Team Challenge WI (or Pony Up The Bucks, Kids)

Ok folks. You knew this was coming. I have talked about it in my last couple posts and you will continue to hear about this until December. So if you don't like it... get over it.


I am run/walking in the 13.1-mile Las Vegas Rock N Roll Half Marathon on December 5, 2010. I have to raise $3600.00. Yes, that's right 3600 smack-a-roos. Now if one person wants to be super generous and make a large donation, I would love it. But I'm pretty sure most of you can't do that so here can be a guideline to donating. Donate if you have:

1. You’ve been cursed at, honked at, or flipped off while biking or running. – $1
2. You lost a toenail because of running. – $2
3. You spend more money on training gear/clothes than regular clothes. – $3
4. You stopped making fun of fanny packs because your running belt looks very similar (and cooler) to one. - $4
5. You run barefoot or with those five fingers thingys because it feels better. – $5
6. You’ve ever discovered a hole in your pants during a fitness class. – $6
7. You’ve had chaffing near your lady (or man) business – $7
8. When someone tells you their pace, you calculate their 5k/half marathon/marathon time. – $8
9. You extend the length of your runs or rides so you can have another beer (or three) guilt-free. – $9
10. You have no problem talking about bodily functions with your training buddies. – $10
11. You’ve come in first in any race you’ve ever competed in. – $20 (screw you)
12. You’ve seen one of the following during your swim, bike and/or run training:
    a.) Asian Carp – $10
    b.) mountain lion – $15
    c.) bear – $20
    d.) dog – $1
    e.) frog or turtle – $5
    f.) deer - $3 add $2 if you have almost hit one
    

If none of those apply to you, then give what you can. I know times are tough for alot of people now. Think about donating $1 or $2 dollars for each mile of the race.

So here is the link to make your super duper generous donation. Just click here.

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Coming Down

Back from Vegas and life is somewhat back to 'normal'. At least for a few days.

I realized that when I was unpacking some stuff last night that There really was no need as some of it would be going right back into the suitcase again in a couple days.

I'm heading up to MN for work on Monday. Visiting the mothership as we like to call it. Boss man was able to confirm that we can leave on Wednesday evening. He is leaving for Vegas on Thursday for the Badger game so he felt it was not necessary for my work hubby and I to stay a night just to leave mid morning. I was happy with that decision.

It will be a nice trip up there as work hubby and I are driving together. Hoping that he will want to drive some of the time. We are also getting to meet the rest of our team who we have been a part of for over a year now. I met a couple of them last year but one guy is also coming up from Houston.

But back to Vegas.

It was a good time with good friends. Learned how to play craps (won $86) and Pai Gow (lost $100). Thanks to StB for having the patience to teach me and answer my million questions. I appreciated it. I may now drag him down to the local casino to play more Pai Gow. It was addicting and I seemed to have the need to yell "PAI GOW" alot. Guess that means my cards also sucked alot for awhile there. Hopefully that trend does not continue.

We did the Price is Right Live game show. It was a blast. Although, no one from our group made it to the stage there was one moment at the end when he called the name Steve and two of the guys in our group got excited for a moment. Alas, it was not meant to be. I would recommend it to others if you are in Vegas and looking for something to do. Todd Newton and David Ruprecht (from Supermarket Sweep) were the host and announcer. We met up with them after the show. Nice guys and it was a pleasure to talk to them for a couple of minutes. It doesn't hurt that Todd is rather hot. I have a picture that I at some time will take off of my phone and post.

It is always fun to people watch in Vegas. You see all types. The good, the bad and the downright freaking scary. Fremont street was in the 70's theme so there were alot of street performers dressed up in that theme. Rather neat but a bit too warm at times to sit outside and enjoy.

After I got home, I went to get the pups. I missed them and Rufus sure missed me as he has barely left my side. I dropped them off and headed out to the Team Challenge kickoff party. It was great to meet the other 52 people who I will be training with over the next few months. We have our first training session on Sunday morning. Happy that it is at South Shore park, just down the road from me. I think I may even ride my bike there. It is only maybe a mile tops.

I'm really excited to do this. To try and challenge myself physically, mentally and I'm sure emotionally as well.

