Half Mara-What?

It's October 4. My half marathon is November 28. I have done nothing. I am freaking out.

Ok I haven't really done "nothing." I've been helping Joe get ready for the MS 150 and we have been riding our bikes an average of 50 miles every weekend plus a few weekday rides. Until she had emergency gall bladder surgery in September, I was running with my Tri It pal Cindy a couple miles a few times a week. But since then...nothing.

Oh wait - there was something else I did. I put together this fantastically dorky training schedule which spread my training over 3 months; a slow and gradual increase in mileage for minimal injury. I laminated it and hung it on my fridge. Joe and I also did run a mile one morning.

I should have run yesterday, and Joe would have gone with me, but I wanted to lay on my couch. So I did. I got grumpy when I couldn't find anyone to agree to meet me this morning at the gym. I thought a bunch of feel-sorry-for-me things like "Why won't people help me do this?" "Why don't people rearrange their schedule for me?" "Why did I agree to do this?" "How did Sh!t My Dad Says premiere as the most watched new sitcom when it is so dreadfully horrible?"

I still set all my stuff out for me to go to the gym in the morning. I set my alarm and then hit snooze a time or dozen. But I got up (thanks mostly to Joe who also got up), got dressed and headed to the gym. The guy at the front desk didn't skip a beat. "Hi Amy - we've missed you." I laughed it off and trudged my way to the treadmills and started running. It actually wasn't that bad really; I guess all that biking did payoff with some stronger legs and better cardio. I was able to run for 30 minutes, a slow, sweaty 2 miles.

I'm still not a fan of running but I do appreciate that it allows me some steady thinking time. Today's subject on the brain was running and the half marathon. I put myself in this position of being behind in my training. I was supposed to do 6 miles on Sunday; I did only 2 miles today. My biggest fear is pushing myself too hard and hurting myself so badly that I cannot run or bike. I committed to this half marathon and actually, really do want to do well. Midway through today's run I realized something really important. I have got to stop looking for someone else to help me with this. I've got to be my own motivator and get up every morning and get a work out in. No one else can do this for me. No one. Joe has been great and I know he will run with me on the weekends but I can't/shouldn't count on him. This has got to be a me thing and in some ways, I think that is why I signed up for a half marathon. I wanted to know I could follow through with something that isn't easy for me. Well here it is getting hard. Test One and so far I have failed. But you know what? I still have time left, not a lot, but some. So I'll get up again tomorrow and run. And I'll get up on Wednesday and run and Thursday too. On Friday I'll take that Pilates class to give my muscles the proper stretch they deserve. I'll go on a long ride on Sunday and not worry because that is helping me, physically and emotionally because I enjoy the time with Joe. With every run I'll get stronger and faster and longer until November 28 comes, and hopefully I've done enough to cross the finish line feeling that I did my best. It sounds so elementary, but in the end, that is what matters the most. And that is all up to me.

July, August and September Music

Here are my favorites from the last three months.

July
Song.........................................Artist
Hannah..................................Freelance Whales (Ok this was in May too, but I REALLY love it)
Ready to Start........................Arcade Fire
Up In The Clouds..................Darwin Deez
Finale.....................................Funeral Party
In The Morning.....................Razorlight
Rollerblades...........................Eliza Doolittle
Bloodbuzz Ohio.....................National
I Was Drunk..........................Riva Starr
It's Working...........................MGMT
Untouched..............................Veronicas
Don't Give Up.........................Whitest Boy Alive

August
Song Title.................................Artist
New York................................Paloma Faith
Wonderful Life........................Hurts
Upside......................................Kano/Michelle Breeze
Flux..........................................Block Party
Bang Pop..................................Free Energy
Pumped Up Kicks.....................Foster the People
The Bike Song...........................Mark Ronson and the Business International
Make You Feel My Heart.........Adele
Sowing Season..........................Brand New

September
Song Title....................................Artist
Spanish Sahara...........................Foals
Shame..........................................Robbie Williams/Gary Barlow
Get Higher...................................Paper Tongues
1984..............................................Neon Trees
Giving It All Away.......................Dead Confederate
Something Good Can Work.........Two Door Cinema
Heart Vacancy..............................The Wanted
Constellations................................Darwin Deez

Joe rocks the MS 150

I am by no means an athlete, but I've always been active. I've had and used a gym membership consistently over the last 15 years. I enjoy working out....but that has always been a solo effort. I was ecstatic when Joe told me he was going to do the MS Breakaway to the Beach with his cousin Mike. This annual event has bikers start in Monroe and ride to Sunset Beach, a total of 150 miles.

