First amateur win - SCGA Crossings Tournament

The Crossings at Carlsbad—a course that gave away three times as many bogies as it did birdies, a course that another player complained should have all their greens bulldozed and leveled, a course that was tough for all who played—turned out to be the course that Travis would take home his first amateur golf tournament trophy.

He won low gross score winner and tie for first net score (but he couldn't win two trophies).

Needless to say he is pretty excited to meet his goal of winning an amateur tournament in 2013. This was his fourth tournament this year.

Congrats, Trav!!

This cup can hold a lot of soda

Geeking on Golf this weekend

Travis was trying to organize some buddies to join him on the links this weekend. One of his good friends, while on speakerphone said, "Dude, it's the masters this weekend. I gotta watch it live."

"Don't live live (that's liv lyve...yes, I get why English is a frustrating subject) or anything." I muttered.

Travis laughed and repeated it.

His friend said he was going to have to think about that one for a bit. Nevertheless, Trav did find a group to play with both yesterday and today, and caught up on the Masters in the evening.

It was this time last year, when golf finally caught my attention.

Bubba Watson's amazing hook shot on the 18th hole, a shot so seemingly impossible, executed impeccably, with Bubba's own humble belief and confidence that it could be done. In an interview this week, he said he likes "creating" shots. It was clear the way he played that shot that he does. Whether or not I knew what I was seeing, I was impressed.


It went down in the history books as one of the greatest shots in Masters history (or maybe in televised golf for that matter). This week, the Golf Channel did a moment-by-moment breakdown in the physics required to actually make the shot happen.

So that's when I realized that Travis is playing a game that is something bigger than glorified croquet. The words you hear golfers use in their interviews: patience, focus, dedication. The gentlemen's sport fascinates me.

Who will win the green jacket today?

Have you signed the pledge?

Recognize anyone in the new SCGA commercial?

Apparently the downside of more people playing golf is the slowing of the pace of play. The reasons are endless, drinking, talking, golf ball after golf ball lost in the hazards.... People who play but have no respect for the game that was once heralded as a gentlemen's sport. "Candy golfers" as a good friend of ours coined them.

So if there are any golf wives out there who wonder why their men are gone for 8-10 hours...tell your men that they need to sign the pledge.

Merry Christmas — Reflecting and hope for the future

It's just a few days away. Merry Christmas everyone! It's cooold up here, with some lingering snow on the ground. The horses are blanketed and Jaeger is cozy on his bed beside me.

2012 has been a phenomenal year. Looking back at things I've blogged about, and some things I didn't share, it's been a good year. Where applicable, I will link to corresponding blog entries.

Travis recovered from his ACL replacement and went back to golf as quickly as possible, dropping his handicap to the single digits. He has played some of the best golf courses, including PGA West and Shadow Creek, and has played in three states this year (CA, NV, UT). While recovering from knee surgery he built a wrought iron front fence and gates that turned out amazing! Now if we can only get the last of the horseshoes we are using to adorn the fence, we will be done. When he wasn't golfing, he course marshaled a century ride in Big Bear this year, did a couple of short speed training runs with me, and rode mountain bikes with Jason on our anniversary trip to Colorado, and took his 52 split window bug to a couple of VW shows. He has not been on a dirt bike in over a year, and has spent 2012 injury free.

VW Jamboree, Irvine August 2012

As for me, I've been riding, running, reading, and writing. This year, my horsemanship ventures took me to Phoenix in March for a Buck Brannaman clinic, to Reno with Alisa in May, and brought Paul Dietz to Big Bear in July. Drifter is every bit the horse I had dreamed he would be, while Jake is still my go-to horse for when I am feeling competitive. He's put me in the money in a few cow sorting jackpots. As for running, I just barely completed the Phoenix marathon in January (on a hilarious trip with Nell and Peggy), ran the Pasadena half marathon in February and, this fall — after finally putting in some decent training runs — I finished the St. George marathon in what was by far the most exhilarating marathon experience. 

Suz and Drifter learning to rope (not great form here, loop way too small - haha!), Paul Dietz clinic Norco, CA 

We took a few trips this year, including a visit to Lompoc in March to golf and relax, a visit to Colorado for our 15th wedding anniversary in June (shamefully not blogged...what an awesome trip hiking and hanging out with Jason and Lou!), St. George Utah in October, and Vegas in October (following the marathon) and November (for a golf tournament). 

