Another Marathon Weekend in the Brooke House - Lost Dutchman's Marathon

Well...the running continues. It's very cool to be able to run year round and not have to bundle up!! Scott has continued to run events since the P.F. Chang's 1/2 marathon on January 18th. On January 31st, Scott ran a 1/2 marathon in Surprise (about an hour from the house) and ran a PR race time of 1:39 and was very pleased with this time. He felt great after his run, which tells us that all of his hard work and training is paying off!!




Last weekend we ran a Full Moon 5k in Scottsdale...only in AZ can you run a 5k in February at 7pm and not freeze!! It was a very small race, and the moon didn't exactly cooperate, but we had fun and Maggie had a PR 5k time of 33 minutes.



This weekend was the Lost Dutchman's Marathon weekend. It was down in Apache Junction, about 30 minutes from Chandler, and hosted multiple invents including a 2 mile, 8k, 10k, 1/2 marathon and full marathon. Scott signed up months ago to run the full marathon and Maggie joined in to run the 10k. Maggie did really well, running in 1:10 even. Pretty exciting considering a year ago she was recovering from foot surgery and now is running long distances on a regular basis. Needless to say the surgery was the right call because she has been running pain free since she completed her recovery!!


Scott ran the full marathon and did really well, finishing in 3:54.

Scott's report:
This was the best marathon I've run. Not because of the time but because of the race management and relative convenience. It was by far the worst I've felt in any race but for different reasons. I tried experimenting with salt tablets during this race, thinking it would benefit me toward the end... but it actually gave me leg cramps at mile 11. I pretty much ran the last 15.2 miles with extremely heavy legs. I should know by now not to "experiment" on race day... oh well. I learned.
They bussed us way out into the middle of nowhere in the mountains at 6am and had camp fires and stretching mats in the middle of a field. It was pretty cold (35 degrees) at the start so it took a while to warm up. I got to chat with a couple runners who were recently featured in Runners World before the race. One was an 18 year old who had just run the Grand Canyon rim to Rim (48 miles) to become the youngest runner to accomplish this. The other was a retired gentleman who runs marathons every weekend. He hitched a camper to his pick up truck and travels year round to races. I think he's been doing for a few years now.
The first 11 miles went pretty well.... I was probably somewhere in the top 25 but then I hit some sort of wall. My legs cramped up and I figured it was the salt tabs. I kept trying to drink fluids but nothing worked. After a while I just shuffled towards the end. 3:54 was a good time but I was a bit disappointed... my training was leading me towards a 3:25ish. Oh well, I guess there's enough races to keep trying.
As for now... I'm looking forward to some needed time off! Probably two weeks - if I can make it that long!

It's Racing Season

Without even noticing it, I'm in the middle of a running "racing" season. It started with the PF Changs Phoenix 1/2 Marathon with Maggie and then last weekend I ran the Desert Classic 1/2 Marathon. I ended up setting my personal 1/2 marathon record in that race (1:39:14). That race was full of setbacks.... it started with me showing up a bit late and starting 4 minutes after the gun went off. I played catch up and caught everyone in the field but 10 people. Finishing 11th felt pretty good except it was the most boring course I've ever run. Out and back in the middle of the desert. This is the type of scenery you imagine when you think of the desert. Nothing but dirt, rock, and cactus with a road right down the middle. There was also a military base off in the distance that had bombs going off! Not sure what that was but there was a hint of gunpowder stench in the air. I forgot my sunscreen and sunglasses so that's never good in the middle of the desert! A good day nonetheless!

This weekend, Maggie and I will be doing a 5k in the dark. It's a "full-moon" 5k in Scottsdale that will have lanterns lining the course. Should be a fun evening.... if we can see.

Next weekend I will be running my 3rd marathon (Lost Dutchman) in Apache Junction, AZ. It's a downhill course the entire way so I'm hoping to set another "personal" record there as well.

