Author Archives: Jacqueline

Bam say’s good morning!!  He want’s to know what your plans are for Memorial weekend?

Speaking of this handsome little devil, he is finally out of the dog house.  Little punk despises the gardeners and tries to chew his way out through the door frame to get outside if I leave him unattended.  99% of the time he is a great guy, it’s just that 1%.  I’ll take it!

I’m a sucker for him and can’t stay mad at his scruffy little face for long, so I took him to his favorite park.  Yes, Bam has a favorite park.  We made a pit stop at Starbucks, duh!  A huge thanks to these cool kids for keeping my coffee addiction going strong.    

Bam can run off leash, dig at gopher holes, chase birds & squirrels.  So pretty much be a dog without our neighbors crying “just because it’s a natural instinct doesn’t make it right.”  <-So not joking bahaha!   

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We can all use a little inspiration so I put together a round up of my favorite inspirational pictures.  Some of them have been posted before & some are new.  Get inspired!

What is your favorite inspirational picture and/or quote?  Link to it if you have one!

Use one word to describe your week.

Anyone racing this weekend?

Good morning!!  How’s your week coming along?

Well yesterday I dusted off my Lulu skirt, okay I put a new one on, and went for an easy run around the hood.

I have no idea what’s going on, but I’m hoping the week of sucky runs is over and next week is full of unicorns, lollipops and rainbows.  But until then I’ll keep trying and rewarding myself with coffee.

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I found out yesterday that my favorite person in the whole wide world is cutting down the huge tree in her backyard.

My mom & Uncle Charlie planted it over 40 years ago.  She liked the trees down around the corner and picked up a few seeds, brought them home & planted them. 

Since then, all of the grandchildren grew up climbing it, falling out of it, scraping our knees & elbows, riding bikes around it and have taken hundreds of pictures next to it.

But the branches are falling off and grandma’s afraid they will fall on her roof & damage it, so she made the decision to cut it down.

I protested over the phone trying to get her to just trim it, but in true grandma fashion, she planted her feet in concrete and firmly said “it’s coming down Friday, I already made the arrangements and ain’t nobody going to change my mind.”  Then she began to interrogate me by asking “once you made up your mind about something, do you want people to try to change it?”

Good point grandma, good point.

When I claimed to be mad at her she firmly replied “oh well you’ll get over it.”  Bahaha I just love that woman!

She’s a stubborn one!  Now y’all know where I get it from. 

So I am holding a virtual tree sitting protest.

I know Grandma is going to read this post, so I’m going to talk just to her for a minute.

Grandma, I will miss that tree. Every time I think of that tree, I think of you. I have so many memories of our whole family around that tree in your backyard. I feel like a little bit of my childhood is slipping away, and that makes me sad. But, like you said. “Oh well, you’ll get over it.”

Okay now I’m back talking to everybody, do you see what I have to deal with!? #firstworldproblems

Share your first world problem(s)!

Oklahoma, you are in my thoughts & prayers.  I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now.  My heart goes out to everyone affected.  <3

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I promised myself I would take at least 2 days completely off after the Classic.  I did nothing and it was everything I thought it would be.  (Bonus points if you can name that movie)

So, this has pretty much been my life.

I kind of enjoyed the down time.  I got to work on some behind the scenes blog stuff.  I “claimed” my blog on Bloglovin.com  but I’m still not exactly sure what it’s all about.  Is it kind of like Google Reader?  Anyone know?

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Sometimes when bad things happen, something good comes from it.  While our car is in the shop, the insurance company gave us a rental.  We exchanged the BMW (way too much fun to drive) for a truck before we left for the race.  And look what else made it’s way home with us.

Well Bam too, but don’t mind him as manners are lacking.

Our BBQ has been in storage since we moved here almost 2 years ago and we are so happy to have it back.

There’s a funny story about it.  A couple years back at our old house Mr. Bam Bam tried to dig to China in the backyard.  Mike asserting his dominance, covered up the hole & peed on it in front of Bam. 

Bam looked at him, walked over to Mike’s brand new BBQ, looked him in the eye and peed on it.