As I was thinking about this over the past week I thought that even though I work hard at some stuff many things tend to come easy to me. When something interests me, I tend to be a bit anal about it and will do research on the subject. A recent example was eminent domain. A friend's place of employment was fighting the city over the fact the the city wanted to take several businesses along a stretch of road using the eminent domain. So I went out and found the Supreme Court records on the issue and read. I spent several hours reading about it. It was rather interesting. I did the same thing several months ago when the Court ruled on something that could have had an impact on my job. I put together a summary of the Court's ruling and sent it along to my boss and a few higher up mucky mucks. It will probably end up being something that our legal department will have to look at but it was good to know where our legal rights may be on the issue. Yeah, I know. You are most likely thinking "dork".

Wow, I guess I got off topic a bit there. That happens sometimes. Your mind just wanders from one thing to another.

~Peace Out~

What the Hell Have I Done?!?

It started innocently enough. Follow a bunch of people on Twitter, interact with them, get to know a few of them in person. See them at bars or at a liquor store. Live vicariously through a few of them as the undertake new challenges. Thinking to myself, if they can do this, so can I.

I procrastinated. ALOT. Had several bouts of self doubt. Am I too old for this, too fat, too unmotivated. Until I clicked the link in a Tweet. "Who wants to go to Las Vegas in December? I do, I do! Join Team Challenge and come with!" I clicked on the link and it took me here. I looked at the page and was intrigued. I then clicked here to get more information.

Thought to myself that this looks pretty cool. I looked at a couple other blogs from people who had completed the last one in Napa Valley last month. Amy, in patricular, inspired me. She was 267 lbs and did it.

I seen that there was a meeting in Oak Creek. It timed out well that I was going to be going right past there anyway to pick up the camper. So I thought "What the heck" I'll check this out.

So I did. I showed up tonight with no intention of signing up. I just wanted to get more info. Checked in, introduced myself to several of the tweeps (Amy, Sarah, Tim and Anne) that I heard 'talking' about the last one. They were telling me about how much fun the last one was. What it felt like to cross the line. It hooked me.

So I did it.

I committed myself to walk/run the Rock 'n Roll half marathon on Dec. 5, 2010 in Las Vegas!

A half marathon is 13.1 miles. 13.1 freaking long-ass miles. That is 69,168 feet. Or an even scarier number 830,016 inches. Over 3/4 of a million inches. Holy shit!!!!


So my fellow bloggers, in the coming weeks and months, I'm going to ask that you give me your moral support, pick me up when I'm getting down, kick my ass when I don't want to train as well.

I will also need your financial support. I have to raise a shit load of money. It goes for a good cause, the Crohn's and Colitis foundation of America. I have some ideas so it should be interesting.

Stayed tuned for more updates.

Sweet Dreams

I normally don't remember my dreams but last night I had three of them that were very odd and very different.

One was a sex dream.  Let's just say it had nothing to do with Jack Black and leave it at that.

The second one was weird. Howie Mandel from America's Got Talent kept trying to steal my dogs. I had caught parts of the show on Sunday.  But it was more on for the background noise. When I woke up I actually looked for the dogs. Happy to see they were all there. Even Boomer.

The third dream was the most bizarre.  Was with the people going to Vegas in a few weeks. Gambino was driving.  We were in a yellow Hummer convertible. There were two people in the car that we didn't know.  No clue as to why they were there.  We are driving to the airport and there are all these weird UFOs all over. There are like thousands of these little things in the sky. One starts following us as we are going under the airport tunnel.  StB grabs his phone and starts taking pictures of it.  He gets a really good picture of it an realizes there is a price sticker on it from Merchandise Outlet.  It cost $5.98.  It was weird how I could see that clear as day.  All of a sudden one gets close enough and we grab it. We look at it for a few minutes and Gambino puts it in her purse. 

Next thing I know we are sitting in the airport.  Waiting for our flight.  We are sitting on the floor kinda like you see the teams in Amazing Race always doing.  All of a sudden one of the people who were in the Hummer with us whips a guitar out of his pocket.  It was small at first and then got bigger to a normal size.  We all start singing.  As I look around I realize that we all have instruments.  It was like we had formed some weird band.   I don't recall ever getting on a plane or going to Vegas.

So I'm sure the next question will be asking what I ate. I had a ham and cheese sub (left over from camping) and tuna roll sushi.  No ice cream or anything else strange. 

When I woke up I just remember feeling very confused by the dreams.