Progress...

... has been slow.

Ryan and I had a great time in MN and WI this past week seeing waterfalls, sleeping in a tent, touring the Leinenkugel's brewery, canoeing, and just enjoying each other and our time off. That being said, we spent way more time in the car than I anticipated! There was so much that we wanted to see! We did walk A LoT and canoed and stuff but I did not hit the trails while we were on vacation (isn't that the definition of vacation, after all?) ...

In other news, I started a new job today at a vet clinic in Ames. It's not what I want to do forever, but it will do for now and at least it is sort of related to what I want to do... wildlife research. It's better than waiting tables, anyway, as my temp job with the DNR comes to a close in october. I will probably go to grad school next fall or get my teaching certificate. I'll just take things as they come.

Before vacation, Adam and I ran the Sac and Fox Trail near Cedar Rapids until we reached a bridge that was washed away by floods. Adam had a "shortcut" that he convinced me to try and our 10 mile run turned into a 13+ mile hike. It took forever because we didn't know where we were and didn't have any water or anything. other than that excitement, I have just been running around Ames and in Clive a few times. I have also been doing my pilates video, which I know sounds lame, but it's actually pretty fun and I do the whole 50 minutes so it is a decent workout.

I have decided to participate in the IMT marathon in Des Moines on 10/19/08. My new fund raising minimum is $2000, but I am shooting for $2750. The donations have been slowing down, but they are still coming in, so that is exciting. I plan to walk the tailgating crowd at the ISU games, which will be starting up soon. I really didn't know what to expect because I have never tried to raise this much money. I am happy with how much I have raised so far-- almost $1300 now, and I still have over 2 months to go!

Next Sunday at 1pm I will be hosting an event at the Prairie Moon Winery in Ames. There will be a live band, wine tasting, a picnic lunch, and a raffle. Tickets are $10. Let me know if you would like further information... It should be a fun time with cool people.

Tomorrow's plan: 18 miles on the Clive Greenbelt.
I'm not going to lie...
I am a little scared.
A full 5 miles further than I have ever run.
And yet that is still 8.22 miles short of my goal.