For the last month and a half, Jeff and I have been training for a century together. What is a century, you might ask? A century is a 100 mile bike ride... kind of like a marathon for cyclists. And yes, this will all be accomplished in one day.
I came across information for the Apple Cider Century a few months ago, and though it seemed daunting at first, I was intrigued by the challenge. Jeff had previously shared his dream to accomplish a "fast century"...and while I knew that I would not be able to do it fast, I knew that it would be a great bonding experience for us to work towards such a big goal together. So...I signed us up! Jeff was pretty impressed when I announced that I had enrolled us in a century that was going to take place in just a few months!
Excited, but still a little leary of all the time in the "saddle"... I knew that it would be vitally important to find some sort of training schedule. After researching for a little while, I came across a perfect one for us! Training for a century in 12 weeks! I knew that it would be a challenge, but I was up for it! The training started off slow...with the first couple of weeks of bike rides being pretty easy...I guess the mountain biking we'd been doing came in handy! Of course, there was still some soreness and pain, but overall, it seemed that every time I got on the bike, it hurt less and less, and I got stronger and stronger.
After riding our mountain bikes on the road for a few weeks, Jeff decided it was time to "upgrade" to a hybrid. The problem was, he owned one...and I did not. ("Oh no...this century is going to be more expensive than I thought"...was going through my head)...that is, until, Jeff's ever-creative thinking told me that he thought he'd be able to turn his old mountain bike into a hybrid for me. I was a bit skeptical at first...after all...my mountain bike has FULL suspension...which makes for a pretty pleasant ride. Was I ready to transition to a bike with only front suspension? Would my backside be able to handle it?
My wonderful husband, always eager to encourage me to keep going, made sure that the bike was a perfect fit for me. After ordering new tires, handle bars, and a new seat (made especially for women/long distance riders)...I have seen dramatic improvement in the rides and the level of comfort!
While much effort has gone into my comfort...I wish I could say that I don't still complain. While extremely grateful for all the work Jeff has done, it seems like no matter how comfortable, the body still does not want to be in certain positions for long periods of time. So, I have been struggling with wrist, palm and toe pain... which I never would have guessed would have been the areas to look out for! Surprisingly, my bottom has stayed the course, and has come through very well! I pray, in time, that I will be able to just push through the pain...but until then, Jeff's a good sport about hearing me bellyache on occasion.
Since beginning our training at the beginning of July, we have already seen dramatic improvements in our time and lengths. After about 3 weeks on the training program, we decided that we were able to accomplish more than it was asking of us, and have ventured off onto our own modified training program. In addition to riding 20-25 miles 3-4 days a week, Sundays are our "long ride" day. I am proud to say that (at the encouragement and pushing of my excited-to-ride hubby)... the last two Sundays have been rides of 54.5 and 64 miles each! Though each of the rides had their challenges (not enough snacks one day, and 20mph wind the other)... I am learning what I am capable of! Pretty soon those 100 miles will come, and I am now confident that I will be able to accomplish this goal that seemed so big just a few months ago.
I am continually amazed at the abilities that God has placed in me. And through this experience, I have been reminded that we probably underestimate our abilities more often than we realize. He listens to our whining about the pain...and continues to encourage us to keep going...and though, at times, we have to work through the pain... He is with us through the "training"... preparing us for something greater.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Guns and a puppy
For Valentines Day (yes, I realize it's August)...I gave Jeff a package for 2 at a shooting range...because I knew he'd get a kick out of seeing me shooting a gun. Since the range was located an hour from home, we just got around to doing it! So, after work, yesterday, we took off for Elkhart, IN for an evening together shooting up some targets.