After that I'll have a few more on the schedule but the summer will probably limit the insane running. If all goes well, we'll be in town in November so I can do the JFK 50 mile again. Hopefully I can finish in the daylight this time!

Team Brooke Runs PF Chang's Arizona Half Marathon

Maggie and I ran the PF Chang's Arizona Rock-n-Roll Half Marathon this past weekend in a time of 2:58:45. The run went much smoother than we thought.... it helped that it was 75 degrees and sunny. It was an extremely long day and with over 30,000 runners anything can go wrong.
We woke up at 4am so we could get there in plenty of time for the 8:30am start time. Even though we got there at 5:30am, we purchased a Warm Zone package that allowed us to sit in a heated tent that was stocked with coffee, bagels, fruit, power bars, free gloves, and plenty of VIP port-o-potties. We agreed that it was the best money we have ever spent and the money went towards Chances for Children, an organization that raises awareness about childhood obesity. The alternative would have been sitting in a dark field in the cold desert air and waiting in line for a LONG time to go to the bathroom.
We got to our starting line corral and had to wait 38 minutes before we actually crossed the official start line. After 2 cups of coffee (Maggie refrained from coffee...but not me) we had to make our first bathroom stop at the mile 1! We hit that first mile right at 11 minutes. We weren't running all out, just settling into a nice comfy pace we could keep for a while. We actually had to make a conscious effort to stop at mile 3 just so we could walk to make sure we didn't over-extend ourselves at the start. We hit that 3 mile mark in 35:00 - right on pace.
It was at this point that I noticed something a bit "strange." I've run plenty of races in my time and the #1 priority to a runner is water. So when we took a sip of our first water from the aid stations we immediately realized it was tap water!!! Tap water is most areas of the country doesn't taste all that bad, but tap water in Arizona sucks! They tell you not to drink the water in Arizona due to lots of reasons - kinda the same side effects if you drink the water in Mexico. We had brought our own water bottles (I wore my belt, Maggie carried her bottle) so we had water early on. When I realized it was tap water it scared me..... I knew this water could easily make us sick.
We ran another few miles before it got worse. At mile 8 we saw volunteers filling trash cans with water out of garden hoses. Then the volunteers were taking cups and dipping them in the trash cans to fill the cups for the runners. That was so brutal we resorted to a "spur of the moment" back-up plan. Maggie knew the neighborhood we were in since her contract job with Ultimate Staffing was right around the corner and a convenience store was coming up soon. We had stashed a $20 bill in my fuel belt for an "emergency".... and this was definitely an emergency. Around mile 9 we pulled off the course at a convenience store and bought 3 large bottles of Smartwater and refueled. I carried another large bottle just to get us through the last few miles.
During our entire training we had set a goal of breaking 3 hours. A week prior to the race we did a 10 miler and struggled a bit to keep a pace that would allow us to break 3 hours. So when I saw that we hit 10 miles in a little over 2 hours I figured we could easily break 3 hours. We ran almost the same pace the entire way and I figured we ran a total of 11 miles and walked only 2 miles.
We crossed the finish line in 2:58:45 and since it was my job to "pace" us to the finish in under 3 hours, I was sweating it out the last few hundred yards. But we got it done.... no issues at all (other than a slight blister at mile 11) and already have talked about the next half marathon. Maybe Las Vegas. I doubt I can talk Maggie into a full marathon. A bunch of fun 5K's will also be part of our future plans and will be no problem. I'll throw in the JFK 50 next fall as well. So we'll need some cheerleaders again!
It was a great day and overall we hit our goal with no problems or injuries so we'll take it as a victory. Most of all...we had a lot of fun running together!! If anyone needs a couple pacers just let us know - we are now veterans!

Rattlesnake Training Part II

We took Bayley back to Rattlesnake Training to make sure she remembered what she learned 3 months ago. We also took Jesse (The Kolman's dog) and she hated it! When I took Bayley up to visit the snake, she stood behind me the entire time. The snake was bobbing and weaving with it's eyes fixed directly on Bayley (and I) and clearly telling us to go home! The snake was de-fanged so we were in no danger - but coming this close to a rattlesnake in the middle of the desert is still no fun!

