Well, its official! We will be closing on the G-Town house Thanksgiving week - yay! So, i will be in ATX 11/18 (v.late) - 11/23 to do the final pack out on the house. This means i'll be celebrating my b-day in ATX. We are going to stay @ the Austin Motel and doing the Four Seasons brunch on Sunday morning. This is not how i thought i would be celebrating - i thought i would be @ Breck  - 'boarding (Fri) and going to Cheyenne for their Cristmas kick-off (Sat). But this is a great alternative.
btw-our house was only on the market ~4wks - yay! we'll start looking here in Jan/Feb becuase I need a break from house stuff! :)

When i woke up this morning (6:30am), it was already ~43F and the wind was calm.  I decided to run in shorts, a short sleeve shirt and (of course) my trusty visor. I was dressed perfect for this run - it got quite warm out there. The web site said they were trying to get 10,000 runners; they had a record turnout this year with a little over 900 entrants! So, its a small race; make no mistake though - a fast crowd. The DeBooms were out there representing (and winning their age groups). yay!
I got to the race site ~8:35am, did my packet pickup and was on time to meet my group for warm-ups; it was fun! we ran (~1.5 miles) and did drills, then discussed race strategy. Basically everyone was doing this for fun and i partnered with LauraH (who moved to Boulder from Austin earlier this year). 
We did really well together! (i'm going to borrow her goal of running the Moab 1/2 mary in March and we'll train for that together. ) Our goals were to be consistent, have fun, enjoy the scenery, and finish without puking. We made all those goals (though i really thought i was going to puke @ ~2.75mi - i walked ~10 steps to pull it together and was able to finish strong. i think i needed more breakfast/calories pre-race). 
My time goal was to finish somewhere between 36 and 38 mins.  I finished in 32:46 (10:26, 10:34, 10:35, 1:08).  This is by no measure a PR, but i thought i would be very slow due to my lack of training overall, lack of training @ altitude, getting over a cold, etc.  i'm very pleased with my results.  I was talking with one of the coaches post-run and she feels that when we get to serious training (starting in March) i should join the sub-10 or sub-9 team. wow - yay!
Post-run, we had Carrabba's - yum! (and they were handing out left overs, so i got dinner for tonight too!) and then waited for the schwag fest to begin.  They were not giving away ham sandwiches this year ... I did win a Smart Wool t-shirt and cool Ryders sports sun glasses - yay! they gave away a ton of stuff - shoes, shirts, jackets, socks, gloves, camelbacks, hydration belts, beanies, visors, hats, sun glasses, ipod cases, etc, etc, etc! it was crazy! and fun! BTW-Bets! there were 2 people out there in the turkey costume!!! too funny!
(the next time i run out there i'll need to bring my camera so i can post pics of the view - it is awe inspiring!)

It was ~27F when i went to my run this morning (9am). So, i wore tights, 2 shirts (one short and one long -sleeved), gloves (thanks bets!) and a cap instead of a visor.  I didn't feel over dressed, which is good. we did a little over 5 miles (10 min w/u, 45 min m/s). i'm really liking my new group.  one of the guides/coaches caught up to me and we were talking. he was quite amazed at how well i was running at altitude already - yay! (though when he was trying to catch me, we were only running ~11min pace aka as Zone 1 for the group i'm in) our last mile was ~10:30min pace.  it felt good actually, not too fast. so i guess i was warmed up by then. (i did take off my gloves during this last mile)
I love running at the reservoir - it is beautiful!   This is where the race will be tomorrow too. i'm trying to decide if i'll wear tights again for my "fun run" / race. i guess i'll decide that in the a.m. once i see the weather.  i really don't like running in tights. i prefer shorts, but i do prefer to be warm more than i dislike tights. what i really hate is running in a cap ... i would always like to run in a visor. i guess i'm hot headed :)

This Sunday, i will be running the Panicking Poultry 5K! I'm just doing it for the exercise - not for speed. And the shwag - i've heard rumors about T-riffic door prizes, like ham sanwiches, oh and clothes and shoes.

yep, woke up to snow today. Fortunately, it is the kind that sticks to the roofs and the grass, but not the roads. it is quite pretty actually. The wind has died down a bit, so its kind of "warm" (when you are dressed approriately :)  )  (i can say all this now, becauae it is the first snow!!!) the funny part is mr.deankat has been dieing for it to snow and he is not here right now. lol!
btw-It should stop snowing ~Noon today. tomorrow will be int he 50s and Sunday in the 60s.

Tonight:

Snow Showers / Wind Late

Overnight Low 35°F Precip 30%

well, believe it or not, it has been exactly 16 weeks since i last got my hair cut / colored - and it showed ... so i took the advice of a co-worker and went to her "girl" / salon.  the color is fine, the cut is fine.  but, they are just lacking a certain - edginess... also, she went too short. i told her I'm trying to let my hair grow for goodness sake!
hair pet -peeve alert!!! i hate, Hate, HATE when i have to go home and clean up my fresh haircut. she left my "side burns" in horrible shape. i had to even them up and shape them. its great that i can confidently do that and have it turn out well. but, jeesh! i paid to have all my hairs cut thank you very much!!! (to be fair, i probably intimidated her from the start with what i like and don't like for my hair.)