On the way there, Jeff asked if I was scared or nervous. I honestly didn't feel either. I was interested to see what it was like, but nervous? no. scared? nope...That is until the first time that gun went off in my hand, followed by no indication that I'd hit the target...followed by Jeff saying, "Baby, be careful, that one went up pretty high...I think it hit the ceiling." Oh man! I immediately became very aware of the crazy-powerful machine that I was holding in my hand; and while logically I knew that shooting ranges had to be relatively safe in order for them to exist, I was extremely nervous before taking each additional shot throughout our time there. "What if that bullet richochets and hits me?!?!" Also making it extremely hard to concentrate were several other people taking shots at an extremely rapid pace. (It should be noted that my pace was more like 1 shot every minute...lol). But after it was all said and done, all 50 bullets fired, and two targets shot up; Jeff definitely got a kick out of seeing me shoot a gun. While my target showed some good aiming (I hit the bullseye 3 times)...I assure you that I was not aiming there... I remained fully aware of the amount of "kickback" on the gun and always aimed for about 6 inches lower than I ended up hitting! LOL. It was deifinitely an experience! One that I'm not sure how quickly I'll go back to do...but it was a fun evening doing some "guy" stuff with my hubby. :)
Awaiting us at home, our goodles had a visitor. Puppysitting for friends...Mollie, the 4 month old Golden Retriver (and Choco's newest bff) was hanging out with the boys. When we arrived home, we were immediately reminded of the fact that we adopted our goodles AFTER the puppy phase! This realization came after finding little shards of wood all over our downstairs floor, along with two small beads and what appeared to be some braided thread. It didn't take too long for Jeff to deduce that a small hand drum that we'd bought in Antigua had been eaten/shredded. (Amazing deducing, btw, since there was literally about 10% of the thing left). We laughed it off, cleaned it up, and reminded ourselves that having a puppy around means putting things up! lol.
Choco and Mollie must have wrestled for a solid hour (with Jackson referee'ing) before we got everyone settled in for bed. The cutest part was when Mollie claimed the biggest pillow for the night, and Jackson (looking defeated) laid on the smaller pillow...with a "huff". LOL.
All seemed to be going well on this goodle sleepover. That it until about 2 am. Apparantly, 2 am is play time in puppy world...and of course goodle world, too. I mean...why would you have a sleepover where you would actually have sleep happening? Isn't it party-time all night long? (I could just imagine this going through Mollie and Choco's heads when I "shush"ed them and made them lay back down).
At 3am play time erupted again. Followed by more shushing and another 4am wake up call. Each time Choco just as eagerly and happily playing with Mollie, as if I hadn't just shushed them an hour before. I decided, with all the playing (though I wish it had been sleeping), maybe it was time for a potty break. So, at 4am (I can't remember the last time I was up at that hour), I took each dog out to do their business. And of course, Jackson, though having been asleep, was immediately up and at attention at the mention of going outside. Now, 4:15am, 3 dogs awake and wanting to play, and all being told to lay back down! (I guess the goodle mommy isn't great at being awakened all through the night).
All I can say is that 6:30am came way too quickly...
Regardless of all that, the goodles had a blast having a friend over! We've just learned our lesson about what the next sleepover will look like (read...puppy sleeps in her own room!) :)
On the way there, Jeff asked if I was scared or nervous. I honestly didn't feel either. I was interested to see what it was like, but nervous? no. scared? nope...That is until the first time that gun went off in my hand, followed by no indication that I'd hit the target...followed by Jeff saying, "Baby, be careful, that one went up pretty high...I think it hit the ceiling." Oh man! I immediately became very aware of the crazy-powerful machine that I was holding in my hand; and while logically I knew that shooting ranges had to be relatively safe in order for them to exist, I was extremely nervous before taking each additional shot throughout our time there. "What if that bullet richochets and hits me?!?!" Also making it extremely hard to concentrate were several other people taking shots at an extremely rapid pace. (It should be noted that my pace was more like 1 shot every minute...lol). But after it was all said and done, all 50 bullets fired, and two targets shot up; Jeff definitely got a kick out of seeing me shoot a gun. While my target showed some good aiming (I hit the bullseye 3 times)...I assure you that I was not aiming there... I remained fully aware of the amount of "kickback" on the gun and always aimed for about 6 inches lower than I ended up hitting! LOL. It was deifinitely an experience! One that I'm not sure how quickly I'll go back to do...but it was a fun evening doing some "guy" stuff with my hubby. :)
Awaiting us at home, our goodles had a visitor. Puppysitting for friends...Mollie, the 4 month old Golden Retriver (and Choco's newest bff) was hanging out with the boys. When we arrived home, we were immediately reminded of the fact that we adopted our goodles AFTER the puppy phase! This realization came after finding little shards of wood all over our downstairs floor, along with two small beads and what appeared to be some braided thread. It didn't take too long for Jeff to deduce that a small hand drum that we'd bought in Antigua had been eaten/shredded. (Amazing deducing, btw, since there was literally about 10% of the thing left). We laughed it off, cleaned it up, and reminded ourselves that having a puppy around means putting things up! lol.