Brooke Trip to Long Island

Here are some pics from our trip to Long Island in July. We stayed at Daryl's house for the weekend and got to see everyone sooner than we expected. We felt the humidity almost immediately. We have only been in Arizona for a few months and can really feel the difference. We went out on the boat and caught over a dozen flounder.... tossed Jack in the air until our shoulders hurt.... and played Apples to Apples all night. This was our 4th straight summer visiting Daryl and Susanne.

The first to swim in the pool.....

After the pool guy cleaned our pool and made it ok to swim in, this is who jumped in first...

Rattlesnake Training!

Our first full weekend in Arizona we took Bayley to Rattlesnake training. We were not sure what to expect... so when we got there, we literally saw 2 live diamondbacks in an open field. They told us to walk Bayley downwind so she could catch the smell of the snakes. The trainer also told us to get right up next to the snakes! The way it works is they put a shock collar on dogs and let them go right up and sniff a "de-fanged," 6 foot rattlesnake. Once the snake strikes, the trainer shocks the dog.... that is what is happening on the left hand picture. It's tough to see the snake.... rattlesnakes blend into the desert (and Maggie was too scared to get any closer)!

Our New Home

When we were in Arizona in April we found our dream home. It is gorgeous and we are really looking forward to putting our personal touches on it to make it our home. We hope everyone comes to visit, we have plenty of space. We know Bayley will enjoy her new backyard!! Please enjoy the pictures we have posted of it, we will post more with furniture after we are in.

This is our patio.

This is our kitchen.

This is our backyard.

This is our pool.

Thursday, May 1, 2008 - Day Five, and Final Day, on the Road

Thursday morning we left Albuquerque headed for our final destination...Scottsdale, AZ!!! This day was easier, we knew the end was in sight. It also helped that the view and scenery were gorgeous. The mountains and views were breathtaking!! The number of cactus along the side of the road was amazing, again, check out the pictures!! We arrived at our hotel in Scottsdale, AZ at about 4:30pm PST. We changed time zones throughout the trip, and only one was actually posted along the side of the road. Thank goodness our cell phones picked up the time zone changes because our navigation system didn't!!

We were very thankful to arrive, and thankful that we had a successful and safe trip across country. The drive really wasn't that bad, books on tape did help!! We enjoyed the scenery (or lack there of at times), the company and laughing at poor Bayley every now and then. She was very vocal about her dismay that we did not allow for more room for her. I think she was comforted in the fact that we didn't have much more space than we did. Scott did notice a "settling" of everything in the car as each day went by. He was very proud of his packing job!!

Wednesday, April 30, 2008 - Day Four on the Road

Wednesday morning we left Oklahoma City headed for Albuquerque, NM. The beginning of that drive was very dull...there was nothing for miles!! We did drive through Texas so some areas where pretty. Saw a lot of cows and horses during these days. We also saw a lost dog wondering the highway. We contemplated stopping, but then reality hit, we barely had enough space for the two of us and Bayley...nothing else was going to fit in the Jeep!! Once we got into New Mexico the scenic view was much better. The mountains were very pretty and we enjoyed the scenery.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008 - Day Three on the Road

Tuesday morning we left St. Louis headed for Oklahoma City. That drive was not very scenic, things started to get flat, and it was VERY windy.



We arrived in Oklahoma City without any issues, found a nice hotel, a nice dinner and crashed again. Needless to say sleeping was not an issue for any of us at night!!


Bayley occasionally came up front to help navigate.

Monday, April 28, 2008 - Day Two on the Road

On Monday morning we woke up and Scott took me for a tour of Ravenswood. He showed me the elementary school, the middle school, the high school and the farm where he grew up. He said some things have changed, but not much. It was very fun seeing where Scott grew up, he showed me the road he used to do his training runs on, we got to take a peek at the gym and a few other places.