We have a contract on the G-Town house!!!

i have a cold ... i can't remember the last ime in was sick. I jinxed myself though. I sneezed once during the day on Fri, and one of the guys i work with said, "Hope you not getting sick." And i said, "i NEVER get sick!" and wham-bam-ugh! i went home and proceeded to get sicker as the night went on and woke up with a full blown cold on Saturday... boo hoo.
i am starting to feel better today though and may run tonight since i haven't worked out in 3 days.

ok - working in the "Home Support Office" for a grocery store does come with perks, generally in the form of free food.  I am going to help "field test" a new brand of "food bars". I'm not really sure how to decribe them, but basically they are trying to emulate Lara Bars which i love.  hopefully, this goes well - for my sake ;}  because i've come to realize that i am a very picky eater!

Yep! i went snowboarding on Sunday - @ Loveland Pass. And had a great time! I was so nervous to be out on new equipment. (I've had the same board/bindings for 15 years!) My new gear is so comfortable and so flexible, i looked good out there! lol - i crack  myself up! anyway, i felt good and did well for my first time out. (don't i look like such a poser???)
I may take Friday off and be there for the opening day at Breckenridge.

Friday night i went and did the fun run with my new training group and guess what? it WAS fun and i met some nice people.  I even met Ivy Koger as he is the week-day coach of the Holiday program.  He seems like a really good guy. I also met a woman who said she will help me to find a real Bikram yoga studio here.  I'm glad about that. i miss my yoga!
Then on Saturday, I got up and met the group again for our first official group workout.  The workout itself was not very hard or hardcore; i liked that. i really need to ease back into things.  i met alot of nice people. One woman moved from Austin in January and trained with Rogue prior to moving.  So, i think that this group may be a good fit for me for now.
I will run again with them on Tuesday. (and i'm looking forward to it!)

well, i'm trying really hard not to freak out. i just signed up for a training group here in Boulder. i'm nervous, wanna puke ... what if i'm the slowest person, the fat-est (sp?) person, what if i don't fit in, what if no one "gets" me, what if no one likes me ...

naked pumpkin run!

weather for Friday night @9pm:

Saturday, 10/23/08, I went to the VeloSwap. And i could have spent a large fortune there! there were some B-E-A-Utiful bikes there - all kinds; new, used, vintage, sinlge gear, fixed, road, tri, cyclo-cross, mountain - even a unicycle or 2! i was drooling over a $9800 Pinarello - it was to die for! I came home with some great bargains - not a bike though. i got $5 Discovery fleecy arm warmers, $5 full finger riding gloves, $20 (pink) Camelback, $20-6 tubes of Nuun.

My mom and her sister (my aunt / CousinBarb's mom) came in to town 10/23 - 10/27. It was a v.short visit ... v.stressful visit ... i love them, i miss them, but in the future they must visit separately ...
The higlight of their trip was on Sunday, we went to Rocky Mountain National park and to Estes Park.  It was a v.geogrous day in the park. We saw lots of wildlife. All of the aspens have dropped their golden leaves. So now, all you see are the mighty green pine trees. a glorious day!

Mr.Deankat and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary on 10/24/93. wow - that's a long time! some time it feels like "just the other day" that we got married and other times - not so much (fortunately, those times are far and few!)

I've been doing really well of getting back to a work-out routine (though i still cannot find the nerve to get back in the pool and swim - i miss the BS group swim thing...). I go to my cold, scratchy towel gym Monday, Wednesday and Friday for spin/conditioning/core.  On Tuesdays, i elyptical (sp?) at my complex fitness center.  And on the weekends, i hike, trail run, ride my bike, etc. So, i'm feeling really good about my return to fitness.
However, last week, we upgraded one of our major systems. So, last week, i worked 12-13hr days each day ... makes for a v.tired deankat and leaves no time for work outs.  And this week we are still trying to resvole 4 issues ... so, again lots of hours. blech. 
if i didn't have such expensive hobbies, i wouldn't have to work ... but, i like my hobbies! so, i'll get back to work now! ;}

2 local ski resorts, Arapahoe Basin and Loveland, have been open since Oct 15! I've finally gotten all of my gear - i got a new snowboard, boots and bindings! (a sweet Ride / Canvas "Tokidoki" board!) I am excited (and a little nervous) to try out my new gear on Sunday.
The funny thing is, we are having an extended fall season in Boulder.  The overnight lows are ~44 (with some exceptions, like last Thursday, being lower) and the highs right now are pushing 70 each day.  So, this weekend, Saturday - i'll trail run and go watch a NACT Cyclocross Cup Race. Then, on Sunday, I'll hit the slopes. hehe

yep! we are having unseasonably warm weather here - so the rattle snakes have not gone into hibernation yet ... good for them, not so for me (and other trail runners).  Yesterday, mr.deankat and i headed out for a "hike"; him to walk and me to run on a set of trails very close to our apt.  I was having a great time - no achilles pain, no tendon pain, perfect weather, grand view, trail to myself - until 1.7miles in, that is.  because off trail, to the left, in heavy brush - rattle, Rattle, RATTLE. yikes! i immediately turned back and didn't look back (i think a peed myself a little from fright!) in total, we were out for 1hr. yay! i think my feet problems are finally all healed. i'm so excited!!!
Today, we are headed into the Footthills to hike different trails. I'm looking forward to it. It is nice to live so close to so many great outdoor activities. 
(btw- My BFF, cam_ray , inspried me to run yesterday.  And i hope to run again today. i'm very slow (and take lots of walk breaks) - but, i'm out there anyway - and loving it! Its got me feeling better. So much so, that I may even join a winter running group!)