Alyssa is 11 and the BIX 7 race in Davenport, Iowa

Alyssa got up super early today to take a shower before anyone else. In her words, "I want to get the hot water before the boys take it since it's my birthday."Then after her shower she wanted me to do her hair. On the left is the before picture. On the right is after I french braided it. Below is the back of her hair to show how thick it is. So funny to think that I worried when she was 3 that her hair would always be thin and now it's so thick that it's hard to get all your fingers around it. I can't believe she is 11 today. Thank you to Aunt Bobbie &Uncle Larry, Phyllis Vernon and my parents for sending her cards, she loved getting mail!

In Davenport, Iowa yesterday I ran the famous BIX 7 race. This is the largest and most famous race in Iowa. There were 11,439 people. It was extremely crowded. I have NEVER seen so many people in my entire life. It was raining the entire race. I was so soaked when we were finished that every part of me was wet. My socks were soaked and weighed at least a pound when I took them off.

In the picture below is my friend Denise Whiting. I met her at North Dodge Athletic Club. Sometimes she takes my workout classes. She runs marathons all the time 26 to date, and in her lifetime has ran so many races that she has lost count. Her time for 7 miles was an impressive 55:42 so her mile pace was 7.92 minute mile. She placed 119th out of 561 in her age group of 50-59.
Then there's me. A Non-runner. Ok NOT true, a beginner runner. My time was 1:17:30 so my mile pace was 11.04 minute mile. I placed 452 out of 856 in my age group of 30-39. Out of the entire race I was place 7500th out of 11,439
So to not be last and to finish is the best!!!!

Even though I look whiter than a piece of paper, I am actually light tan and have tan lines to prove it (how I don't know since I wear 50 SPF sunscreen when I'm outside) but I am tan. Denise is just extremely tan.