGgcdwAMqJ9TX3AZnjB7gTOXUIu0iT4cl3LcvoEX2E8NZd-xS0aQ/s320/IMG_2709.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja7BTm3y7igYm2zOCMHxV9HBhsg9K1M3pp_4DT5qwiAknchNoTxdQAnCNoCslRJ1HvR9554OeMOZu7Dd1Av51HFTI5qOzhUPa-mIFxPehEfS7WInW6TCdPpPYA5ZZMuIJTmQwrvOuQ0gB7h2G5iH27OrsL_r2-G1jZRPegjcPEnw394x0fkUrO6XMHpg/s4032/IMG_2712.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja7BTm3y7igYm2zOCMHxV9HBhsg9K1M3pp_4DT5qwiAknchNoTxdQAnCNoCslRJ1HvR9554OeMOZu7Dd1Av51HFTI5qOzhUPa-mIFxPehEfS7WInW6TCdPpPYA5ZZMuIJTmQwrvOuQ0gB7h2G5iH27OrsL_r2-G1jZRPegjcPEnw394x0fkUrO6XMHpg/s320/IMG_2712.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>I liked this place so much I ate here twice during my stay in Tokyo. </li><li>Food was delicious and the portions were so big I don't think I finished all my food. </li><li>There's a tendon soup I highly recommend and the fish cake as an appetizer!</li><li>Funny enough - the night Ed arrived, we caught an improv show here. We understood nothing but it was hilarious nonetheless!</li><li>Winnie's Rating: 9/10</li></ul></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">10. Gelato at </span><b style="font-size: x-large;"><u><a href="https://venchi.co.jp/" target="_blank">Venchi</a></u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj56dYPO5wX7UaqfbrJa0W8jxs598rX3pwnLoRVXPc8hzEOeiQHKkSl8hBoxiuLRzCSEYZ9pLBsdH4kQPTmZ8J-UdSAaxQE8xUgi9USgLUa7NvKaCvwpoqAslH8Cl6MUwfOo4rih2GFoPhC0MWaWf1tleYRyfWSIwJfTs1ZmOCIsRZC-yehS7GqCevaQw/s4032/IMG_2750.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj56dYPO5wX7UaqfbrJa0W8jxs598rX3pwnLoRVXPc8hzEOeiQHKkSl8hBoxiuLRzCSEYZ9pLBsdH4kQPTmZ8J-UdSAaxQE8xUgi9USgLUa7NvKaCvwpoqAslH8Cl6MUwfOo4rih2GFoPhC0MWaWf1tleYRyfWSIwJfTs1ZmOCIsRZC-yehS7GqCevaQw/s320/IMG_2750.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>Tokyo was in a heat wave or something because every day felt like it was 100 degrees and humid. We stopped here for second breakfast because it was that or drink 7 gallons of water. </li><li>Everything was so aesthetically pleasing!</li><li>I regret not getting a chocolate flavor since Chocolate is their forte. There's always next time!</li><li>Winnie's Rating: 8/10</li></ul></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">11. EVERYTHING at </span><b style="font-size: x-large;"><u><a href="https://www.whatareweironing.com/2022/08/sukiyabashi-jiro-august-2022.html" target="_blank">Sukibayashi Jiro</a></u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpf0V5gNKUFDWOATqNDv0lEwQomR0TgP3pyaeY-QlVpzQDVasdZJr531ecWgj0NSCFgTq9j2xQ5ngzAUKvIivaL4WJq-PETMEr489BujckGQvM9ZVGJm4csojBZyAQXaiqdu4OgPv-FC8L0RM9CoH3svD49V1mGHjacZN3-sWg9Ov4U-GHQTsRZcIJuA/s1440/52D530EF-83F9-4259-8AF9-CEE8757B4596.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpf0V5gNKUFDWOATqNDv0lEwQomR0TgP3pyaeY-QlVpzQDVasdZJr531ecWgj0NSCFgTq9j2xQ5ngzAUKvIivaL4WJq-PETMEr489BujckGQvM9ZVGJm4csojBZyAQXaiqdu4OgPv-FC8L0RM9CoH3svD49V1mGHjacZN3-sWg9Ov4U-GHQTsRZcIJuA/s320/52D530EF-83F9-4259-8AF9-CEE8757B4596.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li><a href="https://www.whatareweironing.com/2022/08/sukiyabashi-jiro-august-2022.html" target="_blank">You can read my review here</a>.</li><li>Winnie's Rating: 1000/10 </li></ul></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">12. Strawberry Parfait at La Ohana</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4lmmqm8oJOV5IUyXthgDx6AH5pEhlfx1ArJR5B8mVrfDkTRQlAIiI1tOWlIMMS8wuIFS-uyzWeO3EfzvZAdTAGKuKGUrEnL4uzQqSBqvgpsIkCK1dP-jaMc-xI6Kvzr_v5fiLYymjp5wQrow7GQxsVbh-Di9bX8_P6EC7oqtUN4l3fe7PvwHMGKLwmg/s4032/IMG_3007%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4lmmqm8oJOV5IUyXthgDx6AH5pEhlfx1ArJR5B8mVrfDkTRQlAIiI1tOWlIMMS8wuIFS-uyzWeO3EfzvZAdTAGKuKGUrEnL4uzQqSBqvgpsIkCK1dP-jaMc-xI6Kvzr_v5fiLYymjp5wQrow7GQxsVbh-Di9bX8_P6EC7oqtUN4l3fe7PvwHMGKLwmg/s320/IMG_3007%20(1).jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>It was so hot and all I wanted was something cold. </li><li>It was a nice relief from the heat so I'm giving this a...</li><li>Winnie's Rating: 9/10.</li></ul></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">13. Gyudon at </span><b><u><a href="https://www.sukiya.jp/en/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Sukiya</span></a></u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4u2Z13hWBfntp_VKUvcnBlE5XpgTxk0VTPUlJ0JYN8DesS6zLuYL4llhPjRWRKDThFbLunOwCJ0zaOR6g6j8oIpM-pnPr3vzFnFtjDPMs7Vr9yyiNlRgzAuX_m_7c-5SRL7ILnI8xkcdMYntai26y4n8q_REsPr7Tt7hFk-gDkLVmKTy8JABm48zUnQ/s4032/IMG_1768.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4u2Z13hWBfntp_VKUvcnBlE5XpgTxk0VTPUlJ0JYN8DesS6zLuYL4llhPjRWRKDThFbLunOwCJ0zaOR6g6j8oIpM-pnPr3vzFnFtjDPMs7Vr9yyiNlRgzAuX_m_7c-5SRL7ILnI8xkcdMYntai26y4n8q_REsPr7Tt7hFk-gDkLVmKTy8JABm48zUnQ/s320/IMG_1768.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>I think there are 2000 locations (similar to Yoshinoya but I think this chain might be more popular than Yoshinoya in Japan!)</li><li>Very yummy, very inexpensive</li><li>Winnie's Rating: 8/10</li></ul></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-large;">14. Cream Puffs at TOLO Cafe and Bakery</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoKm-h-5qzhuo7vGxOWGv3MOmMqDf6yB4tx-DvbivORZbZxHAl0kWcxqQ0oBM3im414PP-YndJnDZT8trKFL2ejrGPgg5g0QcrMSze1ip-rDc46XwiTyfGhvLoU8F1haVfvNd7qN91oY6gnxbeLgvJqQWqkqI295VRYCVWLLTtooOSBTAc6F_bjo1eBA/s4032/IMG_3086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoKm-h-5qzhuo7vGxOWGv3MOmMqDf6yB4tx-DvbivORZbZxHAl0kWcxqQ0oBM3im414PP-YndJnDZT8trKFL2ejrGPgg5g0QcrMSze1ip-rDc46XwiTyfGhvLoU8F1haVfvNd7qN91oY6gnxbeLgvJqQWqkqI295VRYCVWLLTtooOSBTAc6F_bjo1eBA/s320/IMG_3086.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>Literally the cutest cream puff I've ever had</li><li>This one was Mango flavored!</li><li>Highly recommend. They only have a certain number each day!</li><li>Winnie's Rating: 9/10</li></ul></ul><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-large;">15. Ramen at Ichiran</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNymuNJjV9imV_yCy22rsF9JRIZG28BeXTm79sF7gxUi0KIDut8Vos0-JmTLiN8_6F9h9eiwtwpp-GkuyWsu5RZo2CfHjY9kAecoIlnIwjftqIzawYoxzLcS2DxkqjmUL3es4eqcR069KJTLr1kGuKA1VXiPeXJ8bESAXOtgW3iEzsUx4D4KdU8641WQ/s4032/IMG_3188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNymuNJjV9imV_yCy22rsF9JRIZG28BeXTm79sF7gxUi0KIDut8Vos0-JmTLiN8_6F9h9eiwtwpp-GkuyWsu5RZo2CfHjY9kAecoIlnIwjftqIzawYoxzLcS2DxkqjmUL3es4eqcR069KJTLr1kGuKA1VXiPeXJ8bESAXOtgW3iEzsUx4D4KdU8641WQ/s320/IMG_3188.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br style="font-size: small;" /><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>Table for one? perfectly fine!</li><li>You order from a vending machine, a switchboard tells you where to sit, you offer your little ramen receipts to them, and they lift the curtain to serve you!</li><li>Perfectly acceptable to eat on your own and if you don't want to talk at all, you just use the little wooden sticks on the right to send a message!</li><li>Winnie's Rating: 8/10</li></ul></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-large;">16. Traditional Japanese Breakfast at Shinpachi Shokudo</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0eOatk33QQFEKmM567L57RY-JyQBkwagKGbW86cgT6StksZZfYn9uWbsYc4Patg2NyXM5JdzutAQRMSKOvkBHlg6U3-fzU1BytH1g2m2kL-uqSA5GQ6Ye-8dHnPZMAVXrPApmrKgutMnOtck-Jvb1yVt1Fdmt5uqyqzCzZYn-d0EnGx5cS2nn1wRfbg/s4032/IMG_3203%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0eOatk33QQFEKmM567L57RY-JyQBkwagKGbW86cgT6StksZZfYn9uWbsYc4Patg2NyXM5JdzutAQRMSKOvkBHlg6U3-fzU1BytH1g2m2kL-uqSA5GQ6Ye-8dHnPZMAVXrPApmrKgutMnOtck-Jvb1yVt1Fdmt5uqyqzCzZYn-d0EnGx5cS2nn1wRfbg/s320/IMG_3203%20(1).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: xx-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>Ati and I were looking for a place to eat at on his last day in Tokyo so we ended up here! </li><li>Lots of fish and it was a lot of food but not my favorite. Maybe I just wasn't into something this heavy for breakfast?</li><li>Winnie's Rating: 6.5/10</li></ul></ul><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-large;">17. Chili Cheese Dog at the Refreshment Corner - Tokyo Disneyland</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuKypXBCYVnXivx21acs6GvnsfQ_baw6rPRJIEBNwjk61IHZwsl0GpEmVL0zAqRut8cbfgjLBWGqGP5onR4wwgj2MaUkrtnzMiLJY3T_-bqSmgEROYB5Qmhqtik5z-O2CwDebFP9bII_ofYukkhfaTDYRXlwoIM_Wqmn7lrkPu9QzTbFEntZYGLkqyVg/s4032/IMG_3229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuKypXBCYVnXivx21acs6GvnsfQ_baw6rPRJIEBNwjk61IHZwsl0GpEmVL0zAqRut8cbfgjLBWGqGP5onR4wwgj2MaUkrtnzMiLJY3T_-bqSmgEROYB5Qmhqtik5z-O2CwDebFP9bII_ofYukkhfaTDYRXlwoIM_Wqmn7lrkPu9QzTbFEntZYGLkqyVg/s320/IMG_3229.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>What a cute meal! I was looking for more to eat but there weren't very many options, so I settled for a chili cheese hot dog and this very very cute drink that tasted like a sprite (it was called a Sparkling Drink - Lime and Mint!</li><li>Winnie's Rating: 6.5/10</li></ul></ul><div style="text-align: left;"><br style="font-size: small;" /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-large;">18. Waffle at Tokyo Disneyland</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDHu69LU79pxIyxolDhxMt7pO6-bj7gh3rRYQ0M3ye4bwzsWjg1PHO7qjyvpq0gkIAPcxeGO-lNh2jrRupDB8iLdCv22ResWrzBFxqk70KI890K-gK1s5K5uqMcQoSyNsT9fMcF0z__1Y_0RnaFa8fOdUd3NOcfLY_1Uj9_9eaUxgni8OcZMEiOpDasQ/s4032/IMG_2034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDHu69LU79pxIyxolDhxMt7pO6-bj7gh3rRYQ0M3ye4bwzsWjg1PHO7qjyvpq0gkIAPcxeGO-lNh2jrRupDB8iLdCv22ResWrzBFxqk70KI890K-gK1s5K5uqMcQoSyNsT9fMcF0z__1Y_0RnaFa8fOdUd3NOcfLY_1Uj9_9eaUxgni8OcZMEiOpDasQ/s320/IMG_2034.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br style="font-size: small;" /><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>Watched them make this waffle in the window while I was waiting to order. It was perfect! Minus the part where the whipped cream fell onto the mask that I had set on the table and I had to find a replacement mask. That was not fun. </li><li>Winnie's Rating: 8/10</li></ul></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-large;">19. Tsukemen at Fu-Unji</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGPdzQW21y5wZyWjYV1MDXIhGvYXo2FgDaGoTel14JHsujXBJ3wNnM3TGtsF-otrW7BMCqtBZxlbBWw_KuVgkvlMzzoHvaYJRyoQwoYknYO0KSsG46nB7NkHes0mFfycEBNeyfjCSXqzYs5k_Cys5Xy-m89EJbnEPCbvzWal2Ve1zKqFUUw17tUyrXtA/s4032/IMG_2112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGPdzQW21y5wZyWjYV1MDXIhGvYXo2FgDaGoTel14JHsujXBJ3wNnM3TGtsF-otrW7BMCqtBZxlbBWw_KuVgkvlMzzoHvaYJRyoQwoYknYO0KSsG46nB7NkHes0mFfycEBNeyfjCSXqzYs5k_Cys5Xy-m89EJbnEPCbvzWal2Ve1zKqFUUw17tUyrXtA/s320/IMG_2112.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br style="font-size: small;" /><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>Drool. This meal was soooo good. You order from a vending machine (Many of these vending machines are cash only or IC card (Suica, pasmo).</li><li>Tsukemen is dipping ramen, so you mix everything in the small bowl and dip the toppings in, eat all of it, and then pour hot water into the small bowl after to drink all the soup. I couldn't finish but it was delicious. </li><li>Winnie's Rating: 9/10</li></ul></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-large;">20. Ramen at Kamakura</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFerbxEmtCRol2qcYfKx5p0s7fmcJ9QCZ4AVnhEatUwiWdkku_FQuxm3_l2iKS6zG1rC7_5RANB9H-DjdW87H1J65S1sdKYySR5iTaxleSVzaoWg1RAVSaKB4NBPTQfrtnGFRzKEwiXUi4MOxCkuMorurCePhD8oMiZaqbUuMHTZcVlADPKfzS44APMA/s4032/IMG_2266.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFerbxEmtCRol2qcYfKx5p0s7fmcJ9QCZ4AVnhEatUwiWdkku_FQuxm3_l2iKS6zG1rC7_5RANB9H-DjdW87H1J65S1sdKYySR5iTaxleSVzaoWg1RAVSaKB4NBPTQfrtnGFRzKEwiXUi4MOxCkuMorurCePhD8oMiZaqbUuMHTZcVlADPKfzS44APMA/s320/IMG_2266.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>I really wanted Gyoza but there were no restaurants nearby that served gyoza on its own. </li><li>There was a vending machine outside - cash only - where you ordered and then they seated you. </li><li>Drank a bunch of water and then my food came. Solid meal, gyoza was sub par :(</li><li>Winnie's Rating: 7/10</li></ul></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br style="font-size: small;" /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-large;">21. Buffet at Yakata Restaurant (Puroland)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCKjafIZnLWOGY3t6IHjEGYY1LfxpzqM3Hppx5pnLjFsq565rGjBh7HrTfgWxxjvixx70nI-tyksDjUZXqDtLxRuuUT5IQ2x1t3Pg3GbC9vG0l_o6ewFgVdT85yfKKDDauF_8ecY9bhEqavMaLS1IKo7edFansCSldgegY0URm8RLo45a0D-pymoYxQ/s4032/IMG_3383.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCKjafIZnLWOGY3t6IHjEGYY1LfxpzqM3Hppx5pnLjFsq565rGjBh7HrTfgWxxjvixx70nI-tyksDjUZXqDtLxRuuUT5IQ2x1t3Pg3GbC9vG0l_o6ewFgVdT85yfKKDDauF_8ecY9bhEqavMaLS1IKo7edFansCSldgegY0URm8RLo45a0D-pymoYxQ/s320/IMG_3383.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>Quite possibly the cutest food I've ever eaten - the top left is a Hello Kitty fish cake!</li><li>This is a buffet but I'm pretty sure it's geared toward kids because the only green I could find were these cucumbers. Everything else was... fish cakes, tamago, chicken nuggets, burgers, yakitori, karaage.... and Calpis!</li><li>I even got to spell my name in fish cake. a 30-something year old's dream!</li><li>Winnie's Rating (for aesthetic purposes, 10/10) - 8/10</li></ul></ul><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-large;">22. Fusion at Unoya</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ZE1M-37xmdVx7zRLSi7bTOIS1RPZLoBDhRIttDyIxWZq4ahZk3KWxZnUjO-50YhXfBsNGQs18eXvzMl_lLs_WWqxjy2DtnF3epOmhJCfR0pZEgku2t7w4ru_m491TRyjT_cyO4G_fxtEI6Uva2wdcDc1ZlX2BeQvJJziTd1btJqhAvZixo9VTNLB1w/s4032/IMG_3548.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ZE1M-37xmdVx7zRLSi7bTOIS1RPZLoBDhRIttDyIxWZq4ahZk3KWxZnUjO-50YhXfBsNGQs18eXvzMl_lLs_WWqxjy2DtnF3epOmhJCfR0pZEgku2t7w4ru_m491TRyjT_cyO4G_fxtEI6Uva2wdcDc1ZlX2BeQvJJziTd1btJqhAvZixo9VTNLB1w/s320/IMG_3548.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZHqmDL2WVRKv37zMIajF0iwNYp48q7NRhiz7UNgKSEMue-pw8k59qHc7TJpiRTJ8h5TgWN8yvGoIlKEbQeqHRdYFhefxnxg9WA6YMu4jTV7uKE3OoJUcmVmiB2OG1yZwtwuBcOK-5UNVlU3ik_rOdhZhxugBlhLhc1lZFLNsw0fwwFniZf9nv_hhyNw/s4032/IMG_3551.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZHqmDL2WVRKv37zMIajF0iwNYp48q7NRhiz7UNgKSEMue-pw8k59qHc7TJpiRTJ8h5TgWN8yvGoIlKEbQeqHRdYFhefxnxg9WA6YMu4jTV7uKE3OoJUcmVmiB2OG1yZwtwuBcOK-5UNVlU3ik_rOdhZhxugBlhLhc1lZFLNsw0fwwFniZf9nv_hhyNw/s320/IMG_3551.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>49 floors above street level - the view was spectacular but the service was interesting. </li><li>The waiters served all the men and THEN went back to the kitchen for the women's food. I think this might be something common in Japan - just not used to it, I guess. </li><li>The food was amazing - small bites but perfect enough to feel "just right" - not too full. </li><li>Winnie's Rating (Service was 4/10): 8/10</li></ul></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-large;">23. Chinese Food at Shahoden</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhogZ-VuIAUQLRKDiYUc1OrAF57PnpdDNvZEHYZS3lbyHtEypeW727AmmOhYExDocD3ufJ-bWYVFXXLFuB-YJdwh90MWm4IQ15kUHLhC6Qa2XhL8UEZKEjbE0gqHlC7l-fYKEhzrcdM0yR7W1L7wPA4KqipbhOhVUrHbGFz7l6kLt6d3RYUbbutzNaVeA/s4032/IMG_3572.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhogZ-VuIAUQLRKDiYUc1OrAF57PnpdDNvZEHYZS3lbyHtEypeW727AmmOhYExDocD3ufJ-bWYVFXXLFuB-YJdwh90MWm4IQ15kUHLhC6Qa2XhL8UEZKEjbE0gqHlC7l-fYKEhzrcdM0yR7W1L7wPA4KqipbhOhVUrHbGFz7l6kLt6d3RYUbbutzNaVeA/s320/IMG_3572.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>I was so curious about Chinese food in Japan! It tastes the same everywhere 🤣</li><li>My meal came with mapo tofu and ramen and I loved it! </li><li>There was even an almond dessert!</li><li>Winnie's Rating: 9/10</li></ul></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">24. Dinner at Shunju Urari</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMMhQZNabu8VQJ1MqN254I4M6cVkqds52uCT4bvN56jOArvGyEgU6qdfmcDEsylFvIqEvus-PZfo53WdcFGGjDJfumRzBeLX6tJoxQX3ejuRnTuzIlmrI5ZvdRRY_oUMeuDW6RER5U-HR3euclK-sI1urEm4BlOaHa6biIDbVXwVeZdjkKqFWosdKq8Q/s4032/IMG_3582.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMMhQZNabu8VQJ1MqN254I4M6cVkqds52uCT4bvN56jOArvGyEgU6qdfmcDEsylFvIqEvus-PZfo53WdcFGGjDJfumRzBeLX6tJoxQX3ejuRnTuzIlmrI5ZvdRRY_oUMeuDW6RER5U-HR3euclK-sI1urEm4BlOaHa6biIDbVXwVeZdjkKqFWosdKq8Q/s320/IMG_3582.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkdjPC2DixflbR2whEUYO-1xArPDSlNJ92uirdCVe-PhZa4qrW3pAVQfE9WTZ91F9aMuy3sWvUBhw1DxDgzig3hMvGzOnkJF9MSsrWalv3-_kAB2Z3rzgJ4ccmaaKbKfti2fXOjKLfTSiSnULK1mecSK7AGgi_KUKZgCOjDdFRJyL8uxlZc69HecIVSA/s4032/IMG_3581.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkdjPC2DixflbR2whEUYO-1xArPDSlNJ92uirdCVe-PhZa4qrW3pAVQfE9WTZ91F9aMuy3sWvUBhw1DxDgzig3hMvGzOnkJF9MSsrWalv3-_kAB2Z3rzgJ4ccmaaKbKfti2fXOjKLfTSiSnULK1mecSK7AGgi_KUKZgCOjDdFRJyL8uxlZc69HecIVSA/s320/IMG_3581.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvKoT2-G1dCkYmzKRkIElyO2t4POJnZAP1twrgawNc6KXtU3x6wtAIlCPOABe-MlZU6OvMLUDVCtuMzknHy97XguyAIjOaa02tJOZM-fwVwIdGLQnnoOoa2rlH2xPpCiQVx_IO78NbJr5pcXXhgRa4oEpTbUW8OiWgXNVTVPdl2TK2trWdAZzGoMOctQ/s4032/IMG_3590.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvKoT2-G1dCkYmzKRkIElyO2t4POJnZAP1twrgawNc6KXtU3x6wtAIlCPOABe-MlZU6OvMLUDVCtuMzknHy97XguyAIjOaa02tJOZM-fwVwIdGLQnnoOoa2rlH2xPpCiQVx_IO78NbJr5pcXXhgRa4oEpTbUW8OiWgXNVTVPdl2TK2trWdAZzGoMOctQ/s320/IMG_3590.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>This place was so fancy. </li><li>All these small dishes - I'm not used to it! But everything was so good. Just little tasting portions. Not a fan of the pickled bitter melon, but everything else I ate 😬</li><li>Winnie's Rating: 9/10</li></ul></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">25. Bento Box from Nakazato</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbvRhhkaP6TFGlCQzF8IwKK2gqgdHIuGBIYJ91PpA9hn7seIbRT_Be-42mrI9owoAXqK0Ab-XPwXnfmf3q1QZOfDUjFZbLQJDCyNT4ya4DJjUw4HqJfbRF6KN8b1QXD_AmTrMv4GmKVbHmw-j0mULWiWRDjGMGm5bmp82cEwRb4A_2tf9ohKPJWVnIpw/s4032/IMG_2629%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbvRhhkaP6TFGlCQzF8IwKK2gqgdHIuGBIYJ91PpA9hn7seIbRT_Be-42mrI9owoAXqK0Ab-XPwXnfmf3q1QZOfDUjFZbLQJDCyNT4ya4DJjUw4HqJfbRF6KN8b1QXD_AmTrMv4GmKVbHmw-j0mULWiWRDjGMGm5bmp82cEwRb4A_2tf9ohKPJWVnIpw/s320/IMG_2629%20(1).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg02kTxoCMBlRZd2OAQDqsP59h8W6DvFkmwWiGgaWhGeRvS1DNit0-hG5OGHwtQboAPEE9efS7FfwdBq7kVRwCTNV23PQvkIrKMtIIGAkAbXYtqgQfddFxP7vw75HCK66c1yiquSZWORX6XsLD_nEggKhl6M-2nGmwJ20oUy3GhkDEYaCB1Zcv0X-CgEw/s4032/IMG_2625.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg02kTxoCMBlRZd2OAQDqsP59h8W6DvFkmwWiGgaWhGeRvS1DNit0-hG5OGHwtQboAPEE9efS7FfwdBq7kVRwCTNV23PQvkIrKMtIIGAkAbXYtqgQfddFxP7vw75HCK66c1yiquSZWORX6XsLD_nEggKhl6M-2nGmwJ20oUy3GhkDEYaCB1Zcv0X-CgEw/s320/IMG_2625.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>I was very excited to try my first bento box - can I just say that rice is really really good in Japan? I am not always fond of rice (It's probably because I had it for 18 years) - but even the simplest things taste amazing in Japan. </li><li>Tempura was not my favorite here (I was deceived by the claw!) but everything else was good. </li><li>Winnie's Rating: 7/10</li></ul></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">26. Breakfast at Caffee Veloce</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqDGEurX9mfItB4PbXbsc0s--5cNaj7cqOZl-DUjjii0QDVI_xL0kMNoMvCo1XeFDuwYs8fna09eAZIco3akwnW3raRa4N51FzgH9CmMvkK6Uu1_5kifh0V29rBa-rnCFyM9YxfOgouDb3nEzKie-0h8Rnyg-6-d32WvPlhVbsdleuOazo04yVrXEGCw/s4032/IMG_2633.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqDGEurX9mfItB4PbXbsc0s--5cNaj7cqOZl-DUjjii0QDVI_xL0kMNoMvCo1XeFDuwYs8fna09eAZIco3akwnW3raRa4N51FzgH9CmMvkK6Uu1_5kifh0V29rBa-rnCFyM9YxfOgouDb3nEzKie-0h8Rnyg-6-d32WvPlhVbsdleuOazo04yVrXEGCw/s320/IMG_2633.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>Have y'all heard of Baumkuchen? I think it's German. </li><li>I saw so many of these in Japan! They are really popular. They're little cakes that are essentially rotisseried and baked one layer at a time. So cool. I may have eaten quite a few of these in Japan but never stopped to take a picture of them 🤣</li><li>We stopped at this Cafe for a small breakfast - egg sandies, baumkuchen, and a drink!</li><li>Winnie's Rating: 9/10</li></ul></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">27. Smoothies at 7-Eleven</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmOBmYyse1Jah7H9zvOhXyvj6L9xpI8VCTJfGy48wv-ZTqQXajnCwrMoSxz9_ZANWe39uajDBuGYBq7zaKe99RxfbeOAE3__skZhnHORPtAlyiWI9dIwY9j2N6sJ5JV9QNdIC0GckAV6uVIYb60lm4MKEh5cltBDUJQzQi4WWXOsuB-SxjiZNeZCavA/s1882/Screen%20Shot%202022-08-26%20at%203.24.12%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1882" data-original-width="1156" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmOBmYyse1Jah7H9zvOhXyvj6L9xpI8VCTJfGy48wv-ZTqQXajnCwrMoSxz9_ZANWe39uajDBuGYBq7zaKe99RxfbeOAE3__skZhnHORPtAlyiWI9dIwY9j2N6sJ5JV9QNdIC0GckAV6uVIYb60lm4MKEh5cltBDUJQzQi4WWXOsuB-SxjiZNeZCavA/s320/Screen%20Shot%202022-08-26%20at%203.24.12%20PM.png" width="197" /></a></div><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>I went multiple times to make this smoothie and each time I videoed but forgot to take a picture. The second time (when I was with Ed) we got yelled at because we forgot to pay before smoothie making and the Cashier was very upset.</li><li>Still, I think we inhaled these before walking out of the store. So good!</li><li>Winnie's Rating: 9/10</li></ul></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">28. Coolish from Any Convenience Store</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieyOZQUUMiTdJilh288l_ceMVvarNLrLYVONr5MnL2NSsu9oBqgr_YRc_oc2B-RUDX8JOEwRknKSBvwJemcxLzXkNd0a5tEX7adL0D3HS4lnNDIRdcX_yUiBuBLy7SKl8sKzk5C9h4NHWNTOwt5skEtpFovYy5_rRP65wBhnkbl_m2fT_3qOv5z7hMdA/s4032/IMG_2113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieyOZQUUMiTdJilh288l_ceMVvarNLrLYVONr5MnL2NSsu9oBqgr_YRc_oc2B-RUDX8JOEwRknKSBvwJemcxLzXkNd0a5tEX7adL0D3HS4lnNDIRdcX_yUiBuBLy7SKl8sKzk5C9h4NHWNTOwt5skEtpFovYy5_rRP65wBhnkbl_m2fT_3qOv5z7hMdA/s320/IMG_2113.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqd059yqNMLESJhy4P3iiTi4P4OH677N3BxCQ_U6X5c3o_DxOJ8c3RsX7Bhzy-xS4XfuyX3okzHIp8nBr63H0Fy71k72uB2vv0n33XYyCZSuU0BUKxU5DVtD7OYS6J5BfIAGBZ9Lbec-PggLKu4rfEgKNETwiZXJE8o1JFdfyhj6xgKsxij1SjgyER3Q/s4032/IMG_3644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqd059yqNMLESJhy4P3iiTi4P4OH677N3BxCQ_U6X5c3o_DxOJ8c3RsX7Bhzy-xS4XfuyX3okzHIp8nBr63H0Fy71k72uB2vv0n33XYyCZSuU0BUKxU5DVtD7OYS6J5BfIAGBZ9Lbec-PggLKu4rfEgKNETwiZXJE8o1JFdfyhj6xgKsxij1SjgyER3Q/s320/IMG_3644.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>If they ever sell these in the US, I'm in trouble. This is ice cream in a bag. </li><li>No mess. It melts while you eat it. Amazing on a hot day. Or from a vending machine while you wait for your flight to take off. </li><li>Winnie's Rating: 10/10</li></ul></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">29. Trick or Treat Horror Dining</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjMU8jYngYXOskETaQBRptqRWm13k69zsSaidVtF2Q1guGfibnKWSmDlhhki84raHwhb2_Y_iviLS-MGZAC_J0c1-7PsWQW8Fl7REh0fSEDgTXd1-SMSPcGxxwA6Q8NBH7qVi43lpNrqDQEN-3FYTLueaNVAerSigCnIXrA54JqW1j7aYKjrJDZs6N6Q/s4032/IMG_1753.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjMU8jYngYXOskETaQBRptqRWm13k69zsSaidVtF2Q1guGfibnKWSmDlhhki84raHwhb2_Y_iviLS-MGZAC_J0c1-7PsWQW8Fl7REh0fSEDgTXd1-SMSPcGxxwA6Q8NBH7qVi43lpNrqDQEN-3FYTLueaNVAerSigCnIXrA54JqW1j7aYKjrJDZs6N6Q/s320/IMG_1753.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg3xF3tRdbacjAWKInJDz2TU98vIymvdq3m3xz4zZOIn3_94uWHSm15QS6443U3_gY0lKz2-P0yLT2JvRu__e4Xs0vIDYhfy0XX0gTu7DBHiPKjnGmMZfpjNYVmU6_71tNdfGJMGBnwziFbf7Fi_RRGY6HL7r4xm0cfkYhbLmgpfrmuOI4IfH8bU0RUA/s4032/IMG_3016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg3xF3tRdbacjAWKInJDz2TU98vIymvdq3m3xz4zZOIn3_94uWHSm15QS6443U3_gY0lKz2-P0yLT2JvRu__e4Xs0vIDYhfy0XX0gTu7DBHiPKjnGmMZfpjNYVmU6_71tNdfGJMGBnwziFbf7Fi_RRGY6HL7r4xm0cfkYhbLmgpfrmuOI4IfH8bU0RUA/s320/IMG_3016.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>The weirdest dining experience I've had in Japan. </li><li>This is a bar located on the second floor of an nondescript building. </li><li>we went during a typhoon, which probably was the reason why it was COMPLETELY empty. </li><li>This was our waiter:</li></ul></ul></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfieNdqm0HZKZrl3wFXjXAYQkYp6l17cqgoJQcjVd4MqbqAZiLLuxcgo6-XBuN4Pjl2UXifJn4vjOGIAhRq6HuvGnDAVLP43JBO03RHqNsfgNHv4j88Wv5a2vlNb-4X-eyZkgK3UQ_crWQaRbmWxkuOGi1z7qSqL7yL2y-rcDw-MKDS4TxKtSmvM5u8A/s2048/IMG_3057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfieNdqm0HZKZrl3wFXjXAYQkYp6l17cqgoJQcjVd4MqbqAZiLLuxcgo6-XBuN4Pjl2UXifJn4vjOGIAhRq6HuvGnDAVLP43JBO03RHqNsfgNHv4j88Wv5a2vlNb-4X-eyZkgK3UQ_crWQaRbmWxkuOGi1z7qSqL7yL2y-rcDw-MKDS4TxKtSmvM5u8A/s320/IMG_3057.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>I think he said maybe 5 words the entire time we were there. </li><li>Apparently this is Tim Burton's favorite place in Japan! Rumor is that he goes every time he is in Tokyo. I would say that food was not amazing, but the decor keeps you entertained the entire time. There's even an albino snake!</li><li>Winnie's Rating: (9/10 for decor) - 6/10</li></ul></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Sorry not sorry for eating so much. :) </div></div></div>winjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182136023558011232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397044381841532887.post-73213406526220571892022-08-21T02:15:00.003-07:002022-08-21T02:32:24.858-07:00Sukiyabashi Jiro (August 2022)<p>In 2011, I watched a documentary that would change my views in life - about eating, the appreciation of food, and the art of gastronomy. </p><p>Fast forward 11 years, and I found myself at the door of Sukiyabashi Jiro, herded in despite being 15 minutes early, and glimpsing at the great Jiro himself before pinching my arm for the third time that evening. </p><p>Growing up, I had this odd relationship with food - I wouldn't call it an eating disorder, but upon reflection, it probably was. I ate hot cheetos for breakfast in high school, and in college I'd create a little competition with myself to see how many meal swipes I could save by the end of the quarter. Looking back, it was quite embarrassing. I'd be hungry but I wouldn't indulge except for the things I knew I shouldn't have indulged in. </p><p>It wasn't until after college that I met and lived with some great people, and they introduced me to fine dining. Not any kind of fine dining - the type where you'd save your pennies for months to enjoy a meal that lasted 3 hours - the kind of meal that made you "full but not full". Over the years, my palette has changed, and my love for food has grown significantly. I haven't watched Jiro Dreams of Sushi in almost a decade, but I still remember how I felt the first time I did. </p><p>---</p><p><br /></p><p>When I found out I was going to Tokyo a few weeks back, I started to do some prep (work on the visa, download offline maps) and saw on google maps that I had a few locations starred. I "star" anything that might interest me so that when people ask for suggestions I can just pull my maps up and tell them!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkLmbOqsswT0VnZafj5wrb4IeJ3qpSuTkNRglyNCkU0zrm8hT7-CX3tAWxgnUBES28KNC3tvrdlA606qGII15f-2Pzl39040q3wGSok3SbO2_EgYBqPxESDCuggkyHOpp_yZ9yN1opmGpoLaLxc9Ahp8iHu2g6THG20dfxtZqpm3SZ2L3mzk6oX6L38A/s1343/IMG_2320F60163BE-1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1343" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkLmbOqsswT0VnZafj5wrb4IeJ3qpSuTkNRglyNCkU0zrm8hT7-CX3tAWxgnUBES28KNC3tvrdlA606qGII15f-2Pzl39040q3wGSok3SbO2_EgYBqPxESDCuggkyHOpp_yZ9yN1opmGpoLaLxc9Ahp8iHu2g6THG20dfxtZqpm3SZ2L3mzk6oX6L38A/s320/IMG_2320F60163BE-1.jpeg" width="279" /></a></div><br /><p>For reference, this is my LA map. 🤣 Lots of stars!</p><p>I figured - why not try to get a reservation to Jiro? The wait list is probably a few years long but if I don't try, I'll never know. I went on the website and it clearly stated DON'T CALL US. </p><p>Welp. </p><p>So I reached out to the concierge at my hotel and asked if they could do it instead. The response I got back was a little depressing - they told me that Japan was observing a holiday called Obon and that many places would be closed. We have a similar holiday in Chinese culture so I understood how big of a holiday it would be (many of the trains were essentially empty during those days!) and I gave a 2 week range to the concierge to see if they could accommodate any other day. If the range was outside of my initial stay, I'd try to change my flight to make sure I could go. </p><p>---</p><p>After a few back and forth emails, they did it! I got a nice little letter stating that my reservation was confirmed, with a few caveats:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Don't be late or you'll be charged the full price</li><li>Don't miss the dinner or you'll be charged full price</li><li>Don't cancel less than 7 days before the dinner or you'll be charged the full price</li><li>Learn how to eat sushi correctly or you'll insult the staff</li><li>Dress nicely</li></ul><div>---</div><div><br /></div><div>I think my face melted off my body. A dream come true!</div><div><br /></div><div>I started to do some research (i.e., what is a smart casual dress code? how long will it take me to get there?) and found out that Jiro no longer served at the restaurant. Understandable - he's 96 and WHAT?! they have a second location?!</div><div><br /></div><div>I started to get kind of sad but came to terms with it because I was going for the restaurant, not the chef. I was still excited to see Jiro's son, who had since taken over the restaurant. </div><p></p><p><br /></p><p>---</p><p><br /></p><p>The day of the dinner, I tried on multiple outfits. WHAT IS SMART CASUAL. The concierge said "no short skirts", and "a collar is preferred for men". He even suggested I wear pants. But since all I brought to tokyo were dresses, they were going to have to deal. </p><p>I left at 6 to get there for my 7pm reservation, and laughed when I got to the station 40 minutes early. Google did me dirty and did NOT take me the right way, so it wasn't until I saw Jewelpie's <a href="https://jewelpie.com/how-to-make-a-reservation-and-dine-at-sukiyabashi-jiro-in-tokyo/" target="_blank">blog post </a>with directions that I finally felt like I was going the right way. Her directions didn't get me there so here are my tips:</p><p>If you get a reservation:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>1. Leave early. The address for Sukibayashi Jiro is Japan, 〒104-0061 Tokyo, Chuo City, Ginza, 4 Chome−2−15 塚本総業ビルB1階</p><p>2. Navigate yourself to the Ginza Station, exit toward C6 but DO NOT go all the way out to the street. There are double doors before you walk up the last staircase out onto the street - go through them and Jiro will be on your right side! I walked up and down those C6 exit stairs 4 times before I tried the door. Don't be me!</p></blockquote><p>---</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisDrMqTpxJolE3sF-j2rpbJ3lHTvskIln40cMWUWKcKUsguPaWcaiCJ14wud4_8xK0MyPhYv_aHhECNxbgr3TGQnuPzX66xnYcSFQBcUsRlq2H0XQDi5gVQbaGD6kku8rt8VHiLDVnjajp8YbFwi3AsnbErZZsnZwoWhX0xG3IdX_j8MjLUGoCz6-AEg/s4032/IMG_2825.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisDrMqTpxJolE3sF-j2rpbJ3lHTvskIln40cMWUWKcKUsguPaWcaiCJ14wud4_8xK0MyPhYv_aHhECNxbgr3TGQnuPzX66xnYcSFQBcUsRlq2H0XQDi5gVQbaGD6kku8rt8VHiLDVnjajp8YbFwi3AsnbErZZsnZwoWhX0xG3IdX_j8MjLUGoCz6-AEg/s320/IMG_2825.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>No photos inside so please enjoy my brain dump:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I walked over to the shop and watched as three 5 other people entered before me. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to wait outside or if I should have walked right in, so I waited until one of the employees walked out and herded me in. Literally herded me. I felt like I was late even though I knew I was 15 minutes early for my 7pm reservation. </li><li>As soon as I walked through the curtain, I saw him. Jiro! The only other time I've ever felt this nervous was on my wedding day. </li><li>The staff had me check in my purse and my cell phone and said I could take my wallet out after the meal was over. </li><li>They sat me in the middle of the two other groups - a group of 3, then me, then two others - I was right in front of Jiro! </li><li>As soon as I was seated, I was handed a warm hand towel and tea was poured for me. And then the food came. </li><li>Jiro served me and occasionally served the two people to my left. </li><li>His son served the three people to my right, and his apprentice (I think?) served the two on my left. </li><li>Truly an amazing experience.</li></ul><div><br /></div><div>---</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>20 Course Omakase:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><i>The sushi is served edo-style, which means that in the past it was served in stalls, for people to eat quickly with their hands, drink tea, and depart. My meal lasted probably 20 minutes, with a 10 minute wait afterward to pay for the bill. I was home by 8pm including travel time (my reservation was for 7).</i></li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div>I did some research before writing this so I could give the best descriptions. The descriptions that were on the menu really confused me (what is bonito?). I highly recommend Jiro's books - <i>Jiro Philosophy </i>and <i>Jiro Gastronomy</i> - for more in depth descriptions of the food served. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5NdPmEEn2TbQY52rso2K_bXBQqeJCXWTjLl9cdV-xkgW4fqbi6KiBHGN75QGEvQXOu2FEzAc3cTm3lGftqvdEshlTqW_UEgDLaQXjiVswLBaqAGjMHXSpcRneNlxwiV4LhzhxOtcm2xI3V5-3Kn9HUKEl4We4MBS8hsughe2JvyRpw5Y_oMUNKTbI-g/s1440/525AE29A-90E3-4114-8BDA-4413F047F630.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5NdPmEEn2TbQY52rso2K_bXBQqeJCXWTjLl9cdV-xkgW4fqbi6KiBHGN75QGEvQXOu2FEzAc3cTm3lGftqvdEshlTqW_UEgDLaQXjiVswLBaqAGjMHXSpcRneNlxwiV4LhzhxOtcm2xI3V5-3Kn9HUKEl4We4MBS8hsughe2JvyRpw5Y_oMUNKTbI-g/s320/525AE29A-90E3-4114-8BDA-4413F047F630.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b><u>Karei</u></b> - Flat Fish</li><ul><li>Karei is in the flounder family. It's almost always the first dish because the taste is mild and the texture is firm. Since this was my first dish, I was a little taken aback by how rough it was to eat. After chewing it a few times, it really started to blend in with the rice and wasabi, so it was much more enjoyable. </li></ul><li><b><u>Sumi-Ika </u></b>- Squid/cuttlefish</li><li><b><u>Shima-Aji </u></b>- Striped Jack/ Yellow Jack </li><ul><li>One of the books says "you're in for a treat when this shows up on your menu" - apparently they are hard to find! </li></ul><li><b><u>Chu-Toro</u></b> - Medium fatty bluefin tuna </li><li><b><u>O-Toro</u></b> - Fatty tuna </li><li><b><u>Kohada </u></b>- Gizzard Shad</li><ul><li>When I saw this on the menu, I was half expecting some sort of chicken. Then I saw fish skin and had no one to talk to about this. This one was marinated in vinegar but I didn't taste it! Probably a good thing.</li></ul><li><b style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Awabi - </b>Abalone - </li><ul><li>One of my favorite pieces. I grew up thinking abalone was so expensive - something I'd never be able eat every day - so to have half of a whole abalone over a bed of rice was not only eye opening, it was like unlocking a new memory and a new taste of abalone - not a chewy, firm texture, but a soft, pliable, and tasty one. The abalone is simmered in sake and water for 3 - 4 hours. </li></ul><li><b><u>Aji</u></b> - Japanese Horse Mackerel</li><li><b><u>Akagai </u></b>- Red Clam</li><li><b><u>Akami </u></b>- Lean Tuna</li><li><b><u>Kuruma-ebi </u></b>- Japanese Tiger Prawn</li><ul><li>I love shrimp but for some reason this wasn't the "best I've ever had" shrimp. It was just ok. </li></ul><li><b><u>Katsuo</u></b> - Skipjack Tuna</li><ul><li>This one blew me away. I think I'd request this one again if I had a choice to eat one more piece. It is typically smoked over a bed of straw and I could swear it was giving me a hug while I was eating it. I am still thinking about this piece. </li></ul><li><b><u>Hamaguri</u></b> - Clam</li><li><b><u>Aji-Su</u></b> - Vinegared Jack Mackerel</li><li><b><u>Uni</u></b> - Sea Urchin</li><ul><li>Like buttah.</li></ul><li><b><u>Kobashira</u></b> - Baby Scallop</li><ul><li>This one was wrapped in seaweed - which apparently they roast themselves! Delicious</li></ul><li><b><u>Ikura </u></b>- Salmon Roe</li><ul><li>I have never been a fan of roe but this one was like eating savory boba! Would definitely try again. </li></ul><li><b><u>Anago</u></b> - Conger Eel</li><li><b><u>Tamago</u></b> - Grilled Egg</li><ol><li>This one was the one I was looking forward to the most. It takes an hour to cook and despite the presence of shrimp and yam, it tastes like a mochi cake without the chew. Pure bliss. </li></ol></ol></div><div><br /></div><div>some things to note:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>no one talked. The restaurant was silent but it was a beautiful silence. </li><li>the rice was a star that shone in every dish I ate. It was so good that if there was a way to package it or learn how to make it and bring it back here to the states, I'd make a killing selling it. It is 100 out of 10 the best rice I've ever had. </li><li>Jiro put sauce on every piece of sushi and wasabi on the inside of every piece of fish before laying it on the rice. I am terrified of wasabi but this was really, really good. </li><li>Tea was refilled every time I drank anything past 60%. The most attentive restaurant I've ever been to. I felt like there was a guy behind me just watching me drink my tea so he could refill it. </li></ul></div><div>After the meal was done, they moved us over to a second set of tables to enjoy fresh melon while the employees cleaned up. The restaurant became a little livelier as the 6 of us (yes, 6 - not even the full 8!) moved to little tables that faced each other. </div><div><br /></div><div>Since I was a party of one, I enjoyed the little corner table. I had the best view in the restaurant - I faced Jiro as he sat behind the curtain watching his team clean up the restaurant. </div><div><br /></div><div>When everyone was done with their melon, each table was excused one at a time to pay and leave. I was the last one in and the last one out, and Jiro waited outside while I finished paying so I could take a picture with him. I teared up as I told him I waited so long to meet him. