Every Wish That We Put Into Motion.... (comments welcome!)

[GollyGadget]

Congratulations! You did it! Enjoy some time relishing in your accomplishments.

 

[nancipants]

If I didn’t have a big trip already planned for next summer, I’d be tempted!

 

[The Expert]

I'm 75% sure I am doing Chicago with a charity bib next year, but if not, I will seriously think about it!

 

[LSUlakes]

View attachment 997021
My obsessively laid out ready-to-go morning-of race gear.


View attachment 997011
5k in! This is so easy!


View attachment 997012
Exiting an aid station. We were told by station workers that we were very easy to identify because of the sparkle skirt and the flag shorts.

View attachment 997015
The sign telling you to go to the top of the hill (also example of the clear course marking)



View attachment 997017
But wait. What's this sign on the back? WHY did I go up that hill!


View attachment 997018
I legit almost fell over after I took this because I looked up.


View attachment 997019
SIL getting pics at the finish!

View attachment 997020
DH taking pics at the finish (and you can see SIL in the pink behind me)

Congrats!! Thats a awesome accomplishment!!

 

[Herding_Cats]

WHEW! Quick catch-up!

After the race, Monday became a recovery/clean/pack day. We were headed up to the Marquette area in the UP and needed to get the camper ready, the coolers ready (because DH doesn't like to pull the trailer with the camper fridge running on propane), the kids and the dogs packed and ready. We did some last-minute grocery shopping where I leaned heavily on the grocery cart and generally walked more slowly than usual. (As a note, I'm still unable to convince DH that we NEED to buy the Mickey/Minnie pumpkins at Costco. *sigh* )

Tuesday included a trip to the vet for the puppy to get her last shot series and her 1yr rabies, and then a trip into the dentist for DD to get a filling. Where I then found out that we needed to come back AGAIN to get another filling done since they won't do an upper/lower or a right/left side in the same appointment with kids her age because of the risk of biting their cheek or tongue while they are numb after the appointment. Ugh.

Wednesday we packed everyone into the vehicles and headed north after DS2 got home from practice and showered. It's about a 7 hour drive when we pull the camper (6 without) and of course it rained the last 2 hours, and the entire time we were setting up. Hurray. Generally when we make this trip we drive one vehicle, but we ended up bringing a bunch of camping gear for the girls team and I drove our suburban (plus, it would have been a very tight fit in DH's work truck with 5 people and 2 dogs.) That meant I didn't get to scroll or read during the trip. Boooo!

Thursday we drove back to Marquette for the XC meet. Due to a coaching change, the meet had a last minute schedule change from the original plan to run on Friday. That meant that several other downstate teams didn't make the trip and it was all UP teams plus ours. Our boys team took 2nd and the girls 3rd.

Friday we drove East to the Munising/Pictured Rocks area and did several waterfall hikes, and a walk in part of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. My legs were definitely protesting the stairs at a few stops.

Saturday we drove West and did several other waterfall hikes. (pics from those to come later, after I get DH to airdrop the pics he took.) The UP is such a wild place; it's hard to believe that the trees will seemingly just grow directly out of the rocks.

Sunday it was time to pack up and drive back home. DH's back seized up when he was hooking up the trailer, and he's still hobbling a little bit today (Monday.) We didn't get home until dinner time, and pretty much only took the essentials out of the camper and truck before calling it a night.

Today (Monday) we are still unpacking and cleaning up. We are working out a menu and grocery list for the week since the kids start school tomorrow and this week includes only 1 soccer game, 1 XC meet, and 2 nights of DH refereeing football; a light schedule. I start work making pies on Thursday (for about a month before they close for the season.)

I'm going to start lifting this week (maybe today if I can sneak down to the basement for a little bit) and see if I can make that somewhat of a habit. I definitely have some training plans to get worked out soon in preparation for January.

 

[The Expert]

Sounds like a great active recovery week! I hope DH's back is better soon. I can't imagine driving 7 hours after doing that.

 

[Herding_Cats]

Yes. This is Michigan. US-2 along the southern edge of the Upper Peninsula, the northern edge of Lake Michigan.


Freighter at the ore dock in Marquette. These are super cool (and LOUD) when they load them. Full train cars (at the top) dump into the triangle-y things that hinge down to the ship and dump into the ship.


View from the beach of Lake Michigamme at Van Riper state campground.


Laughing Whitefish Falls


Wagner Falls


Beach view of Pictured Rocks


Miners Falls

 

[Herding_Cats]

Canyon Falls--this includes part of the North Country Trail (quite a few of these hikes did, actually!) but this was the only one with the trail marker.



This was the largest, fall, but there were several other smaller ones as well.


There's one part, between a couple of small falls where people (mostly college kids) jump into the river from about 30ft up on the canyon wall. They even have a rope tied to a tree so they can hoist themselves back up. Last year when the XC team did this hike there were a group of kids our jumping in and some of the dads were inquiring how deep the water was there and the response was "Well we've never touched the bottom so we don't know."

The trees just growing on top of those slabs of rock.



Getting down to these falls (Agate Falls) required me to take a couple of breaks while climbing/scrambling back up.



The boys climbed up the cliff...also some perspective on how tall this one was!


We saved the best for last: Bond Falls. These are downstream from the dam, and there's a main fall, but further upstream are several more small ones.

 

[Herding_Cats]

Limited out on pics, more from Bond Falls





Gratuitous puppy picture! She was up for anything on these hikes, but when she got tired, she would repeatedly swerve in front of DH and look up at him until he carried her. Our other dog did great too, but he's more skittish so we didn't get many decent pics of him.