To get to this old Crystal, CO mine, you have to take a terrifying, vertigo-inducing dirt road.

Hanging Lake near Glenwood Springs, CO

We also got a boat this summer, used it a few times and sold it this fall. We took Pat and Rusty out on the lake in August, but we had to get towed in when the engine failed. In September, Hans and Samantha came up and Samantha stayed on the swimdeck until sundown, then tried her hand at driving the boat. She liked full throttle circles the best.

Watch out for that boat! Look out, ducks! Don't hit the buoy!

Construction: We have been stuck with major repairs due to a suspicious water leak upon our last tenants' departure from the rental house. Floors and cabinets needed to be replaced. After this last bout of inconsiderate tenants, we are looking to sell. In addition to repairing the rental house, I came home this fall to find Travis dismantling the hall closet and tearing out drywall. He has always disliked the jack-and-jill guest bathroom and decided it was time to convert it, close off access from the guest bedrooms and move entry to the bathroom from the living room, and remodel with slate tile and knotty alder cabinets. It's going to be the nicest room in the house!

New floors and cabinets at rental house

Remodeling guest bathroom at home

As for Christmas and the New Year: we are looking forward to seeing our nephew Trevor and niece Samantha this Christmas. For 2013, we look forward to what is to come and I wish to express my thanks to everyone and everything that has gotten me here. And we hope that all of our friends and family, near and far, have a safe and happy holiday season. 

Merry Christmas everyone!

I will finish this entry with my hope for a kinder future for animals. 

As you are certainly aware: legislation takes a long time. Starting this Christmas season and into 2013, will you please vote (with your wallet)? My request is as simple as deciding where you shop for groceries. It's far overdue that this supposedly civilized country get its meat handling practices under control. What you eat is your decision, but there is absolutely no reason that the meat on your plate should be mistreated when it is still alive. Labels like organic, cage free, or grass fed is not enough. There is a voluntary standard that some meat-packing plants have implemented that go above and beyond the bare-minimum practices set forth by the USDA. These voluntary practices, pioneered by Dr. Temple Grandin, have produced measurable objective criteria to evaluate the well being of the animals, and the best part is there are enough grocers in the country who sell meat from these plants that you can make a difference without inconveniencing your normal routines. If more people begin to demand (via what they purchase) that their food comes from certified humane sources—that means no growth hormones, no deliberate abuse, and less stress for the animals at slaughter—then the rest of the industry will have to change. If you agree to become more cognizant of where your food/meat is coming from, I've done some research for you. 

Where to shop: Certified humane meat can be found in Southern California only at Trader Joes, Vons, and Whole Foods grocery stores (with the exception of a few small market operations). If you don't have a Vons or Traders Joes in your area, stores in other parts of the country that sell certified humane meat include: Safeway, Bi-Lo, Piggly Wiggly, Publix. Or you can find where to shop in your area at certifiedhumane.org.

Thank you for reading...and for your consideration :) ~Suzanne

Sweet Quincy, Rest In Peace

Old man Quincy

When we lived in Temecula, Travis played Snout the Tinker in A Midsummer Night's Dream. One of his lines in a roll-call scene was "Here, Peter Quince."

That line inspired my decision to change Leon's name to Quincy.

We were still living in our tiny cabin on McWhinney in 2001 and Travis had just started working for the city. He was inspecting a deck when a bouncy German Shorthaired Pointer came over to greet him. The owner kicked the dog in the ribs.

"That wasn't necessary." Travis said, shocked at the blatant abuse. "He's not bothering me."

Before Travis left, the dog approached and was kicked again. "If that's the way you treat your dog, I will take him."

And my phone rang. Travis gave me directions to the house so I went to look and knew that we had to take him. We didn't have a fenced yard but within a couple of weeks, we had gotten that covered and Leon had a new name and a new home.

He loved to fetch and swim in the lake, chase ducks and birds, go on hikes and snowshoeing, and even followed me on a couple of horseback rides when we moved to the ranch. But as he aged, he just couldn't tag along anymore.

When we got Jaeger, Quincy brought the whimpering little pup into his own doghouse on the first night. And as Jaeger grew, they still shared a doghouse, cramming their leggy bodies together. They were best friends.

In the last couple of years, Quincy's hips started to go. We put him on supplements like glucosamine and Cetyl-M that really seemed to give him a couple of extra years. More recently, he had been falling. He was slow to get up. I joked around that he needed a walker, but then he would bound around the yard like a puppy. We decided that he would let us know when it was time.

