Des Moines Farmers' Market

In celebration of the weekly (Saturday morning) Des Moines Farmers' Market!
We were on the way to drive the marathon race course last Saturday (see previous post), and quickly came across the extensive Farmers' Market, with many streets closed to traffic east of the Polk County Court House (in the distance in the picture below)
This was the largest most marvelous farmers' market I have seen.

In the picture above, one of the many tents offering heirloom tomatoes.

One farmer was selling his frozen emu meat, another frozen elk.
There were many vendors selling ready-to-eat food of all sorts.
Wonderful Iowa produce, of course... some of it organic.
This woman, selling homemade fudge, was taking orders for Christmas.
Attractive handmade jackets...

Crafts too...

Pottery...

An abundance of flowers...

And even home-sewn APRONS!
We bought an Iowa-grown seedless watermelon for our post-race supper.
It was the best of the season.
If
ever you are in Des Moines on a Saturday morning (spring, summer, fall) be sure to tour the Des Moines Farmers' Market.

Des Moines Marathon

We 3 ran the beautiful Des Moines yesterday.
Below... Sweet Pea, wearing a garbage bag to keep warm at the start, running toward the Iowa State Capitol. Temp was in high 40s.. but heated up to 70 by mid-afternoon.
The marathon winds through historic neighborhoods, around the Drake University Bulldogs-blue track, miles of wooded trails, and around Gray's Lake (below).
Water stops were shut down when we got past mile 11... They had promised water support for a 7 hour marathon.

Until around mile 20...
And then we found volunteers were magnificently at water stops until the last runner went by.

And all 3 of us finished. Our Fearless Leader won another age group award.

October

Sweet Pea and I did twenty miles on Gateway Trail last Thursday.
You can click on the map for a nice enlargement.

Wooly caterpillar... we saw about 30 of them ... and the interesting thing is that every one of them was really chugging along.

It was a lovely autumn day.

Saturday we did a 5K race for leukemia/lymphoma (in which we have personal interest!)
As you can see, we parked fairly near the start line.

Below.. a tree closer to home.

PS for the previous post

Bless the volunteers!!!
Last year they struggled to get enough water out there ... with runners pouring cups of water over their hot heads...
This year they endured the rain pouring on their own heads...
And still they were out there. Hurrah for the faithful spectators, too.
(See yesterday's post.)

Twin Cities Marathon Races

After missing the window of opportunity to register for the Twin Cities Marathon last spring, Sweet Pea and I put our names in the envelope and made it in the drawing for the Twin Cities 10 mile race.

Perhaps you heard that it rained?! Forty-eight degrees and about an hour of really pouring rain: soaking wet socks ... even shoe laces can be bothersome when they are heavy with water... feeling returned to my fingers a couple of hours after the race.
I was so cold that I couldn't think about much but keeping on keeping on running.

It was my favorite temperature for racing... minus the rain.
About 35 degrees cooler than Chicago a year ago. We had a good time.

All 3 of us finished our races.

You can click on the map for a nice detailed enlargement.

Haven't read blogs.. or posted anything new for a while. I'm fine; just a lot going on here. Thanks to friends who have wondered.

Below is a trail in one of the Washington County Parks, picture taken late on a cloudy afternoon. Actually, on a sunny day the maples are lovely this year.

Still Running

A 5K race last Saturday, sponsored by Orthopaedic Sports.
race course on a new section of Gateway in North St. Paul.
Below ... an egret finding breakfast as we ran by.

Lewis & Clark Marathon That Wasn't

Fifteen minutes before marathon race time, I stepped out of the car into dark. 35 mile an hour wind... horizontal rain... pelted through my shirt. Less than a minute later, in a porta potty line, I was drenched to the skin... to the tips of my toes, and I said, "I can't do this."

When Hurricane Andrew hit landfall less than a hundred miles west of New Orleans, we stood on the sidewalk in front of our hotel and leaned into the strong misty wind.
That was nothing like the band of Hurricane IKE that struck St. Charles, Missouri last Sunday morning. This was too much like really being in the hurricane.

We sat in the car near the start line for over an hour before race time, watching the horizontal wind-driven rain beating on cars around us.. in the dark... by the light of the parking lot lights. Volunteers and runners scurried past, their jackets, ponchos, garbage bags whipping in the wind. Even then, I couldn't imagine how insane it would feel to be trying to run in it.

Today the race directors sent out this: (Read about the flooding of the course, the other difficulties in allowing the marathon to go on...)

http://www.fleetfeetstl.com/lewisandclarkmarathon/index.html

Remember Chicago... last October... we ran .. and then they canceled the race??!!
Well, here we go again: lots of stories, bragging rights.. but no official marathon time.

Well, yes, I have been out in wind and rain before... I detasseled corn in Iowa in hard rain, when I was a teenager.
We Three all ran around Bald Eagle Lake (White Bear Lake, MN) .. a 10K in 40 degree rain.... But...
How can I tell you? ... This was a hurricane!

The IKE storm band dumped on our marathon before moving on to Ohio...Note the dark red over St. Louis/ St. Charles area on the radar.

But who knows... maybe we will go to the Lewis & Clark Marathon again next year.. and get Missouri... for our 50 states goal.

A Lot Going On

Running running running.

An occasional race.

A whole lot of family stuff.

Some home fix-up.

Eating Weight Watcher's core foods: lean protein, vegetables, fruit, breakfast oatmeal, a few nuts (no oil added), and a little chunk of dark chocolate.

Hoping for a new federal administration.

Enjoying a little cooler weather.

Race Directors Take Note! ....(Runners and Volunteers, too)

"FINISH LINE WILL REMAIN OPEN FOR ALL
RUNNERS WHO CHOOSE TO FINISH."

The above statement... in capital letters... is on the brochure for the
Bear Water Run ... 10 mile and 20 mile races around White Bear Lake on
September 13, 2008, 8 am.
Sponsored by the White Bear Lake Lions Club to benefit multiple charitable organizations in the community.

Hurrah for the race director.
Hurrah for the Lions Club.
Hurrah for young beginning runners who have not run that far before.
Hurrah for runners with injuries, who can't run so fast anymore.
Hurrah for runners whose cancer drugs have slowed their running.
Hurrah for runners with handicaps doing what they can.
Hurrah for 60-something folks who are slowing down.
Hurrah for the elite runners who win awards.
Hurrah for volunteers... always.
Hurrah for the wonderful sense of community fostered by a
rich variety of participants.

PS: Today Sweet Pea and I did 14 slow miles on the Trail this afternoon. Saw a couple of wild turkeys. Temp was 80 at 5:00 when we were still out there.

Myeloma results

Don has posted his report on http://myelomahope.blogspot.com/
Thanks for checking in.