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZL6AdL3pFoV9uRs4vBBmUfSrKealDoQj1KWzTEVoaq6Hidmhl9UDEycT9P-RXZjSfOgWCtR29nd0Y5lu0DB1QYTqo2Q1blqbAfEVXDCvtyrmfdDiXMbsNMB1RJumVdW4uZ4ovBqlEEjWxNTwo8GDYYneZ4XwKSy_IgQQXgVkBwlIBtVEK4aWhne5Cg/s1440/52D530EF-83F9-4259-8AF9-CEE8757B4596.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZL6AdL3pFoV9uRs4vBBmUfSrKealDoQj1KWzTEVoaq6Hidmhl9UDEycT9P-RXZjSfOgWCtR29nd0Y5lu0DB1QYTqo2Q1blqbAfEVXDCvtyrmfdDiXMbsNMB1RJumVdW4uZ4ovBqlEEjWxNTwo8GDYYneZ4XwKSy_IgQQXgVkBwlIBtVEK4aWhne5Cg/s320/52D530EF-83F9-4259-8AF9-CEE8757B4596.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><p></p><p>I still think about this night. One of the best experiences of my life and truly one of a kind. 1000/10, I'd eat here again. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>winjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182136023558011232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397044381841532887.post-59756162164651560552021-10-07T20:51:00.002-07:002021-10-08T17:15:31.981-07:00Race and Trip Report: St Jude Ironman 70.3 Memphis (October 2, 2021)<p> St Jude Ironman MEMPHIS 70.3</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgyMUz9yY3r9fGrSLhGqtT2CZbVjRe5t6d9KmjBT8YdQF37Ev2BGBwAny0coFaFCtb0OSEhoRSkdcFCA8tljxOQuanu-73FQT649hcqMoxUR7Esvoo15GM3BQDuVppXvmX3G19wsOuaHMGK4AEOPZmbOtr3ljMQTiEAjAzFO2SQAAED8PazvtyDC8E=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgyMUz9yY3r9fGrSLhGqtT2CZbVjRe5t6d9KmjBT8YdQF37Ev2BGBwAny0coFaFCtb0OSEhoRSkdcFCA8tljxOQuanu-73FQT649hcqMoxUR7Esvoo15GM3BQDuVppXvmX3G19wsOuaHMGK4AEOPZmbOtr3ljMQTiEAjAzFO2SQAAED8PazvtyDC8E=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p>What a week it’s been. I’m sitting in my bed revisiting our trip to Memphis, and I can’t help but feel like it’s been a lifetime since I boarded the plane. But here we are again - another day, another race review!</p><p>Two years ago, Chris and I had decided to do a local race. We signed up for IM 70.3 Superfrog, which was supposed to be fall of 2020 - but the race was canceled (not just because of Covid, but forever!). The race was originally supposed to be in San Diego - 100 miles away. What now? We had already raced the other races that had been closer (Oceanside, Indian Wells). </p><p>We were offered the opportunity to defer to another race - but all of our choices were ones we had either raced before or were not interested in racing. We settled on Tennessee for October 2021, knowing that there was a huge chance it was not going to happen because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic - and the countdown began. </p><p>In March of 2021, we really started to train. By really, I mean I finally climbed out of the rock I was hiding under, got vaccinated, and decided I was going to start riding my bicycle again. No joke - I forgot how to put air in my tires. It had been over a full year since I had last ridden. It was rough, but I forced myself to commit to riding every weekend. Chris and I took turns driving from our respective cities (70 miles away from one another) and rode. We did 30 milers, then 40, then 50 and layered on hills. </p><p>In late August, we partook in the Santa Barbara aquabike, which I was thankful for since I had not swum much over the course of the year. The course was challenging - over 1500 feet of climbing in 34 miles - but worth it!</p><p>Finally, the end of September rolled around and it was time to leave for Tennessee.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCr7JYkQ99f41o6GGHBE6lSfZlufVlQqnYNvGtMwYnhLJOqh9n85FJ_yaPx2y3akqnMrzXJn2iRVnUTUQGcr2xJ9GbTKcH7PATM91DImxdyhIQoG-yVqS4LCEiWdyipB_BL1EoGdr8uzg/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="1024" height="109" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCr7JYkQ99f41o6GGHBE6lSfZlufVlQqnYNvGtMwYnhLJOqh9n85FJ_yaPx2y3akqnMrzXJn2iRVnUTUQGcr2xJ9GbTKcH7PATM91DImxdyhIQoG-yVqS4LCEiWdyipB_BL1EoGdr8uzg/" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><b><u>Wednesday, Sept 29 2021 - 3 DAYS PRIOR</u></b></p><p>The flights didn’t go according to plan. Of course. But then again, when does anything ever go according to plan? When I booked, I looked for direct flights. Unfortunately, as the months progressed, our flights were changed multiple times. We ended up with a three hour layover in Minneapolis after a VERY full flight with kids kicking our seats, had Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner, and then were treated to a lovely and empty flight to Memphis. We had our own row, no one behind us - ahh!! </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3b4ih9mB2iSUakfrjhpk5Du1GfVNccDIDKEomcehTRUTm1tKPRoOUtFlmdQEJj-Zm1BblUsgQbEhscaRYgY0Z1ekD8PfI5_fnskTlhV58Ub7kdOW02PNhRcZDEyFKc0XUN3pNRKP8OBhIZAJbVmzNaevN2jc7tn49ZGyIPSdM3K80zXp0ero2158=s3088" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3b4ih9mB2iSUakfrjhpk5Du1GfVNccDIDKEomcehTRUTm1tKPRoOUtFlmdQEJj-Zm1BblUsgQbEhscaRYgY0Z1ekD8PfI5_fnskTlhV58Ub7kdOW02PNhRcZDEyFKc0XUN3pNRKP8OBhIZAJbVmzNaevN2jc7tn49ZGyIPSdM3K80zXp0ero2158=s320" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHyzCTuMDTEYaMNTR7fho1Il4z_V08GPgeA2DBkve58Ahtdh6e-t1KnkP2g6bW14SxnoeSKMtMJEAxE5Rbp4LzPvyADKnCIPwRNI40TsWsF0VnD_GwndC8Rqwjrzf4KTYsz5D4r0kSSHONEsbkkVjZQX3nDewwdDkH3uK93eN-1NSZ2sXB453_TCM=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHyzCTuMDTEYaMNTR7fho1Il4z_V08GPgeA2DBkve58Ahtdh6e-t1KnkP2g6bW14SxnoeSKMtMJEAxE5Rbp4LzPvyADKnCIPwRNI40TsWsF0VnD_GwndC8Rqwjrzf4KTYsz5D4r0kSSHONEsbkkVjZQX3nDewwdDkH3uK93eN-1NSZ2sXB453_TCM=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>When we landed around midnight, Cheryl and Chris were waiting for us and we headed to the hotel. <p></p><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQ5KsRd6RCANwyT7ZJ1miVxnO8NWIsgJgyZjUrS7xBbpzOZxUxSsKN63pYefrO1yqGJ0EI-rGnbA1UI3xHsoQP4tGpw6T6obTzrlu1YFZjMcE676ZtmsawCIjTBEO23tw4R1RJy9hFpWFjBM9JymBQJ2wyTQS23ubPvADVTe3Cl8uUEn0t1cFh9Mo=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQ5KsRd6RCANwyT7ZJ1miVxnO8NWIsgJgyZjUrS7xBbpzOZxUxSsKN63pYefrO1yqGJ0EI-rGnbA1UI3xHsoQP4tGpw6T6obTzrlu1YFZjMcE676ZtmsawCIjTBEO23tw4R1RJy9hFpWFjBM9JymBQJ2wyTQS23ubPvADVTe3Cl8uUEn0t1cFh9Mo=s320" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhnRR8-3mJ8SHyMjN9oMRucaz92Bx-ot72337AakFyhz2yyGo_URXDxBU95OBQpJMTjp7C29fK0SvlPOGpZPriKx0iWxCwjNz5-S90WpvfKFNjzloSOhXqNK4U8RWHj-e0wEJxO_60GtQitCuSS3E_eYiISZpi-uDZzdghm1QnPVOn3d3Bzc6mytP8=s3088" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhnRR8-3mJ8SHyMjN9oMRucaz92Bx-ot72337AakFyhz2yyGo_URXDxBU95OBQpJMTjp7C29fK0SvlPOGpZPriKx0iWxCwjNz5-S90WpvfKFNjzloSOhXqNK4U8RWHj-e0wEJxO_60GtQitCuSS3E_eYiISZpi-uDZzdghm1QnPVOn3d3Bzc6mytP8=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><b><u>Thursday, Sept 30 2021 - 2 DAYS PRIOR </u></b></p><p>We tried to sleep in as much as possible - I incorrectly assumed that TN was three hours ahead - it was only two! - and we went to Ironman village to check in. There was light rain, but the line moved quickly, and we picked up our chip, our race packet, swim cap, and t-shirt. Then we did some damage at the merch tent. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_p-hvzLGWFTfk9IayBY7u1nOLbKREYJmJqfokZ1ZUfUvMJ-Z05r4IsUa2ORiNiAJyzx9t0lpBPv7t0GG8PNOC-Y-OFfrdZ8qZQuycOMn83g2IFj1Qx6XgugIG9nOkojfN1KQSH6ClNIyoySClvmfmEZIUO_kStRqcUFz28J1DM-YKY93gsw4YUdY=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_p-hvzLGWFTfk9IayBY7u1nOLbKREYJmJqfokZ1ZUfUvMJ-Z05r4IsUa2ORiNiAJyzx9t0lpBPv7t0GG8PNOC-Y-OFfrdZ8qZQuycOMn83g2IFj1Qx6XgugIG9nOkojfN1KQSH6ClNIyoySClvmfmEZIUO_kStRqcUFz28J1DM-YKY93gsw4YUdY=s320" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_XrnMFTad3TRo5PhG724mDTSEHbqtEYsY1qmNOeI3jiKZE_4C5cYY4G2vnbNgWqo-kDchym2K2mW2hsiaoMeLZ-MRPiasNn4k1F0eD8xNnl1B7m44fg0Yib000eMZS-FKi39O-A0CDwU8ga2PydyZCe7_vok691IPUJnTrMbB9knLrIPSLoPLuWs=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_XrnMFTad3TRo5PhG724mDTSEHbqtEYsY1qmNOeI3jiKZE_4C5cYY4G2vnbNgWqo-kDchym2K2mW2hsiaoMeLZ-MRPiasNn4k1F0eD8xNnl1B7m44fg0Yib000eMZS-FKi39O-A0CDwU8ga2PydyZCe7_vok691IPUJnTrMbB9knLrIPSLoPLuWs=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQrNigaZUiyChFWoiEvlZpAUT__YX9D0efSXPQLCorIlw9vHkrvUF5mGAeoWvB7aK3Sn9M93u9Yy9y6voxmn9Kl5HMD10HI-CwH19tTt8bZofPkEWd1Nflroe4lLKuMgMEZNYc69NnRutCYTjXzN9viLaRwMt1LtJRZX4gjXCKrCy8_uGV18GBk7M=s2049" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2049" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQrNigaZUiyChFWoiEvlZpAUT__YX9D0efSXPQLCorIlw9vHkrvUF5mGAeoWvB7aK3Sn9M93u9Yy9y6voxmn9Kl5HMD10HI-CwH19tTt8bZofPkEWd1Nflroe4lLKuMgMEZNYc69NnRutCYTjXzN9viLaRwMt1LtJRZX4gjXCKrCy8_uGV18GBk7M=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We saw our friend Andrew and took a quick picture with him as well!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgR3bWYcWyT7EuDWeg2AwxgwjEzSRsfaaMMElEG2FsVVofa97o-P81jKjeOt9fupOLGYheQhegSUe5I5dPqbXrmGaP7AD8OeeJdAyPbabX9xhNrKwQdFxj_On9UFGEmkmh6AlAv1xrS7LPvjERqdZZDRFgEgG5O_60QxT3AYRnuStIZDFNxUGjV-Gs=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgR3bWYcWyT7EuDWeg2AwxgwjEzSRsfaaMMElEG2FsVVofa97o-P81jKjeOt9fupOLGYheQhegSUe5I5dPqbXrmGaP7AD8OeeJdAyPbabX9xhNrKwQdFxj_On9UFGEmkmh6AlAv1xrS7LPvjERqdZZDRFgEgG5O_60QxT3AYRnuStIZDFNxUGjV-Gs=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Obviously had to get a jumping picture.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDQH_q1w9Qkc6x6Fs05JZqmmMY0RdxI8_KpXWSIMWTF6eMRzJUaeh4lFBIuyUfmvcSokkjSrABLT8PL5_9D6qjZg8G0e2cwQI5TpGofR8CJ2K9biRoFQg3Far6SDGq4o6z61pWar8KCnwCmW5pKQEMmymsbQh_PHf_1k-8Xbl0DqlP6D5igkvde3w=s2049" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2049" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDQH_q1w9Qkc6x6Fs05JZqmmMY0RdxI8_KpXWSIMWTF6eMRzJUaeh4lFBIuyUfmvcSokkjSrABLT8PL5_9D6qjZg8G0e2cwQI5TpGofR8CJ2K9biRoFQg3Far6SDGq4o6z61pWar8KCnwCmW5pKQEMmymsbQh_PHf_1k-8Xbl0DqlP6D5igkvde3w=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chris was not amused.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgwQ0NIHzoryenS40wNh6kVv7MRQ0nGYC5exbD-eMHS2kLYe9bBIvSy62oXuG_OfzLbRi9yW1Z22VeSfJT2odLZeLRxJ13QQYxB6QfWEjvOi9z2KN0VPSR5sxjVHLX0uggnTaL2_AJyrOOhqW_sjS4cgmp4AaDvcdkrikKgA8he9ahUrBO8WFawOGI=s3995" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2996" data-original-width="3995" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgwQ0NIHzoryenS40wNh6kVv7MRQ0nGYC5exbD-eMHS2kLYe9bBIvSy62oXuG_OfzLbRi9yW1Z22VeSfJT2odLZeLRxJ13QQYxB6QfWEjvOi9z2KN0VPSR5sxjVHLX0uggnTaL2_AJyrOOhqW_sjS4cgmp4AaDvcdkrikKgA8he9ahUrBO8WFawOGI=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walked by the lake and couldn't resist this shot. </td></tr></tbody></table><p>We even stopped at a little coffee truck that had Ironman cookies for swim bike and run! Yes, I bought them. Yes, they cost $4 each. 😂</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZo7kmjZtHSFjlnXbYUGwbwvypUV0TFwH4QMA6LZu4aTY61R0SOxpwC4WHTMsqMYqBXHfRWMEEiWJ9LpV1GW8floNI4KMRn0BrqFz93-BvELpj7ckKssPheGjL6hppHDavce4Ys4WXM3SBkvEipDhmMJx-Y5iqPB1mrdeklxr0kb4TbEefr5UbUds=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZo7kmjZtHSFjlnXbYUGwbwvypUV0TFwH4QMA6LZu4aTY61R0SOxpwC4WHTMsqMYqBXHfRWMEEiWJ9LpV1GW8floNI4KMRn0BrqFz93-BvELpj7ckKssPheGjL6hppHDavce4Ys4WXM3SBkvEipDhmMJx-Y5iqPB1mrdeklxr0kb4TbEefr5UbUds=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p>For our race in Calgary, we bought bike boxes, took our bikes apart, and brought them onto the plane with us. We chose to use Tri Bike Transport this time around to ship our bikes, since they shipped the bikes whole (you only needed to remove your pedals) - so we went over to their tent next to transition, grabbed our bikes, and headed home. </p><p>I was so tired that I went to sleep at 8 that night. I couldn’t stay awake. </p><p><b><u>Friday, October 1 2021 - PRE-RACE DAY</u></b></p><p>Pre race day. My goal was to drink as much water as possible. Just inhale it. We were watching the weather, since the rain was intermittent. At one point, it looked like it wouldn’t rain for the race at all! </p><p>Matt and I met up with Chris and Cheryl around noon to head back to Ironman Village and drop off our bikes. There was definitely a lot of anxiety. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZVWhcsEQaUWXA0XRPbIouaEMm1JgeA958b7p2j1xoUnfXeBspKbwoAsmMoDDUKrI1SW9nZA-DJgIhfwo6SjQ3822-jpT5i2Kzy4f0uh-1UcfI7HmcYk6a_I3DTDliU92XU2aanxLG8Y6IA69HwIKZpAV5hqUO-2FEUBdVJCaAPt6j5ZyVSizpE3c=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZVWhcsEQaUWXA0XRPbIouaEMm1JgeA958b7p2j1xoUnfXeBspKbwoAsmMoDDUKrI1SW9nZA-DJgIhfwo6SjQ3822-jpT5i2Kzy4f0uh-1UcfI7HmcYk6a_I3DTDliU92XU2aanxLG8Y6IA69HwIKZpAV5hqUO-2FEUBdVJCaAPt6j5ZyVSizpE3c=s320" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRn5CrZiesQjJ5aO8gVV6gwhVJVZRFVyl5NVzUdCfGUcgNy6AfCEPSQBKJgfopC_ojyvD8FVKIjMbuQI_XNDi7uyoBAa1e_K8IE7oXSS-1lieS_7qTXAHm7RE0AKqbH5KIMyjVMpyQ_WP2V6ZbW4IXEwzAsU4XT2ouIrXcmiCn7a4GSQTjIs1FONI=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRn5CrZiesQjJ5aO8gVV6gwhVJVZRFVyl5NVzUdCfGUcgNy6AfCEPSQBKJgfopC_ojyvD8FVKIjMbuQI_XNDi7uyoBAa1e_K8IE7oXSS-1lieS_7qTXAHm7RE0AKqbH5KIMyjVMpyQ_WP2V6ZbW4IXEwzAsU4XT2ouIrXcmiCn7a4GSQTjIs1FONI=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p>We ended up driving the 56 mile bike course and noted the turns, the rough roads, and the hills. There was one part of the drive where we got caught in the rain (it was INTENSE) and we hoped for the best. TN weather was all over the place! But as the night wore on, the weather reports got worse and worse. </p><p>We went to Amerigo for dinner - a local Italian restaurant- I had a smoked catfish and it was delicious! A great way to wrap up the evening. </p><p>We went back to the hotel, I repacked my gear, and went to bed around 9. </p><p><br /></p><p><b><u>Saturday, October 2 2021- RACE DAY</u></b></p><p>Chris and I had decided to leave at 5:30 in the morning, and we got into the car with our gear bags to make the roughly 5 mile drive to the parking lot at Shelby Farms Park. There was only one way into the parking lot and one way out. The forecast predicted rain all day, which meant everything was going to be wet and muddy. </p><p>We started the drive and were almost immediately hit with traffic. We sat in traffic for AN HOUR AND A HALF. We were worried because transition was supposed to close at 6:45 and at 6:45, we were still in the car. I had to pee so badly I almost considered jumping out of the car (it's not like we were moving!)</p><p>Ironman released a statement that - due to inclement weather - the race start would be pushed back by half an hour. We finally asked Cheryl around 7am to just pull over so we could walk the rest of the way in. </p><p>We booked it. Cheryl and Matt would look for somewhere to park and we’d figure out how to make it to the starting line. We were definitely rushing. It was pouring rain. We made it into transition, unpacked our gear bags, covered what we could with bags to protect from the rain, and made it to the start line. </p><p>The water temperature was 77 degrees. The cut off for wetsuits was 76.1. If you chose to wear a wetsuit you forfeited any age group winning, but I knew I wouldn’t be anywhere near that, so I chose to wear a wetsuit. It was a day of so many variables that I needed to be able to control what I could. Comfort of a wetsuit? Ok. All wetsuits had to start behind the age groups, so we got into the corral behind swimmers who were targeting over an hour to swim (the cutoff for swim is 1:10 for half ironman races).</p><p>In our rush to do things I realized I forgot my bike computer in my bag. I knew T1 would be a rush so I kept repeating BIKE COMPUTER to myself in hopes that I would remember. Turns out Chris forgot his bike computer too. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpsnhoZLzROSxhSP_7l0RhFolVlcrHBzYm120RzVco3Dvx75H_1YcZYtHxc2Zq92Xwn08CaeqTyhs6XrPgleJeDdLODhtRzli8XF18Cd4NQ5gcLaZiIN6-YD8-DoIF1LKFpO2aleS7XgPNxmgC9Nh7k2xUrSnSXMA9yccK2N-0mWrTQ5GcQM2NP0c=s2049" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2049" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpsnhoZLzROSxhSP_7l0RhFolVlcrHBzYm120RzVco3Dvx75H_1YcZYtHxc2Zq92Xwn08CaeqTyhs6XrPgleJeDdLODhtRzli8XF18Cd4NQ5gcLaZiIN6-YD8-DoIF1LKFpO2aleS7XgPNxmgC9Nh7k2xUrSnSXMA9yccK2N-0mWrTQ5GcQM2NP0c=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p>We made our way to the swim start, where they were releasing three people every five seconds. The swim was beautiful and serene, minus some athletes who just couldn’t get it together. Some people were swimming on their backs. Others were just grabbing swimmers as they passed - but overall a good swim. Slower than my other swims but good for the lack of training I had. I could feel the rain hitting my wetsuit as I was swimming - it must have been pouring! I kept thinking about how I had PAID to work out in the rain. That's commitment right there. </p><p>As I ran out of swim, I heard my name and saw Matt and Cheryl! I felt volunteers pull the cord on my wetsuit to help me get it off, and heard someone shouting my name behind me. It was Chris! We finished at the same time! </p><p>BIKE COMPUTER. Could not forget my bike computer. We ran back to transition (about .25 miles - painful on cobblestone-like concrete barefoot!), mounted our bike computers, and donned on our wet jerseys and shoes. The mud puddles to get out were ankle deep and disgusting. My shoes were soaked. Some people picked up their bikes to avoid the mud, but it was inevitable. </p><p>The rain never let up. In fact, I'm pretty sure it got worse and worse as the day continued. The ride was beautiful, though. It was heartbreaking to see so many athletes on the side of the road - flat tires, accidents - I read on the Facebook pages afterward that people flew into ditches or never made it past the turns. There were so many ambulances. </p><p>At one point, it rained so hard that water streamed down my helmet. I made a last minute decision in transition to leave my glasses off, but every time I’d ride behind someone I’d get sprayed in the face with their tire water. There were puddles everywhere. I felt like I was in Jumanji and we were in a bicycle stampede - slowing or stopping would mean getting trampled - and one wrong step could mean the end of the game! </p><p>I took the course slow wherever I could. I was terrified of my brakes not working or my tires skidding. </p><p>When the 56 miles were over, I dismounted, trampled through the mud to get to my bike, changed my socks and shoes, and set out for the run. </p><p>So much for having dry feet: to get out of transition, you had to run through at least a quarter of a mile in mud. My shoes were caked. I told myself that as long as I trudged on through it would be ok. </p><p>Around mile 3, I could feel the blisters form under my feet. The wetness combined with the friction in my shoes were not a great combination. I jogged for about 7-8 miles before I had to switch to a walk/run mode. I felt every blister every time I took a step!</p><p>I saw Matt at mile 9 and was so delighted to recognize a familiar face. He had flowers in hand. My sweet, sweet man. I ran up to give him a kiss, and went on my way. A tall bearded athlete behind me was like, “Was that your husband or boyfriend? Us bearded men are sweet, aren’t we?”</p><p>Hilarious. </p><p>Finally, I crossed that finish line. I made it! Despite the water and the rain, I DID IT! I don’t know who pays $400 to swim, bike, and run in the rain, but me and 1,500 others had the same mindset going in.</p><p>This makes 7 half Ironman races completed. So proud of my accomplishments and where I am today. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipP9Bo5AHYtt9sjbPJwpnFVyhB_zQOpXfq-lUPGn_ltO4UPX-oeiUan8wiaQ7F-LseL24eB_isE7sEn2Om4DHAeEzz6xAhEE5LHZQqi-51BpA9xKALWZ5CZQdO26iIQmQGue3r6564kvUuzdHaBH1hc1ZeT1ucgC5tuA2SIIPg7CJwPlQAaBmMMcU=s2049" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2049" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipP9Bo5AHYtt9sjbPJwpnFVyhB_zQOpXfq-lUPGn_ltO4UPX-oeiUan8wiaQ7F-LseL24eB_isE7sEn2Om4DHAeEzz6xAhEE5LHZQqi-51BpA9xKALWZ5CZQdO26iIQmQGue3r6564kvUuzdHaBH1hc1ZeT1ucgC5tuA2SIIPg7CJwPlQAaBmMMcU=s320" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdGkmLhqLiX8-F6jy1h3tYJUyCiNLydBt7UBx7MtqsIpCEEc0DoeoD3cISJ0-vHzh2PVks7_LzsTrf0TrgA-tRDQU4st9vp-8T0HiFyFuoAq3yUGywvZvkJfapHs_0mdtyDwiE_0ny2o7Gbs3COU_aexRjU1SN2W_1wCVPWTwL29puwctgOeDQ4v4=s2049" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2049" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdGkmLhqLiX8-F6jy1h3tYJUyCiNLydBt7UBx7MtqsIpCEEc0DoeoD3cISJ0-vHzh2PVks7_LzsTrf0TrgA-tRDQU4st9vp-8T0HiFyFuoAq3yUGywvZvkJfapHs_0mdtyDwiE_0ny2o7Gbs3COU_aexRjU1SN2W_1wCVPWTwL29puwctgOeDQ4v4=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg16xcr02CmWZWHChg_m3ELniHwFS5XB6BYmYhWJB3Ry_TxaA-dWbgURjPeYxeosvWG3UqQ2Nop3vGCjTacuCgp398HQvOq8O30dJAzPQvZTjjt6GzaY5SXVEOUPFPqQEi2rB-0aSA29UIArRUYw8iOouIt5Zkf9FPD-GpFBljFH3xZ99Aph_5ZXJc=s2049" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2049" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg16xcr02CmWZWHChg_m3ELniHwFS5XB6BYmYhWJB3Ry_TxaA-dWbgURjPeYxeosvWG3UqQ2Nop3vGCjTacuCgp398HQvOq8O30dJAzPQvZTjjt6GzaY5SXVEOUPFPqQEi2rB-0aSA29UIArRUYw8iOouIt5Zkf9FPD-GpFBljFH3xZ99Aph_5ZXJc=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjIo393Z0s4pxQZ-_NctsPZpfl3_WCzJrdJMKLwaMbqwV8cDryEI7RWTTQ7HFKexH2VggvAXNvjuZ4BkSBoAXNSDPxhjw_E_lN6T_5R5r8bKPeH4hW7HyfrgIVEd_8zAe4XTRIYbNy1wv5xPU5TgBeQxyo_fthyu6wLGddupJCE-nTeZhrE4uGgXE=s3088" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjIo393Z0s4pxQZ-_NctsPZpfl3_WCzJrdJMKLwaMbqwV8cDryEI7RWTTQ7HFKexH2VggvAXNvjuZ4BkSBoAXNSDPxhjw_E_lN6T_5R5r8bKPeH4hW7HyfrgIVEd_8zAe4XTRIYbNy1wv5xPU5TgBeQxyo_fthyu6wLGddupJCE-nTeZhrE4uGgXE=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p>Matt met me at the finish line with flowers, and I saw Chris and Cheryl soon after. We took pictures, packed our gear sopping wet and returned it to TBT, then started the long walk to the car. Many people were stuck in the mud and said they had to pay $125 to get their cars towed out. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiW5VYlgeRTnHI4SiiV9LlnEE61mMi2ZM-wqOm-VoF65Ad6lsvyMZ4m8rOTAGlXESF41g_9Ed4E0Y5VIhShoFPCcgw2kV7RnZcaeSP8YskDkK-lJq0kemMaUJCS3lsnjobC-mV1GaNhKc1cbO90qBvkP_5RFnNjrNWOiIB4CknyYBV9v5bdDgCRZQg=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiW5VYlgeRTnHI4SiiV9LlnEE61mMi2ZM-wqOm-VoF65Ad6lsvyMZ4m8rOTAGlXESF41g_9Ed4E0Y5VIhShoFPCcgw2kV7RnZcaeSP8YskDkK-lJq0kemMaUJCS3lsnjobC-mV1GaNhKc1cbO90qBvkP_5RFnNjrNWOiIB4CknyYBV9v5bdDgCRZQg=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p>We got home, I sat in the shower for 30 minutes and then proceeded to eat an entire pizza for dinner from Pyro’s. It was delicious. They even had spicy ranch 😬</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikte8ZaBel_33yQs21Z4-zzitQHsoFVAv3C69st5AtAgXO9RqxHW2jUpQtpxjgbu8mHMaXsRse4WJYekRn9uj7A99MbOWzH08ySmQFNAFukgFn_PjRJVx-JCAE16_RGlPSs__jJvdZXuK3BTz4PxAgNXvqdEmBy8-OSGpErg60kZ2O9RfFh8-d4TY=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikte8ZaBel_33yQs21Z4-zzitQHsoFVAv3C69st5AtAgXO9RqxHW2jUpQtpxjgbu8mHMaXsRse4WJYekRn9uj7A99MbOWzH08ySmQFNAFukgFn_PjRJVx-JCAE16_RGlPSs__jJvdZXuK3BTz4PxAgNXvqdEmBy8-OSGpErg60kZ2O9RfFh8-d4TY=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><b><u>Sunday, October 3, 2021</u></b></p><p>Because the race started so late, the day ran late, and usually after races I just need a few hours of me time. I was so drained. We usually get back around 3, but by the time we got back to the hotel, it was 6pm, I had done nearly 40,000 steps, and I was done. </p><p>The good news was that the stress and anxiety from the race was gone, but the bad news is that everything that had tensed up from the days leading up to the race was taking its toll on my body. My shoulders hurt. Oh well - it was time to enjoy Memphis!</p><p>We had purchased tickets months prior for a brunch on the Mississippi (I know, sounds amazing!), and were excited. I was picturing something like this:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh76I2Am6qmdhxDRdIJfMOrNfA43FCzhQueVuts0rVsrapfbG6l7zoNwHjSTfPbsSr3c_2Fycvg5E4tk2WggCYBpYYaaYLjEOe-EKho8v4rfS5Pha3J91ptYxlZTCL_OBXN6hHbc5cvkKM/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="627" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh76I2Am6qmdhxDRdIJfMOrNfA43FCzhQueVuts0rVsrapfbG6l7zoNwHjSTfPbsSr3c_2Fycvg5E4tk2WggCYBpYYaaYLjEOe-EKho8v4rfS5Pha3J91ptYxlZTCL_OBXN6hHbc5cvkKM/" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">and what I ended up getting was not that. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It was more along the lines of... this:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg09uzE1npqXER0xor2aVOkFmnoz9CSOYWL9y-yw9mGqNty-t5mUbDzgPz-QYFGfIQ3JgyEDo5D2vUGBR1vWllTjKPqZMsH7r0j4FXfeQJiMlXVy-UdpfZc3Z7msSXVD0mi5Raio2K-B7KhDmZuy9Wm_CyXMRiC1R7aqQ92r-RShjlga2oCyAdRg5Y=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg09uzE1npqXER0xor2aVOkFmnoz9CSOYWL9y-yw9mGqNty-t5mUbDzgPz-QYFGfIQ3JgyEDo5D2vUGBR1vWllTjKPqZMsH7r0j4FXfeQJiMlXVy-UdpfZc3Z7msSXVD0mi5Raio2K-B7KhDmZuy9Wm_CyXMRiC1R7aqQ92r-RShjlga2oCyAdRg5Y=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiTPDVZm-yfax2Yec4vcrefqeaQaTmKNjs2QBwNWCCkWa1hs4cRENpU8upvFZq5_mlU2FGHv7kcwBkamqo5pHWSY66nLwNSFBXxeDs2mzS4AD8m2rvJ5CFVziX-tqBybks_R01pc1gIU3y-vXPcDudqh0VuPZRhop50PIys1nIYRMKibbazgttMjaY=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiTPDVZm-yfax2Yec4vcrefqeaQaTmKNjs2QBwNWCCkWa1hs4cRENpU8upvFZq5_mlU2FGHv7kcwBkamqo5pHWSY66nLwNSFBXxeDs2mzS4AD8m2rvJ5CFVziX-tqBybks_R01pc1gIU3y-vXPcDudqh0VuPZRhop50PIys1nIYRMKibbazgttMjaY=s320" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSCGP27hK8gp3Xse0VLNlLvQTNlWA8kerNfolzsKRZO_FVhGa6VHczObsEivZQCly930AfUtEFApfh3W4Yo0zMXjCbWPqkj3Cn-_SrZTehBHTvgKnMZfV3qv5CtcQ9JEcMuBSYLqiEFo6tnArxJflb2h5fOFbIchZRsYzyNI20_D3I7yL62F7jsN4=s3672" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3672" data-original-width="2066" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSCGP27hK8gp3Xse0VLNlLvQTNlWA8kerNfolzsKRZO_FVhGa6VHczObsEivZQCly930AfUtEFApfh3W4Yo0zMXjCbWPqkj3Cn-_SrZTehBHTvgKnMZfV3qv5CtcQ9JEcMuBSYLqiEFo6tnArxJflb2h5fOFbIchZRsYzyNI20_D3I7yL62F7jsN4=s320" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I am a huge fan of water and I love excursions, but I realized right off the bat that my dreams of being an LA boat princess with cucumber sandwiches was not going to happen. Instead, our $54/person ticket meant live entertainment by someone who couldn't sing as well as his backup singer, a "brunch" of pebbled eggs, a sausage patty, and frozen pancakes, and people using the words "Open bar" to literally mean a bar that was open and definitely charging by the glass. <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEip2oWMtmT8lsduYOPs412cxPe--ylzNWQ7j7PCuryZ8_bopWckmJW8acvwY6g8qJhH_-ToPWWvlGnMIeLI7q5Jrrcgh5kx9KZ9dtDRqe0GmYB46dLJHWyFlQ5DJ7aAydPHDM2F31d-BhtH_pU5ho9dhVc0pmEVi4xn1M61xKngScq4_T95g_9cgMw=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEip2oWMtmT8lsduYOPs412cxPe--ylzNWQ7j7PCuryZ8_bopWckmJW8acvwY6g8qJhH_-ToPWWvlGnMIeLI7q5Jrrcgh5kx9KZ9dtDRqe0GmYB46dLJHWyFlQ5DJ7aAydPHDM2F31d-BhtH_pU5ho9dhVc0pmEVi4xn1M61xKngScq4_T95g_9cgMw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Well... we made the most of it! It was nice to be able to feel the breeze and cross over state lines into Arkansas!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjglc22tgJjTx_zBeDHtjEHvfJoHvEGjY1wDYSv-zuclPrI74rl4YG32Dxje6Z_6BP2NfGxvkxmK6zT--1QBpUbAXtY4FqPQfkggbAxUkAy8mpVFNVj81LvCm-oJuhzY28FW1gSOUYpeNGmGbIdJklo-4NJT0AJKSN7TPKLPfpUFs95FUr4uZ_Z7As=s2049" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2049" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjglc22tgJjTx_zBeDHtjEHvfJoHvEGjY1wDYSv-zuclPrI74rl4YG32Dxje6Z_6BP2NfGxvkxmK6zT--1QBpUbAXtY4FqPQfkggbAxUkAy8mpVFNVj81LvCm-oJuhzY28FW1gSOUYpeNGmGbIdJklo-4NJT0AJKSN7TPKLPfpUFs95FUr4uZ_Z7As=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpG_7Rtp625D9phB1yWo2fHQLgHp4b-l1owm5IhwaMYZQVKh_b1bMYgv8jr6k_Vcv-4avdV6l-jVGqM1pC1B8EGwIzq3tOGRITXvaJYxfiGtkKOSqpoiM8S0MoGlL73QMV7bB7moX_729THvtxGvTrwzO8dPKVNr1zYhqmx6shcSaCDsQhh6heDps=s2049" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2049" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpG_7Rtp625D9phB1yWo2fHQLgHp4b-l1owm5IhwaMYZQVKh_b1bMYgv8jr6k_Vcv-4avdV6l-jVGqM1pC1B8EGwIzq3tOGRITXvaJYxfiGtkKOSqpoiM8S0MoGlL73QMV7bB7moX_729THvtxGvTrwzO8dPKVNr1zYhqmx6shcSaCDsQhh6heDps=s320" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhaWNierIxvLHV_i_kfwzgDPXhBMzgL3HZZUlsoWyVKsb92NyyhY6mrvP1_6AYx_g6n0EIG-X9VNRncHsRgWxNJYIYP8KAtiiJ11RWvG6y0pzGa9lhoC7iWkkE-fkEs7i5T07SE_M8oPoaCArmqlAEEh6HCmoqAG0HgX9gYZNFwl1MrEejAm6KhqEA=s2049" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2049" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhaWNierIxvLHV_i_kfwzgDPXhBMzgL3HZZUlsoWyVKsb92NyyhY6mrvP1_6AYx_g6n0EIG-X9VNRncHsRgWxNJYIYP8KAtiiJ11RWvG6y0pzGa9lhoC7iWkkE-fkEs7i5T07SE_M8oPoaCArmqlAEEh6HCmoqAG0HgX9gYZNFwl1MrEejAm6KhqEA=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYe8ShemhHySUUm8LjGdz7Mk0jDcYLe_ovY-6iqVE4dNtVqmQwRyaA7JZqpGixHr4xaMfbhqGzkd7mruXy2-fv333q15ZC07W1ERUF6AU93xx8GUYPWGjEumsMr3NNvTaupqkBHK-GJObykLqKnr1TsWI_g3-F8Yk4XtcYtrGw2d0h9DsIoFES4Uk=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYe8ShemhHySUUm8LjGdz7Mk0jDcYLe_ovY-6iqVE4dNtVqmQwRyaA7JZqpGixHr4xaMfbhqGzkd7mruXy2-fv333q15ZC07W1ERUF6AU93xx8GUYPWGjEumsMr3NNvTaupqkBHK-GJObykLqKnr1TsWI_g3-F8Yk4XtcYtrGw2d0h9DsIoFES4Uk=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVhO8hcDksuDNHbc4IlfnhDe8yQcGZs4Hz0GokSoDvu17t8ks0vVkgHEabGp13I_j70Uo3zhwNG1jNkNSa57r_Y77W0nn_JWP41VXuP6aAhhY_W5L0JTvP9MiJCluu57rSilml9pfxbKG1ocLcZDecN4COGZT0kEeE-XjSa9sPge-5664liRRLhcI=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVhO8hcDksuDNHbc4IlfnhDe8yQcGZs4Hz0GokSoDvu17t8ks0vVkgHEabGp13I_j70Uo3zhwNG1jNkNSa57r_Y77W0nn_JWP41VXuP6aAhhY_W5L0JTvP9MiJCluu57rSilml9pfxbKG1ocLcZDecN4COGZT0kEeE-XjSa9sPge-5664liRRLhcI=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>We went to Mud Island, saw the Memphis Sign, and went to the Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid! It was like going into an aquarium that you could shop at. Do they have bass at every one of these stores?!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjG64FJMY16O_f-dCSIk-GpusP5-11vadTkhjUQ7saObo5FMRUMtEjClgoVenXxiqsHn3OkPRoCqJqrItwiukCIrEkUmGsmivt527X02n0fAUa3s9EkoE1csRrJeP7_oOsr3ZHTgA_P03jwEiUjCOXS-cFGQaWGqXmszi2DlmEyWlmuodgPNpk_e24=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjG64FJMY16O_f-dCSIk-GpusP5-11vadTkhjUQ7saObo5FMRUMtEjClgoVenXxiqsHn3OkPRoCqJqrItwiukCIrEkUmGsmivt527X02n0fAUa3s9EkoE1csRrJeP7_oOsr3ZHTgA_P03jwEiUjCOXS-cFGQaWGqXmszi2DlmEyWlmuodgPNpk_e24=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh72TNFzKKUeRqQkUiQAOjuS5tyhv6pl8MkQyR-G4sRXLWHxX25dnB3qcL4aVMDWiyFtb1l2ZLwkgXgZ5lgROjvNH2vopKTQ-P1n3GSFTpBuupwXE7vYKo2vPEESxe2Obl2BjC4lQoGDTJx6CkE-QWLVO5Wp_8YpFwhohdOCHR2PcYBLS5VrTZTUNU=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh72TNFzKKUeRqQkUiQAOjuS5tyhv6pl8MkQyR-G4sRXLWHxX25dnB3qcL4aVMDWiyFtb1l2ZLwkgXgZ5lgROjvNH2vopKTQ-P1n3GSFTpBuupwXE7vYKo2vPEESxe2Obl2BjC4lQoGDTJx6CkE-QWLVO5Wp_8YpFwhohdOCHR2PcYBLS5VrTZTUNU=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>To finish the day, we signed up for a Haunted Memphis Walking Ghost Tour - it took us down Beale Street, into brothels-turned-bars, by the hotel MLK Jr was shot, and finished at the Orpheum, where we learned about 12 year old Mary who permanently sits in seat C5. <div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhhamZ-Sz1nN5pn9TgVjxf-bS3hMbviqw8K3C9Ki5Yuob6UacyWYbXKLz1mDtDhCCiRS1ROExRrAtAQ-bpuVdV0OMfpje0aFCppF0b0AIIlr-kZkaAyp8P9vh-aOVp4RmEmK_VeZ5lhGov-cPRwrtQGqmWSK9RMyljNaFTDaM07XT2Q9wd-8cfAYdE=s2080" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2080" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhhamZ-Sz1nN5pn9TgVjxf-bS3hMbviqw8K3C9Ki5Yuob6UacyWYbXKLz1mDtDhCCiRS1ROExRrAtAQ-bpuVdV0OMfpje0aFCppF0b0AIIlr-kZkaAyp8P9vh-aOVp4RmEmK_VeZ5lhGov-cPRwrtQGqmWSK9RMyljNaFTDaM07XT2Q9wd-8cfAYdE=s320" width="180" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8IT9hQ0JLSdSfqS4hikP28x8Tqey_vgFr-Tj9eW2CVBRfyMmXS5FKcsjkS_dMxMOHAMMc9AtwmqFBcVZgO4gAVNlG8lX_kg9jsHhs2933BIAnvpTaXFfeAuEIUYr7FXDOvpEzVcGGxrabhtaJj0TFEv8cic_a32U6OpmKfLPd-eEJ6CkTek-KSEg=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8IT9hQ0JLSdSfqS4hikP28x8Tqey_vgFr-Tj9eW2CVBRfyMmXS5FKcsjkS_dMxMOHAMMc9AtwmqFBcVZgO4gAVNlG8lX_kg9jsHhs2933BIAnvpTaXFfeAuEIUYr7FXDOvpEzVcGGxrabhtaJj0TFEv8cic_a32U6OpmKfLPd-eEJ6CkTek-KSEg=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWSctq2tRZG-powpFVYTc_EWvAIYycV3JDMOjrCv-GnN5l_U3q5rXWFrlT3hhKNhxRkxNMwT3SJisFaOmIATpfjQrtCB2dByHZs5k4mE5-mcto6zSGEF0TCN87i725BfsIY7Q9VqAsCf7QiCRjkTJNbzAegah1xhcNftCojqtbQQeUf4jgfub7b_U=s3088" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWSctq2tRZG-powpFVYTc_EWvAIYycV3JDMOjrCv-GnN5l_U3q5rXWFrlT3hhKNhxRkxNMwT3SJisFaOmIATpfjQrtCB2dByHZs5k4mE5-mcto6zSGEF0TCN87i725BfsIY7Q9VqAsCf7QiCRjkTJNbzAegah1xhcNftCojqtbQQeUf4jgfub7b_U=s320" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhECBs9a1dSy3TnI0fM_wQ6msiy5-I_ShorORvWmn2wSZ-3gofTIi3wyPtOiGrNiMa-3coDSwSr98OyCNDnNlhohFAExTsjvnEKT7C480FO6H-Had6ilKHBXUFocjqRIX1HorZjVx5LnSPc-1ryELcOLJlboVq5DLKQCbX_RqsgUyA4_i1ZtLKk81c=s2049" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2049" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhECBs9a1dSy3TnI0fM_wQ6msiy5-I_ShorORvWmn2wSZ-3gofTIi3wyPtOiGrNiMa-3coDSwSr98OyCNDnNlhohFAExTsjvnEKT7C480FO6H-Had6ilKHBXUFocjqRIX1HorZjVx5LnSPc-1ryELcOLJlboVq5DLKQCbX_RqsgUyA4_i1ZtLKk81c=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjsUnTPL83p8uxgKmrJb2P0gfMJFhlEfeLnxEWUKKhrAOJ-i_2G33uhoMq8gD1SPV5GIxyzGhfhKfB7qw84DuSbcGNZovZrWk3CUTIjnq9F7DzDpmx8ko2e8HYgkYIq2m3nLFLZlPoc0wRnjyD6Ztj78y5V2qRf4oWiP81GyZbcpcaUkmSjH7f_Q1Q=s2049" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2049" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjsUnTPL83p8uxgKmrJb2P0gfMJFhlEfeLnxEWUKKhrAOJ-i_2G33uhoMq8gD1SPV5GIxyzGhfhKfB7qw84DuSbcGNZovZrWk3CUTIjnq9F7DzDpmx8ko2e8HYgkYIq2m3nLFLZlPoc0wRnjyD6Ztj78y5V2qRf4oWiP81GyZbcpcaUkmSjH7f_Q1Q=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><b><u>Monday, October 4, 2021</u></b><br /><br /></p><p>It had been non-stop go go go since we got to Memphis, but we knew we couldn't leave without seeing the place Elvis called home!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjCdO020K4fsMp9VCWAuaRCFI9A61puh65dvYQtP24UjL3OLYybWjw16EzWCTZcrMvFJunBuCSvkoghArW4YJzLIvD1b7Ssp-oxxLseOPxIR7yxpexl6zu1nqrJiVUVkCVmJ0etW2aeb0z6pm9fw0p4sowD4g-_uhYQjrmJPj2Rv-Z8nwBLw9I_3-M=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjCdO020K4fsMp9VCWAuaRCFI9A61puh65dvYQtP24UjL3OLYybWjw16EzWCTZcrMvFJunBuCSvkoghArW4YJzLIvD1b7Ssp-oxxLseOPxIR7yxpexl6zu1nqrJiVUVkCVmJ0etW2aeb0z6pm9fw0p4sowD4g-_uhYQjrmJPj2Rv-Z8nwBLw9I_3-M=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSR-bbUIJnbL6rC9BvhgNMGjrJXF2rlH5AI88Q-BU5b5qi1ClZ0dLMYcFtcFoHVXGCX6cG84zQBlr88D2RZm8XZDq2yAqnzeMuegGWcLAY_sPUVV0IqFJrCL_YBLrO-n-vQ-Ac4geK4ybOGSoJg_v_Sf3kMvQTvDZw2QAqMzZz4qGQLpI2wLZg6YM=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSR-bbUIJnbL6rC9BvhgNMGjrJXF2rlH5AI88Q-BU5b5qi1ClZ0dLMYcFtcFoHVXGCX6cG84zQBlr88D2RZm8XZDq2yAqnzeMuegGWcLAY_sPUVV0IqFJrCL_YBLrO-n-vQ-Ac4geK4ybOGSoJg_v_Sf3kMvQTvDZw2QAqMzZz4qGQLpI2wLZg6YM=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Graceland was hauntingly beautiful. It was like a time capsule stuck in the 70s, with each room telling a different story. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj61iLkpyPxack7U2lOT1etrzA__LlptCgP3WohQNcwMoTMKETg4qtIuMa7QXSuOXyZsdtx-25c26eZELHuw-Gvb1qkvF5N_pqr-3HeWXmRtaMYz_TmkrxPZDFt3Bfl89nrI1beH63RAzssWi_W_hDLkQeW1RvWlCA922KPVZRQpMXNGBP7_w82Mec=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj61iLkpyPxack7U2lOT1etrzA__LlptCgP3WohQNcwMoTMKETg4qtIuMa7QXSuOXyZsdtx-25c26eZELHuw-Gvb1qkvF5N_pqr-3HeWXmRtaMYz_TmkrxPZDFt3Bfl89nrI1beH63RAzssWi_W_hDLkQeW1RvWlCA922KPVZRQpMXNGBP7_w82Mec=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDKEb6lXIvRcoUD1piUTzxb4t17X1VU2USpXGSAOI3xBnPVW50b17o_SxV_jXlKyYlIZNe47wINaOWtPclU4dhROKhaw1AjKoMqA00RmcM0QhS6ubj6FQ2NbPwRslxCH73FohR0kZHhTYq9JzwcDuO1bFchLEd-0kA7O24WsM1VQ4Cvnbm2UqjnZ8=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDKEb6lXIvRcoUD1piUTzxb4t17X1VU2USpXGSAOI3xBnPVW50b17o_SxV_jXlKyYlIZNe47wINaOWtPclU4dhROKhaw1AjKoMqA00RmcM0QhS6ubj6FQ2NbPwRslxCH73FohR0kZHhTYq9JzwcDuO1bFchLEd-0kA7O24WsM1VQ4Cvnbm2UqjnZ8=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5dukufyA_f9kkNviJgJOQ8kmlj9BFfJzSNDCMXkLlab_CCiu18v0sjbxlXSZcz-16JZFA22fjrgA27ghx0oqUc_B0apt2VT1km8s1egOA4lyFy72YNZI0tjMVYMQYbTzzeI5QK7Q4NEI_vaY7ZCrey2QY9c3THPC_e1qgeyT-Xm5iizi2g2gWpdg=s2049" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2049" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5dukufyA_f9kkNviJgJOQ8kmlj9BFfJzSNDCMXkLlab_CCiu18v0sjbxlXSZcz-16JZFA22fjrgA27ghx0oqUc_B0apt2VT1km8s1egOA4lyFy72YNZI0tjMVYMQYbTzzeI5QK7Q4NEI_vaY7ZCrey2QY9c3THPC_e1qgeyT-Xm5iizi2g2gWpdg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgAvMeYMaEZ_1C2eE2r_2qSdHDDdxD6EDwpU5w61a-jHyiYTu3cSKNngTIaq_AYxo9QkvM89Yn1PxRB3-k2VkQM8e-E_QXG6yS2uOBzzIrhpXItWDQOndqiCUkP4hZ3mX1BoYa0Gaz2hWr5tjSZ8E0rfh4XoZw-ovn116dQvyOUdi7Mm_hWRvFE3r0=s2049" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2049" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgAvMeYMaEZ_1C2eE2r_2qSdHDDdxD6EDwpU5w61a-jHyiYTu3cSKNngTIaq_AYxo9QkvM89Yn1PxRB3-k2VkQM8e-E_QXG6yS2uOBzzIrhpXItWDQOndqiCUkP4hZ3mX1BoYa0Gaz2hWr5tjSZ8E0rfh4XoZw-ovn116dQvyOUdi7Mm_hWRvFE3r0=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Imagine having a garage with 20+ cars! Elvis purchased Graceland at 22 and was such an international phenomenon he was able to add 17.500 sq feet and a racquetball court to his property "just because". Meanwhile "splurging" for me is extra guac at Chipotle...</p><p>Since we were already at the border of TN (hah! get it?!), we made the drive into Mississippi for some good ol' Memphis BBQ. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6SCKmbHDJg6-MFw1dcm7xaXCuUFLe5-jEAc6Im5txbLbjpQez_Q84mmp2u5ci2EOcAENIHuj79RPOlEChnmMNAJlhuf2PTJ6XOpqBN6cBuq5qJ0VAMEP6FeyNYg78I5Sx6tJ9DD5w89vLB4hHQFllpQHGW9lNjqpqTVtGCpz9BTqD_h0r_0P4eIM=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6SCKmbHDJg6-MFw1dcm7xaXCuUFLe5-jEAc6Im5txbLbjpQez_Q84mmp2u5ci2EOcAENIHuj79RPOlEChnmMNAJlhuf2PTJ6XOpqBN6cBuq5qJ0VAMEP6FeyNYg78I5Sx6tJ9DD5w89vLB4hHQFllpQHGW9lNjqpqTVtGCpz9BTqD_h0r_0P4eIM=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDczHm_aUI7kh8y7np-P0hpZx0DY0pZy0PsbivKqTixVxPVEYzxwUH3CHKpxj94zhzX3CAO1PFar4jzt8n05mNXdkh6CC4eIRl6OM1inHc9UbyjfsT6MEel5vcuPd3AgUvxeQn-_uK7IU7fDRw7eWQjmSfxtnDG3DV4ZY7HkkqdI9WPcm-Q8d4XJE=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDczHm_aUI7kh8y7np-P0hpZx0DY0pZy0PsbivKqTixVxPVEYzxwUH3CHKpxj94zhzX3CAO1PFar4jzt8n05mNXdkh6CC4eIRl6OM1inHc9UbyjfsT6MEel5vcuPd3AgUvxeQn-_uK7IU7fDRw7eWQjmSfxtnDG3DV4ZY7HkkqdI9WPcm-Q8d4XJE=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>I won't lie - I had VERY high expectations for this BBQ because it was on EVERY list I saw while researching TN. Melissa Cookston has won so many awards, and the food itself was award winning! For me, however, the food was just ok.</p><p>I want to chalk it up to us going at an odd time (around 3pm), because the meat was a little dry and felt like it had been sitting under a heat lamp for some time. Of the baby back ribs, sliced brisket, burnt ends, and mac n' cheese, the burnt ends were by far the best part of the meal. </p><p>Definitely left a lot to be desired. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZdbQWY-PcWbTDdq8IrIv_ANCyzpoI8oelQMSK5KJwer0XSDui8idro6x18HyETGgaZG--jW23sQ-qnk7ihYlTFUwCs_7UhfYRSJ1cM2tdFNn8aTqdmqpFzf-3NfGUKRyejldJTrTbnvdTNkAKSazLILFXz_db1tFA5cB_3EDY2iEDzYSSx_Qg22o=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZdbQWY-PcWbTDdq8IrIv_ANCyzpoI8oelQMSK5KJwer0XSDui8idro6x18HyETGgaZG--jW23sQ-qnk7ihYlTFUwCs_7UhfYRSJ1cM2tdFNn8aTqdmqpFzf-3NfGUKRyejldJTrTbnvdTNkAKSazLILFXz_db1tFA5cB_3EDY2iEDzYSSx_Qg22o=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Capped off my night with a little bit of dessert at Mempops (Mexican Chocolate!), and headed to bed early once again. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Tuesday, October 5, 2021</u></b><br /><br />Our last full day in Memphis meant going to the zoo! Memphis's zoo is massive, and we were lucky enough to see a lot of different animals!</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBZR-Ur1dGV0n-wUnk_ZD2uJDPzGrE_M-IiEy1P9FbVNpFv3DP9fQQbZnK_rFZ4hV7td7MVZuK3ZAogBmWvBlTBJru90KfkKtHLHnK-Hvg9cxlm6SW9OdWMA13xy-RlDjrXQ1I_03mk-7PeNlcOJqVeMMMhN6Jb07psgN9525WjNF9fggqyQ4Jwhk=s2049" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2049" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBZR-Ur1dGV0n-wUnk_ZD2uJDPzGrE_M-IiEy1P9FbVNpFv3DP9fQQbZnK_rFZ4hV7td7MVZuK3ZAogBmWvBlTBJru90KfkKtHLHnK-Hvg9cxlm6SW9OdWMA13xy-RlDjrXQ1I_03mk-7PeNlcOJqVeMMMhN6Jb07psgN9525WjNF9fggqyQ4Jwhk=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5dXLcR4SJNotZtMx9XdzBFi8HchhtPyEfbg44BA18PNgV1gSoV_eVoJ2gMLXiZdXWy6-ZO7c9h1-FkP_sAxGXxbcIVQyeTe5-QfjorLQIA9MZqnHYT-t8_m7giQoLtTn4Ct6uN5dnO5PQ3JlFCvoa7LgaVQNSowPMVUtBpLducxJi7tVY8Izpm08=s3672" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2066" data-original-width="3672" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5dXLcR4SJNotZtMx9XdzBFi8HchhtPyEfbg44BA18PNgV1gSoV_eVoJ2gMLXiZdXWy6-ZO7c9h1-FkP_sAxGXxbcIVQyeTe5-QfjorLQIA9MZqnHYT-t8_m7giQoLtTn4Ct6uN5dnO5PQ3JlFCvoa7LgaVQNSowPMVUtBpLducxJi7tVY8Izpm08=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZRvtfGBxnaOnQOrpgyBv5t4YOZwGFqTzZZJLIWcq2DngnKJB83aEdJm5Gji3aHbNO5ISbsN1hxFob2agcrD7ZmBzbmBt0Q4uYDA3rIl5QLeGA2Igo02mrsFzO3p5tvWiVqm02RZH8LoVewsnDbzKiq9c6LiV9b-f6v1pwlPlekS_Ie6ULokxYeQs=s3672" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3672" data-original-width="2066" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZRvtfGBxnaOnQOrpgyBv5t4YOZwGFqTzZZJLIWcq2DngnKJB83aEdJm5Gji3aHbNO5ISbsN1hxFob2agcrD7ZmBzbmBt0Q4uYDA3rIl5QLeGA2Igo02mrsFzO3p5tvWiVqm02RZH8LoVewsnDbzKiq9c6LiV9b-f6v1pwlPlekS_Ie6ULokxYeQs=s320" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhf05ffx_VXGN4qiLR0nRxOLxUKWQw6ORnuEIPbxS2sWsxHARZFkQoDpit0W_vBdGtdWegNuy6d4rRg33lS-x-f958TYPaG6SUEmzmCv-m-nsNBuO54XspymSWzkb7gMqpNQ6Ciy5Z0ey6eAuSXGqwdwU95N7B0ql-EW1xM7-fLjTBVcFWin286vdA=s3672" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3672" data-original-width="2066" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhf05ffx_VXGN4qiLR0nRxOLxUKWQw6ORnuEIPbxS2sWsxHARZFkQoDpit0W_vBdGtdWegNuy6d4rRg33lS-x-f958TYPaG6SUEmzmCv-m-nsNBuO54XspymSWzkb7gMqpNQ6Ciy5Z0ey6eAuSXGqwdwU95N7B0ql-EW1xM7-fLjTBVcFWin286vdA=s320" width="180" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6pi73_ytgtXMoT8sBfbaf4UbmhMO76rlDcmy_ZfvX-YOwXyHMwp0NEIC7N3-CDT-LXYv8vscLT5nCRaQyFpKnUGx5p52GInhcjwIFMXeaTmDZsBgSFS5xWAfUaHChcHOQ2W8iudDsVSZNnAkVYZdpOvaWFzLfS5nsr-hGRc657T1EnW_AwJsikoU=s3672" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2066" data-original-width="3672" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6pi73_ytgtXMoT8sBfbaf4UbmhMO76rlDcmy_ZfvX-YOwXyHMwp0NEIC7N3-CDT-LXYv8vscLT5nCRaQyFpKnUGx5p52GInhcjwIFMXeaTmDZsBgSFS5xWAfUaHChcHOQ2W8iudDsVSZNnAkVYZdpOvaWFzLfS5nsr-hGRc657T1EnW_AwJsikoU=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They even let me feed the giraffe! This is Nicholas. He's 12.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Overall, Memphis was fun. I thoroughly enjoyed the company we kept, but there were so many things that didn't go according to plan, and so many people who just looked like they were miserable (not just at the race as a participant, but the customer service everywhere we went). I hope things change as the pandemic progresses - we all need a little light in our lives!</p><p><br /></p></div>winjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182136023558011232noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397044381841532887.post-44379358969680700732019-12-29T12:40:00.001-08:002020-01-02T16:12:56.855-08:00Poland (12/18-27) 2019 - Warsaw, Człopa, Radwanów, Zielona Gora, Opatówek<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When Matt asked me to join him on his family trip to Poland, I wasn't sure what to expect. I thought we'd all do the same type of trip I normally do: explore like crazy, hit up all the touristy spots, and eat really. good. food.<br />
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This trip was similar, but it wasn't planned by me and the schedule wasn't mine! I did, however, have an awesome time discovering a new country through the eyes of natives, and I gained a whole new family in the process!<br />
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<b><u>Wednesday, December 18</u></b><br />
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We arrived in Warsaw, Poland on Wednesday after a small delay. Matt's sister Caroline met us at the airport and immediately swooped us in for hugs. It was so nice to meet someone as warm and welcoming as her in a strange city! She took us to the bus station, where we purchased 3-day tickets and hopped onboard to head to our hotel.<br />
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Matt's parents had missed a connection for their flight, so they weren't due to arrive until much later. We dropped our stuff off and headed out to eat our way through Poland.<br />
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Caroline told us that Warsaw was one of the top 10 Vegan friendly cities in the world! True to form, she took us to our first restaurant: Lokal Vegan Bistro. We had cutlets (I couldn't tell the difference!), mashed potatoes, and Vegan cheese (not the Kraft singles I was expecting...) - all in all, a good first experience.<br />
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On to our next stop!<br />
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We made our way into an open air market called Hala Koszyki (it reminded me a lot of the Anaheim Packing House), but there were so many options we couldn't settle on one. We told ourselves we would return another day to try again.<br />
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By this time, Matt & Caroline's parents had landed, so we killed a little more time by walking down the main street. Stops included Pijana Wiśnia for cherry liquor (amaze) and Tapas Bar Gemba (not so amaze). The Christmas market was closed already, so we made a note to return to that one as well.<br />
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V & A met us at Zapiecek, a pierogi restaurant, and thus began my true immersion into Polish cuisine.<br />
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Mushroom Soup (amaze), Beet soup (not my cup of tea), Pierogis (yes, please), and bread with butter (yes in Poland, no in LA), amongst other things. Yum.<br />
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We turned in early that night, but it felt late. Traveling takes a lot out of you!<br />
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<b><u>Thursday, December 19</u></b><br />
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We started off Thursday at the open air market - in a little shop called Kreperia. Crepes! The cool thing was that they had an interesting promotion: buy a cup of tea and the meal would be 1 złoty (about 25 cents!). Already I was in love with Poland. LA prices are crazy compared to other places!<br />
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After breakfast, we went to the Muzeum Polskiej Wódki (Polish Vodka Museum)! </div>
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The museum itself was beautiful and we had a tour guide who walked us through. It even included a tasting at the end! Word to the wise: don't do vodka tastings. They gave us water as a chaser and walked us through potato vodka (Poland's claim to fame), wheat vodka, and rye vodka. They served the vodka warm so that you could "taste the flavor" more. I think I'm off vodka for a while... :)<br />
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We made our way to Warsaw Stadium - or Stadion Narodowy - where there was a skating rink and an ice slide.<br />
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By the time we left the stadium, the sun had set (it set around 3:30pm every day!) and we were overdue for lunch. Caroline suggested vegan ramen right up the street - so we walked over. V & A were seated with Caroline, and Matt and I waited for about a half an hour before we made it into the small confines of the restaurant called Vegan Ramen Shop.<br />
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Sooooo Good. No wonder it was packed! The broth was so on point that I couldn't even tell the meal was vegan. 10/10 would recommend again, even with the wait.<br />
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Since it was still early, we decided to try the Christmas market again. Best decision ever.<br />
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My favorite thing (consumption-wise) on the entire trip were these AMAZING cheese curds called Oscypek - sheep's milk that was smoked and then grilled. I wanted to eat 30 of them! Matt limited me to 4. Traditionally, they are served with cranberry sauce, but I'm a straight cheeser. (No pictures because I ate those too)</div>
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The cold rain forced us into a restaurant for dinner - probably the best restaurant we could have stumbled upon: Kuchnia Warszawska.</div>
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There, I tried pickled herring for the first time...</div>
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I... am not a fan. I am, however, a super-fan of that mushroom soup! I love it so much that Matt and I bought about 30 packets of the ready-to-eat stuff and brought it back home :) The restaurant was beautiful, homey, and delicious. </div>
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We ended the night at Chmielnik Cafe & Pub, where live music played on a piano played as we enjoyed Aperol Spritzes - a popular drink in Poland!</div>
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<b><u>Friday, December 20</u></b></div>
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Day 3. We started off our morning at Manekin, another creperie that took an interesting approach to crepes. I had my crepe embedded in a lasagna!</div>
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Dee-licious. </div>
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We meandered on over to the tallest building in Poland, and took the elvator to the top to get a better view from the Palace of Culture and Sciences - Pałac Kultury i Nauki!</div>
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As the sun set, we hopped into the car and drove over to the Muzeum Pałacu Króla Jana III w Wilanowie for the Festival of Lights!</div>
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I met cousins Marta and Małgosia, who spoke English (!!!) and were a pleasure to speak to.<br />
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We had dinner at Sphinx, which Caroline mentioned was similar to Friendly's in the states. I was hoping for a watermelon roll, but no luck.. :)<br />
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We piled back into the car for what would be a 5 hour drive - to Babcia's house we go!<br />
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Everyone was asleep by the time we arrived, so conversation was limited. We settled in and slept - ready to enjoy our new adventure in Człopa!<br />
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<b><u>Saturday, December 21</u></b><br />
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We had breakfast with Babcia, Mira, and Piotr just before heading out to see Dziadek (grandpa).<br />
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Guess what - Dziadek lives by Germany!!!! So we took the time to cross the border and hang out for a little bit before visiting.<br />
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We had an amazing time and celebrated a mini wigilia (Christmas Eve Supper) with him before heading out. We got back to Babcia's in time for dinner, where we had cabbage, cutlets, and dessert. A slight deviation from what I was used to, but the food was still great! I tried everything.<br />
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<u><b>Sunday, December 22</b></u><br />
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We woke up early on Sunday and our restlessness led us to the forest down the street - a beautiful dirt bike path that seemingly went on forever.<br />
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Matt ran but I walked because I didn't pack my running shoes and didn't want to ruin my white Nikes. What a forest to run in, though! I'll pack my running shoes going forward so I don't have to miss anything from now on.<br />
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When we got back, it was time to start cooking. Babcia had chicken cooking in the oven while Piotr made cherry-filled sweet rolls for the first time.<br />
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Mira had mentioned a palace that she and Piotr stopped at on the way to Babcia's, and recommended that we make a trip while they cooked. We took Babcia for good measure :)<br />
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Pałac Mierzęcin Wellness & Wine Resort<br />
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Babcia is literally the cutest and I asked her if she would come home with us. She politely declined because she said no one would feed wood into the furnace, but she said she'd consider a trip in the future.<br />
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By the time we got back, everyone was getting ready for Round 2 of Wigilia! This one was a special one because we were going to do all the traditional things - Oplatki (wafers) with every attendee, toasts, food, and presents.<br />
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Dinner was beautiful and probably one of the best dinners I've ever been a part of. I've never known a family to be so kind, pure, inviting, and accepting. It was like falling in love all over again.<br />
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<b><u>Monday, December 23</u></b><br />
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Monday was a journey. We stopped by Matt's hometown of Zielona Gora before arriving in Radwanów - a rustic village in Poland with what seemed like a never-ending field surrounding it.<br />
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Violet and Adam had planned a huge reunion with their friends - some of whom they hadn't seen in nearly 30 years! I met Alicja and Kaja, who spoke English and made it a little easier to communicate with :) Food was (as usual) spot-on.<br />
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<b><u>Tuesday, December 24</u></b><br />
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Finally Christmas Eve! It didn't feel like it. We took a walk early in the morning - it was beautiful and serene, and it felt like we were the only people in the whole village.<br />
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We had breakfast in the hotel (where we were the only guests), but it was nice to enjoy a great meal with good company without feeling rushed.</div>
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We packed up the car (now with more stuff than we started out with) and drove to our last stop before heading back to Warsaw: Opatówek.<br />
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Matt's other Babcia lived with his aunt, uncle, and cousin in a small city east of Radwanów. We learned how to make pierogi (it's harder than it looks!) and then had our third and final Wigilia with the family.<br />
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<b><u>Wednesday, December 25</u></b><br />
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On Christmas morning, we went to the cemetery to pay our respects. When we got back, we had Christmas supper, followed by Christmas dinner. I started to tell everyone I was so full of cabbage that I was turning into one!<br />
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<b><u>Thursday, December 26</u></b><br />
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The next morning, we took another walk before piling back into the car.<br />
We said our goodbyes and then headed out on our way!<br />
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We drove for 5 whole minutes before we stopped at another family member's home (I love how everyone was so close by!) and stayed for a few hours. I met Ewelina, Tomasz, and Roman, who showed me around and practiced their English on me as well.<br />
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We left for Warsaw to spend our last few hours in the city - dinner, a long walk, and a family picture to seal the deal ;)<br />
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<b><u>Friday, December 27</u></b><br />
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When I checked the forecast for Poland a month prior, it predicted rain and snow. As the trip got closer and closer, the weather continued to change and snow clothes were no longer needed. I continued to hold out, however - in hopes that snow would make an appearance!<br />
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The trip was snow-free, with light rain the whole trip. On our last day, however, snow was predicted - 30% at 5am, 40% at 6, and 50% at 7! I wanted so badly to see snow that I set my alarm for 5am just in case. When my alarm went off, however, there was no snow in sight. I crawled back into bed, re-set the alarm for 5:30, and subsequently checked every 30 minutes until right before 7am when - upon opening the window - I SAW IT!!!!<br />
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I took what seemed like hundreds of videos and pictures of white dots. Matt finally dragged me out to the street so I could see it for myself. Little bunches of ice fell against my jacket and melted. It felt like I was getting pooped on!<br />
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The snow stopped shortly after it started, and we all headed to breakfast at Bułkę przez Bibułkę.<br />
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We ate, headed to the airport, and said our goodbyes.<br />
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This trip was indescribable (though as you can see, I tried my best to do so!). I had such a great time! Despite the nearly 20 hours (and nearly 1000 miles!) we spent in the car, I was delighted to and enjoyed every moment of it (especially the moments where I napped because it felt like we were always on the go!). I told Matt that I have never felt a love like this - the kind that leaves you wanting more and the kind that makes you pinch yourself because you can't believe it's real.<br />
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I'm happy to be back but even happier that I have a new place (and people!) to call home as well. Bye, Poland. I can't wait to see you again.<br />
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<br />winjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182136023558011232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397044381841532887.post-17924924076631113482019-08-23T08:34:00.000-07:002019-08-23T08:58:16.113-07:00Race & Trip Report: winja's Ironman 70.3 Calgary (August 11, 2018) and BANFF!<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">Last December, on a trip to the beach with Matt, I sat by myself on a small sand dune texting my buddy Chris. We had talked about a destination race - one that we were both up for but needed a little boost from the other to bite the bullet on. We had thrown around a few places: Brazil, Hawaii, Vietnam... All were places that sounded cool but didn't catch our eye. It wasn't until Chris found Calgary (and threw out that Banff was only 2 hours away) that I was sold!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"> So on that sand dune, while Matt was surfing, I signed up for my next 70.3: Calgary. I had high hopes of training and, knowing that it was a summer race, I figured I'd be well into triathlon training so we'd both be in shape.</span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">I booked my flight a few weeks after, and the rest was history. In June, I did my </span><a href="https://www.whatareweironing.com/2019/06/ride-report-aidslifecycle-2019.html" style="background-color: white; color: #6ea1bb; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">annual bike ride down the coast of California.</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"> The ride was a little harder given that my bike wasn't fit properly (the seat needed to be adjusted) and I was both out of shape and a little "fluffier". My age had finally caught up to me and my knees were suffering. A half didn't seem possible! Still, Chris and I were planning to make it work. We purchased bike boxes (awesome but expensive) and mapped out our journey: flights in and out of Canada, hotel stays, and packing lists.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">By July the realization hit (maybe me more than Chris) that we were truly unprepared. Chris had a cool scar on his head that hadn't healed all the way and me - well, I hadn't gone swimming since my prior Half-Ironman... In December.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"><br style="color: #222222;" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Still, we trudged on through and in the weeks leading up to the race, we met up for some training rides. By the time August rolled around, we were as ready as we could be. Chris and I took apart our bikes and set a schedule to meet each other in Canada!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">I arrived Friday afternoon despite a morning flight out of LAX. Matt and I had gone to the beach prior in an attempt to relax a little before taking off. Upon my arrival, however, I knew that I wanted Canada to be where I would spend my last living days!</span><br /><span style="color: #222222;">The airport and was not in the least bit congested, and everything was so efficient. My luggage and my bike box were waiting for me in the pick up area and as soon as I walked out of TSA's reach, Dylan and Chris were waiting to welcome me with open arms!</span></span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy5NP5oGO_VAROr_qZP7kMMBmxwLddQYV7kFjqAFJ067-tLUjezblQPVCG1irMJ51h9GA8z7FQZkqkXwOEzlTIHfiFhrQQH5gHX2LFuSjzhjFWwmyJZXdmUaqdF_QIslK0lxLxF5FJsu3Y/s1600/IMG_3137.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="color: #6ea1bb; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy5NP5oGO_VAROr_qZP7kMMBmxwLddQYV7kFjqAFJ067-tLUjezblQPVCG1irMJ51h9GA8z7FQZkqkXwOEzlTIHfiFhrQQH5gHX2LFuSjzhjFWwmyJZXdmUaqdF_QIslK0lxLxF5FJsu3Y/s320/IMG_3137.HEIC" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhofXNT5g5FHLJ6ZRr1gh8IddG8p2I6F1o_rz8gsO_eeRSWOKpo-XAIzxGFmKKZJYaQojHE2AzmCveeikbaO8py5gFhWBvW4x8hbjfuTPe4td5Lb7796Ocz_k2TrKeqZH7BlvhA8bMFmOnn/s1600/IMG_3142.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="color: #6ea1bb; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhofXNT5g5FHLJ6ZRr1gh8IddG8p2I6F1o_rz8gsO_eeRSWOKpo-XAIzxGFmKKZJYaQojHE2AzmCveeikbaO8py5gFhWBvW4x8hbjfuTPe4td5Lb7796Ocz_k2TrKeqZH7BlvhA8bMFmOnn/s320/IMG_3142.HEIC" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br style="color: #222222;" /></span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br style="color: #222222;" /></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dylan even made an awesome welcome sign, so I told him I had to take a photo of it to chronicle my trip accurately.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY8AcVVYEnBT3xCjzJhZIz6vbMuAbZjM_OGDXU9yIK_-MDhv3Wxe4c0OnweOWJBTtJS54q4FJ953hBCx42Y9fe-5gA9cfJeZZx8fWkbt7yn7snvz4XIagtFvTZnu5PGV2oba5sFuaGB20N/s1600/IMG_3140.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="color: #6ea1bb; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY8AcVVYEnBT3xCjzJhZIz6vbMuAbZjM_OGDXU9yIK_-MDhv3Wxe4c0OnweOWJBTtJS54q4FJ953hBCx42Y9fe-5gA9cfJeZZx8fWkbt7yn7snvz4XIagtFvTZnu5PGV2oba5sFuaGB20N/s320/IMG_3140.HEIC" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br style="color: #222222;" /></span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br style="color: #222222;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">We rolled all four of my bags (yes, four!) to the car and headed over to the hotel. Chris started to reassemble my bike while I registered for the race. I got my swim cap and my bib and some time to purchase new jersey!</span></span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwrFpqQp4iwfeH4FrA88GP0SM2VUGizm9IY0pMMPObhM-LBXsROFdIIsrOP6nQUAMkbi6MIebBZw80CaHi2tuIwhyphenhyphenIQbmwEm-gbYv5X-_T8fNcOe8_QLBphIqX3g4liyHWFIXWtCKgVpeX/s1600/IMG_3155.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="color: #6ea1bb; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwrFpqQp4iwfeH4FrA88GP0SM2VUGizm9IY0pMMPObhM-LBXsROFdIIsrOP6nQUAMkbi6MIebBZw80CaHi2tuIwhyphenhyphenIQbmwEm-gbYv5X-_T8fNcOe8_QLBphIqX3g4liyHWFIXWtCKgVpeX/s320/IMG_3155.HEIC" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br style="color: #222222;" /></span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br style="color: #222222;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">We biked over to Canada's version of REI, MEC, to ensure that everything worked, and then headed over to the athlete orientation before driving to an Asian restaurant for dinner. It's just saying that Asian food in Canada is definitely not the Asian food you can find in the 626, but it was pretty good.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-CbEeay_vwc-d9rc4HW1jK43zMj-SPCSt-c6N5DcuHRJIWRWFtR5Qhw6w6dGh0EBJsYbg_u1AO06PNcv1_3S600Xpu-YIubyOM5eJr_2jHVw5PnpuCt7OSOQ-SHgY58E_hyphenhyphenjypHeHKyJf/s1600/IMG_3162.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="color: #6ea1bb; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-CbEeay_vwc-d9rc4HW1jK43zMj-SPCSt-c6N5DcuHRJIWRWFtR5Qhw6w6dGh0EBJsYbg_u1AO06PNcv1_3S600Xpu-YIubyOM5eJr_2jHVw5PnpuCt7OSOQ-SHgY58E_hyphenhyphenjypHeHKyJf/s320/IMG_3162.HEIC" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ224hfUoO_brLfmheWllN5CnbwIiLFnvqC_vfyeW4T8GHmy6LFPZk7ZA7_WBbl9j93LK1mfSHVqOfWyXUGatun5eg6R6QUuARaQ3a2xxAThuelJ_xM-vfI5RAdz4t1_vUqo4RxNyFtFp1/s1600/IMG_3163.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="color: #6ea1bb; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ224hfUoO_brLfmheWllN5CnbwIiLFnvqC_vfyeW4T8GHmy6LFPZk7ZA7_WBbl9j93LK1mfSHVqOfWyXUGatun5eg6R6QUuARaQ3a2xxAThuelJ_xM-vfI5RAdz4t1_vUqo4RxNyFtFp1/s320/IMG_3163.HEIC" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br style="color: #222222;" /></span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br style="color: #222222;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">Chris and I had been checking the weather relentlessly in the weeks leading up to our trip, and it had gone from great weather to slight rain to thunderstorms for race day. As the rain fell on Friday evening, our hopes of a dry race slowly subsided.</span><br /><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="color: #222222;">Still, we kept our fingers crossed.</span><br /><br /><b><u>SATURDAY</u></b><br /><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="color: #222222;">On Saturday, I did my touristy duty and headed over to the nearest Tim Hortons for breakfast!</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUow1KKlL9UUNtzZX1StK8Gx8Sbt7EUFUBV2sazdPsUpCo9jDDEknjogjZqy9WjGpMwG_WMLslwHpGEfsF9yO1IhEI06g3Al8Va23XV3VGo5-R1YdnfNv3JL0e_xrdvch5h8CS-dMEwedl/s1600/IMG_3168.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="color: #6ea1bb; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUow1KKlL9UUNtzZX1StK8Gx8Sbt7EUFUBV2sazdPsUpCo9jDDEknjogjZqy9WjGpMwG_WMLslwHpGEfsF9yO1IhEI06g3Al8Va23XV3VGo5-R1YdnfNv3JL0e_xrdvch5h8CS-dMEwedl/s320/IMG_3168.HEIC" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br style="color: #222222;" /></span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br style="color: #222222;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">Truthfully, it felt just like fast food but given my limited fast food knowledge, it was decent!</span><br /><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="color: #222222;">Chris and I met up and walked over to T1. We saw many athletes wrapping up Up their entire bikes with trash bags to keep the water out! We just left our bikes on the racks.</span><br /><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="color: #222222;">We made the small trek afterward over to the lake where we would be swimming: a tapwater filled man-made lagoon with no current and perfect temperature.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFMxxNk0Sa8YcdxFIL-fnLcRfkP6jE4zhyphenhyphenLYFfWmh2ZbAKDrosS115Kgq0QsriJniadMvtrpcvHQfNXLfK0vFUdY8Kkn1EjYhqDk2E61GwTcm3Y6ndpQduKwB_4oXy7ygGfEl9ikqup5ML/s1600/IMG_3175.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="color: #6ea1bb; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFMxxNk0Sa8YcdxFIL-fnLcRfkP6jE4zhyphenhyphenLYFfWmh2ZbAKDrosS115Kgq0QsriJniadMvtrpcvHQfNXLfK0vFUdY8Kkn1EjYhqDk2E61GwTcm3Y6ndpQduKwB_4oXy7ygGfEl9ikqup5ML/s320/IMG_3175.HEIC" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqPqVd1AibOeMNIREPKw474_4cNh1ulil9IqBcm2UxexSfCBEDTBQvEOVORLrg_fs-sBOcXN6cfhp5cI5NREmvKGIoaoogmhyphenhyphen2atSglEZeqldOAFL6xJJ7bE9mR9Xd5-39bk2EdCjLd-dP/s1600/IMG_3178.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="color: #6ea1bb; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqPqVd1AibOeMNIREPKw474_4cNh1ulil9IqBcm2UxexSfCBEDTBQvEOVORLrg_fs-sBOcXN6cfhp5cI5NREmvKGIoaoogmhyphenhyphen2atSglEZeqldOAFL6xJJ7bE9mR9Xd5-39bk2EdCjLd-dP/s320/IMG_3178.HEIC" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXLnaLVJIyQkj24BySMLIEL-ayfMUzYg23Ec_kRpb08bWArWjJC1cIhVP0Ivz3dl93T393fxfhc9l5zXXUXVLyrsREpC5FFO-SaFRlUYiZzZsf_O7ElLS_ITiV3mNcyZmSj7WitJpN6W47/s1600/IMG_3180.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="color: #6ea1bb; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXLnaLVJIyQkj24BySMLIEL-ayfMUzYg23Ec_kRpb08bWArWjJC1cIhVP0Ivz3dl93T393fxfhc9l5zXXUXVLyrsREpC5FFO-SaFRlUYiZzZsf_O7ElLS_ITiV3mNcyZmSj7WitJpN6W47/s320/IMG_3180.HEIC" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br style="color: #222222;" /></span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br style="color: #222222;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">We couldn’t have been more excited. We met another athlete who had flown in from Sacramento and talked about predictions for race day, but it seemed like only the foreigners were wary of the rain: no one from Canada cared about a few drops!</span><br /><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="color: #222222;">We got back to the hotel in time for lunch and headed over to the Tommyfield Gastropub for poutine! I've always been a fan of cheese, but Cheese curds are a whole. 'nother. Level. They're like concentrated pieces of cheese that should be part of their own food group!</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW5EthVqvfV_UJgS9GSn3XKEwWoRWtWA-f5nG2c2vIjHMN_Zp-tjzTgM6G311cZW5n_j9ftQg0VU3gAg5VjSCAkDaLgFdB2dZV-RlLsjKZOudpa4-j4qHHbNH-SNNbVA7SUDbf3HhPJRmT/s1600/IMG_3181.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="color: #6ea1bb; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW5EthVqvfV_UJgS9GSn3XKEwWoRWtWA-f5nG2c2vIjHMN_Zp-tjzTgM6G311cZW5n_j9ftQg0VU3gAg5VjSCAkDaLgFdB2dZV-RlLsjKZOudpa4-j4qHHbNH-SNNbVA7SUDbf3HhPJRmT/s320/IMG_3181.HEIC" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br style="color: #222222;" /></span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br style="color: #222222;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">The raining didn't let up, so we went back to MEC to see if we could find full fingered gloves and anything that would help us with dealing with rain on race day. Chris and I each got a pair of gloves and headed back to pack our gear bags and get ready for the race.</span><br /><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="color: #222222;">Chris’s pre-race day tradition is to have a very bland day filled with electrolytes and carbohydrates. His wife Cheryl was nice enough to make spaghetti and olive oil, and I picked up a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store next-door.</span><br /><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="color: #222222;">In an attempt to decompress, I Went back to my room and prepared my nutrition for the next day: Hawaiian sweet rolls with peanut butter and Nutella. I may have snuck one in as a post dinner snack. So good!</span><br /><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="color: #222222;">Transition was to open at 5:30 the next morning, so Chris and I arranged to meet around 545 to walk over to T1.</span><br /><br /><b><u>RACE DAY / SUNDAY</u></b><br /><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="color: #222222;">I got up at 3:30 the next morning and peeked out the window to see if it had rained the night prior. The streets were dry!!! I texted Chris and gushed about how I was going to do away with the fingered gloves and all the rain gear we had prepped!</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitbQk3FCR-RBaPuqRGLUF4gOy3f-HlDK5q2Vf5CZk7mlGwwHRbH1cl-YfV3uygshBrhKKNLDkCykRDZVR2OYi7J0Dt3CMxB0Cj-X-3MXmNGbr5NxIl14VoeBhmDux1UQ5SNYR-NugB4RNv/s1600/IMG_3210.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="color: #6ea1bb; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitbQk3FCR-RBaPuqRGLUF4gOy3f-HlDK5q2Vf5CZk7mlGwwHRbH1cl-YfV3uygshBrhKKNLDkCykRDZVR2OYi7J0Dt3CMxB0Cj-X-3MXmNGbr5NxIl14VoeBhmDux1UQ5SNYR-NugB4RNv/s320/IMG_3210.HEIC" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">At 6:45, we lined up by anticipated swim time - 25, 35, and 45 minutes. But by 7, all hell broke loose and EVERYONE STARTED AT THE SAME TIME. We all went into the water together and all subsequently were swum over.</span><br /><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="color: #222222;">As I mentioned earlier, I hadn't swum since my last half Ironman in December. I managed to make it to one DTT swim practice, but the ENTIRE practice was dedicated to swimming around buoys and I essentially swam 1000 yards that day. Nothing to "swim home" about.</span><br /><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="color: #222222;">We swam two loops and headed back into transition. The rain was somewhat steady still, but luckily the gear bag made a great makeshift cover. I pulled my cycling shoes on, my windbreaker, and my hot hands (life savers!!!) And rolled out with my bike. </span><br /><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="color: #222222;">The course was beautiful and flat. It was a steady downhill on the way out and a false flat on the way back. The rain lightened up and at the turnaround there was even a hint of sun! Chris passed me at mile 23, much to my confusion, but his swim proved to be challenging due to unforeseen circumstances. </span><br /><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="color: #222222;">The ride was surprisingly quick (and my average came out to 17.1mph!) - I dismounted and came back to my dry running shoes and socks, which I had bagged up and tied in preparation for the race. </span><br /><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="color: #222222;">The weather stayed dry and I started the 13.1 mile journey. I kept looking back to see if anyone was behind me, but didn't find out until after the race that this particular course had less than 1/3 the amount of athletes I was used to at other 70.3 Races. </span><br /><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="color: #222222;">Still, I finished with a little over an hour before the cutoff time, and got my fancy cowboy rodeo medal!</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1gwKl8n8C6ivdK47mq29IRCyRRXkk-nw57xWu32MQNts6RFtVfcN6iq5cHlosU_lspr5NqNGgrBor7NYaFj4CmWdfLQ-xZGCZGqjN2OEd8ZaO_Bn4R6l7dGNpvx7QvhLvZBFDAFukzl1/s1600/08BE856E-D03F-4EF1-8398-770F1911497F.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #6ea1bb; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1gwKl8n8C6ivdK47mq29IRCyRRXkk-nw57xWu32MQNts6RFtVfcN6iq5cHlosU_lspr5NqNGgrBor7NYaFj4CmWdfLQ-xZGCZGqjN2OEd8ZaO_Bn4R6l7dGNpvx7QvhLvZBFDAFukzl1/s320/08BE856E-D03F-4EF1-8398-770F1911497F.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="256" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br style="color: #222222;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="color: #222222;">The Hutchison family met me at the finish line and we walked back to the hotel almost immediately after. I was so excited to shower. My cycling shoes had been soaked and so much of my stuff was wet because of the rain. Oh well! Race was over, Winnie finished. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We went back to Tommyfield - this time to have a celebratory meal!</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAj-wVQKHtcp1hH-2-DijknGLMTdTIzdRcM6yLeUxhv5G1bT2OUA4hM7TIOct9053Y-bEs7huV92IXt1T_kHgUzzqOtXj4ed-9efr9AlheYhKui-XtGO928LDPZZRDaqoM0drAMi7r0mOn/s1600/IMG_3231.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="color: #6ea1bb; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAj-wVQKHtcp1hH-2-DijknGLMTdTIzdRcM6yLeUxhv5G1bT2OUA4hM7TIOct9053Y-bEs7huV92IXt1T_kHgUzzqOtXj4ed-9efr9AlheYhKui-XtGO928LDPZZRDaqoM0drAMi7r0mOn/s320/IMG_3231.HEIC" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br style="color: #222222;" /></span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br style="color: #222222;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">And then... I slept. </span><br /><br /><b><u>MONDAY</u></b><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: #222222;">The next day, we set off for the Calgary Zoo! Those who don't know me so well probably don't know that I ambitiously wanted to go to every zoo in America when I was a child (... In college). The Calgary Zoo was easily one of the best zoos I'd ever been to!</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br style="color: #222222;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="color: #222222;">We were up close and personal with all of the animals, and I was very impressed! The only downfall was the lack of elephants. </span><br /><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="color: #222222;">Sigh. regardless - AMAZING!!</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br style="color: #222222;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="color: #222222;">We got back to the hotels and finally addressed the matter of taking our bikes apart. We had dinner at the restaurant in the lobby and retired early. BANFF WAS COMING!!</span><br /><br /><br /><b><u>TUESDAY</u></b><br /><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="color: #222222;">We met up early in the morning and headed out to Banff National Park, which was roughly two hours away from Seton (the city we were staying at).</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br style="color: #222222;" /></span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br style="color: #222222;" /></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We got to the visitor center (in a cute little town!) And drove to the Banff Gondolas, where we took a ride to the top of the mountain and hiked a little to get some better views. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br style="color: #222222;" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="color: #222222;">We had lunch with an amazing view, and then made our way to Lake Louise. We got to the overflow parking lot only for them to tell us that ALL SHUTTLES WERE BOOKED FOR THE DAY. I almost cried.</span><br /><br /><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="color: #222222;">Still, we took a shot at maybe finding a parking spot, and you know what? WE FOUND ONE!</span><br /><span style="color: #222222;">We walked a few hundred feet and were met with the majestic LAKE LOUISE. She was gorgeous. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">As we were headed back to the car, I heard my name and it turned out to be Michael! Michael is the AVP of Children's Dev at CHLA and one of my favorite people in this world. I knew he was going to be at Jasper, but how great was it that we happened to be at the right place, at the right time - IN CANADA of all places!</span><br /><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="color: #222222;" /><span style="color: #222222;">Afterward, we went to Johnston Canyon for an easy hike to the lower falls. </span><span style="color: #222222;">Lots of people but still really pretty. </span></span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;">We had dinner in the small town in Banff (at The Maple Leaf!) And the kids (humor me) took a nap on the long ride home. </span></span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br style="color: #222222;" /></span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br style="color: #222222;" /></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Wednesday was my last day and the Hutchinsons were nice enough to drop me off at the airport. Such a great trip! Can't wait for the next adventure :)</span></span></div>