I’ll never forget Mike’s shock & laughter when he came inside to tell me he just got told by his dog.

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I guess this post is kind of random, so let’s just roll with it, but a couple weeks ago Mike came home from work and declared we needed to go buy a new couch. 

Well it finally came in!

It has extra deep cushions, is super soft and 10 feet long.  Mike wanted a recliner, I wanted a chaise, so we met in the middle.  The color is Pebble, but it’s a dark grey. 

So far Bam approves.

Our old one just for kicks.

I’m finally warming up to the idea of running again.  I think I’ll do a few miles around the hood.  If all else fails, I can revert back to compression socks & coffee.  I’m okay with that.

Any idea what colors go with the new couch?  I’m home décor challenged.

Are you on Bloglovin?  Leave a link if so!

How long do you usually take off after a big race?

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Alternative titles:

• Craptastic race report
• The post I didn’t want to write
• How to DNF like a champ

Just like the day before we got to Chukchansi Park early and scored a schweet parking spot.  It seems like the run had a lot more people than the ride.

I had plenty of time to stretch, make fun of my Lu and watch Mike pole dance with a tree.  <-I am not making that up. 

I was feeling a bit tired, but good overall.  Mike has a way with entertaining me to calm the nerves.  That boy had us laughing so hard.

As soon as I started running my stomach was not happy.  I sometimes feel a little sick to my stomach on long runs but it’s always happened the last few miles.  

Then at mile .67 (no, you are not reading that wrong) my right knee started screaming at me.  I realized the road was slanted so I moved to the center where it was even and the pain went away.  Whew.   

Miles 1-3 were a complete struggle which is not uncommon.  It usually takes me about 3 miles to warm up and find my sweet spot.

Regardless, I mentally pushed through it.

Mile 4 is when the SOS texting to Mike started.

Will someone please teach me how to spell?

My stomach hated me even though I stopped at every water station and downed 1-2 cups of water and Gatorade.  Everything wanted to bounce back.

I knew the zoo was the half way point and my new goal was to make it there.  I started to run/walk and finally made it to Roeding Park where it was shady and a lot cooler.  I started to feel a little better and was able to run through most of the park.  I opened my favorite lemon lime Jelly Belly’s and popped 3 but could not stomach them.  Ugh.  I chewed as long as I could and spit the rest out.  Classy. 

I made it to the zoo entrance where I saw my beautiful friend Natalie!!  She yelled out my name and snapped this delusional picture. 

The happiness I’m displaying is a lie.  Do not believe it.

But she gave me a huge mental boost that keep going.  Thank you so much Nat!!

The zoo was by far the highlight of this race for me.  It was cool & shady and seeing the animals took my mind off the suffering for a bit.

At this point my very loose time goals were thrown out the window and I switched to survival mode, so when a sweet volunteer offered to snap my pic I took my time posing.  May as well, right?

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I think my favorite part were the giraffes.  They are beautiful.

After the zoo I was still feeling a bit better so I texted Mike again.

So I za running again.  Back out into the sun.  But it didn’t take long to drain me.  I was hot and thirsty so when a couple runners told me the next water station was a quarter mile up the road I was so relieved.

I sipped on a cup of water and grabbed 2 cups of Gatorade for the road.  I couldn’t even stomach the Gatorade.  It was my favorite powder lemon lime flavor that I train with but the thought of it was awful.

Mile 9 is when the wheels really fell off.  I was hot, tired, thirsty, my mouth was dry and I thought I was going to yack.

In case you’re wondering, this is what death & sadness looks like.

You are welcome.

I made it to the bottom of the over pass, looked at my Garmin that read 9.98, walked the .2 and turned it off. 

Sad, frustrated, let down, hot, tired, thirsty, disappointed. 

I sat on the curb, took my gear off and called Mike to come pick my sorry butt up.  I watched other runners pass by on their way to the finish line with tears in my eyes.  

My body just couldn’t do it.

Average pace per minute: 11:33

Mike & Lu walked over and there may have been a few tears on Mike’s shoulder on the side of the road.  As much as he wanted to push, he could clearly see I just didn’t have it in me.