Wednesday night, Quincy was hobbling around. We brought him in by the fire. Thursday morning, he barely was able to get up to go to the bathroom, and somehow managed to pull himself back up on the deck. I let him in our bedroom to lay on a blanket so Tramp and Jaeger wouldn't knock him over.

I had to go check in at work, but left early to spend time with Quincy. He hadn't moved from the blanket. I had to touch him to wake him.

He gave me a little wag but didn't get up.

I took him to the lake so he could watch the ducks and smell the lake air. We sat in the truck and he rested his head to look out the window at the lake he loved to swim in.

And then it was time to go.

What happened in St. George - 2012 Marathon Race Report

Let me start with: put St. George on your bucket list if you have ever thought about running a marathon. Now I know why there is a lottery to get in. I won the lottery this weekend.

Travis and I drove up to St. George on Friday morning. I dropped him off at a golf course with red sand bunkers and beautiful panoramic views of terra cotta, violet and pink mountains on the nearby horizon.

Sunbrook Golf Course

While Travis traveled the fairways, I went to the expo and got checked in, attended seminars, bought some products and enjoyed the atmosphere. After we checked into our comfortable hotel room at the Quality Inn, we moseyed over to Cracker Barrel for dinner. Mmmmm.

Although this summer I logged over 300 miles on a pair of running shoes, by all training recommendations, I still undertrained for the marathon. Then I overtapered in the last few weeks due to the tailbone injury I sustained (mentioned here) thanks to a cute little palomino in my backyard who goes by the name of Drifter. 

In reading blogs and articles and forums, St. George runners had been repeatedly warned to hold back in the first half to spare your quads the torture of the 2500' elevation loss course. So all things considered, I decided to take the first half easy. For the second half, I would let 'er rip. Genelle made a bracelet with splits for a 4:20 finish time that would help me hold back but not stress about my pace.

I would be facing this steep downhill course in the morning and my quads would never be the same.

The outfit. lululemon shirt (color chosen by Jenn) and lululemon skirt from Pasadena,
Adidas GT2170, injini toe socks, headband (horsepower gift from Genelle),
beaded bracelet hand made by Adrienne...VW ball cap not pictured.

I managed to sleep and the wake-up call, cell phones and iPods started ringing at 3am. I snoozed until 3:15 and moaned out of bed. I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway so I made a PB, banana and honey sandwich, downed some Gatorade, and got dressed. 

I used a teal Sharpie that Travis bought for me at the golf course to scribble HOLD YOUR HORSES onto my forearm. (Thanks for that idea, De'Anna!)

At 4:05am, my voice crackled, "Trav, I am ready for you to take me to the buses."

"OK kiddo."

A few minutes later, we were walking through the dark streets to the lineup of 90 buses. I was on bus #2. A girl named Linda sat next to me and we chatted on the way up to the start line in Central, UT. This was her 2nd St. George Marathon and 11th marathon in about 9 years. She has run the likes of Chicago, Wineglass, and New York. St. George was her answer when I asked her about her favorite course.

I felt a twinge of an ache in my left eye. No. Is that a looming migraine? I loosened my ball cap. I could still feel the strange ache. I encouraged myself to breathe. The bus turned around at the starting line and dropped us off.

South Carolina representin'... 

The wheelchair racers at the start

Water, gatorade, coffee and hot chocolate were served. Volunteers handed out space blankets and cotton gloves. Firefighters began to start about 40-50 bonfires and sleepy runners gathered around the flames. Some slept. Some chatted. Some checked in on Facebook.

I watched the dancing flames and drank hot chocolate. 

When the bonfire I cozied up to began to die down, I visited the portajohn and walked around until I saw the pace teams arrive. I chatted with the 4-hour-15-minute pacer, Jo. I said I would be close by. Another 4:15 hopeful named Tiffany introduced herself. The runners were soon abandoning bonfires and portajohns. It was 6:40. We were about ready to start. And, suddenly, I had to pee again.

The race
Like corralled cattle moving through the dark, we started shuffling along the road toward the start line at promptly 6:45. I removed my space blanket. I stepped across the start mat and was off.