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winjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182136023558011232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397044381841532887.post-75338486500921662202019-07-27T15:11:00.002-07:002019-07-27T15:38:56.251-07:00The Land of the Blue Green Water - HAVASUPAI 2019<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://www.whatareweironing.com/2017/08/havasupai-grand-canyon-az.html" target="_blank">Two years ago, I fell in love with a beautiful waterfall.</a> It was perfect and seemingly untouched, and even though my feet hurt afterward, hiking the 10 miles to see it (one way!) was worth it.<br />
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After the trip, however, my sister lamented not being able to go, so I told her that I would find a way to make it back to Havasu Falls. One day, on a lunch date with my buddy Bryan in 2017, I randomly called the Havasupai Lodge and got through. I asked them for their first available date, and booked the Havasupai Lodge for 2018! What luck!<br />
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But weeks before we were set to go on the trip, we found out that <a href="https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/havasupai-waterfalls-closed-through-august-31-due-to-flood-damage/75-577433861" target="_blank">flash floods had washed away most of the trails</a>. I was so sad! <a href="https://www.outsideonline.com/2327321/flash-flood-havasupai-falls-grand-canyon" target="_blank">The blue-green water changed to brown</a>, and our trip had loose ends that couldn't be canceled. So Bryan, Caroline, Joyce, and I went to Utah instead and I moved our trip out another year.<br />
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Fast forward to last weekend. Joyce bailed (marriage takes a lot out of you!) but Bryan was still in. We recruited Suly, our childhood friend, and were joined by Matt, Alice, Rob, Nino, and Nidia.<br />
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Matt and I drove in from San Diego (Comic-Con waits for no one!) and met the rest of the crew at the Grand Canyon Caverns Inn. We stopped at Joshua Tree and took a scenic tour before heading on our way.<br />
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After JT, miles and miles of road separated us and our destination, so on our stop in Kingman City, I called up my third grade teacher, Mrs. M - and we made a pit stop in Lake Havasu to see her :)<br />
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I've known Mrs. M for many years - but we've been pen pals for 23! It's always so nice to hear from her, and fantastic to see her in person! The last time I saw her was right before my Ironman in Arizona 2 years prior.<br />
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We didn't stay long, but we were able to catch a glimpse of the original London Bridge! As the sun set, we pulled into the driveway for the Grand Canyon Caverns Inn - the closest hotel to the trailhead (about 65 miles away).<br />
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Clearly our only option.<br />
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We said hello to old friends and met new ones, but turned in early as we had set 3:30am as our departure time.<br />
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Matt and I took the lead, Bryan and Alice behind us, and Suly, Nino, Nidia, and Rob in the last car. In the dark of the night, we drove the two-lane pass up to the trailhead and came across many furry friends!<br />
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Deer in the headlights! We also came across a few cows that we had to stop for. So surprising to see what goes on when the lights are off... :)<br />
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We were stopped by security around 4:45am, and the men who were there asked us to get out of the car. They told us that Shamans had descended on the Falls to bless it, and that they were in the process of evacuating the falls to ensure that everything would be okay. They said it could take up to a week for them to be able to do so.<br />
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I felt so bad. Bryan and Alice had flown in, and even though Nidia, Suly, and I had been before, no one else had.<br />
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Luckily, the guys were kidding. "We were bored! The last group before you cried. You all handled it well!"<br />
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Relief! We pulled into the parking lot, got ready, and started our hike at 5:36am.<br />
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It was majestic.<br />
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We got to the lodge early - so early that we couldn't check in, so we left our bags and left for Havasu Falls.<br />
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I can't even begin to tell you how gorgeous this place is.<br />
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Havasu Falls was everything I remembered it to be.<br />
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Two weeks prior, <a href="https://thepointsguy.com/news/how-to-visit-havasu-falls/" target="_blank">Beyonce had graced the falls with her presence</a> - shutting down everything for a few hikers and inconveniencing many people who had planned (likely for more than a year) the trip itself. Me? I embraced my inner Beyonce:<br />
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The lodge opened back up at 1pm, so we went back around 5 and got into our rooms (bet you didn't know you could stay in a hotel instead of camp at Havasupai!). I crawled into bed around 6 and didn't wake up until the next morning.<br />
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Day 1:<br />
- 8 Miles to the Lodge<br />
- 2 Miles to the Waterfall<br />
- 2 Miles back to the lodge<br />
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Total: 12 Miles<br />
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We spent the next day at three waterfalls: Havasu Falls, Mooney Falls, and Beaver Falls. We made a pit stop at Navajo Falls, but didn't stay.<br />
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Day 2:<br />
- 2 Miles from the lodge to Havasu Falls<br />
- 1 Mile to Mooney Falls<br />
- 3 Miles from Mooney to Beaver Falls<br />
- 6 miles back to the lodge<br />
<br />
Total: 12 Miles<br />
<br />
Day 3 was very short - we got up at 3 to hike out at 3:30, and we were out of the canyon by 7am!<br />
<br />
We had breakfast at Grandpa's Kitchen in Kingman AZ, and parted ways.<br />
Matt, Bryan, Alice, and I stopped in Vegas on the way home, but I spent most of the time in the hotel room catching up on sleep. Not the best way to end a weekend, but the sights and sounds from that beautiful mountain eclipsed any other kind of feeling I felt driving home the next day.<br />
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<br />
Day :<br />
- 8 Miles out of the Canyon<br />
Total: 32 Miles for the weekend<br />
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Til next time, Havasupai.<br />
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<br />winjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182136023558011232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397044381841532887.post-64336647649529675122019-06-16T19:44:00.005-07:002019-06-16T19:49:43.684-07:00ALC Packing List - With Links!Every year before ALC, I find that I am always buying the same items over and over again in preparation for the trip down the coast. This time, I'm getting ahead of it! Feel free to bookmark this link and revisit it a few months before the next ALC ride! Or stock up and buy now for the future!<br />
<br />
Please note that I am an Amazon Associate, and that I may earn on qualifying purchases :)<br />
<br />
I'm including things, even without links, in the event that you, the reader, just need a packing list to work off of :)<br />
<br />
<b><u>Clothes & Items for the Ride</u></b><br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Helmet</li>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: center;">This is my helmet! It's Giro Foray MIPS Road Cycling helmet. The recommendation is that you get a new helmet every year if you ride a lot - the excess sweating, accidental drops, and the elapsing time ultimately harden and weaken the styrofoam in the helmet, so I always try to replace my helmet at least once a year. </li>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B5KO9LY/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B01B5KO9LY&linkCode=as2&tag=winja0a-20&linkId=f10c5fc3c1f9d57190870b6451a96799" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B5KO9LY/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B01B5KO9LY&linkCode=as2&tag=winja0a-20&linkId=f10c5fc3c1f9d57190870b6451a96799" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B01B5KO9LY&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=winja0a-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=winja0a-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B01B5KO9LY" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
</ul>
<li><span style="text-align: center;">Jerseys</span></li>
<li>Socks</li>
<li>Cycling Gloves</li>
<ul>
<li>Gloves make a huge difference when it comes to cycling. You want to have gloves that are not too tight and will not make you feel uncomfortable while riding those long hours. </li>
<li>I swear by these gloves! I have purchased maybe 20 - 30 pairs over the years, and I try to have a fresh pair of gloves each day on the ride. </li>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019G9SLQU/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B019G9SLQU&linkCode=as2&tag=winja0a-20&linkId=ac33878bb5fa8594bb2a8fd11d870eaf" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019G9SLQU/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B019G9SLQU&linkCode=as2&tag=winja0a-20&linkId=ac33878bb5fa8594bb2a8fd11d870eaf" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B019G9SLQU&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=winja0a-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=winja0a-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B019G9SLQU" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
</ul>
<li>Water Bottles</li>
<ul>
<li><br /></li>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015DJDLLM/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B015DJDLLM&linkCode=as2&tag=winja0a-20&linkId=80697bbfa84bdfa76223ef95af2c9fbb" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015DJDLLM/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B015DJDLLM&linkCode=as2&tag=winja0a-20&linkId=80697bbfa84bdfa76223ef95af2c9fbb" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B015DJDLLM&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=winja0a-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=winja0a-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B015DJDLLM" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I swear by these bottles. they have worked time and time again for me! I don't use any other bottles when I ride. </div>
</ul>
<li>Arm Sleeves</li>
<ul>
<li>Every year, I purchase sleeves for the ride - they are reusable, but I use them in a disposable sense as there are almost enough for all riding days! The sleeves are not the longest, but they cover a lot and help block the sun. </li>
<li><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01L80XP1Q/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B01L80XP1Q&linkCode=as2&tag=winja0a-20&linkId=048f7c80a4ca31459db2b16c03f49172" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B01L80XP1Q&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=winja0a-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=winja0a-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B01L80XP1Q" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Sunglasses</li>
<li>Cycling Shorts:</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<li>The worst part of the ride usually happens two to three days in, when your perineum is inflamed and your skin rubs against itself and starts to get irritated. The best way to curb this is to find the right shorts. If you have a little bit of money laying around, think about getting the DeSoto 400 mile cycling shorts! It was designed by someone who rode 400 miles over 4 days - and did it comfortably! Worth it if it means saving that taint. </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01K3OZBOM/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B01K3OZBOM&linkCode=as2&tag=winja0a-20&linkId=0a93726b966a6b8ae5a093e70315782f" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B01K3OZBOM&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=winja0a-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=winja0a-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B01K3OZBOM" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="text-align: start;"><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><u>For the Ride:</u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<ul>
<li>Medical Insurance Cards</li>
<li>ID</li>
<li>Credit Cards</li>
<li>Cash</li>
<li>Saddle Bag</li>
<li>Spare Tubes</li>
<li>CO2 Cartridges (please note that you can't fly up north with these!)</li>
<li>Binder Clip or Route Sheet Holder</li>
<ul>
<li><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D3VYBOE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00D3VYBOE&linkCode=as2&tag=winja0a-20&linkId=cd620988142a40ba67b4486aee48afdb" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B00D3VYBOE&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=winja0a-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=winja0a-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B00D3VYBOE" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
</li>
<li>This route sheet holder latches onto your handlebar and holds your route sheet for every day on the ride</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><u>For your sleeping accommodations:</u></b></div>
<div>
<br />
<ul>
<li>Sleeping Bag</li>
<ul>
<li><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0058TYYT6/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0058TYYT6&linkCode=as2&tag=winja0a-20&linkId=3628a089c19e5a0bc5a68a0d90292da0" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B0058TYYT6&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=winja0a-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=winja0a-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B0058TYYT6" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
</li>
<li>Everyone has their own sleeping preferences, but I try to find a sleeping bag that will work for all seasons so that I'm not just using it for ALC once a year. As such, I have a Marmot Mummy bag because I like knowing that I will stay warm while the weather changes on the ride. </li>
</ul>
<li>Sleeping Pad</li>
<ul>
<li>For two years prior, I had been sleeping on what I thought was the best mattress pad around. This year, however, I took a risk as I was tired of this mattress pad taking up so much space. I bought an amazing sleeping pad that folded up very nicely and only took up a small amount of space. It worked out perfectly!</li>
<li style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076PHYVD8/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B076PHYVD8&linkCode=as2&tag=winja0a-20&linkId=6352f6c43ad676e80d497873095b54a7" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B076PHYVD8&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=winja0a-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=winja0a-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B076PHYVD8" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></li>
</ul>
<li>Head Lamp</li>
<ul>
<li>Headlamps are great when you want to be hands free - especially in the port-o-potties! I usually hang a really good headlamp (like the one below) in my tent as well, and it doubles up as a tent-light in the evening as well. </li>
<li style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MQVB3PN/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B01MQVB3PN&linkCode=as2&tag=winja0a-20&linkId=1e3a0c1510ab1613f13e2ceb5cd711ba" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B01MQVB3PN&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=winja0a-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=winja0a-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B01MQVB3PN" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></li>
</ul>
<li>Binder Clips for your laundry</li>
<ul>
<li>I won't link anything here, but take a few from work or ask around to see if others can get a few for you to dry your laundry on your tent in the afternoons!</li>
</ul>
<li>Baby Wipes</li>
<ul>
<li>Those that don't know me don't know that I. HAVE. AN. OBSESSION. WITH. BABY. WIPES. I use them for everything - to wipe my hands off, to clean everything when a bathroom isn't close by, and to wipe my face after a long day on a ride. </li>
<li style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00R524BJW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00R524BJW&linkCode=as2&tag=winja0a-20&linkId=5828e15d9140c76c9186210d31524faf" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B00R524BJW&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=winja0a-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=winja0a-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B00R524BJW" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></li>
</ul>
<li>Grocery Bag for Bike</li>
<ul>
<li>No one really talks about this, but I didn't realize how smart this was until I tried it on my first ride. I take two of these on the ride - one as my bathroom bag and one as my bike bag. The bike bag means that this holds my helmet, gloves, sunglasses, and sunblock anytime I am off the bike for the day. The bathroom bag holds my towel, shampoo, and fresh clothes when I head to the mobile showers. You can go in on these bags with someone else or keep them all to be environmentally conscious! </li>
<li><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07K7GGDYP/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B07K7GGDYP&linkCode=as2&tag=winja0a-20&linkId=7e52720db463a84e5682bc39fd68b705" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B07K7GGDYP&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=winja0a-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=winja0a-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B07K7GGDYP" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
</li>
</ul>
<li>Roller Bag</li>
<ul>
<li>The bag that ALC allows you to bring is any size up to 70 pounds... You want one that is over 32 inches and has wheels for the terrain you will be dragging your bag through. I like one that has outside pockets so that my shoes are easily accessible. </li>
<li style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06ZZCS835/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B06ZZCS835&linkCode=as2&tag=winja0a-20&linkId=52cb37fc930d651e34ef232aa59f395f" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B06ZZCS835&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=winja0a-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=winja0a-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B06ZZCS835" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></li>
</ul>
<li>Chargers</li>
<ul>
<li>I bring three of these on the ride but truthfully, I think I only need one. You are allowed to bring these onto your carry-on, which is great! I charge both my Garmins and both of my phones for the week on one of these. </li>
<li style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00X5RV14Y/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00X5RV14Y&linkCode=as2&tag=winja0a-20&linkId=8a82546017a6c3b6559aaeea8b720bd0" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B00X5RV14Y&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=winja0a-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=winja0a-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B00X5RV14Y" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></li>
<li style="text-align: center;">Don't forget your actual charging cords! iPhones, Garmins, bike computers!</li>
</ul>
<li>Toiletry Bag</li>
<ul>
<li>This bag is the one I keep my tooth brush, floss, and night creams in. It's compact and holds everything! You can use any kind of cosmetic bag for this as long as it holds your toothbrush!</li>
</ul>
<li>T Shirts</li>
<li>Underwear</li>
<li>Flip Flops</li>
<ul>
<li>Find flip flops that are super comfortable that you want to wear all the time while you are in camp. I trust my Adidas Slides and have a few pairs of these at home - </li>
<li><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0711QZSBQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0711QZSBQ&linkCode=as2&tag=winja0a-20&linkId=caec57160c443cb4998af5c94920363e" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B0711QZSBQ&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=winja0a-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=winja0a-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B0711QZSBQ" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
</li>
</ul>
<li>Pajamas</li>
<li>Quick Dry Towel</li>
<ul>
<li> Honestly, the larger the better. I love towels that will dry before the sun sets, and I use these towels for my triathlons in addition to ALC week. </li>
<li style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KX3B8PO/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B01KX3B8PO&linkCode=as2&tag=winja0a-20&linkId=6844f677b71c0538cede45fbe446872d" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B01KX3B8PO&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=winja0a-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=winja0a-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B01KX3B8PO" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></li>
</ul>
<li>Toothbrush</li>
<li>Deodorant</li>
<li>Shampoo and Conditioner</li>
<ul>
<li>Because we check in luggage, I buy myself shampoo that I am happy using for the week: shampoo that makes me feel like I'm rewarding myself for a long day! I choose a shampoo and conditioner that I don't normally use, so that it feels like I'm getting pampered during the week, even though I'm not!</li>
<li style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JOPQDVW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00JOPQDVW&linkCode=as2&tag=winja0a-20&linkId=398043badd5b407722c92f6f01ef84b2" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B00JOPQDVW&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=winja0a-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=winja0a-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B00JOPQDVW" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></li>
</ul>
<li>Sunblock</li>
<ul>
<li>Sunblock is life's antidote. I swear by it! I also swear by good sunblock - for the face and for the body. </li>
<ul>
<li>For the face: I use: </li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001P92FMG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001P92FMG&linkCode=as2&tag=winja0a-20&linkId=b09344efe29929269d2ca3036143d151" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001P92FMG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001P92FMG&linkCode=as2&tag=winja0a-20&linkId=b09344efe29929269d2ca3036143d151" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B001P92FMG&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=winja0a-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=winja0a-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B001P92FMG" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Neutrogena Sport Face. I use it as chapstick on the hot days that make my lips feel like they are burning as well. </div>
<ul>
<li>For my body, I use:</li>
<ul>
<li>A spray! I keep this in my back pocket as I'm cycling and use it every 2 hours. The sun has no mercy sometimes. </li>
<li><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ANL8QHA/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ANL8QHA&linkCode=as2&tag=winja0a-20&linkId=9122a63c956d064a261895a0b772fce4" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B00ANL8QHA&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=winja0a-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=winja0a-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B00ANL8QHA" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
</li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<li>Odor Spray</li>
<ul>
<li>I usually never talk about this part, but there are some DANK smells on this ride sometimes. I bring Odor-X foot spray to spray my shoes after the day is over! If the tent smells musty, Odor-X. If people smell musty, Odor-X. Just kidding about the last part but don't test me...</li>
<li style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GMP3VZS/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00GMP3VZS&linkCode=as2&tag=winja0a-20&linkId=42f7f2101ba4aa83cb97dce0e092fd42" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B00GMP3VZS&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=winja0a-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=winja0a-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B00GMP3VZS" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></li>
</ul>
<li>Carmex</li>
<ul>
<li>I am a Carmex fiend. That is, I have over 10 tubes of Carmex in my car, a few in my bag, 2 at my desk at work, and a ton of them laying all over my apartment. My lips are always moisturized! Same goes for the ride. I can't live without my Carmex!</li>
<li style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001KYTQ8W/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001KYTQ8W&linkCode=as2&tag=winja0a-20&linkId=70780c74c7425fd002aaee8d8ac174dc" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B001KYTQ8W&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=winja0a-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=winja0a-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B001KYTQ8W" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br />
<ul>
<li>Face Masks</li>
<ul>
<li>Finally, as my last packing item, I want to recommend face masks! Face masks are great to relax with and help with re-moisturizing your face after a long day in the sun. </li>
<li><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0722LVW3B/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0722LVW3B&linkCode=as2&tag=winja0a-20&linkId=819ef282fef1b90aaee6edff675a775f" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B0722LVW3B&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=winja0a-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=winja0a-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B0722LVW3B" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
</li>
</ul>
</ul>
</div>
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Any packing suggestions to add to the list? Let me know in the comments below!</div>
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winjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182136023558011232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397044381841532887.post-58656799792139553962019-06-10T23:23:00.003-07:002019-06-10T23:49:14.033-07:00Ride Report: AIDS/LifeCycle 2019<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj00ji_M_0hO78Ym_YCWc4BEVMBrb2UX6Yb6BnkCk66S-I-WVGuRrAWabRIr70m-xYERQoZquRdCWtITTRGMPDew1dZKXF_u2BDBQgxcP4ok0WMf6xp61mm3q3iDuh9OQGWT4vzCG2W1n1O/s1600/IMG_6246.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj00ji_M_0hO78Ym_YCWc4BEVMBrb2UX6Yb6BnkCk66S-I-WVGuRrAWabRIr70m-xYERQoZquRdCWtITTRGMPDew1dZKXF_u2BDBQgxcP4ok0WMf6xp61mm3q3iDuh9OQGWT4vzCG2W1n1O/s320/IMG_6246.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
It's been a little over 48 hours since we crossed the finish line for the 2019 AIDS/LifeCycle ride, and yet, here I am, a ball of feelings because I miss my friends from the ride.<br />
<br />
7 days. 21,000 feet of elevation climbed. 561 miles this year! and 33 teammates that have become lifelong friends.<br />
<br />
When Mark introduced me to the Hot Wheels team last year at ALC, I was surprised by how warm the welcome was. I met Brian, the captain, as Mark and I were waiting for our massages, and we sat and chatted for a bit. Later that night, I was introduced to the rest of the team at dinner and was lucky enough to talk to them and see them on the ride.<br />
<br />
I was so happy to have a few more friends on the ride. Fast forward a few more months to a Disney Tri Team event at Hamburger Mary's, where Mark asked me to officially join the Hot Wheels as a member. ME?!!! I was so excited that I said yes on the spot.<br />
<br />
By August of 2018, it was official. Brian made an announcement on the team page, and we were off! Truthfully, I was a little hesitant about ALC19. I had done the ride 2 years prior, with a lot of support from my family and friends. Fundraising was a breeze, but I could tell that donor fatigue was setting in. Still, I made my donation page and I let it sit. It wasn't until my good friend Travis donated (without prompting!) that I decided it was a sign that I should ride once more.<br />
<br />
As the months drew closer, Mark and I started talking about the great times we've had in the past on the ride and how we could make the ride even better for 2019. "What if we were tentmates?" he says.<br />
<br />
The smile that formed on my face couldn't have been any bigger. I was elated! THINK OF ALL THE THINGS WE WOULD DO!<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
I'm going to apologize in advance as I normally am very verbose in my recaps. Being the forgetful person that I am, I often look back at these posts not only to remember my adventures but to share my feelings about them! Please feel free to jump around as you see fit - these are my memories that I want to share with you!<br />
<br />
The Ride:<br />
<br />
This year was my third year with ALC. The first year, my boyfriend (at the time) and I had just broken up, and Liz and I were paired up. I had such a great time that when it came time for my second year, I truly enjoyed the ride for myself and not for anyone else. The short hospital stint broke my "ride every day" rule and I ultimately came onboard the third time as my redemption year.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Friday (Day -1)</u></b><br />
<br />
<br />
Since my flight wasn't until later in the day, I spent the morning working. Matt was on drop-off duty, so we made our way to Manhattan beach, did a short stroll, swung on the swings, and then headed to the airport.<br />
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<br />
So romantic.<br />
<br />
When I got to the airport, I had to check my luggage in, so I went over to the kiosk, printed out my tag, and brought my bag over to get weighed. I was 4 pounds over. 4 pounds meant an extra $70 to convert into an oversized luggage bag, so I reached into my big bag and pulled out... 64 facemasks, which I proceeded to shove into my carry on.<br />
<br />
Instantly, I was under the limit. Who knew masks could weigh so much?!<br />
<br />
I strolled over to security, where my carry bag was stopped and searched for .. you guessed it! 64 face masks. It was mortifying. TSA stopped me and asked me why I was traveling with so many cosmetics items! I obviously told them that I was headed up to a spa retreat and needed to provide for my friends.<br />
<br />
They let me go, and I met up with Jason before we boarded the plane.<br />
<br />
The flight to LA was uneventful, considering many of the other members of the team were held on delays the night before. Jason and I checked into our hotel rooms and immediately headed back out for a late meal at New England Lobster and Eatery:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX9sRRW5JzS5Za84NPcl2EFPw1ApPJq3aR9DLKUcoQAsvJeQzyKHFOD_vOO4N7Ylihv2UFoU6Jyl9_8Xa0ol1FkwN4x7jJxfZDaWCQN_bHm1-uLe_Xa5sal_eZ1K0MmROfoB3U7gh1FTet/s1600/IMG_8911.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX9sRRW5JzS5Za84NPcl2EFPw1ApPJq3aR9DLKUcoQAsvJeQzyKHFOD_vOO4N7Ylihv2UFoU6Jyl9_8Xa0ol1FkwN4x7jJxfZDaWCQN_bHm1-uLe_Xa5sal_eZ1K0MmROfoB3U7gh1FTet/s320/IMG_8911.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div>
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Yes, I ate a whole lobster. Yes, it was delicious.<br />
<br />
Jason and I parted ways soon after, and Bryan picked me up to spend some quality time together. His roommate, Alex, who stays in hiding except to see me once each year around this time, also joined us!<br />
<br />
We had ice cream at Smitten (obviously)<br />
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<br />
while we waited for our names to be called at Amano.<br />
<br />
Amano was YUMMY.<br />
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<br />
Lots of little plates so we didn't stuff ourselves silly, but delicious nonetheless.<br />
I called it a night rather early, as I knew Day 0 would be a long day.<br />
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<br />
<b><u>Saturday (Day 0)</u></b><br />
<br />
Jason and I left for Cow Palace bright and early Saturday morning - it was almost time!!!!<br />
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We met up with the rest of the team and filed in line as we waited to enter CP for our Orientation meeting.<br />
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For the next two hours, we listened to safety speeches, walked through what the week would look like, and signed our lives away.<br />