You guys, walking away was so tough and emotional.  It was my first DNF ever.  I trained so hard for months and knew I was capable of finishing, but my body just wouldn’t pull through.

This post is not a cry fest, it’s my motivation to get back up, dust myself off and train harder for another half.  Nothing is going to stop me from doing something I love with 100% of my heart & soul.

Then he took me to Starbucks because we all know it fixes everything.

I’m not sure what I did wrong, if it was the heat, dehydration or just an off day.  It happens, but we move on.

Mike said something that really got to me on the way home. He said “ Hey, at least your not injured”

I thought about that for awhile and realized it’s true. I will bounce back fast and no need for endless doctors and physical therapy, just me. The way I like it. All ME!

I’ve been laying low, hanging out with Mike and Bam.  Do you know what the coolest part about all of this is?  They don’t think any less of me.

Misery loves company, share your worst run/race/ride.

Good morning!  How are you guys doing?

We got home yesterday evening and I’m so excited to finally have the time to fill you in on the California Classic Weekend.

I’ll start with the good and move on to the bad & ugly tomorrow, so if reading a post about a train wreck is your thing, you’ll want to check it out.

We got to  Chukchansi Stadium an hour early and had no problems finding parking.  In fact we scored a spot 1 block away from the start plus it was free.  Already winning! (You know you’ve been in the bay area too long that you are excited over free parking!)

Turns out my friend Britney & her fiancée were just a few cars behind us.  This girl is a total rock star.  She did her first Century ride and one of the route direction signs got blown away in the wind.  They made a wrong turn and this girl owned the “bonus” 6 miles.  She is freaking amazing!

Then we made our way to the start line.  I love it when races are organized and start on time and the Classic is no exception.  They had plenty of porta potties, and take it easy on us by not sending us on a hike to get to them.

I hung out with my running & cycling enabler while we waited for it to start.  His support of my crazy adventures is amazing.  I couldn’t imagine doing this stuff without him.  I kind of love that boy.

The first 5ish miles are slow since they are through residential streets with a police escort.  But then the coolest part of the ride is when they close down Freeway 168 for 10 miles and turn us loose. 

It’s definitely worth doing this ride just for this experience.  I mean, how often do you get to ride your bike on the freeway?  Legally of course. 

After the freeway, the first rest stop wasn’t far away.  I stopped for a minute or two but was feeling so good I decided to keep going.  A lot of these miles were on back country roads that were not blocked off, but clearly marked.  Oh how I miss wide open spaces.

Miles 15-25 went by so fast.  Every few minutes I hear my Garmin beep with every completed mile and I couldn’t believe how they flew by.

The last few miles are in town and again not blocked off so there was a lot of stopping at red lights.  My buttocks (<-said in Forrest Gump voice) appreciated the rest.  

As I crossed the finish line I spotted little grandma!!  Mike surprised me by picking her up. 

You guys!!  I can not even tell you how happy I was to see her.  I often think of her telling me “you can do anything you want to, you just have to do it.”  Her words have gotten me through some rough runs & rides.  I wish you all could meet her. 

And my Lu came with us too.  I freaking love this girl.  She has been to most of my races and is such a cute little cheerleader.  In real life too.  Can’t wait for her to come hang out this summer.

I was hoping to finish under 3 hours and was surprised to see I blew it out of the water.  I’m not fast by any means, but it’s nice when I underestimate myself.

I, SCB think it should be mandatory for every warm weather race to hand out bottles of water and ice cold towels with medals.  I can not tell you how awesome it was!  I swear the Classic really does think of everything.

All rides & races are chip timed and I dig that the riders get medals too.

My left IT Band was screaming at me so I headed over to the massage booth where Julia worked all of the pain and tightness out.  It felt completely normal after and I made sure to stretch it out a few more times.

As soon as we got back to the hotel, I took a nice long bath and slipped on my compression socks to recover for the half marathon the next day.

