Catching up...

This was a busy week. It started on Sunday, September 25th with the Head of the Potomac. (That's right, I mentioned last week that I am rowing again!). I participated in two events - Club 8+ and Master's 4+. It was nice to be back on the water but I must admit, two head races was exhausting.

Copyright Peter Courtney, sportgraphics.com

Monday - Wednesday was back to work. I was pretty distracted at the office and busy at home, planning for a Fundraising Event to raise money for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA). (You can read more about my story here.)

On Thursday, September 29th I met up with Jim and his friends and family at 10:00am for a tree-planting ceremony on GMU's campus. A tree was planted in memory of Jim's wife and my friend, Melissa Bealafeld Espinoza. The ceremony was a peaceful celebration commemorating Melissa's life and her dedication to Student Affairs. During the ceremony, for the first time all week, the sun began to shine.

Melissa's plaque

The grassy area near the duck pond where the tree was planted

Later that afternoon, I headed to Coyote Grille to set-up for the Fundraising Event. I'm happy to report that it was a huge success! Over 120 people turned out for the event and everyone generously gave to CCFA. Jim and I have been overwhelmed by the kindness and support that we've received from our family and friends. Thank you to all who were able to join us!

We had a great turn-out for our Fundraising Event

$600 dollars in raffle tickets were sold!

Of course, I also found time to take Tahoe and Ashley out for their daily evening walks. The weather is starting to get cooler now that it's Fall (it was in the 60's today). Tahoe and Ashley are enjoying the cooler temps.

Ashley with her nose in the grass

Wet paw prints... and Tahoe's nose

Run'in

Last weekend, as part of my training for the December Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon, I ran a 5K in Georgetown with my friend Jim. The race wasn't timed - it was more of a casual "fun run" so afterward, I was feeling like I needed a little more physical activity to log a proper workout. Since I was already in Georgetown, I decided to keep my car parked and run into Washington, DC. I ran for about an hour and eventually found myself running around the Washington monument! My route took me past...

The Kennedy Center

The Vietnam Memorial

The World War II Memorial

The pencil Washington Monument

The Lincoln Memorial

The Jefferson Memorial

Today our Team Challenge group met up for a 70 minute run in Arlington, VA. I ran approximately 8 miles.  Below are two pooches that joined our group. Choco is 11 and a half years old and Duke is 11 weeks old. They were so cute -- I wish I could have brought Tahoe and Ashley to run with me. That would have been a sight!

Choco and Duke

Puppy eyes!

Team Challenge and CCFA

**Warning this post has nothing to do with Tahoe or Ashley - please continue reading...

As some of you may know, I've been training to attempt my 1st 1/2 marathon in Las Vegas, Nevada as a member of Team Challenge in December! What makes this endeavor extra special for me is that I will be running the race with my friend, Jim Espinoza. We will both be running in memory of Jim's wife and my friend, Melissa Bealafeld Espinoza. However, running in the race is only half of our goal. As a participant of Team Challenge, each member must meet a fundraising goal to raise money for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America. 

This is an endeavor that I never thought I would take on, but I'm inspired and up to the challenge. Melissa was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis when she was 8 years old. She struggled with the painful symptoms caused by colitis throughout her life. Melissa never gave up hope for a cure - she was a donor to CCFA because she wanted to contribute to finding a cure for ulcerative colitis so that others wouldn't have to go through what she did.

Warrior pose before Sprint Four the Cure - 9/17/11

You can learn more about my efforts and make a donation by visiting my website: http://www.active.com/donate/DC11TCVEGAS/dcJCho

MARK YOUR CALENDAR - 9/29/2011
For those of you that live in northern VA and the DC metro area, I also want to invite you to support this worthy cause by joining us at Coyote Grille and Cantina on Thursday, September 29th. Jim and I will be hosting a Happy Hour Fundraising Event from 5:00pm-9:00pm featuring live music by Claire Gilbride and a raffle with prizes. Additionally, print this flyer and present it to your server (for lunch or dinner on 9/29) to have 20% of your total bill donated to CCFA in memory of Melissa.

On a sidenote, I would like to take this opportunity to give a great big THANK YOU to all my friends and family who have supported me and are cheering me on. Your support and encouragement keep me motivated and mean the world to me.

Jen

Don't Despair!

Hello fellow blog readers,

I wanted to pop in and let you know that I'm still alive and I miss updating you. I've been wanting to update the blog for several days now but I haven't had a minute to spare! I have been working, rowing, running, taking classes, attending a baseball game, and (of course) walking Tahoe and Ashley. More to come on these activities soon.

For now, I wanted to share photos with you from yesterday's walk with Tahoe and Ashley. We were finally able to walk on the trail by the lake as the lake's water line has returned back to its normal level. That said, the impact of last week's rain and flooding were still quite visible.

Do you see the debris on the trail and dirty water line mark left on the trees?

Babu and Ashley inspecting the water level marker

Fresh dirt and mud = exciting new smells!

A peaceful evening by the lake

After the Rain

Last week it rained for three days straight. Around our area the rain caused flooding, power outages, road closures, and even school closures. Sadly, Tahoe's and Ashley's daily walks were also interrupted by the wet weather. So yesterday afternoon, we were all thrilled when the rain stopped and the sun finally made an appearance. Babu and I immediately took Tahoe and Ashley to the lake for walk - they were two happy pups. The lake however, was several feet above its normal level, closing the walking path.

Our flooded lake

Creative guys...

...tarp boarding in the lake

Doubleheader or Doubleheadache?

The pictures say it all... we finally made it to Nationals Park (for the Washington Nationals v. LA Dodgers baseball game) only to wait and eventually be turned away as a rain delay ultimately lead to a canceled game.

Nationals Park - main entrance

Babu and Brian waiting to get in

Empty seats inside the Park

Trying to stay dry

Soggy fans headed home

#1 Nats Fan #1 Dodgers Fan

Headed home

In the end, we decided to exchange our tickets for another game. Here's to hoping that the weather will be dry by then.

A Wash-out

This evening we had plans to see the Washington Nationals take on the LA Dodgers. The game was scheduled to start at 7:05pm. Unfortunately, it was raining all day long. We were on our way to the game when we learned that it had been canceled due to the weather. You know what that means? Doubleheader tomorrow! (Game #4 will still take place at 1:05pm tomorrow, weather permitting. Game #3, originally scheduled for tonight will take place 30 minutes after the end of Game #4.) So, we'll try again tomorrow.

Who do you think was most excited about the cancellation?
Tahoe and Ashley, of course! They were happy to see us home early.

Ashley and Tahoe

Labor Day Weekend

Isn't nice to have a long weekend? This weekend, I wanted to take advantage of my time off from work and enjoy the last days of summer out-of-doors.

On Saturday, my mum and I went to Glen Echo Park to see the Labor Day Art Show. It was great to visit the park, look at art, and see my old co-workers again. On Sunday, Babu and I biked the central portion of Skyline Drive. During the ride I saw a bear, two deer, and a gigantic vulture. Of course, the holiday weekend wouldn't be complete without daily dog walks for Tahoe and Ashley (and Mei-Mei).

Mum at Glen Echo Park

The Crystal Pool facade, Glen Echo Park

My bike

Riding Skyline

At the end of the (long) busy weekend, it seems that I'm not the only one that's pooped...

Tired Tahoe

Tuckered-out Ashley

I hope your weekend was fun-filled with activities and adventures.