Miles 1-3 
Aches and pains tried to take me down. Oh, my tailbone! Oh, my feet! My ankle is clicking. My head hurts. I have to pee. Mile 3 had some johns, but there was a line. I think I sped up because I thought I could outrun the sensation. Nope. Runners were popping out from bushes to my left. Good idea. I exited the roadway, stage left, jumped down a small embankment, greeted a bush, and popped a squat. I took Gatorade and water at mile 3.
10:07 / 9:53 / 9:17

Miles 4-6
Ahhhhh, much bettah! Wait. How fast am I going? Hold Your Horses. I stopped to walk, watching my Garmin for an appropriate pace and continued on several times. I ran an easy pace on gradual downslope and my first 10k was done without me even breaking a sweat or breathing heavily. Pastured horses were watching the parade of runners passing their normally tranquil neck of the woods. I ate a small box of raisins at mile 6.
9:29 / 9:23 / 9:32

I said to myself, wow 10k done...don't get ahead of yourself, still take it slow till the first half is done. Somewhere around mile 5 or 6, I could see Veyo hill in the distance. The ancient volcano stands dormant and looming on the valley floor. I pulled my iPod from my pocket to snap a photo, then put the thing away and wondered if I was going to need it for some tunes.

Veyo in the distance

Miles 7-9
A lovely downhill led to the first big climb that would be the biggest elevation change in the course for the rest of the first half of the marathon. I conserved my energy knowing that Veyo could make me or break me. I began the ascent and took time to appreciate the cone protruding in the landscape. By mile 8, it was getting steeper, climbed about 250 feet in less than a mile. It was tough, but my lunch break training runs have a 222 foot climb. I am glad I ran those lunch break miles. I passed lots of walkers here. Still climbing, but feeling OK. The 4:15 pace group balloons were maybe a half mile ahead. I knew he was even pacing 9:44 (uphill and down). I didn't want to catch up. I knew I could later.
9:05 / 10:25 / 10:04

A great picture borrowed from another blogger who was at St. George

Another volcano

Miles 10-12
The elevation mellowed, but continued to rise. And it rolled as I maintained an easy pace. I felt great at mile 10, Ate raisins at mile 12. And I began to wonder when is the rollercoaster going to drop? I slowed to drink water and Gatorade at mile 13 then saw the mat ahead of me for the half marathon point.
10:10 / 10:11 / 10:02

I cruised across it and then realized that now is the time to start picking up the pace. Let 'er rip I thought. 


Miles 13-15
I stepped on the gas a little and cruised the first decent drop in the course in several miles. I closed in on the 4:15 pacers but they eluded me still. And the course dropped and it dropped and it dropped. And then the gradual rolling hills and grasslands became spectacular.
9:05 / 9:27 / 9:24

Miles 16-18
Wow and wheeeeee! There was a stomach-turning drop and I heard a chorus of heavenly angels. Wow! I shouted. Wow! I kept breathing while taking in the breathtaking views of Snow Canyon's pink, orange, and white mountains. We dropped into a valley that was darkened with shade. I was 100% aware of how I felt in the majestic beauty of this part of the course. I grabbed my iPod and snapped a photo, knowing that it would never really do justice how pretty the view was. My medal is going to look like that I knew.

Another borrowed picture. Thanks fastcory...

It got even better...but I was trying to run a race. So this is all you get.
Fine. I will steal one from online for you....

It was even more beautiful than this...

I walked a water station and grabbed an orange at 17.
9:01 / 9:15 / 9:37


We now take a break from our regularly scheduled programming to make a statement. Marathoners are an interesting breed. They are bums dressed in Under Armor and Adidas attire. They have no shame. They pee on sidewalks and bridges...in front of 7,000 other runners...when there are bushes on the northwest and southeast sides of the bridge. Heck, even I had the decency to use a bush. I did not mean to insult any bums by my earlier statement. Rant end.

Miles 19-21
I knew from my previous marathons (which I always start out too fast) and my long runs this training cycle, my endurance drops off the face of the earth after mile 13-16. I had a few death marches during training, so I kept myself in check as I approached my final 10k. I stopped for an IcyHot rub down on my quads somewhere in mile 19 and grabbed some Vaseline for an, ahem, chafing issue with my sporting equipment. I felt like I had energy, but I could feel the burn at this point. I noticed I was passing people. Some were moaning. Some crying. Some self-defeating. I've been there. You've got this girl. Keep it up. I managed as I passed some of them.
10:08 / 9:50 / 9:19