**A HUGE thank you to the California Classic for the bib!  All opinions in this post are mine and I approve this message.**

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What was the most unique thing you saw a race do?

What would you like to see a race offer or do that would be really neat?

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend!! 

I’m just checking in to let y’all know that I survived the ride yesterday.  I had a blast and can’t wait to tell you all about it.  Plus the very special surprise Mike had for me a the finish line. <3

We’re soaking up as much time with our friends & family before we leave this afternoon, so I will write a full post about the ride tomorrow.

But first, I have a half marathon to run.  Whaoo!

Thanks so much again for all of your encouragement & well wishes.  It means so much to me. 

Cyclist friends, what’s the longest distance you’ve ever done?

Tell me your favorite race ever.  Why?

Good morning!!  Anyone racing this weekend?  What distance are you doing?

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Before you read my lame writing, watch this video!!  I promise it will make up for the rest of this post. 

If you don’t want to workout after this, there is no hope for you.

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Hide yo wife, hide yo kids Fresno, because we’re on our way.  After I hit publish of course. 

I spent yesterday packing.  Well, that was after a trip to Starbucks, the dry cleaners and Bam & I worked on our tans.  It’s a ruff (<-had to) life we live, but someone has to do it. 

Plus it’s good to know I make great friend choices *cough SR cough* that enable your coffee addiction.

I hope I remembered all of the important stuff.  But, hey if anything I can run naked with my Pro Compression socks & Garmin.  As long as I have GPS I’m good.

Pandora got me through it, however that Carrot Cake bar was supposed to make it into the bag not my belly.  Oops.

Did you know it’s a proven fact that cleaning your running shoes makes you run faster?  Just go with me on this one mmmkay.

And I got this little surprise in the mail.  I love getting cool stuff like this instead of lame-o bills. 

Blogging will be kind of wonky this weekend, but I’ll pop in with updates. 

If I survive.  In the meantime, feel free to stalk me on Instagram because it’s my other addiction right up there with coffee & running.

What is the one thing you can not run without?

What did you think of the Nike Rise & Shine video?

What was the last cool thing you got in the mail?

Good morning friends!!  Today is Mike’s Friday and I will be spending the day packing for the weekend.  Here’s to hoping I don’t have a blonde moment and forget anything important…like my bike.  Cross your fingers for me mmmkay.

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Yesterday I did my hair and actually put on real people clothes.  Sometimes I wonder about myself.

Access Communications invited me to their SF office to try the new Luna Bar and I didn’t want them to think I’m homeless or anything.

They promised snacks, wine, an unlimited Luna Bar vending machine (no joke!) and promises to try their newest flavor, Carrot Cake.

It has 8 grams of protein & 3 grams of fiber, is 70% organic and get’s two cream cheese covered thumbs up from SCB.

Fun facts about Luna:

• Luna Bar and Clif Bar are owned by the same company.  I never knew this.
• Luna is geared more towards women since the bars are enhanced with iron, folic acid, calcium & vitamin D.
• Clif has a winery.  Too bad I had to act like an adult and skip them since I was driving. 

I really dig their transparent marketing that promotes an active, healthy lifestyle and the fact that they suggest their bars as an addition to a snack or dessert, not a meal replacement.  Plus they meet Whole Foods standards so they must be good, right.

I also got to meet the lovely Page.  This girl is training for an ironman next month, so that automatically makes her way cooler than I’ll ever be.  That vending machine is so worth posing for.

If you’re interested in winning a Luna vending machine, visit their Facebook page to enter. 

**I wasn’t cool enough to be paid or compensated to tell you about all of this cool stuff, I’m just looking out for your best interest.  Kinda like my friends who demand I go to certain coffee shops. 

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I got home, ate dinner and took a shower.  This is what I saw when I got out of the shower. 

Bam is claiming he is innocent and something about why you always gotta blame me? 

I believed my sweet little fur child so we had a line up to catch the bone thief. 

Who do you think did it?

What’s your favorite protein bar flavor & brand?

I typically like Lara Bars.

Have you ever forgot something uber important while traveling?

Not yet, but I don’t want to jinx it.