Leaves are Falling

It is definitely FALL here in Minnesota. Summer is gone. The temperature is dropping and the leaves are falling. It is still warm enough to get outside and explore. Last week we went to Minnehaha Falls. The falls were not that impressive, but the leaves are so colorful. The sun was shining, but there was a chill in the air. I have already started stocking up on hot chocolate for the winter.

Ryan bought another pair of new shoes last night. He is out of control! His closet is already overflowing with shoes. I am going to have to start secretly throwing them out, one pair at a time.

CHICAGO MARATHON

WE DID IT!!!

It is finally over. I wish I could say that I enjoyed running the Chicago Marathon, but I didn't. I am glad that I finished and it was a great accomplishment, but it wasn't FUN. If I had to sum up my marathon experience in one word, it would be: HOT! We flew into Chicago on Friday night after work. We stayed in a dumpy hotel close to the airport on Friday night. Then we upgraded to a nice Hotel downtown for the rest of our trip. Our hotel was only a few blocks from Grant park, where the marathon started and finished. We woke up early and walked to the starting line. By the time the gun went off it was already 70 degrees. Ryan and I did not start together. We both ran a fast first half. Then it got really HOT! The weather channel said it was supposed to be mostly cloudy, but there was not a cloud in the sky. I could feel myself start to slow down around mile 15. I hit the WALL! The spectators kept me motivated. Over one million spectators came to cheer us on. It was really impressive! I thought about quitting a couple of times, but I am glad I didn't. I was in pain the last few miles. It was all worth it the moment that I crossed the finish line. It is such an incredible feeling to have run 26.2 miles. I could barely walk at that point. I staggered around until I found Ryan. Of course, he was already finished. Then I made him pose for pictures. (Not his favorite thing!) We walked back to our hotel. It was only a few blocks, but our legs felt like jello and our feet were throbbing. Once we got back to our hotel room, Ryan took off his shoes. Three of the toes on his right foot had huge blood blisters, and the big toe on his left foot was covered with a huge blister. I think he is going to lose a couple of toenails. It looked really painful. It probably wasn't the best time to say, "I told you not to buy brand new shoes two weeks before the marathon." (Haha!) My feet were in pretty good condition compared to his. We took a long nap. ZZZZZzzzzz.

OUCH!

It was such a beautiful day that we didn't want to stay inside, but we couldn't walk. So, we took a taxi to Navy Pier and went on a boat tour with my friends Debra and George. It was perfect, because we got to see the city while sitting on a boat. It was a gorgeous weekend for sightseeing, but too HOT to run a marathon.

Chicago Sunset

Twins Fever!!

Ryan has Twin's Fever!! This week we went to a Twins Baseball game. For those of you who don't watch Sportscenter every night, the Minnesota Twins are in first place of the AL central division. They lead the Chicago White Sox by only one half of a game. We went to the game on Wednesday night against the White Sox. It was very loud in the Metrodome! I ate a "dome dog" and Ryan had the bratwurst (at least I didn't have to make dinner). The fans in Minnesota are passionate about their baseball team. They beat the White Sox three games in a row. I really hope they make it to the playoffs so we can go to another game.

Running Update: With the marathon only two weeks away, Ryan thought it would be smart to buy a brand new pair of shoes. Yesterday he bought a new pair of shoes that are identical to the ones he already has. He claims that he wears out shoes faster than me because he weighs more. I think he is crazy! Nobody should buy brand new shoes two weeks before a marathon. He will have to learn the hard way. I will be there to say "I told you so" when his feet are covered in blisters. We ran ten miles yesterday, and now we get to start our taper.

We love VISITORS!!

Last weekend Ryan's parents came to visit. It was so much fun to show them around and share our new city with them. They stayed in a Marriot hotel that is literally across the street from our apartment. We had a lot of fun while they were here. We went walking along the Mississippi River, visited the Museum of Minnesota History in St. Paul, and they took us out for dinner every night. We had a great time! They were able to do some extra sightseeing while we were at work on Monday and Tuesday. They couldn't leave without going to the Mall of America. It is Minneapolis' biggest tourist attraction. It was a wonderful break from our regular routine. We love having visitors. If anyone would like to come and see us, you would always be welcome.

Running update: Last week was we ran 15.5 mile race around the lakes. Yesterday we ran a 20 mile training race. Only a month left until the marathon!

Labor Day Get-A-Way!!

Ryan and I took a little vacation for Labor Day weekend. After work on Friday we drove about two hours north to Gull Lake. It is in an area called Brainerd Lakes. There are hundreds of lakes in the area. (Minnesota is the state of 10,000 lakes!) We stayed at a resort on the lake. I wasn't really sure what to expect. Of course, neither of us had ever been north of Minneapolis before. We just picked the resort from pictures on the internet. The resort was huge!! It was probably built in the 1960's. The decor was definitely outdated. I have added a picture of the floor in the bathroom so you can get an idea. But our room was really nice. We had a great view of the lake from our balcony. They had cabins and hotel rooms. They had a huge indoor sportscourt with an indoor track and a gym. The best part was the weather. It was warm, sunny, and windy. (thanks to Hurricane Gustav) We laid out by the pool and by the lake. Ryan went golfing two days in a row. But mostly we just RELAXED!!! It was a well needed break.

Minnesota State Fair

This week we went to the MINNESOTA STATE FAIR. It is one of the largest state fairs in the country, second only to Texas. It was pretty impressive!! My favorite part was people watching. I have never seen so many interesting people in my life. I don't know where they all came from. Over 100,000 people visit the fair every day. It is huge! We took the skyride from one end to the other. There is an amusement park with rides, car show, tractors, sheep, cows, pigs, and a live birthing center where you can watch animals being born. But the best part of the fair is the FOOD!!! They have everything that is greasy, fried, and on a stick. We wanted to try everything. We started with a Pronto-pup (it is like a corn dog, except it is made with wheat instead of corn). Then we tried the fried cheese curds. They were actually pretty good!! I could feel my arteries clogging up as I was eating. Then we ate 20 cookies each. They serve everything in bulk. You could buy cookies by the bucket, easily over 100s cookies per bucket. We had a carmel apple, fresh-squeezed lemonade, and corn on the cob dripping with butter. And a diet coke to wash it all down! Needless to say, neither of us felt hungry for the rest of the week. It was an experience I won't forget. I am already planning what I am going to eat next year!

MALL OF AMERICA!!!

This weekend I took Ryan to the MALL OF AMERICA!!! It was a brand new experience for him. It can be a little overwhelming, if you don't know what to expect. I was definitely more excited than he was to go shopping. We have learned that it is not a good idea for us to go shopping together. Ryan doesn't really understand why I have to try on everything in the store......twice, before I can make a decision. So to avoid a meltdown, he went to a movie, while I went shopping. There is no possible way you could go in every store. There are over 500 stores, including two American Eagle stores! The first one I went to didn't have a shirt in my size, so I walked to the other store and bought it. My only regret it that we didn't get to go on the big rollercoaster. Maybe next time? (If there ever is a next time.)

This weekend was a busy one! We ran the Woodbury Half Marathon. It was a beautiful course. It was a cool morning, only 60 degrees when we started the race. Perfect running weather! We ran around three different lakes and through some neighborhoods. Most of the course was shaded. One of the residents that Ryan works with lives in Woodbury with his family. They were our fan club. They rode their bikes along the course and cheered us on when we ran by. After the race they invited us over to their house for waffles!! We both did well and of course Ryan beat me again. His time was 1:34 and mine was 1:45. Both of us ran faster than our times two weeks ago. We have two more races before the Marathon in October.