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Then it was time for check in! We got tagged, received our bike numbers, and walked the ALC village for a little bit before tending to our bikes and prepping them for Day 1.<br />
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We pulled all of the saran wrap off our bikes (for their safe journey up the coast the week prior) and applied our participant numbers, emptied out our water bottles with anything we may have stored, and moved them to their proper locations before saying goodbye to the team.<br />
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My brother picked me up from Cow Palace and we met up with Bryan and Alex for dim sum at HL Peninsula.<br />
I'm a huge fan of asian food, so it was nice to be surrounded by familiarity.<br />
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Clearly I have an obsession with ice cream - Kel and Irene and I ended up at Marco Polo Italian Ice Cream for another round of icy goodness :)<br />
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<br />
I took a quick nap and then headed over to Cafe Mason for our team's dinner. We had such a great time and received so many presents!<br />
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Here's a recap from me and Mark:<br />
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A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/whatareweironing/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank"> What Are We Ironing</a> (@whatareweironing) on <time datetime="2019-06-02T03:54:16+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jun 1, 2019 at 8:54pm PDT</time></div>
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I am so enamoured by these men (and one other woman!) and couldn't have asked for a better sendoff to start the ride.<br />
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<b><u>Sunday (Day 1)</u></b><br />
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I couldn't believe it! Day 1.<br />
San Francisco to Santa Cruz. 82 miles. 4700 elevation.<br />
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We had our opening ceremonies, where they announced that this year we fundraised a record-breaking $16.7MM!<br />
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We set off, and slowly made our way through the streets of SF! It rained for 15 miles, there was intense fog, and we made it to lunch at 10:30am!<br />
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#WinTheMark recap here:<br />
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The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence blessed us, we said hello to the rest of the Hotties, and then we were on our way to complete the journey to Santa Cruz!<br />
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For those that don't know, we usually have rest stops every 15 miles or so (for many people this is about one stop per hour unless you ride faster...)<br />
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Each rest stop is captained by a team, and each team makes the rest stop special. Rest Stop 4 has always been my favorite rest stop over the years, and this year was no different!<br />
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I knew I'd die by Trojan. BRUINED.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA90JnOFbOUKsD246W-UrFZNx8Pl7UtbQw7t8aNBekW9WiMIphgF9ZozCYwFxfr8CriowpzP_VPy0MVflo4vS-NHKYgIa6P08FVH2z4AdEUEc_JWj1U3UfRE6N2bNi5rH6TQdFFMAEQV2g/s1600/IMG_9071.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA90JnOFbOUKsD246W-UrFZNx8Pl7UtbQw7t8aNBekW9WiMIphgF9ZozCYwFxfr8CriowpzP_VPy0MVflo4vS-NHKYgIa6P08FVH2z4AdEUEc_JWj1U3UfRE6N2bNi5rH6TQdFFMAEQV2g/s320/IMG_9071.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div>
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We pulled into camp shortly after at Harvey West Park, where we set up our tents and enjoyed the rest of the evening. Mark even unboxed our gift bag from the night before!<br />
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A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/whatareweironing/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank"> What Are We Ironing</a> (@whatareweironing) on <time datetime="2019-06-04T23:39:34+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jun 4, 2019 at 4:39pm PDT</time></div>
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Obviously we did a recap and facemasked.<br />
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A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/whatareweironing/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank"> What Are We Ironing</a> (@whatareweironing) on <time datetime="2019-06-04T23:42:37+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jun 4, 2019 at 4:42pm PDT</time></div>
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As mentioned in the video, Colty's bike was run over by a State Trooper!<br />
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Cannondale saved the day and saved the bike as well, but HOLY MOLY.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Monday (Day 2)</u></b><br />
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Day 2: 110 miles, 3000 elevation gain, Santa Cruz to King City.<br />
Does anyone else see the girl behind me in the picture? CREEPY.<br />
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Safety PSA from #WinTheMark:<br />
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A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/whatareweironing/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank"> What Are We Ironing</a> (@whatareweironing) on <time datetime="2019-06-04T23:43:48+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jun 4, 2019 at 4:43pm PDT</time></div>
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We had lunch in Salinas before heading back out onto the road. Day 2 is mostly inland, so it brings new meaning to "Strawberry Fields Forever"...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOYrcvA5iuEbUDJL3PaCkQ1Yj-mTN2hOmfpUahlMzJa7PikOScz8bVS7IF4LjKJrNbsSMZQMAmL8VjVY9CRPevCeVLC2Yj87s3MUkqfd6GTX2EaSQMf00JrQoFveOTQ26dSkMdHzDq-kln/s1600/IMG_6246.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOYrcvA5iuEbUDJL3PaCkQ1Yj-mTN2hOmfpUahlMzJa7PikOScz8bVS7IF4LjKJrNbsSMZQMAmL8VjVY9CRPevCeVLC2Yj87s3MUkqfd6GTX2EaSQMf00JrQoFveOTQ26dSkMdHzDq-kln/s320/IMG_6246.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div>
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We also can't forget my favorite stop of the day... the Otter Pop Stop!<br />
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By the time we got back to camp, it was LATE. We were exhausted, but definitely wanted to share a recap:<br />
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Artichokes, Otter Pops, Skinny Dipping, and Distance.<br />
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A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/whatareweironing/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank"> What Are We Ironing</a> (@whatareweironing) on <time datetime="2019-06-04T23:46:14+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jun 4, 2019 at 4:46pm PDT</time></div>
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and a description of the ending of day 2:<br />
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A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/whatareweironing/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank"> What Are We Ironing</a> (@whatareweironing) on <time datetime="2019-06-04T23:48:04+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jun 4, 2019 at 4:48pm PDT</time></div>
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Can't stop me from a good facemask, so here's day 2's beauty pic:<br />
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<b><u>Tuesday (Day 3)</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfzPKAWvPEqJHngG9CoZOx7kH485njDXBH6Y0l46DxeJx9mo_RcTK_ZPuhz9uN7BnmMzUPhzYtnbkthY9C4qqr_Fdia6adzehyphenhyphenwA2CYKhtbSSQ-ocGPyAGMm2mX8d9k28pxZuFMx5OjAo5/s1600/IMG_9186.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfzPKAWvPEqJHngG9CoZOx7kH485njDXBH6Y0l46DxeJx9mo_RcTK_ZPuhz9uN7BnmMzUPhzYtnbkthY9C4qqr_Fdia6adzehyphenhyphenwA2CYKhtbSSQ-ocGPyAGMm2mX8d9k28pxZuFMx5OjAo5/s320/IMG_9186.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div>
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Day 3: 66 Miles, King City to Paso Robles, 2600 elevation gain.<br />
Day 3 is Quadbuster day - a massive hill that some people do multiple times because they have thighs of steel.<br />
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My thighs are made of turkey so they're a little soft.<br />
They mean well, though.<br />
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A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/whatareweironing/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank"> What Are We Ironing</a> (@whatareweironing) on <time datetime="2019-06-07T01:20:49+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jun 6, 2019 at 6:20pm PDT</time></div>
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Day 3 is also when we ride into a little town called Bradley and visit the kids at Bradley Elementary!<br />
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I had a blast. Here's our recap:<br />
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/ByY9X0gBc2o/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">#WinTheMark makes it to Bradley Elementary on day 3!</a></div>
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A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/whatareweironing/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank"> What Are We Ironing</a> (@whatareweironing) on <time datetime="2019-06-07T01:24:32+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jun 6, 2019 at 6:24pm PDT</time></div>
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As we exited Bradley, we rode through Camp Roberts, grabbed ice and caught a show at Rest Stop 4 (again, my favorite!), and suffered the last 10 miles in 105 degree heat over to Paso Robles.<br />
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We were so hot we ended up getting a hotel for the night. Hear more about "princessing" here:<br />
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A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/whatareweironing/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank"> What Are We Ironing</a> (@whatareweironing) on <time datetime="2019-06-11T06:43:13+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jun 10, 2019 at 11:43pm PDT</time></div>
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<b><u>Wednesday (Day 4)</u></b><br />
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89 Miles - Paso Robles to Santa Maria - Elevation 4800 gain.<br />
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By Day 4 I was exhausted. I felt like we had so much left to do but every part of me hurt!<br />
Day 4 was a big day, though. It marked HALFWAY TO LA! and the notorious Evil Twins climb, which was a series of back-to-back hills that never seemed to end.<br />
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We were so excited!<br />
On the way into Santa Maria, I met 2 lovely friends... ALPACAS!<br />
So adorable and so curious.<br />
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Oh but wait - there's more! I rode so hard I snapped my shoes - BOTH OF THEM - and had to actually buy new shoes during my lunchtime on the ride!<br />
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Brings new meaning to Beast Mode, doesn't it?<br />
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The rest of the way back to Santa Maria was slightly uneventful, minus the part where I cried my eyes out as I rode past the site of the accident I was in last year (see last year's ALC post). Luckily, I have great friends like Mark who will hold me and hug me while I cry and celebrate life's little achievements, like making it into camp in one piece.<br />
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Beautiful.<br />
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A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/whatareweironing/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank"> What Are We Ironing</a> (@whatareweironing) on <time datetime="2019-06-07T01:29:05+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jun 6, 2019 at 6:29pm PDT</time></div>
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<b><u>Thursday (Day5)</u></b><br />
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Red Dress Day!<br />
Santa Maria to Lompoc - 41 miles - 1800 Elevation gain<br />
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Red Dress Day was so amazing! Last year I didn't get to do RDD so this year I knew I had to make it special. Look how great we looked!<br />
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These girls are everything.<br />
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When we finished our ride, we quickly got ready and took our team photos!<br />
These came out so nicely.<br />
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... and true to form, I forced the team to do face masks with me because... well, because I'm me.<br />
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Onward!<br />
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<b><u>Friday (Day 6)</u></b><br />
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Day 6 - Lompoc to Ventura - 89 Miles<br />
Finally, we were back to the coastline!<br />
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The days seemed longer and longer, but I was so excited to arrive in Ventura because... Boyface drove through California ON A FRIDAY to see me!<br />
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It was just what I needed to get myself through those last two days.<br />
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Which brings us to...<br />
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<b><u>Saturday (Day 7)</u></b><br />
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I . COULD . NOT . WAIT . TO . GO . HOME .<br />
Loved the team and loved the experience, but I missed my comfy bed and the smell of clean clothes!<br />
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Mark and I BOOKED it on the way back to WeHo.<br />
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The Troubadour opened their doors to us and let us wait in the confines of what felt like a second home to me - a stage that legends like Elton John, Axl Rose, and AFI all graced!!<br />
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We waited until the rest of our team showed up, grabbed a few photos together, and then headed in to the finish line!<br />
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Finally - we made it into LA!<br />
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And the best part of coming back home to LA? Unlimited Snickers and Hot Cheetos :)<br />
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<br />
It feels like I highlighted every moment of my trip, but I know I missed a bunch of memories that I will hold in my heart for a lifetime. I am grateful to have met 33 wonderful individuals who let me into their team and welcomed me into the community.<br />
<br />
I ride not only as a challenge for myself but to bring awareness to HIV and AIDS. Together, we can work to find a cure.<br />
<br />
ALC sent out a very touching recap video today - and both Mark and I finally found out what we were interviewed for! We make appearances 3 times in the video, and I get to say the final words.<br />
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It is heartwarming, touching, and I've probably shed more tears than I can count this week.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7eM8YCpEYDQ/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7eM8YCpEYDQ?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<br />
Thank you, ALC. I'm sure I will see you again.<br />
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<br />winjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182136023558011232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397044381841532887.post-59067417451725481932019-06-09T19:32:00.000-07:002019-06-10T21:20:50.802-07:00Japan (May 11 - 17, 2019)I'm a little behind, but slowly getting caught up with my life!<br />
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Last month, I took a trip (for work) and tacked on the weekend for travel so I could sightsee ahead of time. Kelvin coincidentally had travel plans for Japan as well, so I found time amidst the back and forth to spend some time with old friends, do research, and work.<br />
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Japan was my first trip to Asia since our family trip to China back in 2005. I was excited but knew I'd have to cram everything I wanted to do in 2 days - what to do?<br />
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Chie and Takako picked me up from the airport, and it was the cutest thing I could have asked for! I met Chie many years ago via the Disney Tri Team - she was our only member in Japan, and when she came to visit for D23 a few years ago, we got to meet for the first time. I let Chie know that I was heading to Japan, and she graciously offered to pick me up from the airport and take me around to places she thought would be suitable for research and for my tourist-y mind!<br />
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I was warned that cash was king in Japan, despite its technological advances. I should have listened! The first thing we did upon arrival was get a Suica card - similar to an Octopus card in Hong Kong - but suitable for all things, including the rail and payment at convenience stores and vending machines . I was so surprised by this (I guess I'm just used to other forms of payment?) but we ended up loading a Suica card for me before taking the rail to the hotel. What an experience!<br />
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By now I had been awake for 17 hours - it was a long flight and we knew we had a long road ahead of us. Day one included:<br />
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Takeshita Street in Harajuku - the BUSIEST street ever, it felt like! As we walked through it felt like Christmas Day at Disneyland. Instead of strollers, there were hoards of teenage girls giggling, shopping, and snacking .<br />
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We stopped by the Hot Toys Avengers Pop Up Cafe, which had smoothies and burgers in addition to display cases full of Hot Toys figurines - a true gold mine for true fans for Marvel!<br />
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We made other stops at the Line Friends store, Kiddyland (a multi-level toy store with themed floors) and ended up in Akihabara to walk around quickly before heading out . </div>
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Taka told me I was very lucky, as we got to witness a Kanda Matsuri - a festival that only happens once every 2 years!<br />
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They say that during the festival they parade a portable shrine (mikoshi) in the neighorhoods on the Sunday of the parade.<br />
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So cool! the streets were closed so I got to see a different side of Japan that night. I also got to meet an owl!!!!<br />
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That first night, we had dinner at Tendon Tenya, which is a local tempura restaurant chain. Combined, the three of us paid $18 for a meal! I couldn't believe it! Yummy, delicious, and inexpensive.<br />
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I was on the verge of falling asleep at the table as I had been up for so many hours - Chie and Taka took me most of the way home and I made my way back to the hotel to finish up the night in a nice clean bed.<br />
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I had a lot ahead of me!<br />
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The next morning, I woke up rather early without an alarm. Chie had gifted me a ticket to a Disney property (many thanks, Chie!!) -<br />
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so in my broken japanese and my aversion to public transportation (It's not that I don't like it - it's that I don't understand it!) I made my way to the Tokyo Disney property! I chose Disney Sea as my theme park for the day as I knew I'd see a lot that I normally wouldn't ever see.<br />
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I gave myself a few hours to get there (I tend to get lost easily) and arrived at the park at 7:30 am -- the park opened at 9. I got into a line and filed in behind many Japanese locals who seemed accustomed to waiting. They had plastic lined sheets (licensed!) that they sat on, and everyone was polite and kept to themselves. Around 8:45, everyone quietly got up and made the lines a little tighter. I was so surprised by how courteous everyone seemed - nothing like what we have in the states!<br />
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At 9, the gates opened, and ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE. Literally, a hoarde of people scanned their tickets and started running. Where, I'm not sure, but castmembers held signs that said "PLEASE DO NOT RUN" and they were definitely disregarded.<br />
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No one even noticed that Mickey and Minnie were welcoming them to the park!<br />
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I quickly made my way to Tower of Terror - I had read (while in line, obviously) that this ride was different from the ride in California - and it was!<br />
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Everything was in Japanese! It sounded so foreign but with the same intonations as the ones in CA, so I assumed it was similar. As it turns out, the ride is different because of the storyline - It isn't based on the Twilight Zone (probably due to lack of familarity) but is instead <a href="https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Tower_of_Terror_(Tokyo_DisneySea)" target="_blank">based on a stolen relic</a> that was taken during an expedition and ultimately haunts the building.<br />
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I had a blast!<br />
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I spent the rest of the day walking around the park ...<br />
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and eating everything up - literally.<br />
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I had a turkey leg, which was not abnormally large like in the states - just a regular drumstick that tasted the same!<br />
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I got a Fastpass to the park's flagship ride - Journey to the Center of the Earth!<br />
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and rode single rider for Indiana Jones - it was great! I've never been to a theme park by myself but I totally recommend it. You get to do everything you want without having to wait for anyone!<br />
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I even snuck in an iced treat -<br />
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yum!<br />
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My favorite meal was a "gyoza dog" = literally a fusion of my favorite asian food and my guilty pleasure - gyozas and hot dogs! Highly recommend .<br />
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I walked around the rest of the park before heading back over to a performance of Big Band Beat - a collection of musical acts starring Mickey and Friends! Because of the popularity of the show, lottery tickets were administered and admittance was determined on whether or not you "won the lottery" - luckily I was able to snag a ticket - in the third row!<br />
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By 3pm I had walked the whole park and left to meet Chie at TDR. We walked the Disney Store and ended up at Character Street at Tokyo station - a huge mall of sorts featuring (you guessed it!) licensed characters popular to Japan.<br />
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Chie took me to try a local dessert called Anmitsu - I will admit: not my kind of dessert, but the ice cream was delicious!<br />
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We made our way to Zauo, a fishing restaurant in Shinjuku - where we were able to fish for our own dinner. It was definitely an experience but I'm not sure I would do it again. The food was great, but the fishing part felt a little inhumane to me. I didn't like the idea of "hooking" the fish, but I do see the appeal of being able to "fish" for one's dinner.<br />
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Regardless - I had a great time, and I got to see my brother!<br />
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The food itself was almost too pretty to eat!<br />
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By now I'm exhausted. Day 3 -<br />
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Kelvin and I started the morning by heading to Tsukiji Fish Market.<br />
It . was . delicious .<br />
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Gigantic prawns and squid. Overpriced but worth it!<br />
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and of course, we topped it off with ice cream and mochi :)<br />
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We made our way to Tokyo Skytree and of course, I HAD to see the Studio Ghibli store:<br />
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We walked past the Kirby Cafe, which was so cute! Sad we didn't have reservations .<br />
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At the top of Tokyo Skytree, we took some pictures and made a stop at the Sanrio pop up cafe - SO MANY pop up shops in Japan!<br />
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The glass ceiling seemed like the biggest draw - you could sit on the floor and take a look at Tokyo underneath you!<br />
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Kelvin and I left shortly after and made our way to the Sensoji temple:<br />
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We got our fortunes told, and I got the best fortune! Looks like my wishes are coming true sometime soon ;)<br />
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As we made our way through Tokyo, Kelvin and I headed over to Roppongi, where we partnered with MariCar to ride Go-Karts through the streets of Tokyo!<br />
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Clearly they are unrelated to Nintendo. (Sounds like someone got sued!)<br />
We spent 2 hours with MariCar - 1.5 of which I had to pee so badly!<br />
But it was worth it. We got to drive right up to the Shibuya scramble, skirt right by the Olympic Stadium (Tokyo 2020!!)<br />
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and ride by Tokyo Tower! I saw more on that ride than I thought I would!<br />
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After MariCar (yes, this was a jam packed day), we headed over to...<br />
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a hedgehog cafe! They were so cute!!!<br />
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The real draw, however, was the meerkat. It was hyperactive and SO ADORABLE . We probably spent most of our time with the meerkat. The hedgehogs, while cute, didn't seem like they wanted to socialize too much .<br />
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Next stop?<br />
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Bifuteki Kawamura, a Kobe Beef establishment.<br />
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It's rumored that Hugh Jackman loves this place - and I did too! Possibly one of the best meals I've ever had in my life .<br />
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I loved every minute I spent in there .<br />
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----<br />
<br />
The remainder of the trip I spent working, which doesn't sound as fun as the sightseeing We went back to Harajuku and to Shibuya - We comp-shopped at Shibuya 109, saw the Shibuya Scramble from up top -<br />
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<br />
<br />
- and made Okonomiyaki! in addition to walking 8+ miles through the streets of Harajuku and a few other neighboring cities. For a small Country, we walked a lot of Japan.<br />
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<br />
The next day was filled with meetings, but included a visit to the Studio Ghibli Museum - a gorgeous venue filled with all things whimsical and Ghilbi related!<br />
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We had dinner at Hibiki - where I learned to eat Soba and royally screwed it up :)<br />
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All in all, a great week. I can't wait to go back!<br />
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<br />winjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182136023558011232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397044381841532887.post-87390709019398554132018-12-12T09:34:00.000-08:002018-12-12T09:34:10.583-08:00Race Report: winja's Ironman 70.3 Indian Wells La Quinta (December 9, 2018)First and foremost, my advice to anyone asking is that races should always be done in warm weather. Who in their right mind wants to get into 50-degree water in the throes of winter?!<br />
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That's hyperbolic. What I really meant was 57-degree water on a weekend in Palm Springs three weeks before winter. Regardless - I am now a 2-time Iron-Lady and a FIVE TIME Half-Ironlady!<br />
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This race was a hard one in the sense that I. did. not. train. AT ALL. If there was some sort of training regimen, I was not involved in it. Fortunately, my muscle memory is fantastic and I have the will of some deranged person who always longs for ice cream (true story).<br />
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Welcome to my Race Recap for Ironman 70.3 Indian Wells La Quinta!<br />
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Pre-Race:<br />
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I had full intentions of taking Friday off to pack for the race, but I went into the office to finalize a few things and ended up staying well into the afternoon. When I got home, M surprised me with tickets to the LA Auto Show and I ended up eating away at my precious sleep time to get my face detected by the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterlyon/2018/06/29/new-subaru-forester-gets-hybrid-facial-recognition-software-but-no-turbo/#7b5c44a625df" target="_blank">2019 Subaru Forester</a>. I blinked and it was 10pm and I still had not packed...<br />
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On Saturday morning, I left around 7am to head into Palm Springs. Race Check-In was already under way at Ironman Village and I was NOT looking forward to it. Chris and Trey met up with me right before our orientation (see picture above) and we found out then and there that all of our stuff needed to be dropped off - same day. HOW WERE WE GOING TO PACK AND RE-PACK IF WE HAD TO DROP EVERYTHING OFF?!<br />
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I dumped everything out of my car (I wish there was a picture of this). I'm the kind of packer who packs everything in the order that I plan on wearing it. Because we had to bring our bike and run stuff to the bike and run locations, I had to pull out my swim gear, my sleep gear... essentially the parking spot next to my car was the Winnie Closet for a good 20 minutes.<br />
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I said bye to Shadow and tied a red bandana to her aerobars so I could find her easily in the morning. We said bye to the boys and Alice and I left to finally eat (my first time all day!). Internally, I was freaking out, but it wasn't until I cracked my nail trying to put my shoe on that I realized my talons weren't going to cut it on race day. I had to get them done!<br />
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Every athlete knows it's "nothing new on race day" but every athlete also knows you should train for a race, soo.....</div>
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FLASHBACK TIME!</div>
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I didn't tell very many people this, but a few weeks ago, I had an allergic reaction to something. It was FREAK-Y. I developed hundreds of water blisters on my palms, and two weeks later the skin started to peel. It started in my fingertips and kept peeling. My palms peeled, my wrists peeled, my elbows, my toes, and my feet. It was demoralizing and uncomfortable and I was forced to wear gloves everywhere: to work, to weddings, even to SoulCycle! </div>
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It sucked. </div>
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<a href="https://imgur.com/a/qf4oMuH" target="_blank">Don't click this link</a> if you don't want to cringe. This was me at urgent care, 4 days after the peeling started. It got worse before it got better. </div>
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Anyway, back to the race. I had hesitations because my skin was super sensitive after all of this happened. My iPhone won't even recognize my fingerprints anymore! My fear was that getting into the water would exacerbate the hand situation - not to mention the cold, etc. </div>
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Fast forward to...</div>
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Race Day: </div>
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Let me just say that the sunrises in Palm Springs are beautiful. The water is peaceful, the palm trees are perfect, and if you hold your breath, everything seemingly ceases to move. </div>
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After a whole year, George and I finally got to see each other again! It was so nice to see a familiar face on race day. Since we can never sync up, here are three pictures of us - well - not syncing up!</div>
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Grabbed a few pre-race pictures, and then we were off!</div>
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Let me just say that no one looks good in a wetsuit. No one. </div>
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We lined up at the swim start, the cannons sounded, and we dove in. I ran into the water expecting some sort of warm barrier between me and the wall of ice, but my face froze the instant the water grazed it and I couldn't feel it for 20 minutes. I could see my arms going through the motions of swimming, but had I closed my eyes, I wouldn't have known. All I could see were people passing me, and my arms just not moving as fast as I wanted them to. </div>
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Time passed so slowly. I counted from 1 to 1,000, and started all over again only to get bored. Quite possibly the longest swim of my life. </div>
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48-minute swim, done. 69.2 miles left to go. </div>
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Thanks to a warm swim cap, some waterproof earplugs, and booties, I was warmer than 90% of the folks out there!</div>
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The changing tents didn't provide much comfort, but they were warmer than the air outside. I took my time and watched as others struggled in the tent. One guy would not stop shivering. My heart went out to him. I gave myself one hour total for swim and transition, so I needed to haul ass if I wanted to finish before the cut off time. </div>
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Out the chute, I went to my bike and pulled Shadow from her spot. I had it in a low gear to ensure that I made it up the slight hill getting out of transition. It was go time!</div>
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The first few miles felt great. The course was relatively flat, which meant everyone was averaging 23-24mph. It wasn't until mile 25 or so that I hit my wall. The lack of training caught up to me! The headwinds started and my average dropped down to 14-15mph. I felt beat. I wasn't hungry, I wasn't thirsty, and my back had started to hurt. </div>
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I trudged through - surprisingly enough, in a faster time than some of my other half ironmans. There were so many turns!</div>
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I was SO GLAD to be done with the bike.</div>
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I made my way to the rack, grabbed my bib and my shoes, and started the run. The "run". Oh, man. 2 years ago I developed plantar fasciitis on my left foot, which led to a bone spur, which led to a hairline fracture on my left calf, which ultimately led me to stop running because everything always hurt. </div>
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Surprisingly enough, the run wasn't too bad. When my calf started to hurt, I'd walk a little bit, but I tried to keep the running up as much as possible. Six miles passed very quickly. It wasn't until I had to start the second loop that I got a little sad. I could hear the announcer calling out the names of those who were finishing, and all I wanted to do was be done. </div>
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When I got to mile 10 on the golf course path that would never end, I could hear a man from behind me shout as the man in front of me (who was walking) screamed "oh no" and started running. As it turns out, the guy (Roger) and his brother (Gary) were doing the same race, and Roger's brother was closing in on him! Try as he might, Roger couldn't beat his brother, so he settled on running the rest of the way with me. </div>
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Very fortuitous, indeed. I always find that making a buddy always makes the time go by faster. Roger was great company.