We started training this summer and got into a good routine of short rides during the week and longer ones on the weekends. We did a charity ride that made us realize that there are mountains in Waxhaw and we became very familiar with all the hyphenated roads in Union County. We rode in the rain and the hot sun. We rode a disastrous ride after giving blood (Tip: don't ever do this). We got very comfortable walking into public places smelly and sweaty. I perfected pigtails.

So last weekend was the actual event. We got up at 4am on Saturday and met his cousin to carpool to the start. A little after 7:30, Joe, Mike and about 1200 other riders got started, and I hopped in the car and drove to Sunset Beach to wait for his arrival on Sunday. I knew Joe would have no problems. He is a strong biker and we had trained well. I knew he could easily do 50 miles without stopping, so if he slowed down and stopped at each rest stop, I knew he'd be fine. It was weird being on that side of an event. All the runs, bikes and other events I have done, Joe has either been by my side or waiting as I finished. It was a little odd to be the one seeing him go. I felt a little like a protective mom watching her son go to school for the first day as they rode off into the sunrise. I anxiously waited for word.

He finished early on Saturday and when I finally got to talk to him he was happy and feeling great. I was relieved. My brother had done the MS ride one year and we picked him up and brought him home. He was grumpy...and that is an understatement. He was intolerable. So I was sorta worried Joe might suffer the same fate, but he was more excited than the start.

Sunday morning I got to the finish line at 10am to make sure I didn't miss him. I sat and cheered on as the bikers began to cross the finish line. As the morning faded to noon, the dark storm clouds became very apparent. We heard thunder and I just hoped Joe would finish before the rain. Around 12:30 I finally saw his yellow and red jersey and knew it was him. He looked great and I ran over to him. He was ecstatic, saying how much fun that was and how awesome he felt. I was so happy and proud of him it made my heart hurt. Mike finished a few seconds later with an equally big grin. Literally a minute later the rain started pouring. We ran to the car, strapped the bikes in and now all soaked, jumped in the car for the ride home.

Joe is now hooked. He woke up Monday feeling great - and his legs are rock hard! He was ready to ride again Monday night but the weather prevented us. I am so happy for him; not only that he did so well and felt so great, but that he enjoyed himself. Most people look at me like I am insane when I said how much fun I had at the triathlon, but now Joe gets it. Even better, we have something that we can do together. We are getting together this weekend to plan our 2011 year and form an official bike team. I am even thinking of a lofty 1,000 mile goal. We'll see...as Joe says, I can be quite ambitious.

Fall TV - Return to the Couch!

It's been a pretty active summer for the Burr-Manns so we haven't watched nearly as much TV as we usually do. But luckily for us Fall TV is back and we are looking forward to some good TV time!

Here are my picks for the 2010-11 Fall TV Season. And yes, I know I watch too much TV.

Monday
8 - How I Met Your Mother, CBS, premieres 9/20. Suit Up! Barney's back.
9- The Event, NBC, premieres 9/20. Joe thinks this looks stupid, but I am intrigued. I have very high hopes for a TV show delivering an interesting story that is smart and not so obvious from the first 10 minutes. This might not be that show, but we will give it our standard 3 episodes.
10 - Castle, ABC, Premieres 9/20 AND Hawaii Five-O, CBS, 9/20. We have loved Nathan Fillian since his Two Guys, A Girl and a Pizza Place Days and have followed his career closely. We love Castle for its campiness and have been in since day 1. So we are torn that it is up against the strong looking Hawaii Five-O. I like Alex O'Laughlin and Joe likes Grace Park and this just looks like a fun hour. We'll Tivo one and catch the other online.

Tuesday
8- No Ordinary Family, ABC, 9/28. A show about a family who gets superpowers- of course I am going to watch!
9- Raising Hope, FOX, 9/21. I will give this a try since Modern Family has restored my faith in a 30 minute sit-com. Update: Yes, this is a keeper. Hysterically funny - check it out.
9:30 - Running Wilde, FOX, 9/21. If you haven't seen Arrested Development, GO NOW and get all 3 fantastic seasons. Then you can understand why I am crazy excited for Running Wilde, Will Arnett's latest project. I'm sure I'll miss Jason Batemen and Portia De Rossi in perfect casting, but I will give this a try for sure. Update: This is not for everyone. A lot of the humor is quiet and sorta behind the scenes. I have a feeling this is going to get cancelled, but you should watch until then because it is actually a sweet, funny comedy.
10 - The Good Wife - CBS - 9/28. I LOVED the season finale last year and am so excited to see where Josh Charles and Julianna Margulies' characters go from there. This show has drama, romance, intrigue and great acting. Josh Charles, who won my heart in Sports Night, really shines and I am glad he is back in a high profile show.

