- I typically fret all fall about what photo to use on our holiday card and don’t get them ordered until November. But this year, I started making a list of photos I’d like to use, and when I saw a sale on cards last weekend, I went for it and ordered them! Woot! I AM ON TOP OF IT THIS YEAR! (It helped that we had professional photos taken when we were in Iowa.)
- When I was driving home Saturday, the classic car in front of me lost one of its hubcaps. I immediately thought “I need to tell them! It would be so frustrating to get home and realize it’s gone and not know where the hell it is.” Plus it was dark out and they’d never find it without a clue where they lost it. So I flashed my brights at them several times then turned on my right signal to say “Pull over! I need to talk to you!,” and thankfully, they did. After I got home I couldn’t stop wondering if they found the hubcap, so I ran that route the next day, and it was gone. Phew.
Apollo’s reaction when I told him that story
- If you see these Pretzilla bites, get them! Well, if you love soft pretzels like I do. Christina brought me some from her Coscto in KC, and I immediately asked Bobbi if she could pick me up some here. She delivered!
- Last weekend was on fire for marathoning! Eliud Kipchoge ran 1:59:40 as part of the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in Austria on Saturday, and Brigid Kosgei ran 2:14:04 at the Chicago Marathon on Sunday, a new women’s world marathon record, shattering Paula Radcliffe’s 2003 London Marathon by 81 seconds. I’m not shocked that Kipchoge ran sub 2:00. He’s gotten close to sub 2:00 in a normal, non-assisted race (he had a huge pacing team at the 1:59 Challenge, and a pace car with a laser projected where he needed to be on the ground). I was shocked by Kosgei. That’s a a huge difference in the record, and she’s only 25! Why is she so fast?! Please, please, please let it be legit.
- Speaking of elite runners, xaarlin got me one of the hats Aliphine Tuliamuk crocheted! It’s so freaking cool to have something that was touched and MADE by an elite runner. I will obviously get faster now.
Nice going with getting your Christmas cards ordered already! Some years I’m on top of it, and some I end up just buying a couple boxes of cards at Target. If we get a good shot at Universal Studios in December cards might happen…I never know, LOL.
Very cool running connection with those hats! Plus they look great on you guys. 🙂
Thanks! Both types of cards are nice to get 🙂 I hope you go get a good shot, whether you use it for cards or not. It’s a lovely memento to have!
Thanks! I like the way it looks too. And it’ll be cold enough soon to wear it.
I don’t know enough about Kosgei’s training/coaching/affiliations to make any sort of comment on the likelihood of her WR being legit from a doping standpoint (though thank goodness it was her and not someone from Nike Oregon Project, because even if they did legitimately break it, no one would believe that they were clean.), but Outside makes a convincing argument that both Kipchoge’s and Kosgei’s feats were enabled in no small part by their shoes. (You can read it here if you’re interested: https://www.outsideonline.com/2403868/eliud-kipchoge-brigid-kosgei-nike-vaporflys). We know that the carbon fiber insoles in Vaporflys allow a person to run faster, so when you put them on a runner who was already within spitting distance of breaking 2:00 anyway, or a runner who already was the eighth-fastest female marathoner in history, and then give them both pretty ideal conditions for marathon running, yeah, records are probably going to fall. Personally, I think the Vaporfly situation is similar to the Speedo LZR situation from 10-11 years ago, and should be banned in competition for the same reason. If it’s giving you a distinct advantage, how is it that much different than doping? Isn’t that the point of doping: to enhance your natural abilities to give you a distinct advantage over your competition? If EVERYONE wore shoes with carbon fiber insoles, or EVERYONE swam in a compressive, bouyant swimsuit (or at least everyone competing at the elite/professional level), then sure: wear them all you want. If everyone has equal access to the technology and its subsequent benefits, then the playing field is level again. But if the technology is proprietary to one brand, and therefore only available to athletes sponsored by that brand, then they shouldn’t be allowed in competition. Kipchoge’s situation is different than Kosgei’s, I suppose, because his was never record-eligible in the first place. But to me, it does raise the question: is a human capable of running sub-2:00 without shoes designed to make you faster? I think it’ll be interesting to see what the IAAF does in coming years in regards to the Vaporflys – or what other shoe companies do in terms of innovation. I would guess that it’s more likely that carbon fiber will become the standard for elite-level shoes than it is that the IAAF will ban Vaporflys, but we’ll see!
Apparently Kosgei is represented by agent Federico Rosa who used to represent Rita Jeptoo and several other athletes who’ve had doping violations 🙁 I hope she is not doping.
I read that article yesterday! And Charlyn and I were having a similar discussion this week comparing them to that swimsuit. She said she wore the consumer level version of the Nikes and that they were amazing. I find it so hard to believe a shoe is that magical, but it must be! And I agree that it should be available to everyone. I am sure the other brands will have their version soon.
And I bet Kipchoge could do it in regular shoes on a perfect day. He’s the GOAT.
I love pretzel buns, but I haven’t seen those bites around here. I’ll have to look next time I’m at Costco! I usually make my own pretzel buns because I hate paying so much for the four-pack at the grocery store.
I didn’t know about the crocheted hats by Aliphine Tuliamuk. (Let’s be honest, I didn’t know who she was either.) That’s so cool!
I hope that picture of Apollo made it on your card. I laughed about your caption. He needs to be more empathetic about people losing their hubcaps!
I really like pretzel buns too. There is a restaurant here that actually has a vegan one that the have for the Impossible burger. I am never able to find vegan ones in the store (and would totally pay for them if I did, lol).
I only know who Apliphine is because I follow NAZ Elite, and have listened to a few of her podcasts. She went to the same university as me (later than I did). I think she took up crocheting while she was recovering from an injury.
Oh man! I should have put that one on there! I used a sweet and innocent one with all three, rather than Apollo’s “where’s the remote?!” pose. Ha.
Love the hats!!! And Apollo – LOL!
Omg that pic of Apollo! It’s just too purrrfect
I’m so happy you like the beanie 🙂 we are totes going to be faster!
My new theory about WR performances- I wonder if the people truly capable of breaking them choose to hold back, play it “safe” to just win races vs potentially blow up on a record attempt? Kind of how the fastest runners let others dictate the pace for 10k races (even marathons) and then our kick everyone at the finish.
Oh yeah, I totally believe that with the WR attempts. I wonder if that is why Kipchoge even went for it at all – because it was a separate event without a paycheck and placement on the line! There is so much strategy at their running level. I don’t think we see anyone race all out anymore. We need more Prefontaines 😉
Ooh, those pretzel bites look amazing! I love a soft pretzel – mmm!
That’s really nice of you to let the car in front of you know what happened to their hubcap! I don’t know of anyone in Florida who would do that, hahaha.
Apollo!! <3
They were so good! OMG, the cats got them off the counter last week, they dropped and opened, and one was all chewed up. Dorks.
Really? They wouldn’t tell them? Wow!
Isn’t Apollo redic? Ha!