I was so happy to be finished, I had a ton of energy left!</div>
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I always say this, but I am very lucky to be surrounded by some of the best people there are out there. I had a great support crew, and Jason and Mike not only volunteered, but stayed to watch me finish. Alice, as always, is the kindest person I know. She schlepped all of my bags and my beautiful Shadow back to safety and still made it in time to watch me finish! Thank you all for being the reason I race. </div>
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I got back to the hotel and slept for 13 hours. It was great. </div>
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I still can't believe I'm now a 5-time Half-Ironman and a 2-time Full Ironman. </div>
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It feels great to know that I can do things beyond my wildest imagination. </div>
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Until next time...</div>
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<br />winjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182136023558011232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397044381841532887.post-8031989434463863832018-06-12T19:38:00.001-07:002018-06-13T09:10:43.954-07:00Ride Report: AIDS/LifeCycle 2018I'm still reeling over what a fantastic week it's been with AIDS/LifeCycle and the Love Bubble. This year's experience was MUCH different from last year's, and I feel like I'm back as a completely different person.<br />
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This year, as many of you know, was a milestone year for me. I crossed a landmark in terms of age, and it with it I wanted to make sure I checked off personal achievements as well. At 28, I completed my first IRONMAN and qualified as an All-World Athlete, placing in the top 10% of my age group. At 29, I did my first ALC ride from San Francisco to LA, and I thought I had done everything. So at 30, I figured, "Why the hell not?" and decided that I would do both an IRONMAN AND the ALC ride, 2 weeks apart.<br />
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I know, I'm crazy.<br />
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I figured that logically I would be in the best shape of my life if I decided I wanted to bike the 545 miles, but what I didn't anticipate was the lack of training I'd be doing in 2018. Welp. All said and done - I still did it!<br />
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Let's recap the week of festivities:<br />
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Unlike my ride the year prior, this year's ride was full of last minute additions. Because I already knew what to expect from the ride, I didn't feel the pressure to pack 6 weeks in advance - nor did I feel the pressure to pack even one week in advance. You've got it, folks - I was packing the night before. It was insane. No one should every wait that long to pack a week of their lives into a small bag: especially when it involves camping, lack of electricity, and 90% sun exposure.<br />
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Friday was uneventful with the exception of the ALC Sendoff Party at the Lookout and dinner with Robert and Matt. I got to see a lot of familiar faces and met quite a few unfamiliar ones.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can't take me anywhere.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I knew seeing Mark Witko meant it was going to be a good week. :) </td></tr>
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There were, of course, a few unsightly things that I couldn't unsee that night, but let's just leave it at "I learned a lot and gay culture fascinates me immensely."<br />
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I woke up bright and early for our Orientation Saturday morning. Robert and I grabbed breakfast at the hotel before we caught a Lyft over to Cow Palace, where we would be going over the details of the week's events.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacob, my emergency contact</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charlie, almost a tri queen</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally got to meet up with some of the other members of our team!</td></tr>
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We were briefed and then shepherded into another giant room to get wristbanded, tagged, and given the ability to check on our bikes. I had shipped Shadow the week prior (another good year with ACE Shipping!) and finally was able to see that she was okay. I forgot to tape my bottles to her and they made it all the way up north, intact and still connected! I took it as a foreshadowing sign of a good ride.<br />
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I took an uber to the Ferry Building in SF and met my little brother and his girlfriend Irene for a day of fun before the trip! We had lunch at Roli Roti, took the Ferry to Angel Island, and rode bikes (ironic, I know) around the island.<br />
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I love adventures. We had such a blast. The island was only 6 miles round-trip, which was nice. I'd probably go back again just to run or walk the island. Some people kayaked in from Sausalito and were hiking! Glad I got to see a part of San Francisco I hadn't seen before, though.<br />
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We met up with Bryan and Alex for dinner at E Tutto Qua, where we gorged on Italian food that definitely proved that our eyes were bigger than our stomachs.<br />
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The boys dropped me off, I re-packed, and set my alarm for 3:30 am. It was almost time.<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><u><span style="font-size: medium;">SUNDAY. DAY (1). San Francisco to Santa Cruz</span></u></b><br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><u><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></u></b>
I was so excited for the ride that I didn't even need an alarm to wake up. I met up with some of the team in the lobby, our Lyft (an Audi A6!) took us to Cow Palace, and we joined hands with over 2,200 cyclists and 800 roadies, volunteers, and employees in the Opening Ceremonies. Every year, we ride with a red bicycle down the coast. It represents the people who have lived with HIV and were unable to get the treatment they needed. The bike is a reminder that one day, in a world free of AIDS, we won't need the riderless bicycle anymore.<br />
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As we headed down to where our bikes were racked, I was stopped by a very friendly person named Emery, who told me he had read my blog and thanked me for recapping my ride last year! What fun. I was so excited to have been recognized in a crowd and acknowledged for doing something that I loved doing in my free time.<br />
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By 7am, we were off!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lumberjacks in Pacifica!</td></tr>
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Daly City to Pacifica, San Gregorio State Beach for Lunch, and taking Highway 1 most of the way into Santa Cruz. Total elevation: 4,718 (more than Mt. Baldy!)<br />
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Day 1, done.<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><u><span style="font-size: medium;">MONDAY. DAY (2). Santa Cruz to King City</span></u></b><br />
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Day 2 has historically been the longest day at 109 miles. It's also known as Orange Safety Day given the mileage and the amount of cars on the road.<br />
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As we left Santa Cruz in the morning, we were met with this BEAUTIFUL fog wall. Truth be told, I had never seen anything like it! If I had more time, I probably would have stayed there to watch more of the magic unfold, but since I've notoriously been a stickler for time, I grabbed a quick picture and then continued on my way.<br />
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The ride passed rather quickly, and the water stop after Rest Stop 3 led me to one of my favorite parts of the ride: THE OTTER POP STOP!<br />
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The Otter Pop Stop is eponymous, but also holds a lot of meaning in the LGBT community. So many things I had to learn as a straight woman going into this, but if it means free ice pops, I'm in!<br />
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Despite the long ride, however, we managed to make it in to camp relatively early. Mark and I met up for face masks (you will learn of my love for face masks at a later time), and the boys and I cozied up in the lounge to chat while the sun set.<br />
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Day 2, done.<br />
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Daily Elevation, 3,251.<br />
Total elevtion, 7,969.<br />
Equivalent to - Mount Olympus in Washington!<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><u><span style="font-size: medium;">TUESDAY. DAY (3). King City to Paso Robles</span></u></b><br />
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Day 3 is Quadbuster Day! People used to say that Quadbuster day was the hardest day. It involves a massive hill that forces grown men to walk sometimes. If you're not in it mentally, you're definitely not in it physically.<br />
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I guess I had forgotten how much I had trained for the IRONMAN, because Quadbuster was relatively easy for me! I took my time and wasn't even out of breath when I got to the top.<br />
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Side note - there is a team who rides ALC every year named The Cretins, and in short, THEY. ARE. BADASS. They ride all 545 miles on their fixies! SINGLE SPEED SINGLE GEAR. SUCH BADASS.<br />
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One of the Cretins was going up Quadbuster as I was going up, and she made it 3/4 of the way before pooping out. I still have so much respect for her because 1. she attempted it. 2. she made it 75% of the way up 3. on a fixie. I can't even.<br />
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Day 3 was also one of the shortest days - probably because the day before was so brutal. It was one of the most eventful too. We made a stop in the city of Bradley: POPULATION 1,048. Yep. you read that correctly. Their school of K-8 is reportedly 50 students. What is that, like 6 kids per grade?!<br />
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Regardless, the kids are SO SWEET and every year they put on a barbeque fundraiser for all of the cyclists that ride through. We make a donation and can dictate where the money goes: to performing arts, to the sciences, etc. It's great. The kids get to experience so much because of us! This year, we fundraised over $65,000 for the kids at Bradley.<br />
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Before I left the school, I happened to see a BEAUTIFUL bird perched on a man's shoulder. As I do with just about every animal, I stooped down and asked if I could pet it! The man told me to hold out my finger, and Andy hopped onto it, no questions asked! I learned that Andy was a 27-year-old bird (he didn't look a day over 3!), and he was just so excited to be there. Quiet and tame... Birds may now be in the running for future pet options.<br />
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I caught up to Matt at Camp Roberts, located on the historic El Camino Real (!!!!) and known as the largest California National Guard training installation in the state. They let us climb onto the tanks and peer inside them.<br />
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From there, we headed over to Mission San Miguel, built in 1797 and one of only 2 Missions I've ever been to. Last time I wasn't able to go inside, but this time I stayed a little longer to enjoy the scenic wonders of the Catholic Church.<br />
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Before I left, I watched one of the shows put on by my favorite rest stop team in the tune of Decades of Divas. </div>
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Got back to camp relatively early, so I hung out at the lounge, finished the book I had started, and enjoyed some ice cream. 2 kinds, actually. It was truly starting to feel like summer.<br />
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When I FaceTimed with my sister and Phil that night, however, I started to feel like something was off. My lower lip was starting to swell! Was it the sun? Was it something I ate? Hm.<br />
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Regardless, Day 3 was done.<br />
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="405" scrolling="no" src="https://www.strava.com/activities/1619627159/embed/8cc28c80b6ed506d241989172ce2de2e1bc191cf" width="590"></iframe>
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Daily elevation: 2,583<br />
Total Elevatoin: 10,552<br />
Equivalent to: just a bit over Mt. Baldy!<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><u><span style="font-size: medium;">WEDNESDAY. DAY (4). Paso Robles to Santa Maria</span></u></b><br />
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Day 4. Halfway to LA day! If you followed along on my journey via social media, you probably know by now that this was both an amazing and a horrible day, all wrapped up into one.<br />
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But back to the story.<br />
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I woke up with a fatty lower lip. I definitely thought something was wrong, so I went to the medical tent to see someone who could help me. They told me that this was common and that the only solution they had found to work was to soothe the swelling on my lips (it was likely a sunburn) with something they fondly called "lip shit". yes. Lip shit. A mixture of zinc oxide and preparation H (you didn't misread that) that many people had grown to love on the ride. Prolonged exposure to sun was making them crazy too.<br />
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I declined the lip shit - Carmex was not going to fail me now and I licked my lips way too much to be ok with lip shit on me - and left for my ride, but visiting the med tent meant that I was going to get a very late start to a very long day of riding.<br />
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I handed my luggage off to my grannies, and off we went!<br />
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I think because I had done the ride before, the nervousness was no longer there. I knew that if I took my time, I'd have a great experience, and I did! Day 4 was the Evil Twins Day. What that meant was that we would ride up a massive hill, go up its evil step sister (it came out of nowhere) and then go up another massive hill just like the first one.<br />
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At the end of the hill? HALFWAY TO LA.<br />
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I do think that my training paid off, because the twins were mere hills to me in this sense as well. I wasn't out of breath, I wasn't irritated that people were passing me, and I was so excited to be dominating something that scared me so much in years past!<br />
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Travis, Matt, and I took pictures at the top and agreed to meet at various rest stops on the way home. Again, Rest Stop 4 won "favorite rest stop of the day" with my favorite song from The Greatest Showman! (also because I don't know any other songs from the movie and truthfully have still yet to see it...)<br />
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<br />
Matt and I loaded up on snacks and got ready to ride the last 7 miles back to camp. We were about 3 miles away, going about 20+ miles per hour when I hit a bump in the road and flew off my bike into oncoming traffic. I was stunned. To be honest, I don't know what was going on in my head at that time. All I remember is tilting over to the left and hitting the asphalt. Hard.<br />
<br />
Matt, who instantaneously became my knight in shining armor, directed traffic on both sides while a nice man tried to help me up (Doug? I think his name was Doug). My whole left side was in pain. I tried to stand but couldn't put any weight on my left side because of how much it hurt. When I got up, we moved to the side of the road.<br />
<br />
Matt picked up my stuff, which had scattered across the street, and as the ambulance arrived (one of the girls had called 911), I turned around and asked him to pause my Garmin. <a href="https://goo.gl/6PbRoy" target="_blank">True story: It's a movement</a>. I laughed because I was THAT person.<br />
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The EMTs checked to make sure that I had not broken my collarbone, took my vitals, and poked and prodded until they were convinced that nothing was wrong with me. They urged me to go to the hospital to check and make sure my elbow was not broken, but I waived my right to a hospital ride (do you know how much those things cost?!) and they bound my arm in a sling before asking me to sign release forms so they could leave.<br />
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Matt waited with me while the SAG vehicle was summoned, and the 8 or so people who had stopped to help me slowly departed (Thank you to each and every one of you who stopped for me!). Matt told me that a car had just passed him as he saw me fall and he was convinced that my life flashed before his eyes (his words were more like "a car had just passed me as you crashed" but if I were him, I'd flash my life before his eyes too. Even though he had, at that point, only known me for less than a week. Let's just say it was a very short flash and call it even).<br />
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It was scary to find out that had it been timed differently, I could have ended up in a very different situation. 3 seconds later, 5 seconds later: would I have hit my head? Could I have been hit by a car? Would I still be here right now? I kept running the scenario through my mind. Could I have prevented this incident? What could I have done differently?<br />
<br />
Nothing. If I could replay this day all over again, the same course of events would have happened. Nothing could have been changed. No one can really anticipate a wheel hitting a bump, aligning so serendipitously to move the wheel in a certain way, cause imbalance, and force someone to fly off their handles. Literally.<br />
<br />
And yet, here I am.<br />
<br />
The SAG vehicle came and drove me back to camp. They dropped me off at Medical, where an array of doctors took a look at me and told me the same thing: go to the hospital, get checked out, make sure there are no broken bones.<br />
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The hard-headed part of me told them that I was ok, but they pulled the final card out when they told me that I wasn't allowed to ride until I could produce x-rays of my bones, whole and unharmed. hrmph.<br />
<br />
Okay, you win. I'll go to the hospital. Everything was starting to hurt anyway. The adrenaline was starting to wear off.<br />
<br />
The doctor promised me that I'd have someone with me at the hospital. I didn't want to go it alone. Two women came to take me, and we left for the Marian Regional Medical Center. We pulled up to emergency, they dropped me off, and as I was rolling away in the wheelchair a nurse had gotten for me, one of the girls handed me a yellow slip and told me to call someone at Command when I was ready to leave.<br />
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That's it? No one was going to stay with me? If I had known, I would have asked someone. Hospitals are a scary place. To be hurt and alone is crippling because of the sheer uncertainty of it all. Luckily, the nurses and the doctors took great care of me. I had my vitals taken again and was given my own room to wait in. I spoke with a doctor for an extended amount of time about what happened and they did three x-rays from 3 different angles of my elbow to make sure they didn't miss anything.<br />
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And then we waited.<br />
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It was probably a little over an hour before I heard back to find that nothing was wrong. Huge sigh of relief. They cleaned the rocks out from my wound and then dressed it before they discharged me, and I called Command to let them know I was ready to be picked up.<br />
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"Someone should be picking you up tonight, hopefully."<br />
<br />
What?!<br />
<br />
I waited an hour and a half before Jen from med transport found me and brought me back to camp, but by then it had already been lights out for a few hours and everyone was asleep. We walked over to the medical tent (now my most frequented location on the ride!) and the doctors gave me another once over before letting me know it was okay for me to go to bed. I was not allowed to ride day 5, but I could check in before day 6 to see if it was okay. They are thorough, and for that I am grateful.<br />
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Thankfully, Travis and Matt had set up my tent for me and grabbed my stuff. I knew I had the best guys on the team! Jen walked with me to my tent and wished me well. The real battle that night was managing my bag with one hand. I changed, took a baby wipe shower (yes, it's a real thing. It involves baby wipes and wiping yourself down so you don't sleep in your own cold sweat), and huddled around my bag with a mylar blanket and slept. I'd deal with my problems on Day 5.<br />
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Day 4, mostly done.<br />
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Daily Elevation: 4,746<br />
Total Elevation: 15,298<br />
Higher than Mt Whitney, almost as high as Mont Blanc!<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><u><span style="font-size: medium;">THURSDAY. DAY (5). Santa Maria to Lompoc</span></u></b><br />
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This was one of my favorite days last year. I was so sad that I wouldn't be able to enjoy it like I did in 2017, but I was very enlightened in the sense that I was able to see the ride from another perspective.<br />
<br />
Good ol' past Winnie, who set a recurring 4:30am alarm for the week... woke present Winnie up with her darn pre-crastination skills.<br />
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I got 2 hours of sleep on Thursday. Luckily, I didn't have very much stuff to put away, and as I was attempting to tie my shoe with one hand, the medic team from the night before showed up at my tent! I know that we are all thankful for different things, but I am always thankful for the people in my life, no matter the circumstances. Jen and David were only there to check in, and I cried a little on the inside.<br />
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David masterfully pulled my tent down for me and everyone helped me roll my luggage so it could be transported over to the next stop: Lompoc.<br />
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I felt broken. I went over to the Medical tent to check in, as instructed, with the doctors there. I was told once again that I needed to take the day off to give my body time to recoup, and as they changed my dressings they told me that if I felt like it, I could ride Day 6.<br />
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That's all I needed to hear.<br />
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Red Dress Day is always the shortest day that we ride, so I was happy not to have missed too much mileage: only 41 miles.<br />
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I waited in line to get onto the bus, and when we rolled into the new location for the day, we were still there 3 hours before it was set to open. Other cyclists had already arrived - they beat the bus into getting into camp!<br />
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A special guardian angel called me while I was sitting on a lounge chair waiting for Travis and Matt to come in. "There's a hotel a mile away with your name on it." And though I tried with my might to say no, I succumbed, under very special circumstances, to my first PRINCESSING part of the ride! (That's when you stay in a hotel instead of with the camp).<br />
<br />
It was something I really, really needed. I needed to shower (it had been well over 24 hours and I still had not gotten the sweat from the last ride off me, even though personally I believed in the power of baby wipes) and I needed to clean the wound thoroughly and let it air out so it could heal.<br />
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Thank you, T. You truly are a godsend and I am so lucky to be able to call you my friend.<br />
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The boys and I spent the afternoon eating our hearts out at Solvang Brewing Company. It was delicious. The ice cream didn't hurt either.<br />
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I spent the rest of the evening in my hotel room, assessing the damages of the night before.<br />
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I still stand by my testament that I am lucky to be alive. I had holes on the right side of my jersey, holes on the left side of my shorts... I tore through my sleeves, and I CRUSHED the can of sunblock. My brand new Ironman Jersey 😭. I'm so sad. (to be clear, though - I'm not as sad anymore as I've since ordered a new replacement jersey. Now I'm only sad about how much it cost.)<br />
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Day 5, done (in spirit).<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><u><span style="font-size: medium;">FRIDAY. DAY (6). Lompoc to Ventura</span></u></b><br />
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Day 6!! I was so antsy about not being able to ride that I was determined to ride despite being in pain. My left side was still very sensitive, and bruises were starting to form, but I needed to do this. I didn't want to spend another day waiting at camp while everyone was having fun. It was like FOMO but being present and missing out. It was just weird. I didn't like it.<br />
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We got to ride on the 101 Freeway! Had a few rest stops and blew past lunch..<br />
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Before we got to Santa Barbara, home of McConnell's Ice Cream and the PARADISE PIT!<br />
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Fresh fruit, nice people, and of course - ICE CREAM!<br />
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We rolled out to Rest Stop 4, where Bo Peep was hanging with her sheep. Dance parties ensued.<br />
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Camp was only a few miles out, so I took it easy, but was still one of the first few back in. I had an early dinner with Adam and we walked over to the beach to skip rocks (successfully!) and watch the waves crash. It was nice.<br />
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We concluded the evening with the Candlelight Vigil.</div>
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Two years ago, I was introduced to ALC by way of this candlelight vigil. My hair caught on fire (a story for another day), and I fell in love with this community that mourned for brothers and sisters who could not be with them because of the cards life dealt them. I didn't understand it then, I didn't understand it last year, but I definitely understood it this year.<br />
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Matt and I had an open conversation about what the stigma of HIV entailed, and for the first time since I signed up for the ALC ride, I wanted to do more. Mark blew me away on Day 3 of the ride when he told me that he would sign up every year until there was a cure. No hesitancy, just a will to want to change the status quo. I am so lucky to be surrounded by such amazing characters in life, who motivate me to want to be more than I am.<br />
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On day 6, I signed up again for ALC.<br />
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Day 6, Done.<br />
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="405" scrolling="no" src="https://www.strava.com/activities/1628256077/embed/b5ec5c56fcff081b200596ab95332779d4c38921" width="590"></iframe>
Daily Elevation: 3,173<br />
Total elevation: 18,471 (not counting day 5 elevation, just what I did)<br />
Equivalent to: Pico De Orizaba (Highest Peak in Mexico) and higher than Base Camp at Everest!<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><u><span style="font-size: medium;">SATURDAY. DAY (7). Ventura to Los Angeles!</span></u></b><br />
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Day 7! I am always excited to return home. I just wanted to sleep in my own bed and shower in something other than a truck. We were told that the course would open at 6am vs the normal 6:30 time frame, so Travis, Matt, and I anticipated leaving as soon as the gates opened.<br />
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By 7:30, we were already in Malibu at the Missile Park.<br />
Patrick texted me and jokingly asked if we were going to come in at 9:30am.<br />
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We were making great time!<br />
By 11:30. we had made it to lunch, but Travis took a spill getting into Will Rogers State Beach, and he and Matt decided to leave earlier to get to the finish line faster.<br />
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I took my time, and headed out shortly after. I originally thought I would be at Grand Park earlier than anticipated, but I should have stuck to what I told everyone in the first place. DTLA traffic doesn't just affect public transportation and automobiles - it affects cyclists just as much! I made the mistake of not reapplying sunblock. It was getting pretty hot waiting for traffic lights to turn green.<br />
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But I made it!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-C_dDtWVgzdTEUT1bLFWcqsrCMcsvTLaWm54tMi0loWFJs2_ywzLFFfk3Nl_-2hBcpL9NKALoxFMkhaMqTci_0-RRqmP4FPDhl_Y6jUmaOxeSPIrZrkQAJ6jTrVtBHPFTZ2I0osXnIP9/s1600/IMG_7735.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-C_dDtWVgzdTEUT1bLFWcqsrCMcsvTLaWm54tMi0loWFJs2_ywzLFFfk3Nl_-2hBcpL9NKALoxFMkhaMqTci_0-RRqmP4FPDhl_Y6jUmaOxeSPIrZrkQAJ6jTrVtBHPFTZ2I0osXnIP9/s320/IMG_7735.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what true happiness looks like. A girl and her Hot Cheetos.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daddy and me <3</td></tr>
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I'm so happy to be back. I'm healing (I'd show you all the wound but I don't think you'd like me very much after.) Can't wait for next year. Love love love the Love Bubble and so glad I had such a great team to ride with this year. I wouldn't change it for the world.<br />
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Day 7, Done.<br />
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="405" scrolling="no" src="https://www.strava.com/activities/1628257308/embed/e0969b6b538cff4b16591d1d5f523b90eae51dd1" width="590"></iframe>
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Daily elevation - 2,060<br />
Total Elevation - 20,531<br />
Equivalent to - Denali, the highest peak in North America!<br />
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I may not have done it all, but I did more than most. My heart rate jumped up for the week (my resting is 38) but every day, I was active. I'm proud of what I did, for the cause I did it for, and I can't wait to do it again.<br />
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Until next time.<br />
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P.S. - The love for face masks - I was not kidding.<br />
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I did one every day on the ride!<br />
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A Special THANK YOU to all of my Donors (in order of Donation), who made this ride possible for me:<br />
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Nick C, Anthony R, Isabelle L, Hymie A, Jessica and the Mad Engine Team, Hymie and Connie and C-Life, Sagar, Howard and the HYP team, Jim H, Jason A, Chris H, Lisa L, Kathryn H, Joseph H and HighPoint, Andrew F, Michael E, Sung L, Cuong Q, Chan T, Eunice Y, Donna B, Thalia D, Joyce J, Frank B, Naomi, Richie, Layna, and the Berkshire Family, Adam S, Allison C, Sarvish and Surreal, and Maureen D!<br />
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<br />winjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182136023558011232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397044381841532887.post-31567391701027547332018-05-16T23:37:00.003-07:002018-05-17T09:20:25.455-07:00Race Report: winja's IRONMAN SANTA ROSA (May 12, 2018)<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">I DID IT. I'm an IRONWOMAN. AGAIN!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">It was a whirlwind of emotions this past weekend, but I'm fortunate enough to say that I finished the race and have officially "renewed my membership" to the IRONMAN club. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">A year and a half ago, <a href="http://www.whatareweironing.com/2016/11/race-report-winjas-ironman-arizona_23.html" target="_blank">when I finished IMAZ</a>, I told myself (and others) that I was "one and done". It was a lifetime achievement - so much so that I would have been content never working out again. But then I got restless and needed to fill my time with something, so I signed up for AIDS/LifeCycle, biked down the coast of California, and in the blink of an eye, 2017 was over. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">2018 was a milestone year for me: new job, new living situation, and new priorities. It meant putting on my "big girl pants" and making decisions. So many decisions. Many people welcome change: I will be the first to admit that it's hard. My hours in the office were extended, I worked out much less, and my self-esteem suffered in the cause-and-effect cycle of not having enough time to do all the things I wanted to do. But </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;">c'est la vie. When the dust settles, I know that I will thoroughly enjoy all that life has in store for me. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;">(WARNING: This is a huge wall of text. I come back and read it often though, so bear with me.)</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;">For those who don't know, an IRONMAN is 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of cycling, and 26.2 miles of running. To qualify as an IRONMAN, one must complete all three legs in 17 hours, or it will not count. That's similar to swimming from SF to Alcatraz, Biking from Long Beach to San Diego, and then running from Dodger Stadium to the Santa Monica Pier. All in one day. </span></span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><u>PRE-RACE:</u></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">I had been avoiding packing for this race for the longest time. In fact, I'd successfully avoided reading the athlete guide (with all the race details, maps, and directions) up until the week prior to the race and was under the impression that the race was on a Sunday. Nope - it was on a Saturday. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Moving from one apartment to another upended my life: I was living out of boxes, and while I'm particular about many things, unpacking is low on my totem pole when there are other things that need to be addressed. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Like my last IM, I had begun to develop a rash on my side due to stress. I knew what it was so I didn't worry too much about it. I hastily packed everything I could on Wednesday night, snoozed for a few hours, and got up at 4am on Thursday to leave for Santa Rosa. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;">We started our journey at 5am. The goal was to get to Santa Rosa in time for the athlete briefing at 2:</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvjpMpPRdTBIaLhTsTWoy6dRvfvy9Ut08m6tR5CKjgRZvOxcRNeRQlIn0_UK4mgFIwkPZN4LlFzL0Uk6hbTgmbb-L7n1NH-ZZzjIazeogHMSntCYo1MyADYmAyXF6SHvG8dtcHzsCXY7gF/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-05-16+at+12.27.33+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1144" data-original-width="982" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvjpMpPRdTBIaLhTsTWoy6dRvfvy9Ut08m6tR5CKjgRZvOxcRNeRQlIn0_UK4mgFIwkPZN4LlFzL0Uk6hbTgmbb-L7n1NH-ZZzjIazeogHMSntCYo1MyADYmAyXF6SHvG8dtcHzsCXY7gF/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-05-16+at+12.27.33+PM.png" width="274" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santa Rosa is far.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;">I signed my life away, learned a little more about the race logistics, and prepped myself for all of the hills we were going to see on the bike course. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Fear now surpassed by excitement, Joyce and I headed out to drive the bike course. At</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"> our athlete orientation, we were told that we'd be climbing nearly 4,000 feet in elevation. That's equivalent to climbing Mt. Baldy. On your bike. It was exhausting just thinking about it. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">The worst part? Just a week prior Strava sent me an email to remind me just how little I trained. "7 days," it said. I'm sure 5 of those days were cycling. How embarrassing. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">To take my mind off things, my sister and I met up with our little brother, Kelvin, in Petaluma for dinner. Brazilian BBQ is probably not the best for carb-loading, but THOSE CHEESE ROLLS. So good. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;">We got back to the hotel later that evening and before I went to sleep, I had this great idea to sort out all of my stuff chronologically. I got a little too excited with the sorting. Every little thing counted, and I ended up purging a lot of items before they went into the bags. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;">To be clear: I would do this again every time. I loved the idea of laying everything out and walking through what I would be doing. Did I really need 2 sets of goggles for the swim? Probably not. But it would be smart to have a bottle of water for every bag, right? Sure. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;">The best thing I did for myself? Write directions. Every bag had directions. "Drink this." "Eat this." "Put this in your pocket." - when the volunteers came around to help me during my transitions, they read the directions on each baggie and told me to drink, eat, and shove stuff into my pockets. I never felt like I was forgetting anything, nor did I ever feel like I was wasting any time. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;">On Friday, we were required to drop off our bikes, our bike bags, and our run bags. We drove over to the town center, dropped off the run bag, and drove the 30 miles to Lake Sonoma, where the swim was to be held. I pulled my bike out of the car, put some air into the tires (just in case I wouldn't get the chance the next morning) and grabbed my bike bag for T1. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;">As I walked into T1 to put my bike bag down, I was advised to pull anything remotely edible from my bag. Apparently last year, wildlife had entered T1 in the middle of the night to snack on Clif bars and other treats. Alice mentioned to me that during T1 last year, one of the first swimmers came in only to find that his bag had been taken and dragged down the hill by a fox! The athlete was stuck looking for his bag and was ultimately one of the last athletes to leave transition because of his predicament. Poor guy. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;">A volunteer followed me to my bag and strongly encouraged me to take "anything that would be eaten" out. He made me take my inhaler, my chapstick, and my sunblock out so that I'd "still have my bag" in the morning. Really? My inhaler? Fine. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;">Joyce and I spent the rest of the morning at Lake Sonoma. We watched some of the athletes test the waters, sat on the dock, and dipped our feet in. The temperature was perfect. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;">Every little thing triggered me. Who signs up for an Ironman and then doesn't train for it? Me. Who goes into something not knowing the outcome? Well, probably plenty of people. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;">The rest of the day included food - lots of food - before heading back to the hotel for last minute check-ups, putting my numbers on!!!, and bed. </span></span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><u>RACE DAY. </u></b><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;">It's 2:30am and I. AM. JAZZED. soooooo excited! </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;">I shove a sandwich into my mouth - a King's hawaiian roll stuffed with spam - made by Alice the night before. My sister drops me off at the town center, I drop off my special needs bags, and I stand in line for the shuttle. The plan was to have Joyce drop me off so that there would be no hiccups, and then she would meet me at Lake Sonoma in the event that she had trouble finding parking, etc. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;">We got to T1, and I immediately headed over to my bike to check on it. Are my tires still there?! Calm down, Winnie. They are. Are they still inflated?! I said CALM DOWN. They are. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;">I set up all of my nutrition: Jelly Belly Sport Beans in my bento box for a quick, sweet jolt on the ride, Endurolytes for hourly checkups, and a disposable bottle on my frame so that I could trade it out at each aid station. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;">I met back up with Joyce.Time for the waiting game. </span></span><br />
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As the boat ramp continues to fill up, I start to feel this numb sensation. I'm excited, I'm scared, but more than anything I think I'm just indifferent. In the event that I didn't finish, Patrick had made a great point: I was already an Ironman. I had nothing to prove. I had no one to prove it to. </div>
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If I finished, great. If I didn't? Well, I'd be right back where I started. </div>
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I said my goodbyes to Joyce and watched as the horn sounded and the elite athletes got into the water. Athletes slowly filed in, and at 6:57am, it was my turn. The volunteers in front of me lowered their arms, signaling that I could get into the water, and I waded in.</div>
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The swim was beautiful. I thoroughly enjoyed it. With the exception of a few people trying to swim over me, I took the swim slow and focused on my breathing and keeping my arms steady. I counted - every two strokes was one number, and I made my way up to 1,100 before coming out of the water, walking up the boat dock, scanning my timing chip over the mat, and then... doing it again. 1.2 miles, done. 1.2 left to go. </div>
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The second loop was a little rockier than the first. Some people were on their first lap still, which meant having to swim around them or having to redirect myself so I could avoid them. By the time I counted to 1,100 again, it was time to get out of the water. I was consistent in my swimming, and only 4 minutes slower than my first Ironman, so I'll take that win. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOtMmeFifr5KB-2QlBd-3nDtQeTNxUZ2AJiEhTokNfqPp0YjNDIEnfgQRFarQrnCt8mLJvkdgxpe0loWHekUxErdfB5Pp-8z27nMkwTYKGgFr7lsGC06eivuILe_IfdSdJL1_3lOOEaw7_/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-05-16+at+11.29.40+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="646" data-original-width="980" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOtMmeFifr5KB-2QlBd-3nDtQeTNxUZ2AJiEhTokNfqPp0YjNDIEnfgQRFarQrnCt8mLJvkdgxpe0loWHekUxErdfB5Pp-8z27nMkwTYKGgFr7lsGC06eivuILe_IfdSdJL1_3lOOEaw7_/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-05-16+at+11.29.40+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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IM says my total swim time was 1:29:29, averaging 2:19/100m.</div>
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Strava says my total swim time was 1:29:25, averaging 1:59/100y.</div>
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I'll take it. </div>
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="405" scrolling="no" src="https://www.strava.com/activities/1568653854/embed/d05a517693fa9d5b9b6dfd6a5db321547e150fda" width="590"></iframe><br />
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Getting out of the water also meant having to climb the massive boat ramp to get up to T1. Realistically, running up it meant that I would be tired for the bike portion, so I walked up. Peter met me as a volunteer wetsuit stripper, and held my hand as I stepped out of my suit.<br />
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I ran the rest of the way to grab my Bike bag, and made my way into the women's changing tent, where Nanette (a fellow Women for Tri ambassador that I met at Vineman 70.3 2 years ago!) helped me pull items from my bag. She fed me, made sure I had sunblock on my arms and back, and helped me put all of my swim stuff away!<br />
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I mounted my bike, and was a few miles in before I realized I had not put any sunblock on my face. MY PERFECT PLAN, FOILED BY THE SUN! Luckily, past Winnie thought ahead and put a sunblock stick into the bento box. Thank goodness, because temps were predicted to be in the mid-80s during the day.<br />
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I've probably told everyone willing to listen at this point, but hear me out! The bike portion of this race was hard. Probably not the hardest thing I've ever done, but certainly challenging, to say the least. The first part of the race held the biggest climbs: a 200 elevation climb, a steep descent, followed by a 400 elevation climb. Normally that's fine, but there must have been 100 smaller hills along the course. The descent at mile 3 is deceiving - you think you're going to rock the bike ride, and smaller hills bring you back down to size.<br />
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I wish Strava would tell you where the winds were during your ride. The race briefing person told us that the winds would come from the north, so if we timed our ride correctly, we'd have the winds on our backs pushing us forward the whole time. I was looking for this much-needed aid, and got it for the first 60 miles...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhynS3TyMFyKr4tFj0uqsIJHe7REuQGnmF6uHQxisRLjYN5dQizUyVsv2QwUGW3dLFRVXaZFvcBYz3xXHCTflTAMLkiFLwdLwQBD-6FVNjiq3qnI0yo2U9OgsfJ0W_5DZ3U5xjuGAvpR5F5/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-05-16+at+11.31.17+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="948" data-original-width="622" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhynS3TyMFyKr4tFj0uqsIJHe7REuQGnmF6uHQxisRLjYN5dQizUyVsv2QwUGW3dLFRVXaZFvcBYz3xXHCTflTAMLkiFLwdLwQBD-6FVNjiq3qnI0yo2U9OgsfJ0W_5DZ3U5xjuGAvpR5F5/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-05-16+at+11.31.17+PM.png" width="209" /></a></div>
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After special needs, however, it took a turn for the worse. The wind decided it wanted to come up from the south instead, which meant we were met with headwinds. For 50+ miles. By round 2 of Chalk Hill at mile 88, I was shedding invisible tears while going up a steep hill at 4mph with headwinds. It broke me.<br />
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Somehow, I trudged on through to mile 112. I counted up to 1,000 and then backwards from 1,000. When I lost my place with the numbers, I'd choose a random number and continue counting down. Anything to pass the time. My toes went numb. My legs started to cramp. The wall was creeping up.<br />
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When I did IMAZ, my friend John mentioned offhandedly that if I was able to get off the bike by 4pm, I'd be able to walk the marathon portion of race. I looked down at my watch and saw that I was ahead of my own schedule. If I picked up the pace, not only would I make it back before 4 -- I could legitimately walk the run portion of the race and still make it before the 17 hour cutoff time!<br />
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Trudge, trudge, trudge.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw9EgozXUhlSzMUHjnZTWTu41lmB9gqmum3u1s8ZfyZfe7AERv-0lue__2EE5uvmJmDd62cGm_ZkQlywBdN7A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
I got to T2 and a volunteer held me as I said #ShutUpLegs and peeled myself off my bike. Only 26.2 miles separated me from the finish line.<br />
<br />
My bike portion was amazing.<br />
<br />
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IM says my total bike time was 7:11:01, averaging 15.59mph.</div>
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Strava says my total bike time was 7:08:05, averaging 15.6mph.</div>
<br />
Considering the climb, the headwinds, the hill at mile 88 - I will take this. Hell, I would take this on a bike ride ANY DAY! At one point, I was coasting at 19.91mph. YES. YES. YES.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvzpEMOMhUD8InU5Oz3x6hDv30cfYj0x2-2gibQOyy7f1Jw8ObrHtTCGlmJ1fpUgNZc8eJuFcsWC3iNK5AhWkhW9YxBnJN2SZ8SvgoeYBrUdzBHpNtd9rO7klMyBkb887GxkfMpj4stZFP/s1600/Image-1-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="750" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvzpEMOMhUD8InU5Oz3x6hDv30cfYj0x2-2gibQOyy7f1Jw8ObrHtTCGlmJ1fpUgNZc8eJuFcsWC3iNK5AhWkhW9YxBnJN2SZ8SvgoeYBrUdzBHpNtd9rO7klMyBkb887GxkfMpj4stZFP/s320/Image-1-2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
The best part? I was less than 8 minutes slower than I was at IMAZ: a predominantly flat course with no real incline that I definitely overtrained for. Maybe under-training comes in handy sometimes?<br />
<br />
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="405" scrolling="no" src="https://www.strava.com/activities/1568654182/embed/e765ed3621e685dbf3caa6cc776b9d429ee6f1f8" width="590"></iframe>
<br />
T2: more sunblock, swap shoes, add hat. RUN TIME.<br />
<br />
I'm out! All smiles, I'm so excited to finish. AND! It's 3:57 pm. I'M ON THE ROAD BEFORE 4PM! I CAN WALK THE WHOLE MARATHON AND STILL FINISH! As long as I maintain an 18 minute mile, that is.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJxLySUXBvq5rETlznvp7TkSZb4ggIgJZvCqekR9CVJCvHvABZ5HXdPq17V6IXCOOpX265TNLmHgnRYhlHP_NAUX2p1tHfB4FOCGso4ws3pWRp20F3cttBAi01zBFaNpzyfvZz7WloOE_/s1600/IMG_6366.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJxLySUXBvq5rETlznvp7TkSZb4ggIgJZvCqekR9CVJCvHvABZ5HXdPq17V6IXCOOpX265TNLmHgnRYhlHP_NAUX2p1tHfB4FOCGso4ws3pWRp20F3cttBAi01zBFaNpzyfvZz7WloOE_/s320/IMG_6366.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
I start running, and it's slow but steady. Half a mile in, however, it <i>hits</i> me - my stress fracture, exacerbated by the constant revolution of my legs on the bike and the pressure of the weight of my body, decides it's time to quit. I "pull over", try to stretch my lower calf, and am immediately met with resistance. I can't bend my knees for the life of me.<br />
<br />
I'm distraught. How was I going to attempt 25 more miles in this pain?<br />
<br />
So I start walking.<br />
<br />
"John told me I'd finish if I maintain 18min/mile if I get out by 4. John told me I'd finish if I maintain 18min/mile if I get out by 4. John told me I'd finish if I maintain 18min/mile if I get out by 4. "<br />
<br />
-- "Winnie!"<br />
<br />
I turn around.<br />
<br />
"John?"<br />
<br />
Nope, not kidding - John was right behind me. Did I mention he was doing this race too? It was his 13th Ironman (yes, he qualified for Kona!). He fell into step with me, and that's how it went for the next 25 miles. One foot in front of the other, shooting the shit, right up until the finish line. It couldn't have gone any better - I had company for 25 miles, I walked through the pain, and I finished in a timely manner! John was my saving grace, both at IMAZ and at IMSR. If you're reading this, THANK YOU, JOHN. <br />