Wednesday
8 - Lie To Me. FOX, 11/10. I love Tim Roth on Lie To Me and am looking forward to see how changes made at the end of last season (Loker's promotion) will affect the staff of The Lightman Group. It doesn't start until November, which allows me to audition.... Update: Lonestar was cancelled after two episodes, so Lie To Me has a new start date of Monday, October 4.
8:30 - Better With You, ABC, 9/22. This looks like a cute little couple comedy. Could go either way, but at least it doesn't interfere with anything until November. Update: this is hysterical. Three couples, one has been together 25 years, one 15 years and one 7 months. No matter what your relationship status, you will see bits of you (and everyone you know) in this. The gold standard for a sitcom: Joe and I have quoted this show four times since watching it on Saturday.
9 - Modern Family, ABC, 9/22. Without a doubt, the best show on TV; consistently funny, real, sweet and fun.
9:30 - Cougar Town, ABC, 9/22. I was late to this show since I couldn't make it past the first episode. But mid season it settled in to a comfortable stride and it did make me chuckle. My very, very manly husband loves this show, so it is a keeper for this fall.
10 - The Whole Truth, ABC, 9/22. This Jerry Bruckheimer's latest showcases both sides of a lawsuit. It stars Maura Tierney and Rob Morrow, who I both like, so will give this 3 episodes.
Update: This is OK. We've seen one episode so far and the biggest thing that bothered me is that I don't think there is any way that the jury would have voted the way they did based on the evidence presented. It will have to be more realisitc to stay on my TiVo.

Thursday
8- Community, NBC, 9/23. I am a huge fan of Joel McHale's so we were excited for Community last year. I was even more surprised when the show was actually funny, increasingly so as the season wore on and the characters developed.
8:30- Bleep my Dad Says, CBS, 9/23. Honestly, I'm not that excited about this but I LOVE William Shatner so will give it a shot. Who knows...it's only 30 minutes. Update: The love I have for Shatner is no match for how horrible this show is.
9- Fringe, FOX, 9/23. I skipped season 2 because it conflicted with Supernatural. There will be some catching up on DVD, which reminds me I need to order that!

Friday
8 - Human Target, FOX, 10/1. This is not the most intelligent show out there, but it's fun. Really, how can you go wrong with Chi McBride, Jackie Earle Haley and Mark Valley?
9 - Supernatural, CW, 9/24. God bless those Winchester boys. I am so glad they are back. I have loved this show since season 1. It's delightfully funny, suspenseful and the relationships are fantastic. The boys are hot, even the angels are hot! It's worth catching up on DVDs if you haven't seen it.
10-Teach: Tony Danza, A&E, 10/1. Before he became the actor he is, Tony earned a degree in History Education. So in 2009-2010 he taught in a Philadelphia school. I know it sounds odd, but I saw an interview about it and he seemed so vulnerable and real, I really want to see how it goes. This is just a 7 episode series.

Sunday
9 - DEXTER!, Showtime, 9/26. I was surprised but OK when that guy killed that girl (vague for people who aren't current). It will be so interesting to see how that other guy handles all that other stuff. AND that one guy is still out there! YAY!
And I forgot: Boardwalk on HBO. Great reviews, expensive sets, Scorcese directing Buscemi, already renewed for a second season. Sold.

FYI - Showtime's other great show Californication is slated to start 1/10/11 on the Sunday at 10pm slot. They are also bringing out a new show for the 9PM slot called Shameless, starring William H. Macy. I figure if he's in it, it's gotta be quirky, kinda sad and very good. Secret Diary of a Call Girl is also slated to be back but exact date is TBD.