Choco and Mollie must have wrestled for a solid hour (with Jackson referee'ing) before we got everyone settled in for bed. The cutest part was when Mollie claimed the biggest pillow for the night, and Jackson (looking defeated) laid on the smaller pillow...with a "huff". LOL.
All seemed to be going well on this goodle sleepover. That it until about 2 am. Apparantly, 2 am is play time in puppy world...and of course goodle world, too. I mean...why would you have a sleepover where you would actually have sleep happening? Isn't it party-time all night long? (I could just imagine this going through Mollie and Choco's heads when I "shush"ed them and made them lay back down).
At 3am play time erupted again. Followed by more shushing and another 4am wake up call. Each time Choco just as eagerly and happily playing with Mollie, as if I hadn't just shushed them an hour before. I decided, with all the playing (though I wish it had been sleeping), maybe it was time for a potty break. So, at 4am (I can't remember the last time I was up at that hour), I took each dog out to do their business. And of course, Jackson, though having been asleep, was immediately up and at attention at the mention of going outside. Now, 4:15am, 3 dogs awake and wanting to play, and all being told to lay back down! (I guess the goodle mommy isn't great at being awakened all through the night).
All I can say is that 6:30am came way too quickly...
Regardless of all that, the goodles had a blast having a friend over! We've just learned our lesson about what the next sleepover will look like (read...puppy sleeps in her own room!) :)
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Dogsitters, Vacation and Licenses
Our first vacation away from our boys was hard to start. After having our goodles for about 3 months, this was the first time we'd be away from them for more than a weekend...but Hilton Head was calling us, and the goodles were left behind. Thankfully, we have a great friend that stepped up to stay with our boys, instead of having to kennel them. They love their Uncle Pickleman! (thanks a bunch Drew!) This way, the boys were able to stay in their own home, and keep to a somewhat similar routine/environment while we were away. (Choco has so much anxiety already, we didn't want to exacerbate it by sending him to a kennel!) While we were gone, the boys also got to meet a new friend! Our friend Ryan, who just recently got an 8-week old Golden Retriever (Mollie), brought her over to meet the boys and take a walk together. Apparently, Jackson had to show her who was boss, but once that was dealt with, everyone got along well. :)
We were really blessed during this vacation with the opportunity to make many stops along the way. On our way to Hilton Head (where my Grandma Theissen graciously rented houses enough for the entire family), we stopped through Cincinnati, and picked up my fun-loving cousins, Hannah and Makenna and continued our journey to Collegedale. There we had a blast visiting friends for dinner and hanging out for the evening, and then caravaned with my sister and brother-in-law (Yvonne and Brandon) for the remainder of the trip to Hilton Head.
Let me just say, if you have never been to Hilton Head, it is a must see! Being our first time there, Jeff and I took ample opportunity to explore the island's miles of bike trails. We even got my mom and brother-in-law to ride with us one day. This island is the first place I have ever been aware of, where it is possible to ride a bike on the beach (without any great difficulty! LOL). The sand is so hard packed along the length of the shoreline, that each day we were able to ride many miles with the ocean next to us. (We had to be sure that many MORE miles were shaded...so that Jeff's precious skin was protected...but the scenery in the shade was just as beautiful!!!!). We probably put over 50 miles on our bikes just in the 3 days we rode around, and had a blast doing it. There's nothing like starting your day on a bike by the ocean.
After 4 fabulous days of fun in the sun with family, we had to (sadly) move on to North Carolina where I was able to lay by the pool while Jeff did some work in the Sandford, NC branch of his company. While there, I got to meet some of his extremely friendly and loving co-workers who made me feel right at home! (And learned that they all LOVE my man...which they should! LOL).