<br />
The finish line called to me: bright lights. Mike Reilly. My sister, brother, Irene, Ruth, and Peter. I let John cross the line first and trailed after so he could have his moment on the carpet.<br />
<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyCugovdSXqrgu-1n8yDlgNt7vzy-LGONBSMMCb183Eqo-FRoWq1NaNPtuczAj92kEQ8OZNoSaoI8xRiYDg-Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
squee! I finished!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEild5BKtL77lIILOqdOGULyspsOy_80VVSbb5-lH0eSlKTdk5Kes8VbnqFwuqynnsEzZ_ZuY2dwLMjKi1n1UAqLX8YOe1EEdzrpvmEo19Kjt1smaD_f8VoEPs2M1QNuqSWKmqo6sKVPcFx7/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-05-16+at+11.33.25+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="942" data-original-width="614" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEild5BKtL77lIILOqdOGULyspsOy_80VVSbb5-lH0eSlKTdk5Kes8VbnqFwuqynnsEzZ_ZuY2dwLMjKi1n1UAqLX8YOe1EEdzrpvmEo19Kjt1smaD_f8VoEPs2M1QNuqSWKmqo6sKVPcFx7/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-05-16+at+11.33.25+PM.png" width="208" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Nanette was volunteering at the finish and snapped this shot of me right after:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiwPu62d2CRgOzUP52mXHKTUlH1NbqpX8dBzIBVQ88467ehiTJ9qZo8h1WhrK-6AEc9iXGJvkuZPdSJbpaIOZzJj_-HGZuO6nV1JI9EN5TD5CbY20TyXU5ahyt9uG847Hy3tV6E5xtaqwD/s1600/IMG_6418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiwPu62d2CRgOzUP52mXHKTUlH1NbqpX8dBzIBVQ88467ehiTJ9qZo8h1WhrK-6AEc9iXGJvkuZPdSJbpaIOZzJj_-HGZuO6nV1JI9EN5TD5CbY20TyXU5ahyt9uG847Hy3tV6E5xtaqwD/s320/IMG_6418.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
This, my friends, is sheer happiness.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
H A P P I N E S S </div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-XcO3nF6rxTz2M61ip2ykWkZuU5jYavWltBsmnSJ5WAqGdCWhvenMnCS37Lrh2VQXNSktzqsJMrPjLnPl63jiIfQJvURiRLCxV4-NAdFohgTtkBlZw1w3lrOh0XKI1BCMblDRY70lkW4F/s1600/IMG_6347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1117" data-original-width="1600" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-XcO3nF6rxTz2M61ip2ykWkZuU5jYavWltBsmnSJ5WAqGdCWhvenMnCS37Lrh2VQXNSktzqsJMrPjLnPl63jiIfQJvURiRLCxV4-NAdFohgTtkBlZw1w3lrOh0XKI1BCMblDRY70lkW4F/s320/IMG_6347.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I am now a two-time IRONMAN triathlete!<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="405" scrolling="no" src="https://www.strava.com/activities/1568653980/embed/4547231ac69ae99d73812f70b56184f4fa01cf0b" width="590"></iframe>
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IM says my total run time was 6:33:32, averaging 15:01min/mi.</div>
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Strava says my total run time was 6:33:36, averaging 15:06min/mi.</div>
<br />
For someone in pain, I think I did pretty well! I can't complain about any of this.<br />
<br />
Total times, as provided by IRONMAN:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2lofezYMpW1lwwP_ashYOQxbR0m6DFGHb0s6x8HAE4kvEMUEcg8hKkaAUiZ0cCzpcRY3Kwwg6hVSOQl8P_adm6bXg9l4Z5uuT4y7NzP6ii-6eiLqagE_EHZnP6Tk4lqfT7jIRB9jH5ZMq/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-05-16+at+11.35.59+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="308" data-original-width="398" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2lofezYMpW1lwwP_ashYOQxbR0m6DFGHb0s6x8HAE4kvEMUEcg8hKkaAUiZ0cCzpcRY3Kwwg6hVSOQl8P_adm6bXg9l4Z5uuT4y7NzP6ii-6eiLqagE_EHZnP6Tk4lqfT7jIRB9jH5ZMq/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-05-16+at+11.35.59+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Y'all ready for the aftermath?<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZKFSzDXc3JJoThw2lGnl_ac5rOC0zrmzVJ0G472bDCzNn2oeDLlo1CSi01FDxVlXSfkWAlhHLeP9-q5dHKRTaRpmKf-slk9YyEhYzzP-1HAnTxkOqGeGcGwuuM483s8olOiHSgB84ahhD/s1600/GPTempDownload+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZKFSzDXc3JJoThw2lGnl_ac5rOC0zrmzVJ0G472bDCzNn2oeDLlo1CSi01FDxVlXSfkWAlhHLeP9-q5dHKRTaRpmKf-slk9YyEhYzzP-1HAnTxkOqGeGcGwuuM483s8olOiHSgB84ahhD/s320/GPTempDownload+4.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKBtpufxzcNo5EZM17HPQQKJNnHmGhGKllEVUAbalInHwEewmuWmAEtRFeqbv_hngc_f8zuCOAhSQcvRW6qBjBRNLA2pnW1qKuh71DH2YZbdNarF3Y-wIAFeOnGp3SWr4Qcd9PQevdCLa8/s1600/GPTempDownload+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKBtpufxzcNo5EZM17HPQQKJNnHmGhGKllEVUAbalInHwEewmuWmAEtRFeqbv_hngc_f8zuCOAhSQcvRW6qBjBRNLA2pnW1qKuh71DH2YZbdNarF3Y-wIAFeOnGp3SWr4Qcd9PQevdCLa8/s320/GPTempDownload+6.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
... and a whole pizza and 2 full-sized Snickers bars. :D<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><b><u>THANK YOU. </u></b></span><br />
<br />
My training buddies - Alice, Jason, Patrick, Evan, Jay, Martin, Bryan, and Charlie!<br />
My Marvel and HT/HU teams, and my friends, for enduring my bullshit.<br />
<br />
Special shout-outs to the following (in no particular order):<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghd_TjKwxclQofvFn1W15zvij8e10CVXhF3im_DsmLHth9iCHaAHKF0XSGQY5ukLXUMFll7xWc0OYV3k2P8ivgP1uFZQqoeaetXsFGEH3O8GH7ZdRSmjbJyMXVBK8s6dacNZSZXhhImnau/s1600/IMG_6412.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghd_TjKwxclQofvFn1W15zvij8e10CVXhF3im_DsmLHth9iCHaAHKF0XSGQY5ukLXUMFll7xWc0OYV3k2P8ivgP1uFZQqoeaetXsFGEH3O8GH7ZdRSmjbJyMXVBK8s6dacNZSZXhhImnau/s320/IMG_6412.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Newly-inducted IRONMAN finisher, Alice! Thank you for being my training buddy. For forcing me to swim when I tried to avoid the pool, for encouraging me to do a lap around the Rose Bowl even at the wee hours of the night, and for letting me in on your bike rides so I wouldn't have to train alone. As Mike Reilly says, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN! I am so proud of you and your endeavors.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSWkbzYFgXxrJZ82kNVSCnYMSTiyocElFxSvd6-uCvBfONM57eiiaqbCaU7HYqGBq1svzc4LMxqTf57va1Zj5I56Y-PNSDh_lGNYWKQepDWQBi07J1qIh_Qx2N1pkWPO6hSCqNWR5po68h/s1600/IMG_6411.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSWkbzYFgXxrJZ82kNVSCnYMSTiyocElFxSvd6-uCvBfONM57eiiaqbCaU7HYqGBq1svzc4LMxqTf57va1Zj5I56Y-PNSDh_lGNYWKQepDWQBi07J1qIh_Qx2N1pkWPO6hSCqNWR5po68h/s320/IMG_6411.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team DISNEY. My heart will always belong to Disney, no matter where I am. Disney runs in my blood and I'm so fortunate to be able to surround myself with such bright lights - to train with, to commiserate with, and to enjoy life with. You are my home, Team DISNEY.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRB36Ug27l9pID2oiu8k4CRyUT_bkfdPcjsyR6Uojm5_n3WKVnxzGgTsiw_Sv2oBsrXd41fydB1BNwG4sHMAKeICC9o2f1xQN5ukd7CSZms33YRmQFM2xc7bez_9SESCcAyXrzGCL4GTai/s1600/IMG_6316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1203" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRB36Ug27l9pID2oiu8k4CRyUT_bkfdPcjsyR6Uojm5_n3WKVnxzGgTsiw_Sv2oBsrXd41fydB1BNwG4sHMAKeICC9o2f1xQN5ukd7CSZms33YRmQFM2xc7bez_9SESCcAyXrzGCL4GTai/s320/IMG_6316.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sister Joyce, who always inconveniences herself to ensure that I'm having the best time. She's selfless, she's thoughtful, and she never hesitates to come along for the ride! Thank you for everything you do for me. Expert spectator doesn't even begin to cover it. I am lucky to have you as a sister and a best friend. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb6FeH6SGPe9r9TGGHdEzaFFULlxIj500V8HcGdETH_thpxcsB4hTFr0298e4qMnirx7fSXoVWhrMob0sD8J5O49PtiwbmesYOCj3kN-IstX2iCHUA6pqeMn6bYXSPw1ED5RNwxzwMZwIV/s1600/GPTempDownload+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb6FeH6SGPe9r9TGGHdEzaFFULlxIj500V8HcGdETH_thpxcsB4hTFr0298e4qMnirx7fSXoVWhrMob0sD8J5O49PtiwbmesYOCj3kN-IstX2iCHUA6pqeMn6bYXSPw1ED5RNwxzwMZwIV/s320/GPTempDownload+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My little brother, Kelvin, for showing up to one of my races! In my nearly four years of racing, this is the first race Kelvin has gone to. If I had tears to shed in this moment, I would have. Special shout-out to Irene, who came out too!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And finally, no picture, but this will do: Patrick, my first training partner and my buddy through thick and thin -- thanks for reminding me that I had nothing to prove to anyone. My outcome was mine alone, and I needed that reminder from someone like you. Thanks, buddy.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>CONCLUSION. </u></b><br />
<br />
My team surprised me when I got into the office on Monday! I only told a handful of people about this race, and forced them to promise me that if I didn't finish, we were never to speak of it again.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBGyY763_E6p1alXZgzSzkBC1ncNFz-A8i0gozhHcnkehbUayImXfRTrv5W7W1ZDXL4PY5pGrhRIYPAXWKCdR320uwC4ph22gjViEfWtDnn3eicAucMW5s_az7_YA-X-z90Y8WUeTSGjnL/s1600/IMG_6424.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBGyY763_E6p1alXZgzSzkBC1ncNFz-A8i0gozhHcnkehbUayImXfRTrv5W7W1ZDXL4PY5pGrhRIYPAXWKCdR320uwC4ph22gjViEfWtDnn3eicAucMW5s_az7_YA-X-z90Y8WUeTSGjnL/s320/IMG_6424.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
THANK YOU to the wonderful team at HT for keeping tabs on me! You believed in me even when I didn't believe in myself.<br />
<br />
I had dinner with Alice last night to talk about the race and debrief. We went over how everything went, and ended up on the topic of training. I told her that I had only worked out 19 hours in April. In comparison, when I was training for IMAZ, I was averaging 19 hours every week or so.<br />
<br />
Alice pulled up her hours, and I was blown away: (her number is the bottom number)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDCeRNUIgOpzDHm0ROUS0H7NiNmdspd04Q0hEijH5vcBON2BQD45OO3NwZ2j6wuZx4tWR3EY8ex7sFxKQ-qqZedRQqKCZtM0CAiPzrOmImkhqU6Z_Ypf7LOPAhCBjJJ5lrKdMc9Hdphgj/s1600/92BFCB34-36E2-42C3-BF93-DE31F17CE33A.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDCeRNUIgOpzDHm0ROUS0H7NiNmdspd04Q0hEijH5vcBON2BQD45OO3NwZ2j6wuZx4tWR3EY8ex7sFxKQ-qqZedRQqKCZtM0CAiPzrOmImkhqU6Z_Ypf7LOPAhCBjJJ5lrKdMc9Hdphgj/s320/92BFCB34-36E2-42C3-BF93-DE31F17CE33A.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I... probably should have worked out more. But Alice - so. many. hours.<br />
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<i>I think</i> I'm done with fulls forever. It's a lifetime achievement to do an Ironman even once, so 2 times is almost unheard of. Anyone who does more than that is definitely crazy. But I'm sure I'll continue to iron in some way or another. It's in my blood. :)<br />
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What are we Ironing, anyway?<br />
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<br />winjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182136023558011232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397044381841532887.post-44666090803373520102018-03-12T13:55:00.001-07:002018-03-12T13:55:09.897-07:00Update on What We've Been IroningIt's been a while since both Patrick or I have updated, and much of that was due to changes. Big changes!<br />
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Patrick will send an update along when he's ready, but as for me? The time is now!<br />
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I do a lot better with bullet-point formatting, so I'll just get to it:<br />
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<ul>
<li>I'm injured. There's likely a stress fracture on my shin. I tell everyone it's shin splints, and initially I only felt the pain after a mile or two of running, but now I feel it even when I'm not running!</li>
<ul>
<li>It's painful. </li>
<li>I'm worried I won't be able to finish my full ironman in time to make the cutoff, but I'll do the best that I can. </li>
<li>After the race is over, I will likely not be running anymore until I know it's fully healed. </li>
</ul>
<li>I started a new job!</li>
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<li>It's amazing. I'm learning so much and doing many new things. </li>
<li>As such, however, my life is a little imbalanced and I'm learning how to adjust to new things. </li>
<li>My hours are off, which means my training has been off. Meaning I haven't been training. At all. </li>
</ul>
<li>Outside of that, things have been fantastic. I'm happy and healthy, and I guess that's all I can ask for :) </li>
</ul>
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winjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182136023558011232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397044381841532887.post-85023751794932543792017-12-11T14:31:00.002-08:002017-12-11T14:32:39.705-08:00It's dangerous to go alone!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Well it looks like my knees are *finally* feeling good rested enough to get back into running. I have my follow up with the doc on Wednesday, but MRI didn't reveal anything worrying or I assume he would have called me.</div>
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But wanting to ease into it - overuse is how I jacked them up in the first place - I decided to start on a dirt trail instead of pounding the pavement. Thankfully Griffith Park is nearby, offers some easy terrain and has a good three mile loop if I was feeling ambitious (I wasn't). The only downside, Griffith Park is DARK y'all.</div>
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Oh, and there's these:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4nOhgT-V29NGC9qaW-P3TldGdTYfd2a45XP2sn6NIJgRmmLvfIZCtA5833R4DMCICIaNftlH2oFtiACumlqIXwHu6J23w8wz5F2wvW_5vWArzMMTDL0pr2foG1nQAcEEFqMJwBOx22IQ/s1600/20171210_182215_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="538" data-original-width="541" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4nOhgT-V29NGC9qaW-P3TldGdTYfd2a45XP2sn6NIJgRmmLvfIZCtA5833R4DMCICIaNftlH2oFtiACumlqIXwHu6J23w8wz5F2wvW_5vWArzMMTDL0pr2foG1nQAcEEFqMJwBOx22IQ/s320/20171210_182215_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Thankfully, I was aiming for doing only 1 to 1.5 miles - hey, I *said* I was easing back into it - so thankfully I was only out on the trail (with a light of course) for about 15 minutes. Still, there were a lot of scurrying critters in the underbrush. Maybe I should have stopped by that cave I passed on the way in...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib2Wm9rXcsPGRufLp-z81sF1-fB_8z6xr10IeXouQ8F3oxcSBnyjIy8gEEjhIsX4fQb-0O5NRVM0U9rGouOdcjzIZLgkGJ0vKI94fkKydldiRGxBNhoRGSrYWfieH3KnbnEE9sNFxCcuQ/s1600/It%2527s_dangerous_to_go_alone%2521_Take_this..png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="224" data-original-width="256" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib2Wm9rXcsPGRufLp-z81sF1-fB_8z6xr10IeXouQ8F3oxcSBnyjIy8gEEjhIsX4fQb-0O5NRVM0U9rGouOdcjzIZLgkGJ0vKI94fkKydldiRGxBNhoRGSrYWfieH3KnbnEE9sNFxCcuQ/s320/It%2527s_dangerous_to_go_alone%2521_Take_this..png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />pjmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16042084968313936097noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397044381841532887.post-75870075524810104442017-11-27T22:51:00.000-08:002017-11-28T07:20:54.267-08:00FRANCEgiving 201775 miles. We walked 75 miles across France.<br />
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Paris<br />
Bordeaux<br />
Aix-En-Provence<br />
Marseille<br />
Nice<br />
... and back to Paris.<br />
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I HAD THE BEST TIME!<br />
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It's been a while since I've been out of the country - I usually keep my traveling to the states, but when a round trip ticket showed up for less than $500 - we had to jump on it!<br />
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I had a trip to New York planned for just before our trip to France, and whilst there I managed to sneak a peek at the new Blue Box Cafe at Tiffany's Flagship store, watch Hello Dolly on Broadway, and dine at Ai Fiori and the NoMad Restaurant! Success all around.<br />
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We flew in to London Heathrow and memories flashed back to when I had studied abroad many many years ago in Bloomsbury and Stratford Upon Avon. Those were the days! Plays at the Globe, the British Museum, Afternoon Tea - severe FOMO definitely set in. Gloom and all, we watched the sunset before flying out to Paris.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I got to see the Eiffel Tower from the plane!</td></tr>
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<b><u>Day 1 - Paris</u></b><br />
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Day 1 was very short. We arrived in the evening and checked into our hotel before heading our for dinner. We settled at a quaint little restaurant called <a href="http://www.lebookie.com/en/" target="_blank">Le Bookie</a> -<br />
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Everything was so good. I couldn't tell if it was because of the long flight or if the food was simply made with love - but we ate everything. I was, however, very surprised to find that no one in France shared anything. Everyone ordered their own pizzas and their own appetizers. We joked that we seemed like savages for sharing everything, but how can you enjoy all the things France has to offer if you're limited to only trying one thing per restaurant?<br />
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Total distance: 3.0 miles walked<br />
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<b><u>Day 2 - Bordeaux</u></b><br />
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The next morning, we took the train from Paris to Bordeaux.<br />
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Spoiled with Wi-Fi and a total trip time of 2 hours, we were very excited about what was in store for us. We didn't realize until later that we had ridden a bullet train to Bordeaux - all the other train rides paled in comparison!<br />
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Bordeaux was definitely a top-3 city for me in France. 15 years ago, it was still an industry-driven city with warehouses along the Garonne River. It's been known as the wine-industry capital for a long time, and it's apparent in the way the locals drink their wine (with just about every meal...). We walked up the Garonne toward La Cité Du Vin, a museum for all things wine. It was gorgeous and immersive and had a massive wine library that I don't think I totally understood.<br />
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It was here that we boarded a small ship that would ultimately take us on a river cruise of the Garonne - it included 2 wine tastings and a spectacular view of the sunset. As soon as we boarded, Marie - our guide - started speaking in French to the 30 some-odd <i>french</i> locals that had joined us. I COMPLETELY forgot that we were in a foreign country and that we were the minority in this situation.<br />
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Luckily, Marie noticed that we stuck out like sore thumbs and took turns giving the spiel in French and then again in English. We had a private lesson in wine tasting and learned to smell, see, and taste: something about tannins and wine color and gurgling to make sure air bubbles did something or other. It was amazing. I felt like we got so much out of it!<br />
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That sunset? To die for. Probably the prettiest sunset I've ever seen.<br />
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We ended the night with crepes for dinner and a visit to the Église Notre-Dame. Stunning.<br />
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Total distance: 12.0 Miles walked<br />
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---<br />
<br />
<b><u>Day 3: Bordeaux --> Aix-en-Provence</u></b><br />
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In the morning, we bundled up to see the Basilique Saint-Michel.<br />
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It was cold and the streets were empty and I was surprised (yet again!) that the sun didn't rise until 8 in the morning. France is very slow-going. As an early bird, it was hard to want to do so much in the morning when the lights didn't want to go on until so late in the day!<br />
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The architecture alone put LA to shame. France is so rich in history! We learned that the architecture in Bordeaux, however, was "faked" to look like the historic stuff to keep consistent with the facade of it all. I'm not complaining. Old stuff makes me happy :)<br />
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We took the train to Aix-En Provence -<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkzLyAJ10_bcmaPZ4Bj_7alBwWvxuCjvv5hViT1oK_Iag4AhxL2Z-zAUynLsB8SkFXHUxRyWfypoN1djQp147-aCevlPo1qD2GQjd5gM09ieYxvcq8uBXYHWTYsDDOkh8-8mzcmXM-Js8r/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-11-27+at+8.24.01+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="704" data-original-width="950" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkzLyAJ10_bcmaPZ4Bj_7alBwWvxuCjvv5hViT1oK_Iag4AhxL2Z-zAUynLsB8SkFXHUxRyWfypoN1djQp147-aCevlPo1qD2GQjd5gM09ieYxvcq8uBXYHWTYsDDOkh8-8mzcmXM-Js8r/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-11-27+at+8.24.01+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Had burgers for dinner, some wine at a local bar, and then checked into our beautiful hotel - Hotel Cezanne (named after the eponymous artist). The key was a bit of a shock as it was so dated, but I think it added to the novelty of the city.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpEq5TRhkIXwNgVar0VN5udqReCDTJRsxJsvc6xM8NaLyWo0eF2gQqU3duBP04AAom15dnVa-DaC0G_e9wL8hom3rBcqNZPJ70jvuMhakbVVRd0HiQfjhtZe7ZZ5ldq0GjcKPQToX4BTXG/s1600/IMG_0157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpEq5TRhkIXwNgVar0VN5udqReCDTJRsxJsvc6xM8NaLyWo0eF2gQqU3duBP04AAom15dnVa-DaC0G_e9wL8hom3rBcqNZPJ70jvuMhakbVVRd0HiQfjhtZe7ZZ5ldq0GjcKPQToX4BTXG/s320/IMG_0157.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">so much cheese.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdgX1PuczsENTj4GE8oVx3i4Nyw1WTG-vLTtiC1U1BTxxd3-V5DAImlmLw1qW6f88YZ4x3gHbTeya46pILDIbAHVSXh6IXIRPXJwqcfJZmRaMxUs_AP2Ga3-DNkruMhPEOr33eHEo-F2Ed/s1600/IMG_0169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdgX1PuczsENTj4GE8oVx3i4Nyw1WTG-vLTtiC1U1BTxxd3-V5DAImlmLw1qW6f88YZ4x3gHbTeya46pILDIbAHVSXh6IXIRPXJwqcfJZmRaMxUs_AP2Ga3-DNkruMhPEOr33eHEo-F2Ed/s320/IMG_0169.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">actual hotel key.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8zZGXXNha-RiaGAagw6zZWB6ruPTb2vMT3AaaxNEDZEaieY6VPmRcEUUgHGIFvCU7dXfUPLYaQLMHu0n1SXnKBrj1uBi8uKPzcCvXAl1OEL_6CLh92revg7qEoHWPzFyuGJONIKyVXN-j/s1600/IMG_20171119_210120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8zZGXXNha-RiaGAagw6zZWB6ruPTb2vMT3AaaxNEDZEaieY6VPmRcEUUgHGIFvCU7dXfUPLYaQLMHu0n1SXnKBrj1uBi8uKPzcCvXAl1OEL_6CLh92revg7qEoHWPzFyuGJONIKyVXN-j/s320/IMG_20171119_210120.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">newfound wine-enthusiasts. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Total Distance: 7.3 Miles walked<br />
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<b><u>Day 4: Aix-en-Provence --> Marseille</u></b><br />
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<b><u><br /></u></b>
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Aix-en-Provence is known for their fountains - about 1,000 of them! Everywhere we turned, there was a fountain. In walls, standalone, in the middle of the street - fountains, fountains, fountains. A review on TripAdvisor suggested that if you were bored or had kids, a "keep-busy" event would be to count the fountains in Provence.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpbQy5DZfk3kgZBz7F_0U4aR2fBzg148nG2Y6GuCZ3FRzI1RuBOzKIQl9zrW023VcZsX4mgmTpnU_Yr0xnImvqokwYxNtbZUXRKf7XYAmDVlhGB8T1U0RVN6VyNKPoF68hcUAmlMHpHJSI/s1600/IMG_0214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpbQy5DZfk3kgZBz7F_0U4aR2fBzg148nG2Y6GuCZ3FRzI1RuBOzKIQl9zrW023VcZsX4mgmTpnU_Yr0xnImvqokwYxNtbZUXRKf7XYAmDVlhGB8T1U0RVN6VyNKPoF68hcUAmlMHpHJSI/s320/IMG_0214.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LOOK A FOUNTAIN!</td></tr>
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We walked all over the city (it was rather small) and stopped by the Paroisse Cathédrale Saint Sauveur - a beautiful cathedral right outside of the city's center.<br />
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We walked all the way up to Paul Cezanne's Studio - his place of residence for the last few years of his life - and we were able to see all the beautiful things that inspired him, be it still-life or landscapes.<br />
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I always admire those who can find inspiration in the simplest things. I think there's a part of my brain that wants to draw from material objects, but I don't think I function that way. I always look for clear lines and linear patterns, but find myself getting distracted because my brain can't process and turn 3D into 2D.<br />
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We had pizza, pasta, and risotta for lunch and wandered in the city center to people-watch for a few hours.<br />
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... and then we took the train to Marseille!<br />
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Total distance: 12.8 miles walked<br />
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---<br />
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<b><u>Day 5: Marseille --> Nice</u></b><br />
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I wish we had more time in Marseille - we can't say we saw too much of it because it was nearly nightfall by the time we arrived, and the sun had only just come up before we left.<br />
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We woke up very early in the morning to hike up the hills to the Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde - a beautiful cathedral that we weren't able to see in the darkness, but the city it overlooked was gorgeous. We sat for a few minutes to enjoy the view, but because we had an early train ride, we had to book it back to the hotel.<br />
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In Nice, our first stop was the Basilique Notre-Dame de l’Assomption - another Notre Dame!<br />
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This one was a little different because it looked like an outlier. High buildings surrounded it - literally an H&M across the street - it was so odd to see history buried in modernity.<br />
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Soooo... Nice. Nice was SOOOOOO NICE. By far my favourite city on the trip. It may have had something to do with being so close to the water. Or how the city changed based on how inland you were. The coast was tourist-y, but as you got further away from it, the areas became residential and the crowds thinned out.<br />
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We walked, ate, walked to the Castle on the Hill (it was actually called Castle Hill!), enjoyed gelato at sunset, and had a wonderful night in the hotel room with room service and really bad French TV.<br />
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Total Distance: 11.9 miles walked<br />
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---<br />
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<b><u>Day 6: Nice </u></b><br />
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We were finally able to slow our roll in Nice. We got to roam the same streets for more than one day, buy tacky magnets for family members, and - you guessed it! - visited another cathedral! For a few hours, we forgot everything and sat on the beach. Chelsie tried to teach me how to skip rocks, but all I heard were <i>ker-plunks</i>. Me + rocks = sinking ships.<br />
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As day turned into night, it was time for the NIGHT TRAIN to Paris!<br />
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We thought this would be a fun adventure, as it meant consolidating time spent on a train and sleep time while covering distance -<br />
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It was definitely going to be an adventure...<br />
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Total Distance: 7.6 miles walked<br />
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<b><u>Day 7: Paris!</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
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I should probably mention that our 7 hour train ride turned into a 16-hour train ride. Our train stopped randomly in Toulon, and for a while, we couldn't figure out what had happened. We looked out of our window and saw people slowly filing out, but the announcements over the loudspeaker were in French, and clearly none of us could understand what was going on. It was 1 in the morning before someone knocked on our door to let us know that our train was going to be stopped indefinitely in the station, and that our new train was set to depart from Toulon at 5:45 in the morning. As in 4 hours later. We had our own room on the train (the perks of first class!), which was awesome - but it looked like those who were in second class had to get off the train and sleep in the station.<br />
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At 5:45, we left Toulon to head back up to Paris. Our train was delayed, and instead of arriving a little before 10 (an already 3-hour delay), we didn't arrive in Paris until nearly noon.<br />
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Luckily, we didn't have anything set in stone!<br />
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We went to the Louvre, walked along the Jardin des Tuileries, and got caught in a full-on rainstorm at the Notre-Dame de Paris (yes! another cathedral!) -<br />
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We stomped in our rainboots as the weather cleared up just in time for the lights at the Eiffel Tower to turn on.<br />
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But, as a foodie, I really wanted to go to Angelina for the hot chocolate. HOT CHOCOLATEEEEEEEE!<br />
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Delicious, but rather thick. But I do believe in trying everything at least once!<br />
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Happy Francegiving to us. We had a nice dinner at a cute little restaurant by our hotel -<br />
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and retired to bed early because we were so exhausted. CHATEAUS AND CHAMPAGNE AWAITED US!<br />
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Total Distance: 12 Miles walked<br />
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<b><u>Day 8: Loire Valley</u></b><br />
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We were so excited for chateaus - predominantly because they were the inspiration behind this trip as a whole, but also because we knew we would be able to walk through history consolidated in singular buildings.<br />
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<u>First Stop: Chateau de Chambord</u><br />
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We were told that this was going to be the biggest of the three Chateaus that we were going to visit.<br />
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The rooms were intricate - the chimneys aplenty! And hands down the largest chateau in the Loire Valley. It was believed that Leonardo Da Vinci designed the architecture of the chateau because of its Greek influences amidst the French construction. 440 rooms, 282 fireplaces, and 84 staircases. Also - did you guys know that a king only needed to spend one night at a chateau to make it a <i>royal</i> chateau? This makes no sense to me, but okay.<br />
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We stopped for lunch in Amboise, which was on our way to our second castle. We would later return to see the chateau in Amboise, but because of winter hours, the chateau wouldn't be open until later in the afternoon.<br />
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<u>Second Stop: Château de Chenonceau</u><br />
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Château de Chenonceau is a privately owned Chateau - not a royal one like Chambord but a significant one because it doubled as a hospital during WWI and also happened to be a gift (a gift!!!) to King Henry II's mistress in the 1500s.<br />
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<u>Third Stop: Château d'Amboise</u><br />
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Château d'Amboise was the least impressive of the three chateaus we visited - mainly because it was just a remnant of a chateau. Much of it was demolished in the French Revolution, but! The best part of the visit was that it was the final resting place of Leonardo Da Vinci. A pleasant surprise.<br />
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The trip back was like driving back to Pasadena from Santa Monica in rush-hour traffic. Toward the end I started to get carsick, and I breathed a huge sigh of relief when we were dropped off at the...<br />
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Arc de Triomphe!<br />
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Gorgeous.<br />
We made the walk back home, packed, and got ready for the flight home.<br />
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Total Distance: 8.8 miles walked.<br />
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---<br />
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All in all, a wonderful trip. We covered so much of France that I felt like we were always on the go - I loved having a purpose and I loved seeing so much rich history that it felt like 10 days just wasn't enough to see everything.<br />
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My next trip back will include Normandy, Lyon, and all the other cities along the border. Maybe I'll even sneak into Italy, Switzerland, and Germany.<br />
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Thanks for the memories, France!<br />
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<br />winjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182136023558011232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397044381841532887.post-55311721573917778962017-10-28T21:59:00.001-07:002017-10-29T12:02:29.191-07:00PSA: if your bum hurts while riding, READ THISAs you know, dear reader, I've been doing tris and riding bikes for about four years now. I've always been uncomfortable riding though, with my butt hurting after about 15-20 miles. That may be manageable for a short workout, but for a long ride and an Ironman, it's pretty torturous.<br />
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I've been told "oh you just need to ride more" and <a href="http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/#5">HTFU</a>. I've also been told, "oh you need a different saddle," "you need more padding," "you need less padding," and "you need a split nose saddle." I even replaced the saddles that came with my bike with ones suggested my local bike shop ("LBS"). But when I bought those, and after at least three bike fits, I've never, not once, had <i>anyone</i> suggest I measure my sit bones and get an <i>appropriately wide</i> saddle.<br />
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Well, I wasn't going to do another Ironman being mildly uncomfortable for 15 miles and wincing for almost 100 more, so I decided to get to the bottom - heyyyyo - of this.<br />
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Looking around online, I found out that a lot of seat comfort and discomfort is tied to how your sit bones contact the bike seat, specifically how wide your sit bones are and how that relates to the width of the saddle. There are various ways to measure your sit bones - some free and at home - but apparently, most LBSes have an ass-o-meter. That's not what it's called, but if you ask for it by that name, they'll know what you're talking about.<br />
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I headed to Incycle in Pasadena (they're the closest LBS that I like) and asked for their ass-o-meter. The guy brought me over to theirs, had me sit on it for a minute rocking back and forth, and when I got up, he said I need a 142mm width saddle or maybe a 155mm; I was on the cusp. Well, son of a *****. I've been riding 130mm saddles this whole time; 130mm are pretty standard - the default even - and they are just too narrow for my body.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEq_P6hbWAIzDAx49NHgjsyx4m_yq8GcX3F2HCVO5oQ4Vib85B2A_ngCJhvCqtr2PB97OHU8wF22LXKvTmTAqCOj_4UtCaSRkURpPDihyZgR7jV3vUMiLKbqSr9Q12UHK29Om6byW_VQs/s1600/img_3546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="840" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEq_P6hbWAIzDAx49NHgjsyx4m_yq8GcX3F2HCVO5oQ4Vib85B2A_ngCJhvCqtr2PB97OHU8wF22LXKvTmTAqCOj_4UtCaSRkURpPDihyZgR7jV3vUMiLKbqSr9Q12UHK29Om6byW_VQs/s320/img_3546.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ass-o-meter <br />(image taken from https://eriksbikeshop.blog/2017/06/20/bike-saddles-part-2-find-your-size/)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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He showed me a couple saddles and I asked - because I read online that some shops have these - if they have a "demo plan." A demo plan lets you put down a deposit, take a saddle home with you, and ride it for a week before committing to buying it. If you don't like the saddle, you can exchange it at the end of the week for a different saddle. In my case, Incycle does have a demo plan, which allowed me to take home a Specialized 143mm.<br />
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I just rode for an hour and it was literally the most comfortable ride I've had in a couple years. I'm not saying this is definitely the saddle for me, but at least I have a much better understanding of what I need in a saddle. If your bum consistently hurts when you ride, go to your LBS and get your sit bones measured. It could make a HUGE difference in your enjoyment of cycling.<br />
<br />pjmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16042084968313936097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397044381841532887.post-89562699487134484482017-10-24T20:23:00.000-07:002017-10-24T20:23:32.194-07:00Milk was a bad choice!Had a good ride on the trainer last night - not trying to overdo it on the knee right now - but it looks like my run is going to have to wait a day or two. This is at 8 at night!!<br />
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<br />pjmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16042084968313936097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397044381841532887.post-59619226521972655972017-10-16T13:43:00.000-07:002017-10-16T13:43:02.495-07:00We're back at it!!!Today marks Week 1 of our 30 week training plan for Ironman Santa Rosa - if there's a Santa Rosa left at which to Ironman 🙁 (#GrammarSnob). May 12th seems like a long way away but it'll be here before we know it.<br />
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Week 1 should be pretty easy - Today's a rest day, which I think we can manage. The rest of the week are 30-45 minutes runs in Zone 1 or 2 and a "long ride" of an hour. That'll be good for me and Winnie since we've both been battling/recovering from some knee and shin splint issues, respectively. <br />
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Below is the schedule, with the next couple weeks being similar to establish a good base. I won't be posting the rest of our workout schedule - that's copyrighted y'all - but wanted to let you all know the WhatAreWeIroning journey has started again. If you <i>are</i> looking for a training plan though, this is from the "Be IronFit" book by Don Fink (linked <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Be-Iron-Fit-2nd-Time-Efficient/dp/1599218577/">here</a>), which I highly recommend.<br />
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Separately and on a serious note, as some of you many know, my wife is from Santa Rosa. She knows people personally that have been affected by the fires - losing literally everything they have. If you're able, and would like to help out, <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/dougandvickiepettit">here's</a> a GoFundMe for one such family.</div>
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pjmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16042084968313936097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397044381841532887.post-59572449046505313532017-09-18T10:26:00.002-07:002017-09-18T10:26:35.102-07:00Race Recap: Nautica Malibu Triathlon Weekend!These last few days have been the busiest and most fulfilling days of my life. Sometimes when I have too much time on my hands (I don't have much of that anymore) and lose the adrenaline rushes that I get, I start to worry that I'll die alone or unhappy. But that quickly fades when I think about all that I've accomplished in my life thus far.<br />
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This year, I had the honor of being Co-Captain of the Disney Triathlon Team - with roughly 350 active members and 260 racing members, we were fortunate enough to have a leadership team to support us and keep us running.<br />
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After 14 weeks of training, everything culminated into this past weekend's events. Let's get down to it!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Thursday, September 14, 2017</span></b><br />
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We chose Thursday to have our Annual Carbo-Load dinner to accommodate for schedules. One of our team members from London had even flown in for the occasion! I had the unfortunate luck of coming down with a massive cold a few days prior - down for the count but I mustered enough energy to get back to work on Wednesday see myself through the weekend.<br />
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As everyone started to trickle in, I went around and asked people if they'd be interested in taking a group picture with me. It wasn't everyone, but over 100+ people agreed to take the group picture with me!<br />
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Our team is massive.<br />
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We had a great dinner, and announced some awards: Newbie of the year, Triathlete of the year, and our first ever Captain's Award. This was something that Jared and I ultimately decided on - it should go to someone (or a company) that made a huge impact on our team. We agreed that Newbury Park Bike Shop, our bike sponsor, deserved it most - Ben and his team have been there every week for (as far as I know) years and years and years. There has never been a weekend that I've been at a Zuma practice and they haven't. But on top of that, they provide support to us, even in the off season, and are always willing to help us out whenever we need something.<br />
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More pictures, and then a conclusion to the great night.<br />
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As a top fundraiser, the team got me a gift certificate to Newbury Park to put toward a new bike! Very sweet of them.<br />
As a thank you from the team, everyone put money in for a gift for Jared and I! We each got gift cards to Newbury Park (how appropriate!) for our bike funds. I guess this new bike thing is going to be a real thing soon!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Friday, September 15, 2017</b></span><br />
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As a kick off to the NMT weekend, race organizers invited a few of us to the Sunset Restaurant in Malibu for a gathering to start the festivities. The Sunset is one of my favorite restaurants in Malibu - it's quaint, it's secluded, and the food is decent. The only downfall is the parking, but it's Malibu...<br />
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Michael Epstein, the race director, told us a story about how he was in Hawaii a few months back and saw a man playing on his guitar at a restaurant. He left his information with the restaurant, and fast forward 9 months - the man, his family, and his guitar were sitting in the Sunset Restaurant gracing us with their presence in an intimate setting while the sun crept into the ocean behind them.<br />
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A few of us were planning on racing Saturday morning so we took a group picture and left early.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Saturday, September 16, 2017</span></b><br />
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When the alarm went off at the crack of dawn, I knew I was not ready for a race - let alone an international distance race! Nearly a 1-mile swim in the ocean, a 25 mile bike, and a 6 mile run. I crawled out of bed, schlepped over to my car, and made the drive to Malibu.<br />
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It was still dark when I set up my transition area. Around 6:30, they shoo'd us out onto the beach, and we walked ONE MILE down to the starting line. Yep - the trek to the starting line was the distance we'd be swimming!<br />
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The cannon sounded for wave 3 - a bunch of us were moved up to this wave based on fundraising efforts, but what they didn't tell us was that we would be moved up to the Mens 35 - 39 age range: THE MOST COMPETITIVE AGE GROUP.<br />
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When we got into the water, it was immediately apparent just how competitive these people were. I turned the corner around the first buoy and a swimmer, in an attempt to pass me, grabbed my shoulder and submerged me into the water. I was NOT a happy camper.<br />
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I had to remind myself that I was racing twice, so I needed to conserve my energy. I took my time on the rest of the swim, got out of the water, and saw Kris and Charles! My face immediately brightened up. I wasn't expecting anyone to come out for race weekend.<br />
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I hopped onto my bike and settled in for the 25-mile ride. I decided to take it slow because I'd be biking again in a few hours. We rode past Neptune's Net and turned around on PCH before making it back down to Zuma. Very smooth ride, and because the amount of racers were much less for the international distance vs the classic distance, there wasn't a lot of pushing or shoving.<br />
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I got off the bike and did what I dreaded the most: the run. Since I developed my bone spur, running has been a little difficult, but I trucked on. This one I took VERY easy. As long as I finished, I would be happy. I met some runners from team TBG - they were all breast cancer survivors or family members of breast cancer survivors. How inspiring! 90+ members of their team were out there on Saturday.<br />
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I crossed the finish line and met my team at the CHLA booth. Day 1, done.<br />
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I had to stay at the beach until 1pm to rack my bike again, which was frustrating because I didn't have a bib number. But the guys in transition were very nice.<br />
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I headed back to the hotel and Jared and I hung out by the pool with our books until Alice and George dropped by. We had dinner at a nice little Thai restaurant before we went back to re-pack our bags for Sunday morning. The big day was almost upon us!!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Sunday, September 17, 2017</span></b><br />
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RACE DAY!!!<br />
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The entire season was spent prepping for this day. 260 athletes racing. SO MUCH EXCITEMENT!<br />
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I pulled my car up to valet and grabbed my bag before heading over to transition. I checked in with the coordinators in the transition area, got my bike stickers, and walked over to the Disney racking area to wish everyone good luck!<br />
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I was lucky enough to be on Karla Souza's relay team - She was the swimmer, I was the cyclist, and Emily was our runner:<br />
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Together, we were the Pain Killers!</div>
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As if it wasn't just enough being in on her team, we were racked next to Zac Efron's team and team THE OFFICE!!!</div>
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Paul asked me if I was ready for the race. I told him that my training this year definitely didn't match my training last year! When I asked him how ready he was, he replied with the same sentiments! But he wished me luck, so I told him I would take everything I could get. </div>
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And at the end of our row? TEAM WESTWORLD!!</div>
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There was this running joke on Facebook that I had made regarding James Marsden and me asking him to marry me during this race... I jokingly posted the above picture with a "Step 1, done" caption to it.<br />
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My girl Thalia found me was we were walking down to the starting line, and I was so excited to see her! Look at her in all of Tu's Disney gear ;)<br />
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Emily and I wished Karla and Marshall good luck, and then headed back to transition so we could prep!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for Karla!</td></tr>
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I pulled my helmet on, switched to my cycling shoes, and waited for Karla to get out of the water. As soon as my chip was strapped onto my ankle, I was off on my bike. I knew I needed to give it my all! Every other celebrity team had olympic swimmers and what seemed like professional runners. I told the girls I would be back in an hour, but I felt GOOD on the ride. I saw Jack on an uphill and the competitive person in me decided it was going to be him that I had to beat (sorry Jack!).<br />
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We took turns passing each other, which made for great motivation to get back to the top spot, but as the miles neared an end, I sped up and cranked it in to the end. I finished the cycling portion in 53 minutes - nearly 7 minutes FASTER than I thought I would! I averaged about 19 miles per hour on the bike ride - so much faster than I had ever gone in any other race!<br />
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I looked for Karla and Emily in transition, and we swapped the chip over to Emily.<br />
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We were on our last leg! Karla and I walked over to the finish line to cheer for everyone and to keep an eye out for Emily.<br />
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At the finish line, we met Tony Revolori (From the Grand Budapest Hotel!! AND SPIDER-MAN HOMECOMING!!! ) and George Kosturos (from American Wrestler: The Wizard), who were cheering for their runner, Isabel Fuhrman (from the Hunger Games) - They were so sweet and were on the lookout for Emily too. We wanted so badly to win! </div>
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I asked Tony about their team name - Team Flash - and I should have put 2 and 2 together - that Tony played FLASH in SMH!!! I'm the worst Marvel Employee ever, lol.</div>
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SO many Disney people to be proud of. Victor ran through, Loren, Patrick - who had a photo finish with someone from Fox, Conrad, Jack, Albert, Marshall and Robert - who also had a photo finish! - and EMILY!!!<br />
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Emily was amazing. I told her that I had allotted 25 minutes for her but everyone told me I was crazy. That would have meant a 6:15 mile pace. But she cranked out a 7 per-mile pace, which is still BIONIC in and of itself. AMAZING!<br />
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We got our medals and celebrated: An amazing swim, an awesome bike, and a stellar run!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our reactions when we found out just how well we had done!</td></tr>