Pink Elephant Party - The Duets

I work in radio so you could assume that music is important to me, but really those two facts have nothing to do with each other. This past Saturday we had another Pink Elephant Party with the theme "Great Compilations." This meant duets, featurings and mash ups. Of all the PEPs, this was the easiest list for me to create and the one that I love the most. Honestly, I think because the songs on my list are closely tied to specific emotions and memories. My list, and why I included them, liner notes if you will:

Time to Say Goodbye - Andrew Bocelli and Sarah Brightman
The first time I went to Vegas was on a magical trip for Joe's 30th birthday. I completely surprised him and had planned the entire trip including packing for him. He had no idea until we got to the airport. He thought he was dropping me off for a work trip, my parents were there with a sign...he was truly shocked. It was great. I had a car waiting for us and the driver was fantastic. Joe didn't know where we were staying until we pulled up...to the Bellagio. Everyone had said how incredible the fountains were but I didn't really get it. They looked pretty online but it was a fountain. After we checked into our room we went down to see the big deal about the Bellagio fountains. We got a prime viewing spot and they started dancing to Time to Say Goodbye by Bocelli and Brightman. I was in awe and actually got teary-eyed. The timing was perfect, the music; magical. So now every time I hear this song I am transported back to that night, exhausted, holding hands and utterly in love with the moment.

Anyone Else But You - Michael Cerra and Ellen Page
This is corny, but I love being in love. This song makes me feel happy and innocent and that two people are meant to be together. I love the lines "We are part time lovers and full time friends" and "We sure are cute for two ugly people." It is a huge plus that I enjoyed the movie this is from (Juno) and thought it to be a smart, sweet comedy.

Falling Slowly - Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova
If you haven't seen the movie Once - go rent it now. This is a fantastic little Indie pic where all the emotion is told in song. So it goes without saying that the music is spectacular; this song even won an Academy Award. The song is beautiful in its simplicity and always gives me chills. While the song appeals to my inner romantic, I also am reminded of when I saw this movie...in the theater with Shelia. It was a double movie date day, filled with wine, food and fantastic movies.

That's Me Trying - William Shatner and Aimee Mann
While I have vowed to include William Shatner in every PEP list, I think the next theme, Numbers, will kill that streak. But I do love Ole Bill. This song is so achingly sad but I love it for the way it makes me appreciate my father. I am a true Daddy's Girl and can't imagine not having a close relationship with my dad. This song is so tragic with his admittance that the minimal he can do is his best. I am sure this is so true for many parent-child relationships. It makes me want to hug my dad.

The Fear You Won't Fall - Joshua Radin and Schuyler Fisk
I love Joshua Radin's songwriting. His lyrics are honest and sweet and the melodies are able to convey hope and innocence in one song and melancholy and regret in another. This song is the former, harnessing the excitement of a new relationship. Joe and I are in no means in a new relationship, but two lines always makes me think of the time when we were; "It hasn't felt home before you." and "I hate the phone but I wish you'd call."

Daydreamin' - Lupe Fiasco and Jill Scott
Before I really paid any attention to R&B, I stumbled upon Jill Scott's 2000 release 'Who Is Jill Scott" and fell in love with her. This song is jazzy, Scott's voice is smooth and it even includes music from Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. It alternates hip hop with R&B and it makes me feel like I could lay and watch the clouds all day. I honestly cannot remember how or when I heard this song, I just know that it makes me happy to hear it.

The Salmon Dance - The Chemical Brothers and Fatlip
You simply must listen to this song. I got it from an Internet friend with whom I traded music. This song makes me laugh with the one liners and responses to the trivia. It is educational too! (For example, did you know Salmon can swim to Japan and back?) The Chemical Brothers is an English duo that is mostly known for techno dance music and a sense of humor. Listen to this song and you will be a fan. Their other stuff varies greatly, but another good place to start would be "Galvanize."

Kandi - One Eskimo and Candi Stanton
The last night on the boat we were just hanging out in our respective beds. I was reading a magazine and Joe was playing on his phone. The boat has a very nice stereo in it and I was listening to a local station. This song came on and I was instantly happy. It includes a sampling of Candi Stanton's cover of an old 60s song performed by both Ella Washington and Patsy Cline. There is still a 60s feel to the song but it is now more modern and well rounded. It sticks in my head and instantly transports me to the boat that night, feeling completely content.

Candy - Iggy Pop and Kate Pierson
I can't sing. I am not even close to being able to sing. But when I am driving in the car and this song comes on the radio, I turn it up REALLY loud, wait until the parts with Kate Pierson and sing my heart out. In that moment, to this song, I have real talent and I am happy. I probably look (and sound) like an idiot, but I am happy and really, that's what good songs are for.

You Make My Dream - Hall and Oates
Speaking of happy, I DARE you to listen to this song and not bop your head around and feel brighter. It's just one of those silly songs that you can't help but love. I became reacquainted after its inclusion on the spectacularly awesome 500 Days of Summer Soundtrack, but upon further review, Hall & Oates songs stand up as poppy balls of happiness, good to listen to anytime you want to tap your toes or be-bop around.