With work behind him, we had another weekend approaching us, and were all too eager to get to see more friends. Swinging through Virginia on our way home was an awesome way to end our vacation. The best man from our wedding, Brian, his wife, Amanda, and their little man, Levi, hosted us for the weekend at their lovely place right in the heart of the Shenandoah. It was awesome to relax with friends and see the area. Whether touring around Skyline Drive, playing Guitar Hero, or perfecting our Ladderball throws...we had a blast ending our vacation there! (Its too bad good friends live so far away!)
Upon returning home this evening, we were attacked by goodle kisses, hugs, sniffs for a solid 5 minutes! Jackson was so excited to see us, he could stop running back and forth up and down the hallway, and Choco had his "crazy eyes" on as he showered us with kisses. (As we started to unpack our stuff and start the loads of laundry, Choco's tail went between his legs, and he needed to be reassured that we were not packing up again...but were home to stay!!!).
As if all this excitement wasn't enough, we checked our mail, and found an awesome surprise! For months now, I have been waiting, in anticipation for all the submitted documents and applications to be approved for my professional counselor license. Just before I left for vacation, I talked to the State department that handles this, and was told that it would be a while before I heard anything. Well, I guess my God is bigger than all the rules/regulations/politics of this world...because I received my full license!!! I am now a LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR! And the timing couldn't be more perfect! This will open the doors for many more jobs (and salary increases) for me!! What a mighty God we serve! (Just a few months ago, I was under the impression that I was going to have to start this process over from scratch after moving to Michigan...but due to some great co-workers who encouraged me to follow up with the State, I found out that they would accept all my hours gathered in Tennessee! Thankfully all my former supervisors were more than happy to help sign off on those hours, and just a few months later, I am LICENSED!!!!)
God is good!
We were really blessed during this vacation with the opportunity to make many stops along the way. On our way to Hilton Head (where my Grandma Theissen graciously rented houses enough for the entire family), we stopped through Cincinnati, and picked up my fun-loving cousins, Hannah and Makenna and continued our journey to Collegedale. There we had a blast visiting friends for dinner and hanging out for the evening, and then caravaned with my sister and brother-in-law (Yvonne and Brandon) for the remainder of the trip to Hilton Head.
Let me just say, if you have never been to Hilton Head, it is a must see! Being our first time there, Jeff and I took ample opportunity to explore the island's miles of bike trails. We even got my mom and brother-in-law to ride with us one day. This island is the first place I have ever been aware of, where it is possible to ride a bike on the beach (without any great difficulty! LOL). The sand is so hard packed along the length of the shoreline, that each day we were able to ride many miles with the ocean next to us. (We had to be sure that many MORE miles were shaded...so that Jeff's precious skin was protected...but the scenery in the shade was just as beautiful!!!!). We probably put over 50 miles on our bikes just in the 3 days we rode around, and had a blast doing it. There's nothing like starting your day on a bike by the ocean.
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| Theissen Family Photo- Hilton Head Island |
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| Jeff riding on the beach at Hilton Head Island! |
After 4 fabulous days of fun in the sun with family, we had to (sadly) move on to North Carolina where I was able to lay by the pool while Jeff did some work in the Sandford, NC branch of his company. While there, I got to meet some of his extremely friendly and loving co-workers who made me feel right at home! (And learned that they all LOVE my man...which they should! LOL).
With work behind him, we had another weekend approaching us, and were all too eager to get to see more friends. Swinging through Virginia on our way home was an awesome way to end our vacation. The best man from our wedding, Brian, his wife, Amanda, and their little man, Levi, hosted us for the weekend at their lovely place right in the heart of the Shenandoah. It was awesome to relax with friends and see the area. Whether touring around Skyline Drive, playing Guitar Hero, or perfecting our Ladderball throws...we had a blast ending our vacation there! (Its too bad good friends live so far away!)
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| Jeff and me in Skyline Caverns...this stalagtite looked like melted chocolate...but didn't taste like it! (lol). |
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| Overlook on Skyline Drive |
Upon returning home this evening, we were attacked by goodle kisses, hugs, sniffs for a solid 5 minutes! Jackson was so excited to see us, he could stop running back and forth up and down the hallway, and Choco had his "crazy eyes" on as he showered us with kisses. (As we started to unpack our stuff and start the loads of laundry, Choco's tail went between his legs, and he needed to be reassured that we were not packing up again...but were home to stay!!!).
