Riverrock Fun

On Saturday we headed down to the Riverrock Festival in downtown Richmond on Brown's Island. We went to watch our friend Marioochee run the 10k trail run, watch some fun outdoor events, and visit with our friends!



It was a glorious weekend to be outside!

We got lots of love from little Boy B!!

I could just eat these cheeks up!



Dynamo is a natural!

And, Charlie got to give him some lovin' too after he asked permission of course!



B liked Charlie's smoochies (Mom I know you're having a fit over this!)!!



Here's B's parents before the 10K!



And, here's their other friend, S, crossing the finish...



And, here are the boys posing...



We stopped for a bit to feed little B...



There was so much going on from the air dog competition to paddleboarding to kayaking to bouldering! WOW! So much fun!



The river was raging...



Charlie made lots of new friends including this great big 6 month old girl! She wanted to play! So, they played as a crowd formed around in amazement that the big dog and small dog were getting along!





Charlie even got love from lots of random strangers!



He never turns down lovin' especially from his kinfolks!



It was a great day to walk around and enjoy the activities and all Richmond has to offer! And, it was especially nice to be able to bring Charlie!

Mini Monster Cross 2014

This was the crowd on Sunday at the Start of the Monster Cross Race at Pocahontas State Park...



In years past I was on the sidelines cheering Dynamo on! Well, this year I decided to participate! Dynamo and I both did the 21 mile option - the mini monster!



This race takes place on the fireroads at the park. For those of you that think Poco is flat, think again. The course is quite challenging with lots of ups and downs, and even some very muddy spots on Sunday!



The start of the race is always so jam packed, which is what I was afraid the entire course would be like with over 600 riders. Let me remind you that this was my first official bike race ever! I don't like the thought of being surrounded by lots of people, so I was always intimidated to try. The 50 milers went off first leaving the 21 milers at the back. Well, I went to the WAY back at the start! There's a beast of a hill at the start and I didn't want to get involved in the chaos at the start, so I gave myself plenty of room. Plus, I'm not a speed demon! ha!



Yes, the unicycle guy was rockin' the hill next to me!



Our friends Jim and Melissa were at the start and on the course to capture moments. Of course in the beginning I'm still smiling! And, look...after 13 miles I'm still smiling!



Also, our friends Marioooochee and Elise came out too! They brought their new baby boy, Breck, and the dogs out to cheer! I can't believe our friends stuck it out yet another year there cheering us on. Dynamo was near the front of the pack, so after he flew by them they had to wait about 40 minutes or more for me! Talk about dedication! And, it meant a lot! I was really looking forward to seeing our friends. It really gave me a boost of encouragement each time! Most of the time I have always been the cheering squad and not the rider/racer. It's so awesome to see people there clapping and whistling and smiling at you as you come through! Just when you need a little extra umph it was there!



The pic above is me just after the finish line! I couldn't believe that I had completed my first Mini Monster Cross! And, it was my best time ever for riding the course! I finished in 2 hours 8 minutes and 11 seconds! 35th out of 44 in the Women's category! I'll take it!! And Dynamo finished 19 out of 74 in his category! He rocked it!!!! In 1 hour 31 minutes and 46 seconds!



My parents made it to the finish with Charlie! And our friends were there too!



It was an amazing experience to be a part of such a fun event. Everyone was so encouraging and helpful! Mostly my Dynamo! He was my biggest fan! Always is. He rode with me for weeks, correction years! He pushed me. He kept me pumped up. He always put me first! He has ridden time and time again at my speed just to be with me and support me! Without him I wouldn't have pushed myself. I wanted to make him proud of me! I love you, Dynamo, with all my heart! Thank you!!

I would also like to mention one thing my mom brought up to me. She noticed that at the finish everyone was so happy and friendly. There wasn't one single person talking on a cell phone. Everyone was visiting with each other and making friends. Talk about a great environment! Good times!!

There are more pics of the event floating around on my mom's camera! Once I get those I'll share them here! I realized that we didn't have one pic yet of Dynamo and I together at the finish!

Mountain Bike Monday - 12 Hours of Cranky Monkey

On Saturday, Dynamo and Mariooochee participated in a team race called 12 Hours of Cranky Monkey at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, VA. The guys drove up early on Saturday morning to begin the race at 8 a.m. Their plan was to take turns riding each lap. Dynamo was to start out. The race course was a little over 9 miles.

Marioochee's girlfriend, Elise, and I arrived around 4:30 p.m. and when we drove up there were tents everywhere!



Our guys' tent is the 2nd one on the left in this next picture.



As soon as we got there Dynamo was coming in from one of his laps...



In the team relay while one rider is riding the course the other is waiting and resting. When the first rider comes in the other one must be ready to take the "baton" (in this case it was a timing chip they wore around their neck) and roll on!

Dynamo and Marioochee were a great team! They worked so hard all day long!

Here's a pic of Dynamo passing the necklace to Marioochee...



And, Marioochee waiting for the chip...





Dynamo looks pretty good coming out of the transition area...



He had some repair work to do on his handlebars after a minor incident...



We waited back at the tent for Marioochee. Dynamo munched on sweet potato chips...



Elise was so kind to share her scones from Panera...



Clearly we relaxed and laughed while the guys worked their butts off! I do consider us good spectators! We are an excellent support crew good at pushing food, water, cheering, and taking photos!

Dynamo went out for his last lap and we patiently waited. Marioochee got the report that if Dynamo passed certain riders then there was a chance they could finish in 5th place in their class.

So, we waited to see Dynamo come down the final stretch of the course. When we saw him we were thrilled.



And, so was he (even though you can't tell here - he just finished after riding a total of over 50 miles and a long 12 hour day of riding and waiting)...



After they found out they had indeed placed 5th they were chatting about the course and the events of the day.



Elise took our picture while waiting...



We waited for the awards ceremony where the guys took the podeum for their 5th place finish! Dynamo completed 5 laps and Marioochee completed 4 laps for a grand total of 9 laps in 11 hours 18 minutes 16 seconds. Rock on!! It was a long day, but worth it for the glass mug!!

Here are the stars...



Overall, they finished 84 out of 188! Great job, guys!!

To see the results by class click here.

To see the overall results click here.