Ahh Key West

It's no secret that I love traveling to any and all places. I usually try to pick someplace new for vacations, with a few exceptions; Jackson, Wyoming (famous for an absolutely perfect family vacation), St. John, USVI and nearby Tortola, BVI (my wedding/honeymoon) and Key West.

I first went to Key West as another birthday surprise for Joe, this time his 35th. We were coming out of one of those years that was filled with more fights than fun and we needed a reset button. I had packed warm weather clothes, all our scuba gear, planned a few dive trips and a bunch of down time. The flight was delayed, we got down there 6 hours late to frigid temperatures (50s)for Key West. The elevator was broken so we lugged our 100 pounds of scuba gear up to our room and laughed at the comedy of errors that was the day but decided the next day would be better. We woke up early to get to the dive shop, lugged our scuba stuff down the stairs, caught a cab that dropped us off outside the shop. We waved goodbye to the cab as we heard the dive shop lady say..."dives are cancelled." Fantastic. We called for ANOTHER cab, lugged our scuba stuff back UP the stairs and then decided drinking was in order. It was COLD there and after a very chilly breakfast we went shopping for jeans and sweaters. We ended up having a fantastic time, despite all the things that went wrong. It was exactly what we needed.

After a 2009 week long stay in Key West with Shelia and Adrienne Wolf, I was even more in love with this adult playground. So Shelia and I planned a girls' weekend for August 12-15, 2010, inviting pretty much everyone. It ended up being just the two of us, but we were both fine with that. Vacationing with someone is actually a big deal and not everyone gels once away from home. I have friends that I have known for years that I would never go away with, but luckily, Shelia and I are great travel mates. To travel with me you need a certain mix of lazy and action and Shelia and I mesh very well. So on Thursday the 12th at 6AM we grabbed our backpacks and jumped on a plane.

If you haven't been to Key West and are an adult, you must go. The entire island is catered to adults having fun. I feel so badly for the kids who are there; they look miserable and bored stiff. I really think Key West's website should stop pretending and just say "NO KIDS."

There are a lot of reasons why I love Key West and a lot of those could be applied to any tropical location - sun, laid back attitude, sailing, diving, snorkeling, drinking and general relaxation. Where Key West really shines is in its acceptance. Known for a huge annual festival called Fantasy Fest, Key West truly is a come as you are kinda place. There are drag shows every night (my favorite is at Club Aqua), gay bars with guys dancing on the bar and this time I saw a man dressed in gold lame' with a plunger attached to his crotch. Not every night is wild and crazy though (or at least it doesn't have to be.) Friday night Shelia and I pulled out two chairs and sat on the beach and watched the Perseid Meteor Shower for almost 3 hours. We talked and then we didn't talk and then we talked some more. And that is what makes Shelia a perfect travel companion - neither of us have to be "on" all the time. We can have fun doing nothing....or what we ended up doing Saturday.

As Shelia says, "Aqua kicked my ass again." After spending Saturday afternoon on the beach, we got to Aqua for the early show, stayed for the late show, though to be fair I hardly remember the late show. I was too busing making friends. There was drunk Leslie who was there with her boss/lover who literally was so drunk he kept dropping wads of dollar bills. There was Pat, the most unfeminine girl I have ever seen, who groped me but then apologized, which I thought was mighty nice of her. Then there was Brigitte Nielson and her husband who were looking for a friend to take home. After declining their nice offer, I introduced them to Leslie and I think everyone went home happy. We left Aqua and walked back to our hotel, stopping and dancing in the streets when we were outside a bar playing a good song. We stopped and got Shelia a veggie dog, met a nice guy and talked with him about his son, whom he clearly loved. The walk home was just fun.

Shelia slept late and I went to get breakfast on the beach one last time. It was quiet and I was alone and that was OK. I think one of the best things about being in my 30s is a general acceptance of who I am and who I am not. I'm never going to be thin and that is OK. I am never going to be rich either and that is also OK. I am lucky to have a fantastic family that I am close with. I have a husband who loves me and friends who support me, lift me up and challenge me to be a better person. All of those things make it OK to just be me. And to be totally me in a place that is accepting of that is an oddly comfortable and joyous experience. It's OK to be happily dancing in the streets and there is a good chance that some stranger will come up and dance with you. And that is OK too.