Miles 22-24
My phone was in a small pocket ingeniously placed by lululemon designers on my running skirt at the dead center of the small of my back. I heard my phone beep and wondered if it was Travis.
Genelle: Whoaa, hold your horses. I believe in you Suz. You are such a strong spirit keep up the nice pace.
I smiled but didn't reply. I love race day texts. As I ran, I scanned back in my inbox to find
Russ Good luck today!! YOU CAN DO IT, WOOOOO!!!!! :-D Thinking of you & wishin I was there.
Travis How you doing?
I replied: Mile 22 on pace for 4:15???
And then I caught the 4:15 pacer, said hi and thanked him for carrying the balloons that were in my crosshairs for  16 miles, and passed them. I knew I could do it. Again, I was passing people. 
9:41 / 9:40 / 9:24

Miles 25-26.2
At mile 25, I hit a spectator's poster with a big red circle drawn on it.
Press button for TURBO BOOST
I did, and surprisingly, got a turbo boost, but I held myself a little at 25. I was fatigued, but didn't want to wear out. Get to the 26 mile marker, and it's just a run to Fred Goldsmith's I thought to myself. Fred Goldsmith's house is exactly 1 mile driveway-to-driveway on my training runs. Of course I lied to myself because I still would have 385 yards, but by that time I would be able to see the finish...and I knew I had that. A turn, then another turn, then another turn down the streets of St. George. I rounded a corner and a spectator said "this is the last straightaway" and I started zeroing in on runners, passing them one by one. The finish line balloons were in sight. I gave everything I had left and finished strong.
9:28 / 9:09 / (.2 pace) 8:52

Official finish for marathon #4 - 4:12:45...a 35-minute PR and my first negative split (This means I ran faster in the second half of the marathon than the first half. I am bad at math, but I think it's like 3 or 4 minutes). Yeeehaw!

This is my prize!

I had already envisioned the medal I wanted. They are all unique. Some mostly white. Some mostly red. I wanted a marbled one. I passed a few medal volunteers when I saw a gentleman holding my medal out for someone to take. I tapped him on the shoulder. 

"Excuse me, sir, I think that one is meant for me. It's beautiful."

"Then it's yours," he said, and placed it over my head. "Congratulations."

Medal. Check.
Ice Cream. Check.
Chocolate Milk. Check.
Find Travis.
Check.

My phone by this time was loaded with messages...
Moo: You go girl!!! You will do us all proud crossing that finish line! I am sure you are holding your horses.
Moo: Wow trav said you are at mile 22 and doing great! U freakin rock! I am screaming from studio city.
Jenn: Happy marathoning! Let me know...

When I sent out my time:
Genelle: I knew you could do it!!!
Mom: Mimi and I are dancing in the flower shop.
Dad: Wonderful Suzanne. I hope you are feeling good about your time. I am. I love you.
Pat: Congratulations, you did it. 
Mindy: YAY! All your hard work paid off. Congrats girl - you did it!
Wendy: You put in the work! Good job!
Peggy: I knew u could do it ur amazing
Hans: Wow! 35 minutes? That's like a whole episode of Beavis & Butthead faster
Russ: Wow! And with a bruised tailbone. Good job!
De'Anna: That's flippin' awesome! You did amazing!

Lunch. Quick nap. Drive to Vegas so Travis could golf on Sunday. What happened there is going to have to stay there, but I can say that we got to see Garth Brooks and I was up for 24 hours on the day I ran my marathon. 

And I can say that you can experience a day in which everything flows...and life keeps handing you presents. And you marvel at those little gifts.

And I got a haircut by a great girl named Desiree at the Christophe Salon...who left me with some affirmations about my journey. Meeting her came at such a pivotal moment in my weekend and these types of meetings don't just happen by chance.

Life is amazing. I won the lottery with this life. And all I can express is gratitude. It just keeps getting better. 

The Final Countdown

I will be toeing the line very soon....

Despite the mishap with Drifter as reported here on my horsemanship blog, my tailbone, which has been sore ever since, has eased up on the pain a bit for me to get in a few short runs. I was worried last week and even went to urgent care for an x-ray, but this town is notorious for its...shall I say...interesting medical care. The x-ray tech was on vacation so I walked out and decided to see how the weekend went.

I am as ready as I can be. Training went pretty well overall. I did miss some runs, but I logged more miles than before any other race. Actually, I logged more miles than my previous races combined.

The last couple of days, I have had what is called taper madness or taper crazies. I looked up videos of runners hitting the wall on youtube, looked at the weather forecast a dozen times, got on the treadmill.

Excited!
Eek!

Race report to follow....