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I didn't get to watch Chelsie finish, but I love her so much that I want to say a few things about her:<br />
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Chelsie was my work wifey for the last 4 years - she made a career move a few months ago, and as such, I wasn't able to see her as much. Still, she trained on her own, and despite the adversity she's faced over the last year, she FINISHED!!! I wanted so badly to be there for her at the finish line, but was carried away by other duties.<br />
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Love you, boo! So proud of you and your endeavors.<br />
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Jared and I made our way over to the stage. We were fortunate enough to be able to present the check to CHLA on behalf of Disney (an honor that Bob gets every year). This year, we fundraised $275,000! To date, the triathlon team has fundraised just north of $3MM for the Nautica Malibu Triathlon.<br />
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This year was a magical year in terms of fundraising. We had nearly 40 less members racing this year, and we fundraised almost as much as we did last year. Fundraising (for me) was so surprising this year - I set a goal of $10,000 and surpassed my goal by more than I could have ever imagined! So much thanks goes to the generous donors who gave $20,856 to CHLA on my behalf this year.<br />
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Next up was the awards. Karla, Emily, and I placed FIRST in our division!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb9ClNOXGK-e2NOxRd5Gm8PgNOgKXS3ysjA1YqOL79iZ42gcLeCA32K8IXJiQcI-yP80UQ6jhtZaeWq3stuZeYrpUuJ7vfM4UzLpdmsdYgdpQskWkuba8FynrWk0B_-RbejIudiUeDRO0B/s1600/IMG_7835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="502" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb9ClNOXGK-e2NOxRd5Gm8PgNOgKXS3ysjA1YqOL79iZ42gcLeCA32K8IXJiQcI-yP80UQ6jhtZaeWq3stuZeYrpUuJ7vfM4UzLpdmsdYgdpQskWkuba8FynrWk0B_-RbejIudiUeDRO0B/s320/IMG_7835.JPG" width="167" /></a></div>
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Karla aptly captioned that moment for us:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROxnmgHo0Z6W5ler4ttgHBJLgHGPkMApUviZsBjvOs6YvMzLjmCnunigUQGAtLAA_lUq_dn0MxP7gfXV-2o9zZsoBQssIAPq_vCRf6rz1GdeBYjGCaWi76_c600PqNtVKN99yU0aLe9I8/s1600/IMG_7828.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROxnmgHo0Z6W5ler4ttgHBJLgHGPkMApUviZsBjvOs6YvMzLjmCnunigUQGAtLAA_lUq_dn0MxP7gfXV-2o9zZsoBQssIAPq_vCRf6rz1GdeBYjGCaWi76_c600PqNtVKN99yU0aLe9I8/s320/IMG_7828.PNG" width="180" /></a></div>
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And, as is with tradition every year, our team picture!<br />
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Look at all those smiling faces. And some bewildered ones.</div>
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We all stayed behind to take pictures -<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">CONCLUSION:</span></u></b><br />
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This season was very new for me in the sense that I was no longer just a member. Being on the leadership team (and being a Captain) meant a lot of responsibility - at practices, during meetings, when negotiating sponsorships, and even making decisions. Without our leadership team: Alice, Andrew, Jedi, Christy, Michele, Katy, Albert, Joe, and Robert - Jared and I would never have gotten as far as we did.<br />
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So much can be said about this season, but we have so much to be proud of and grateful for. There is no one else I would want to do this all with, and I would gladly do it all again.<br />
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As a side note - not only did I get to meet James Marsden, I got to meet Joel McHale too. I plan on marrying both in the near future (kidding, kidding)<br />
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<br />
Thank you to EVERY one of my donors:<br />
Mark and Megan A, Matthew V, Alison, Mark H, Ashley and David Eckstein, Kevin F, Lisa L, Jodi C, Nate S, Lecia R, Marshall M, Bhart M, Leon S and Family!, Jack Harary, Andrew F and Alex N, Eric S, Jessica J and ME, Pat Y, Joyce J, Jenna S, Frank B, Stanley M, Naomi R, Janice F, Diane H, Lynn M, John G, Diane N, Nick C, Debbie C, Hymie A, Howard and Kristen and Tony, Rachel C, Kathryn H, Chris W, Jehanne L, Jarrett S, Ross and Margot, Northwest Co, Alfred and Carmen Fong, ICUP, Natalia E, Joseph H, Hymie S, Arieh R, Betty Y, Sevana D, Lloyd U, Marcos M, Genevieve O, Steven J, Sean M, Rachel D, Valerio F, Mike T, Donna B, Whitney H, Veronica L, Tricia and Manny, Anna H, Ben C, John K, Kathy M, Stef J, Thalia D, Nicole G, Lorne B, Maureen D, Martin B, Oran C, Evan and Bert and Richie, Meredith T, Carolyn F, Felice S, Dan M, Jessica J, Joseph S, Adam R, Krystal L, Carol P, Elliot M, Nathan D, Accutime Team, Susan P, Jay Franco, Olivia A, Jolene C, Ruz USA, Alexa Orr, Meredith N, Kim P<br />
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And special thanks to my biggest donors:<br />
<br />
Paul G, Steven R, Brian M, Richie D, Morris C and JM, and of course - DISNEY MATCHING.<br />
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Thank you for an amazing season.<br />
<br />
<br />winjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182136023558011232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397044381841532887.post-73937305579979542062017-08-23T13:24:00.003-07:002017-08-23T13:24:59.766-07:00TOTALITY Worth It - Solar Eclipse of the HeartI think it's pretty obvious that when I tell people I'm going to take a vacation, I never actually take a real vacation. My vacation days are spent on doing races, hiking crazy hikes, or jam-packing events in so that every minute feels like I'm making it worthwhile.<br />
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When B suggested we take a long-overdue soul-seeking journey, my first thought was, "yes! more time with B!" - and we made plans to... well, make plans. But the more I thought about it, the less I wanted to think about it! Why not take an actual vacation? Stop thinking about everything and just enjoy the view?<br />
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So we did.<br />
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<b><u>Day 1: Thursday</u></b><br />
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I left for SF bright and early Thursday morning with absolutely no plans. B was working, so I called my brother up to see if he was up for lunch - not knowing that he worked roughly 30 miles OUT of the city and that I'd have to drive across the Golden Gate Bridge (awesome) and have to pay the toll (not as awesome) on the way back! After lunch, I decided to go hike <b>Mount Tamalpais</b> since I needed to kill a few hours while everyone was still on the clock - gorgeous, but at 100 degrees in the afternoon, it was a little toasty.<br />
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I made my way to the top of the mountain, only to find that there was a lookout point! I met a man named Steven (with a V - he made sure I knew), who let me into his little lookout tower to walk the catwalk. In retrospect, this was probably something I shouldn't have done - especially because I was hiking alone. But he was in the lookout, and I was positive that I could get a better view from 15 feet above summit.<br />
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Steven let me walk around the whole lookout - the views were spectacular, as expected. He also showed me a wonderful contraption - the Osborne Fire Finder. You use the pinholes and the crosshairs on the O.F.F. to locate fires in case there are any. As there were no fires at that time, he used the O.F.F. to find a castle for me instead :)<br />
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I timed my hike to coincide with K getting off work, and we went to <b>Sol Food</b> for dinner. Due to their community seating format, we ended up against the windows, which worked out for us - there was a band that had set up on the sidewalk and played as guests queued up to order. We barely missed the rush - The line backed up so far that we finished our food before some people got to order!<br />
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The sunset drive across the bridge was gorgeous. I know that I never take the time to appreciate beauty as much as I should, but jeez - San Francisco is gorgeous. K and I took a walk to<b> Lands End</b> to see the Sutro Baths and catch the sunset a little more.<br />
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Eventually I made my way back to B's. Day 1 was amazing. </div>
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<b><u>Day 2: Friday</u></b></div>
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Initially we had planned to leave early, but given that our Thursdays had been so packed, we delayed leaving by a little. Breakfast at <b>Plow</b> awaited! In the 45 minute line that we had to sit in, I randomly called the Havasupai Reservation.. and I got in! :) Havasupai, I'm coming for you - again!<br />
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At first, I was a little concerned about not making it to Oregon on time, but B made a good point - we had nothing planned! What difference would it make if we hit up all or none of our targets? With lemon ricotta pancakes in our tummies, we started on our journey. There was a bit of traffic getting out of the city, but as we continued to drive, the view got better and better.<br />
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Miles and miles of empty road. We stopped at a gas station, and at the convenience store, I saw a box that was clearly labeled with "FOR HIKERS ONLY" - I asked what that meant, and the associate who worked there told me that PCT hikers used the convenience store as a stop because there was a post office nearby. THE PACIFIC CREST TRAIL?!<br />
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<b>PCT hiking</b> as always been a dream of mine. When I get older, the goal is to take enough time off to hike the 2,000+ mile path from Mexico to Canada. Visions of Cheryl Strayed came to mind at that point - my goal is probably going to be a little delayed, but a goal is a goal! We kissed the trail a little because I wanted to see it, but turned around as we wanted to see as much as possible before the sun set.<br />
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Next stop? <b>Mt. Shasta</b>.<br />
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Shasta is gorgeous. It hasn't erupted since the 1700s, but it's still massive, and it comes in at over 14k feet in elevation. We had hoped to do the Old Ski Bowl hike at Mt. Shasta, but the sunset was so appropriate for pictures and the view was so spectacular when we arrived that everything took precedent and the hike fell to the wayside. We still managed to get a few miles in, but ultimately sat down to enjoy the view instead.<br />
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We stopped in Weed, California on the way up to Oregon. Not much left to say there except that they are still trying to capitalize on the whole novel aspect of it. </div>
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<b><u>Day 3: Saturday</u></b><br />
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As if Shasta couldn't be prettier, we made <b>Crater Lake</b> our next stop! Oregon, without a doubt, is one of the prettiest states I've ever been to. We parked at the <b>Annie Creek restaurant</b> and gift shop and had breakfast there. The architecture in the building was so nice - high ceilings, rustic furniture, and a home-y feel that warmly welcomed us into the state.<br />
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Crater Lake was phenomenal. Life changing, even. We spent so much time there that we lost track of it. The snow had not completely melted yet, and the water was so clear and still that the only thing breaking the current was a small patrol boat in the water. Words can't even begin to describe how beautiful it was.<br />
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We walked along the rim of the crater for a while. As it turns out, the Crater Lake Century was taking place at this time! We saw so many cyclists passing by that we finally stopped a few of them to ask them what they were doing. 100 miles on their bikes - around the whole crater and back! Definitely something I want to do next year.<br />
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Next Stop? <b>Bend, OR.</b></div>
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Specifically, the <b>Patagonia</b> store in Bend, OR. You see, B has this weird thing for the outdoors. It completes him or something. Bend wasn't about the <b>Deschutes Brewery</b>, which happened to be around the corner - it was about the excitement of being able to walk around Patagonia and look at furry jackets and board shorts. </div>
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The series of events looks something like this:</div>
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Me: B - we're going here!</div>
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B:<br />
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Me: </div>
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Elk Burger, Pesto Mac and Cheese, and a TOTALITY LAGER. So much good food. Look at that face of happiness!</div>
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By now, we're exhausted. We've been on the road for a few days and we haven't really had a good night's sleep. We check in to Pronghorn Resort and it's AMAZING. As in, we got a junior suite with a backyard, a massive room, and access to 2 pools - ONE WITH A SLIDE! </div>
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I'm not going to lie - many of these photos aren't mine. B took some great ones! I tried to resist, but these Pixel photos are so nice! Almost as good as iPhone7+ <i>portrait mode</i> photos. :)</div>
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We had dinner at Cascada (2nd dinner, really) and watched the sunset. Lambs, prawns, polenta, yum. </div>
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<b><u>Day 4: Sunday</u></b><br />
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We def slept past our alarms. It's a good thing we didn't have anywhere to be! The goal was to head into Portland and get to our hotel - Our friends DC and DH were supposed to arrive later and meet us. So we start the drive... and then realize that we're in the state of Washington. We accidentally crossed the Columbia River!<br />
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We made our way toward Portland (whilst in Washington!) and stopped along the way at the <b>Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area</b>. More failed jumping pictures ensued. The tripod we used was amazing but our timing was horrible.<br />
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Guys. My legs look so good.<br />
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DC lands, so we headed over to pick her up. It was time for <b>Multnomah Falls</b>!<br />
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Only a one mile hike, but beautiful regardless. 11 switchbacks that felt like 100 - probably because I'm out of shape :)</div>
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We went to the Observatory in Portland for Dinner and ended up in the bar portion of the restaurant, Over and Out. More elk burgers, oysters, fry bread, and andouille mac and cheese! yum. </div>
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We stopped to get ice cream at a nearby creamery - Cold as Ice -<br />
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And then went to meet up with J at Fifty Licks! Best believe I had back-to-back ice cream :)<br />
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We head back to the hotel and prep for the main reason we chose Oregon as our vacation destination - THE SOLAR ECLIPSE!<br />
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<b><u>Day 5: Monday</u></b><br />
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Everyone told us we needed to leave by 3am to make it to Madras for a prime viewing spot. When we checked out, the person at the counter told us that we were one of the last ones to leave - every had checked out by 1:30am! But we lucked out in Madras - we met a wonderful family who owned a farm and let us hang out in their yard.<br />
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The eclipse was amazing. Totally worth it. TOTALITY worth it, even. I remember telling B that our hotel would give us 99.3% clarity, and he said NO - that he wouldn't take anything less than 100%.<br />
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Everything turned so dark so quickly - it got cold, and in the two minutes of darkness, all I could say was HOLY SHIT - DH actually has a video of me just saying "holy shit" for a good 2 minutes.<br />
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How amazing is it that we can say we experienced this? It's no wonder that people spend their lives chasing moments like these.<br />
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When everything was over, we knew we didn't want to take the trafficky trail back to LA - the 5 freeway was backed up from Eugene to Portland! So we headed west, to the Heceta Head Lighthouse!<br />
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We stop for dinner in Coos Bay before heading back down to San Francisco. Day 5, still amazing.<br />
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<b><u>Day 6: Tuesday</u></b><br />
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So we spent the night making our way back from Oregon. We made such great time that we were back before the sun rose! We dropped DC and DH off, and then went home to nap.<br />
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B was craving prime rib, I was craving thai, so we settled on lobster. DH came over and we went to <b>New England Lobster Market</b> for lunch!<br />
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We walked over to watch some planes land at the park across the street, and then went to the It's It factory store!<br />
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Dinner was special for me - K came over and B & I walked to R & L's house for dinner! R had just gotten some new cycling shoes, we worked on clipping in. It was amazing! We had homemade oxtail soup and hung out for a little bit before I had to head out. Lucky for us, R is celebrating his 30th birthday TODAY! Congrats to you, and I'm so happy I got to see you. :) </div>
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<b><u>Day 7: Wednesday </u></b><br />
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All good things come to an end. Miss you already, B. Til next time.<br />
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<br />winjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182136023558011232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397044381841532887.post-39672396063465438542017-08-01T23:11:00.003-07:002017-08-01T23:43:51.074-07:00Havasupai, Grand Canyon, AZ41 miles. We hiked 41 miles this weekend!<br />
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DM was fortunate enough to get us passes to the most elusive club in Arizona - HAVASUPAI! I've been waiting for this trip for the last few months, to say the least. I was so excited that I literally linked my out of office message (internal only, obviously) to this:</div>
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Clearly no one saw it, but at least I put it out into the world that I was going to have a good time!</div>
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And a good time I had. </div>
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<b><u>FRIDAY</u></b></div>
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We spent Friday coordinating and driving. Delayed flights, work emergencies, and traffic made for a late start, and instead of being able to explore the caves in AZ, we checked in late to our hotel, repacked, and slept. Next time, we leave at the ass crack of dawn! Those caverns are just waiting to be explored. </div>
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<b><u>SATURDAY</u></b></div>
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We stayed at the Grand Canyon Caverns Inn, which was an hour away from the trailhead. At 4am, we got up, drove to the trailhead, and met the rest of our party to begin the weekend!</div>
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We hiked 8 miles to the Supai Village, then a few more to get to Navajo Falls (where I jumped off my first rock!) and onward to Havasu Falls. Quite possibly the most beautiful thing I've seen. </div>
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We napped, we tanned, and we let the day get away from us before we went to Mooney Falls.</div>
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We climbed down a waterfall to see another waterfall! It was amazing.<br />
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Unfortunately, the weather predicted rain, so we decided to head back in order to avoid muddy roads on the way back.<br />
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Total mileage for the day: 18 Miles<br />
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<b><u>SUNDAY</u></b><br />
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When we told D we wanted to sleep in, he said "ok!", but what he really meant was that we'd be up and out by 8am. We had a full day ahead of us! We went back to Mooney Falls, but only as a pathway to get to Beaver Falls. The hike was amazing. The best part? IT WAS ALL FLAT!<br />
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Jurassic views. And of course... CLIFF JUMPING!<br />
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<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7" style="background: #fff; border-radius: 3px; border: 0; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.5) , 0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: 99.375%;">
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BXOLM_ygK0N/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Cliff jumping at Beaver Falls. #waitforit #worthit #LeslieWhitneyBrianKevin</a></div>
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A post shared by winja. (@_winja) on <time datetime="2017-07-31T18:45:34+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jul 31, 2017 at 11:45am PDT</time></div>
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We made the trek back with room to watch the sun set.<br />
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Total mileage for the day: 14 Miles<br />
Total mileage for the trip: 32 Miles<br />
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<b><u>MONDAY</u></b><br />
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A 4am call time meant we could chase the sunrise while we made the way back up and out of the canyon. In the darkness, we got turned around a little, but we managed to see some headlamps walking in our direction on the way up.<br />
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We finished the hike around 8am. A beautiful view for the end of a beautiful trip.<br />
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Total mileage for the day: 9 Miles<br />
Total mileage for the trip: 41 Miles<br />
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15/10 would do it again.<br />
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winjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182136023558011232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397044381841532887.post-33434893205998810542017-06-12T00:58:00.001-07:002017-06-12T11:29:30.060-07:00Race (Kind of?) Report: AIDS/LifeCycle 2017These last few days have completely changed my life. In so many ways that I can't even begin to comprehend all of it.<br />
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As always, a wall of text is ahead. Hold onto your butts!<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">FRIDAY. DAY (-1).</span></u></b><br />
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There is a <a href="http://www.npr.org/2016/08/26/490625260/can-slowing-down-help-you-be-more-creative" target="_blank">TED talk about how people need to slow down a little more</a>, and it talks about how there are different types of people: Pre-crastinators, and procrastinators. I'm very clearly a precrastinator. I think about things months in advance, and I anticipate problems before they even arise.<br />
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When it came down to ALC, I was worried 6 months prior that I wasn't going to finish. Training hadn't even started yet. 2 months before the ride started, I started packing. At first it was in small increments (picking up a few extra tubes while I shopped, an extra headlamp in case my first headlamp died) - I was so worried that I (obviously) overpacked, even months before the ride started!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUn-W5nDKwU13pPvNa9qcxbJOAMQAAWAhOnImmJJn08WqsexnZRwmbr3JQ4KYs9bkJBd-2b3r-ZdxFa76Ci0bAsqo7QXz8MoPZnKBuuugyRYBgKyfpRyysMWNVgBhA4zt6EWdn1YH7RwyI/s1600/IMG_3083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUn-W5nDKwU13pPvNa9qcxbJOAMQAAWAhOnImmJJn08WqsexnZRwmbr3JQ4KYs9bkJBd-2b3r-ZdxFa76Ci0bAsqo7QXz8MoPZnKBuuugyRYBgKyfpRyysMWNVgBhA4zt6EWdn1YH7RwyI/s320/IMG_3083.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yep, I even used a packing list. It helped no one. </td></tr>
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Surprisingly enough, everything fit into my luggage, which LAX (namely Virgin America) promptly declared overweight and heavy.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I feel sorry for everyone who had to carry this. </td></tr>
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The flight to SF was short, and Bryan picked me up for a day filled with food and fun. I convinced him to eat 4 meals with me before dinner with Kelvin, and to let me get shaved prosciutto in a cone as dessert! I now know why I have to do endurance events - the calories catch up so fast!<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">SATURDAY. DAY (0).</span></u></b><br />
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The day before the ride, they ask all the cyclists to go in for orientation. I snuck into the 9am session and got to sit with everyone on Team DTLA Riding.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia5XbBpA5lg3FOykxkVSlAIiNx5JEo3IGRVlmRvHSpIbmFZ43sCNGmlpYfnuP0awrQNsTNdlmSX9plU2AzNvdG-VaP3PPGIrXpW8QjZaPtNpeG4q-JYtHZ-oZwJzkJBTaa8ZvSwKOvFwzJ/s1600/IMG_2359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1203" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia5XbBpA5lg3FOykxkVSlAIiNx5JEo3IGRVlmRvHSpIbmFZ43sCNGmlpYfnuP0awrQNsTNdlmSX9plU2AzNvdG-VaP3PPGIrXpW8QjZaPtNpeG4q-JYtHZ-oZwJzkJBTaa8ZvSwKOvFwzJ/s320/IMG_2359.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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The week prior, we had shipped our bikes up, so we got to check in on them, shop at the camp store (jerseys and hats and water bottles), and then we were off.<br />
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I used the rest of the day to spend quality time with my favorite (ok, <i>only</i>) brother. We had dim sum with Bryan, went to the Palace of Fine Arts, walked the Presidio, and then hung out at Fisherman's Wharf.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_lfTZoHa5bq7oeUZc6PnUNFxXjFJsjELQ0iQ1uyhUIRwJLqEA5hQbB795GmJQKTQlsrKxIrkgOP3rxluNrE4ryffAobkXSgrOlBjmvmfUikbICVW9EBZ3TVFqx22LLOXJDel1NjIa40_/s1600/IMG_2444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_lfTZoHa5bq7oeUZc6PnUNFxXjFJsjELQ0iQ1uyhUIRwJLqEA5hQbB795GmJQKTQlsrKxIrkgOP3rxluNrE4ryffAobkXSgrOlBjmvmfUikbICVW9EBZ3TVFqx22LLOXJDel1NjIa40_/s320/IMG_2444.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yoda and I are besties now. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Liz, my (AMAZING) tent mate, invited me to TeamOC's dinner, so we spent the evening getting warm and fuzzies with everyone she had been training with for the last few months. Marianne, one of the gals on the team, had us take a picture together but she was secretly recording us the whole time! It was both great and weird listening our candid thoughts.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz0kXkEfpZ2H0j7PfYctYBR5f31LIUQoVNY5DYHsKxTzdSO_4cnrm66i4jt6aNHhvb14xTk6u3KZ7LemMgQGg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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In retrospect, we went into ALC so full of optimism that it made it such a well-rounded experience. I always tell myself that you only get to live the "first time" once. So true in this instance.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkPvfpHDkk0efbQVlSl2BVu7SlUJD-PV8pKJndJi-TEyqUn8NsHGKDKz5RldRsZxQAa0IhD29gFaQN0pn-dSiv9RBRu8SdEexTi8LSVnacmjUIoVTTULZNjSCe210fEsGZW0mZZNl3BCQV/s1600/IMG_2466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkPvfpHDkk0efbQVlSl2BVu7SlUJD-PV8pKJndJi-TEyqUn8NsHGKDKz5RldRsZxQAa0IhD29gFaQN0pn-dSiv9RBRu8SdEexTi8LSVnacmjUIoVTTULZNjSCe210fEsGZW0mZZNl3BCQV/s320/IMG_2466.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first of many pictures with Liz! We took a picture every day of ALC. </td></tr>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">SUNDAY. DAY (1). San Francisco to Santa Cruz</span></u></b><br />
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Surprisingly, I slept well the night prior. I think knowing that it wasn't a race really changed things. I got up at 4, packed, and Bryan dropped me off at Cow Palace at the ass-crack of dawn (you're the best!).<br />
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It was cold and I started to worry that I didn't pack enough (even though my luggage was bursting at the seams at this point). But I saw tons of familiar faces and I was eager to start the journey.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcaLWv2OfCpvDI3sgYK5__q7pKWMcgAoUnjgcAGOxIIhOD6pjaLntR0vLI7nCxAh9MacUzwdeoNqKAxI6gWtsSbLZPUTWdDKMOT7zujvHWE1PuK2bjSb_wWrU_4gsI4UjZzgUr9YrZPAVg/s1600/IMG_2476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1203" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcaLWv2OfCpvDI3sgYK5__q7pKWMcgAoUnjgcAGOxIIhOD6pjaLntR0vLI7nCxAh9MacUzwdeoNqKAxI6gWtsSbLZPUTWdDKMOT7zujvHWE1PuK2bjSb_wWrU_4gsI4UjZzgUr9YrZPAVg/s320/IMG_2476.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mitchel & Jacob <3</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkth5ZuTHuVGwi2FXKbLiPLoULhcYInWmXiIvQDUJu3eugV8_KjwirqDfAY9l-4AdWoVMnHmX8b6RQkLIknxlyPBofqgQmJj-cbgwqW8t5P6uodfCdIrYolcPGVRSACKYqgWKTZPKi1nN/s1600/IMG_2482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkth5ZuTHuVGwi2FXKbLiPLoULhcYInWmXiIvQDUJu3eugV8_KjwirqDfAY9l-4AdWoVMnHmX8b6RQkLIknxlyPBofqgQmJj-cbgwqW8t5P6uodfCdIrYolcPGVRSACKYqgWKTZPKi1nN/s320/IMG_2482.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liz!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Opening Ceremonies kicks us off, with a solemn reminder of why we do the ride: to bring awareness to those who are suffering from and who have lost the battle with HIV and AIDs. It's a long-term stretch goal to End AIDS altogether, but everything that we do brings us a little closer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZO4IKVL7BXtPP8spweXIjxvC4lvi2Lka0cI2UPA1AHxLGRR4SAddpsoXkXIkLi-YD3UbExrLhozMecMe0hepwLZberAyhCkuBh6hWLjb2qpDjpjDblIvtLYa6eJP0UBW3xw9ch-hRr1qn/s1600/IMG_2492.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZO4IKVL7BXtPP8spweXIjxvC4lvi2Lka0cI2UPA1AHxLGRR4SAddpsoXkXIkLi-YD3UbExrLhozMecMe0hepwLZberAyhCkuBh6hWLjb2qpDjpjDblIvtLYa6eJP0UBW3xw9ch-hRr1qn/s320/IMG_2492.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Immediately after the ceremonies, we head to our bikes and ride off into the night! (still morning, definitely not night.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGec9rZfYOqM6D_nmMqiKDMY0XgFMkNfXVASwlIDQiWC9Zp1ZZ1d3-MpBpGGOL0fWvrRsTBaFbQjSRVv4CfC1j4uv3tHrrRLvcUf8tmR1rc7dZdR9Zd42TycEgV-rk-oKlzxVHa85JMXi1/s1600/IMG_2493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGec9rZfYOqM6D_nmMqiKDMY0XgFMkNfXVASwlIDQiWC9Zp1ZZ1d3-MpBpGGOL0fWvrRsTBaFbQjSRVv4CfC1j4uv3tHrrRLvcUf8tmR1rc7dZdR9Zd42TycEgV-rk-oKlzxVHa85JMXi1/s320/IMG_2493.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roughly 2,500 people all trying to leave the same place at once. </td></tr>
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The course was beautiful. 82 miles of scenic oceans and greenery. Every 10 - 20 miles there were rest stops (as was the trend across all of the rides), which made for great entertainment!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoZmQf1tz0clSSrIRKcEdUColfAIHb9WdtoBRspwJxJjzY44S83yoDqbkYzcf2SL4VncXMZzEwmbHtKUvEK7XDCheqJh1ZlLohz5WY0IkbzUWFpA9xBiPpFciGfUe_uyvX5JL7KK2_0q6K/s1600/IMG_2504.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1203" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoZmQf1tz0clSSrIRKcEdUColfAIHb9WdtoBRspwJxJjzY44S83yoDqbkYzcf2SL4VncXMZzEwmbHtKUvEK7XDCheqJh1ZlLohz5WY0IkbzUWFpA9xBiPpFciGfUe_uyvX5JL7KK2_0q6K/s320/IMG_2504.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They sang "Kiss" and passed out cookies with Hershey's Kisses in them. I can't even. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiOvHWDLxR3MP7wovqkO8DOuoUvP4cJyLFVweLuJqKjfGCKoVGUKk7nfs0lQQhVMyWZ_xR9mu2lr9KG7O4WIXlUq_GIIW59OWoVjoy2RoEbkjOnsC2euZ2w8UeNQiCkA-HfWC00udGcA4m/s1600/IMG_2508.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiOvHWDLxR3MP7wovqkO8DOuoUvP4cJyLFVweLuJqKjfGCKoVGUKk7nfs0lQQhVMyWZ_xR9mu2lr9KG7O4WIXlUq_GIIW59OWoVjoy2RoEbkjOnsC2euZ2w8UeNQiCkA-HfWC00udGcA4m/s320/IMG_2508.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH1lzVl4OiSszNHMmfGtghKloQo5nMszuZlGHx_X9IwVaidA7tIuEgRBbSacMU2VELFnoimEbpB6Q5ZjgDiAVYNm-cSJYH60yuI3rX5HZZD1qXr8oaoEWSKAwzbdeT3wV2m8TTPqm0uoCt/s1600/IMG_2510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH1lzVl4OiSszNHMmfGtghKloQo5nMszuZlGHx_X9IwVaidA7tIuEgRBbSacMU2VELFnoimEbpB6Q5ZjgDiAVYNm-cSJYH60yuI3rX5HZZD1qXr8oaoEWSKAwzbdeT3wV2m8TTPqm0uoCt/s320/IMG_2510.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The humor on these stalls kept me laughing for days. These ones were named after GoT houses.</td></tr>
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We rolled into camp around 3:40 on Day 1, and I was hooked. Everything about the ride - the people, the views, everything. Even setting up the tent was a great experience!<br />
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Day 1, done.<br />
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="405" scrolling="no" src="https://www.strava.com/activities/1021647338/embed/52ff36d7f1d5724c45d4e3627c108108536a70bd" width="590"></iframe>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">MONDAY. DAY (2). Santa Cruz to King City</span></u></b><br />
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Day 2 was scheduled to be the longest day at 109 miles. Also known as Orange Safety Day, everyone is encouraged to wear some sort of orange because of the need to be highly visible (as if 2500 people on bikes wasn't visible enough! :] ) due to traffic, etc.<br />
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The day was a blur full of climbs, the Otter Pop Stop!, and a skinny dipping bridge.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpyyr3HH1vL764LsJrvhRJH45JrFrmigslfVrm3IoNG5jOeDUkLPDNnKH03Shlqh8uGrbVZP2LnyJ-Pjso4dOSRBx74Ri3kGBzJ1FxPlpdxebWrDJU_Jpu3MZl7-5MQbszqLokgwsdPCcc/s1600/IMG_2541.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1203" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpyyr3HH1vL764LsJrvhRJH45JrFrmigslfVrm3IoNG5jOeDUkLPDNnKH03Shlqh8uGrbVZP2LnyJ-Pjso4dOSRBx74Ri3kGBzJ1FxPlpdxebWrDJU_Jpu3MZl7-5MQbszqLokgwsdPCcc/s320/IMG_2541.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNM80OahjWWxSn8bT5xDTehIMqrgRNKaI07C3-GvRdTq8lIRwxG8SH__BFt_JYZRYl9U9LdgmT7V0pvhRaJ5dQ_3BM1ri4MA7vP1GFr2VgfoH0LQPS9RQWdnTu_cmPE_lETXXWIB-BHY0v/s1600/IMG_2549.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1203" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNM80OahjWWxSn8bT5xDTehIMqrgRNKaI07C3-GvRdTq8lIRwxG8SH__BFt_JYZRYl9U9LdgmT7V0pvhRaJ5dQ_3BM1ri4MA7vP1GFr2VgfoH0LQPS9RQWdnTu_cmPE_lETXXWIB-BHY0v/s320/IMG_2549.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He asked me to call him Big Orange. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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By the time we rolled into camp, I was drained. Anything over 100 miles takes a toll on the body, and a constant barrage of heat doesn't help either. Needless to say, the night of Day 2 was a very quiet one for me!<br />
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Day 2, done.<br />
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="405" scrolling="no" src="https://www.strava.com/activities/1023216814/embed/d6700a0f73d05a1c0f34c77bb44593dc36f10d7f" width="590"></iframe>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">TUESDAY. DAY (3). King City to Paso Robles</span></u></b><br />
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By Day 3, I'm still feeling awesome. Day 3 is known as Quadbuster Day - We climb a massive hill that never ends, but when it does, it's this amazing feeling of accomplishment you're overcome with.<br />
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Mark and I start the day with a video while we're prepping by our bikes -<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5EEGFZI8SFRiXFW5F12MX-a9-bH5xeAZ-E5Xh0OD1sTZPQ-JrHx32T_df_mPJlNUQTXUX1P3pl1XcTvVJvdHhScy5OjW26H1yv4ywzv_3lBad8N4PLqU3u_68MsJFIF8fR1YB164Veb-/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-06-11+at+10.56.56+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="748" data-original-width="900" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5EEGFZI8SFRiXFW5F12MX-a9-bH5xeAZ-E5Xh0OD1sTZPQ-JrHx32T_df_mPJlNUQTXUX1P3pl1XcTvVJvdHhScy5OjW26H1yv4ywzv_3lBad8N4PLqU3u_68MsJFIF8fR1YB164Veb-/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-06-11+at+10.56.56+PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a private video so I can't share it outisde of Facebook - but you can f<a href="https://www.facebook.com/mark.witko/posts/10210455584479444" target="_blank">ind it online</a>!</td></tr>
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I'm so excited! Mainly because I don't know what I'm in for. Jacob and I spend a majority of the morning riding with one another - we get to the top of Quadbuster and cruise down to the City of Bradley, where the kids of the school put on a fundraiser every year to raise money for their extracurriculars. Last year, they raised $40,000 because of us. How insane is that? I wonder what they raised this year...<br />
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Day 3 also took us through a military base, Mission San Miguel (so beautiful! and original architecture from 1797!), and a Disney-inspired rest stop complete with characters! I spent much of this time trying to keep up with Martin, who pushed me to try harder and to pedal faster.<br />
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I'm drained, but there are rumors of a root beer float stand at camp, and I'm jazzed again. I love anything with ice cream in it!<br />
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Since we got back to camp so early, I wandered on over to the medical tent to see what they had to offer. Sunburnt and sad that the line was an hour long, I did a face mask while waiting for an acupuncture session (yes, they offer it at camp!). <br />
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She also put needles in my legs but by this point I can't feel anything. </td></tr>
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Day 3, done.<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">WEDNESDAY. DAY (4). Paso Robles to Santa Maria</span></u></b><br />
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Day 4. I'm starting to feel the fatigue in my legs and in my sit bone.<br />
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I failed to mention this before, but the "roadies" on the ride are the best part about the ride. They are the backbone of the ride as a whole and handle all the things we can't do ourselves. The roadies that took my luggage from me in the morning were the best: Becca, Kaytee, and Cheryl made me smile every morning and made me hate life a little less at night.<br />
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To top it off, their costumes every morning constantly changed!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The other truck always coordinated with our truck, so the boys got in on the fun too :) </td></tr>
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Day 4 was the halfway point! There were 2 massive hills called the Evil Twins that you had to conquer before getting to the halfway point at mile 17.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">True to form, a jumping picture is always in the cards.</td></tr>
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I was so eager to get to halfway. It was a dream come true to know that I had cycled (at that point) more miles consecutively than I had ever done in my life. Halfway to LA meant that I was equally as far from the beginning as I was from the end, and the symbolism in that was enormous.<br />
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Martin and I waited for the rest of the group to come up so we could get a quick picture. After being inland for so long, we finally made our way back to the ocean, and with that, the sweet, sweet taste of...<br />
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Cinnamon rolls. Those things were like crack. Coupled with an ice-cold coke and was done for.<br />
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After 88 miles, we rolled into camp, and Day 4 came to a close. But! During dinner time, Jared texted me this video and my heart swelled to 3 times its normal size:<br />
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Some of the team recorded a short clip reminding us that we only had 3 days left. I could feel the love from nearly 300 miles away.<br />
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Day 4, done.<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">THURSDAY. DAY (5). Santa Maria to Lompoc</span></u></b><br />
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Day 5 is historically known as the shortest day, but for some reason this was my most (and least) favorite day, all rolled into one. Most favorite because it happened to be Red Dress Day: red is the color of solidarity for those who are affected by HIV and AIDS, and seeing everyone in their colors was amazing. Least favorite because my body was starting to give on me. Looking back, we spent roughly 40 hours on our bike through the course of the week. That's like a whole week of work... on a bike! Factor in the whole "Winnie doesn't wear bike shorts" thing (tri shorts for the win?) and you've got a very sore Winnie by Day 5.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFePCegk_tRkaq7pPvmmUlnW39srgLiH70mKD2SRdiiZo2f0Fzg2DmIoN7ppMf8jdI3pTaAlQqTI5yJ-2DwYTCVa7QEWSHBHy0hSFzy7_RDSJfj8nPntlfl-XJsVXYDAfLZbgxchkddVD9/s1600/IMG_2772.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFePCegk_tRkaq7pPvmmUlnW39srgLiH70mKD2SRdiiZo2f0Fzg2DmIoN7ppMf8jdI3pTaAlQqTI5yJ-2DwYTCVa7QEWSHBHy0hSFzy7_RDSJfj8nPntlfl-XJsVXYDAfLZbgxchkddVD9/s320/IMG_2772.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Lemon ladies!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Minnie Band</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tutu crew.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martin's mom is literally the cutest thing. She came with bells and whistles to cheer us on!</td></tr>
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The course was short and sweet. I loved that we had so much time at camp to actually enjoy it! We all sat on the grass, ate, rolled out, and eventually Patrick and I did face masks as we waited for the Talent Show to start.<br />
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Day 5, done.<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">FRIDAY. DAY (6). Lompoc to Ventura</span></u></b><br />
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Day 6. I'm excited. only 2 rides separate me from Los Angeles. I can't wait!<br />
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By now I'm totally immersed in this love bubble. When we first started the journey, I couldn't understand why everyone called it the love bubble. And then it dawned on me - every day, we were living in this world that we had created for ourselves. The one that motivated us to wake up at 4:30 every morning, dragged us out to our bikes, and schlepped us over from point A to point B. I was constantly surrounded by love. The nicest people I've ever met - who would tell me that my hair looked good, or that I had enviable calves - were also the people who pushed me to be a better me and allowed me to live in my own thoughts for the day. It was this serendipitous blend of being able to be alone but surrounded by others. Definitely a great feeling. </div>
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On this ride, we got to coast through Santa Barbara. The coolest part was the fact that the city of Santa Barbara sponsored an unofficial rest stop called Paradise Pit - complete with fresh fruit, ice cream (!!!) from McConnells (!!!), and a toppings bar! The mayor of SB even came out to thank us.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Livin' the ice cream dream. </td></tr>
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Day 6 was also the last night we'd be camping. We ended up at the San Buenaventura State Beach, where the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence graced us with their presence and held a candlelight vigil to remember those who have lost the light because of HIV and AIDS. A very somber experience, but eerily beautiful.<br />
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Day 6, Done.<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">SATURDAY. DAY (7). Ventura to Los Angeles!</span></u></b><br />
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Day 7 was a glass case of emotions. I was so excited to be in familiar territory again. The team felt the same way, because Brandon called me in the morning to tell me I was late and everyone was waiting on me to leave! I had to rush to roll out with everyone, and I was afraid that I had left something behind.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Do you think we have a strong cellular signal?</td></tr>
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But finally, a day where I knew where I was going. Ventura, Oxnard, Pt Hueneme, Santa Monica, West Hollywood! What a blur.<br />
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Brandon and I rode a majority of the route together, trying to meet up with the rest of the team in West Hollywood before riding in together at the finish line at Fairfax High School. It was ethereal.<br />
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I texted Joyce to let her know I was a mile out, and my excitement mounted.<br />
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As we started to hit the stoplights, familiar faces popped up! Katy was the first person I saw that I KNEW! I was so surprised and so happy she was there.<br />
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I saw Alice, Robert, and Jared as we were rolling in - more excitement!<br />
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And as we inched closer and closer to the finish line, I was so surprised to see SO MANY people who had come just for me: Patrick, Lisa, Letty, Stef, Kathryn, Zulema, George, Chelsie, Steve, Donyelle, Albert, Jaime, Joyce, and Phil!<br />
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A part of me died crossing over that finish line. Letting go of everything that had built up inside of me and coming to terms with this overabundance of love. I couldn't handle it. Tears streamed down my face. We did it!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team DTLA Riding!</td></tr>
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I cried in Chelsie's arms for a good 5 minutes. I was so happy to be back and so happy to share this special moment with the BEST people in my life.<br />
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I couldn't have asked for better friends. Sometimes life deals you a bad set of cards, but all my cards played out correctly.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm5CaZXHbl5yGwcMNSDrt7vso5WEwU2bj4QvG2XSLZj-h5bExb9Uz7MrxUDzeFJpkj_iEK-jEdjJpcCkvzPlfB6tKz689n9Vf7Ns-43xfbk54pL-b-LJnV8R-HwyG9qVlsTxlJ5N2pu7Z8/s1600/IMG_3057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm5CaZXHbl5yGwcMNSDrt7vso5WEwU2bj4QvG2XSLZj-h5bExb9Uz7MrxUDzeFJpkj_iEK-jEdjJpcCkvzPlfB6tKz689n9Vf7Ns-43xfbk54pL-b-LJnV8R-HwyG9qVlsTxlJ5N2pu7Z8/s320/IMG_3057.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my favorite people in this world. I couldn't have done this ride without you, Patrick!</td></tr>
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So much to come home to: 7 bouquets of flowers (and sunflowers, to boot!), 3 king sized Snickers bars, desserts, Tamales!!!, and 30 bags of hot cheetos from my brother in San Francisco because he knew how much I love them. Not to mention the 4 pizzas and the cookies and ice cream we enjoyed poolside later in the day!<br />
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Day 7, Done.<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">SUNDAY. No more days. Just Thoughts.</span></u></b><br />
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I would be remiss if I didn't mention any of the bad things about the ride - the idea of showering in a truck, having to use antibacterial wipes and germ-x in place of a sink with soap, sunburns in places you didn't know could burn, and soreness and pain in places you wish wouldn't hurt.<br />
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But those were so menial in the grand scheme of things. Until last week, I was never able to put my life on pause. I've always been a GO GO GO kind of person. Some say that intensity gets me in trouble (I'll agree to a certain extent) and others say that it's my best quality.<br />
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7 Days.<br />
545+ miles.<br />
21,000+ elevation climb. (Mt Everest is 29k feet!)<br />
14,000+ calories burned.<br />
A lifetime of memories.<br />
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Thank you to the loving friends who wrote me numbered notes to read EVERY DAY of the ride. I had so many I had to spend the last night reading most of them because I couldn't get to them all each night.<br />
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Thanks for FaceTiming me every day to ask me where I was and how I was doing and for following me on my journey. </div>
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Thanks especially to all of my donors for getting me to the starting line in the first place: Derrick, Abel, Nelson, Lynn, Angela, Diane, Stephane, Rob, Nick, Hymie, Jim, Alisa, Steven, Kathryn, Bernie, Sam, Elisa, Alison, David, Leon, John, Susan, Christy, Diane, Bree, Howard, Carol, Sean, Steven, Anna, Jehanne, Dennis, Robert, other Robert, and James!</div>
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Additional thanks are in store for my friends who were willing to donate on my behalf to Jesus so he could get his ticket to ride: Alice, Diego, Jared, Joyce, Letty, Mark, Patrick, Rich, Sevana, Stef, and Zulema! </div>
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Thanks should also go to the Walt Disney Company for matching many of the donations from my co-workers, and to Chipotle for hosting a fundraiser that donated 50% of proceeds to ALC!</div>
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If my heart could get any bigger, it definitely did these last few days. What a life-changing experience. I can't wait to do it again next year.<br />
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<br />winjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182136023558011232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397044381841532887.post-69258519229008146822017-06-01T10:45:00.003-07:002017-06-11T20:50:20.113-07:00ALC Finish Line FestivalI fly up tomorrow, but please join me at the Finish Line Festival on June 10th!<br />
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Details here:<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/260113814396742/">https://www.facebook.com/events/260113814396742/</a><br />
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<br />winjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03182136023558011232noreply@blogger.com0