Leaving is always sad. We were tired, Shelia was hungover and neither of us were looking forward to the long travel back home. But I wouldn't trade the weekend for anything. It would be nice to be skinny, rich and famous, but it's pretty great just being me.

I kicked Booty's butt...well maybe slapped it around a bit.

This past weekend was the 24 Hours of Booty, the Official 24 Hour Cycling Event of the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Over 1300 cyclists come out to ride a 3 mile loop for up to 24 hours. The entire thing is a fundraiser for not only the Lance Armstrong Foundation, but also the Brain Tumor Fund of the Carolinas, so of course I wanted to be invovled. I conned Joe, Mike and Joe's cousin Mike to do the event with me. I had no idea what to expect but was pleasantly surprised on so many levels including fundraising, the actual event and my overall ability.

Fundraising - I was a bit apprehensive about asking people for money. The minimum was $240 so I set that as my goal. I put the link up on facebook, but only got 2 or 3 bids. I finally sent out "the letter" to family and close friends. Thanks to my dad and my aunt, I reached my goal pretty quickly so was happy. But I was ecstatic as the money kept coming in. As of today I have raised $645! Here's the thing about donations - the people you never expect, give, and the people you are sure are going to because of your relationship with them/the financial health they project, don't. I have one friend who is quite literally declaring bankruptcy. She donated. A former co-worker that I haven't seen in 10 years donated. A girl that I train with but hardly really know donated and asked her company to match the donation, which they did. It is amazing. I strive to be like these people. Times are tough for everyone, so I greatly appreciate everyone who helped and every single dollar that was donated.

The Event - The Booty Loop is a 3 mile loop and the Bootyville camping area is set up inside it. Mike and MaryBeth brought a tent and we had a nice area for our home. Before we knew it we were lining up for the first lap. Survivors went first and we followed in behind them. This was the scariest part of the whole event - 1500 cyclists of all abilities crammed into one street. Not even a mile into the event there was a major crash with a girl suffering a broken leg and concussion. We rode for 3 laps and then decided to eat dinner and wait for the bulk of people to go home. I had never ridden at night before so was excited to try it. I LOVE it. We would ride a few laps, come in, drink, eat and then go back out. Around midnight I got in line for a free massage while Mike and Joe went to sleep. My massage was fantastic...about 30 minutes...all for free. Afterwards I was actually wired. I went back to the tent but everyone was asleep. I walked around Bootyville, watched a little TV in the "living room" area they had set up and then decided to just ride. There were still probably 50 people on the course so it was nice. Around 4am I hit 67 miles, my goal, a tribute to my dad who will turn 67 this year (December 5, 2010). By this time Mike was up so we did a lap, just the two of us. This last lap with my brother was the highlight of the ride. I love my brother, but more importantly, I LIKE my brother. We chatted, pushed each other to ride faster and really enjoyed ourselves. My total mileage: 70. Mike rode a little more as he wanted to reach 100 miles and I went back to the tent to hang out with MaryBeth and Dexter. (Joe was still asleep!) There was breakfast at 6am and then Joe and I packed up and left for home. I was wired, but exhausted and really ready for a shower. Mike rode until around 8am when he hit the 100 mile mark and then also packed up for home. The event lasted until Saturday night, but I loved how we did it. We got home, took showers and promptly went to sleep.

I cannot speak more highly of the organizers of this event. I have put on events and know the kind of organization that is needed to pull something off. Every part of this was top notch. The layout, the amenities, the volunteers; all made me feel quite spoiled. I mostly go into these events for my benefit; sure I'll raise some money and I beleive in the cause, but mostly I do it because I want to push myself to do something athletic. I forget sometimes that there is the bigger picture, until it is 3AM and I am getting my 10th chocolate covered strawberry and I politely thank the volunteer and she grabs my hand and says "No, thank you for doing this."

I might have only raised $645 but I was treated like a queen by all the volunteers. The other cyclists were also warm and welcoming. When my chain fell off at a vital point, I had people stop and ask if I needed help. I never felt alone...I was surrounded by a huge cycling family. Most people slept at night but that didn't mean that the event stopped. Food, drinks, massages, TV, vendors were all staffed for 24 hours. There was even a bike shop that was up and doing minor repairs as needed.

I will without any hesitation do this event next year. We are already talking about expanding the TajmaTent so that we all have a place to lay down (Joe miraculously slept sitting up in two chairs). I'm ready to ride 100 miles and to raise even more money. Two thumbs up for booty!