We got on the road at about 10:30am from Ravenswood. We decided to take a tour through Huntington, WV to see the campus of Marshall University. We really wanted to see the Memorial dedicated to the football team, coaches and many town supporters who lost their lives in the plane crash in 1970.

We did not see it, but drove by the football stadium and got some fun pictures. We went through a bunch of states that day to arrive at our destination, St. Louis, MO on Monday night. We had a nice dinner and crashed to get some sleep for driving day number three.

After turning a corner too quickly, some luggage fell into Bayley's space. She was excited to get out of the Jeep so we could rearrange her travel space. Now she is happy and ready to go.

April 2008 - Scott and Maggie's Adventure to Arizona

As everyone is aware, Scott and I have decided to relocate to Arizona with Scott's job. This has been a really great opportunity for us, and we are looking forward to our new adventure in AZ.

We spent some time in Arizona during the Christmas holiday in 2007 and really enjoyed it out here. It is very conducive to our lifestyle, plus the warm weather helps. Scott liked the fact that he can run year round and not have to contend with the various elements he deals with in Maryland, won't have to worry about running in the ice out here, just the extreme heat during a few summer months. He will obviously run at the gym or late in the evenings then. Arizona is very different from what we are used to, but we really enjoyed it and think it will be a nice place to some day start our family. We will certainly miss our family and friends on the East Coast, but everyone has an open invitation to come and visit us!! When the weather is cold and dreary in the winter...come see us in AZ!!

We found out the official news of Scott's relocation in March of 2008. We traveled to Arizona in the beginning of April to find a home, and we were successful. We found a lovely home in Chandler, AZ. Chandler is the city where Scott's company is located, and it is about 20 minutes southeast of Phoenix. It is a very nice area, very family friendly and clean. We move into our new home in Chandler on May 16th. We can't wait.

We were fortunate enough to spend some time in late March at Kristin and John's with them, Jack, Betsy and Millie and Scott's parents. This was a great time, we will miss the ability to just zip up the road to see them, but will see them frequently. The next time we see the Cushwa family there will be another Cushwa baby, we can't wait to meet baby Cushwa. And Jack, Betsy and Millie will continue to amaze us as they are growing up so quickly. We had a lot of fun with everyone that day!!

As part of our relocation with Toyota, they sent a company to pack our home in Owing Mills, MD on April 23rd and 24th to pack and load everything up. Wow were those guys impressive!! They didn't even mind the fact that Bayley wanted to help. She made four new friends over the course of those days, and made sure everything was thoroughly inspected :)

Once the house was packed we were able to breath a bit easier. On Friday, Scott's HR department on the East Coast took us to Tom Mitchell's for lunch and a round of miniature golf/ We had a lot of fun!! Friday evening we enjoyed the last steamed crabs that we will have in MD for a while with Mike and Jeanette White. We really enjoyed the crabs, but especially the company!!

Saturday afternoon and evening Scott and I enjoyed spending time with many of our friends...one last bash in Baltimore. We really enjoyed spending time with everyone and reminiscing over fun memories.

Sunday morning we enjoyed a wonderful brunch at Harryman House with Jen, Dan and Reaghan Strine. That was really nice too!! Next time we see Reaghan we probably won't recognize her, she's growing up so quickly. We will miss everyone, but will be back to visit...and everyone has an open invitation to come visit us in Arizona, there's plenty of space.

Sunday, April 27, 2008 - Day One on the Road

We began our drive to Arizona on Sunday, April 27th at about 4pm. We weren't sure if we were going to get out of Owings Mills!! We should have planned a little better, we packed enough clothes for 6 months, rather than the three weeks we needed!! Poor Bayl had a very small spot in the Jeep to sit for 5 days because the Jeep was packed floor to ceiling, every nook and cranny was packed with stuff. Scott is a very talented packer!! Every time he came in to tell me nothing else would fit I would show him what needed to fit. It was a very strategic process, but we got it all in!!