Jackson and Choco wearing their presents from Hilton Head Island, The Salty Dog Cafe scarves!
God is good!
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Goodle?
What's a goodle?...you might ask...
When Jeff and I were talking about "growing our family"...we both knew that a dog was the first step for us! After discussing what breeds, we determined that a poodle mix would be best, due to Jeff's allergies, and my desire not to have a shedding dog in the house! In talking about getting a puppy, we decided that it would probably be best to wait until we had kids, because raising a puppy would take up a lot of time and energy.
The funny thing is, God had different plans. One night, in February, I was doing my nightly read-thru on Facebook, and discovered that an old college friend was looking for a new home for her two dogs. They were adorable! Jeff instantly agreed how cute they were, and we both commented on how cool it would be to have some like that, someday...
After a few days, neither of us could get our minds off the picture, and I found myself going back to that picture a few times a day. They had captured my heart! I emailed my friend, and asked if she had found a home for them. She had not. She was sad that she couldn't keep them, but life was just getting two busy for a soon-to-be mom of two, and two large dogs. Jeff and I prayed about it, and began to feel strongly that we were supposed to be the new "forever home" for these boys.
We had never thought about adopting older dogs, and had always discussed a puppy to start off with. But the more we thought about it, the more we realized how perfect this was for us, too. At 2 1/2 and 3 years old, the two dogs were already house-trained, and had been through (most of) the puppy phases. While we knew that taking on TWO dogs would be an interesting challenge, we knew that they couldn't be separated, because it was obvious that they were buddies in all the pictures that we'd seen.
So...on March 17, 2011...just one year after being introduced via eHarmony...Jeff and I boarded a plane, headed for Fort Myers, Florida. Over the next few days, we were introduced to, fell in love with, and drove back to Michigan with our new boys!
From different litters, but of the same "breed"...these two are joined at the hip! Their personalities are infectious! So much energy and love...God knew just what I needed, after having moved away from Tennessee to start our new life in Michigan. These boys are a blessing to us both, and everyone that meets them falls in love instantly! We are so glad to have added them to our family!
The new breed of golden retriver and poodle mixture has been more commonly referred to as the "goldendoodle"... but to us...they are our GOODLES.
When Jeff and I were talking about "growing our family"...we both knew that a dog was the first step for us! After discussing what breeds, we determined that a poodle mix would be best, due to Jeff's allergies, and my desire not to have a shedding dog in the house! In talking about getting a puppy, we decided that it would probably be best to wait until we had kids, because raising a puppy would take up a lot of time and energy.
The funny thing is, God had different plans. One night, in February, I was doing my nightly read-thru on Facebook, and discovered that an old college friend was looking for a new home for her two dogs. They were adorable! Jeff instantly agreed how cute they were, and we both commented on how cool it would be to have some like that, someday...
After a few days, neither of us could get our minds off the picture, and I found myself going back to that picture a few times a day. They had captured my heart! I emailed my friend, and asked if she had found a home for them. She had not. She was sad that she couldn't keep them, but life was just getting two busy for a soon-to-be mom of two, and two large dogs. Jeff and I prayed about it, and began to feel strongly that we were supposed to be the new "forever home" for these boys.
We had never thought about adopting older dogs, and had always discussed a puppy to start off with. But the more we thought about it, the more we realized how perfect this was for us, too. At 2 1/2 and 3 years old, the two dogs were already house-trained, and had been through (most of) the puppy phases. While we knew that taking on TWO dogs would be an interesting challenge, we knew that they couldn't be separated, because it was obvious that they were buddies in all the pictures that we'd seen.
So...on March 17, 2011...just one year after being introduced via eHarmony...Jeff and I boarded a plane, headed for Fort Myers, Florida. Over the next few days, we were introduced to, fell in love with, and drove back to Michigan with our new boys!
From different litters, but of the same "breed"...these two are joined at the hip! Their personalities are infectious! So much energy and love...God knew just what I needed, after having moved away from Tennessee to start our new life in Michigan. These boys are a blessing to us both, and everyone that meets them falls in love instantly! We are so glad to have added them to our family!
The new breed of golden retriver and poodle mixture has been more commonly referred to as the "goldendoodle"... but to us...they are our GOODLES.
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