Family Cabin Trip

Last week we all (Mom, Dad, Manoj, Marie, Misha, Maddie, Mike, Jen, Ernie, Braxton, James, me, Jeff and Laura) went up to James' family's cabin in Conifer for our annual "camping" trip.  We had a great time.  We drove up Monday morning.

Maddie

We hiked Maxwell Falls on Tuesday and went to Beau Jo's Pizza in Evergreen for lunch after the hike, which you MUST do anytime you hike near Evergreen.

Manoj

Laura and I

Braxton, James and Misha

On Wednesday we took an ATV tour, which was cool and kind of scary.  We used to ride ATVs on the Oregon sand dunes every summer when I was little, but this was riding up a continuous pile of rocks called a mountain.  It was cool.  Some people didn't have as much fun as others.
  

James and I

Misha

Ernie, Braxton, Jen, James and I, Marie, Maddie, Laura, Misha and Jeff

On Thursday we went white-water rafting with the same company, which was awesome.  We all had a blast, and would do it again in a heartbeat.  Also, this company, Mile Hi Rafting, had great prices. 

Me, Jen, Marie, James, Mike and Manoj

Jeff, Ernie, Laura and Braxton

Other highlights included games of Killer Bunnies, Spoons, a couple puzzles, good food, some naps and some training runs at 9000 feet.  Those were hard but good for me.  I got to run with my sister Marie for I think the first time ever.  I would love it if we lived near each other and could do that all the time. 

Cooper, Marie, Dad

"My thoughts exactly, Cooper."

 

Seattle Part 2

Mount Rainier

A view of the Space Needle from Alki Beach

Marie and I before we started the race.  I told her, "Don't be an idiot," and she told me, "Don't be a wimp."

Getting ready to see Cars 2 in 3D

Downtown Seattle from Alki Beach

Someone "yarn-bombed" the trees

James wants to go here someday.

Seattle Rock and Roll Half-Marathon

A couple of weeks ago I flew to Seattle to runt he Rock and Roll Half-Marathon with my sister, Marie.  My goal was under 2 hours and I was thinking I would barely squeek by in 2 hours which would've been a 9:15 mile.  Well, I was running 9 minute miles for the first half and trying not to be an idiot (Marie gave me a piece of advice before the race, "For the first half of the race, don't be an idiot, for the second half of the race, don't be a wimp."  Such good advice!), then I tried for 8:30 miles for the second half, then I met someone at the last 2 miles who was trying for the same pace as me, so we finished at 1:53:56!  Way better than I expected!  That works out to an average 8:45 mile, which is just a little slower than I ran the Bolder Boulder.  I felt very proud.

It was cool that they gave us so much SWAG at the Expo the day before the race. We were at the Muscle Milk booth and they had free samples so I took a chocolate one and just as I put it in my mouth, Marie goes, "You took a coffee one!" I could taste that it was awful and I kind of automatically spit it back into the cup. Then I tasted the chocolate one which tasted almost as awful. WAY more SWAG than the Bolder Boulder, I was not disappointed.

Rebecca and Cindy

Waiting for the racers!!!

 They gave us these space blankets after the race.  I kind of knew what it was for, but I wasn't entirely sure and wanted to ask them, "Is this to keep me warm?" but I thought I would sound like an amateur, so I looked around and noticed other people wearing theirs. 

 My Mom was showing me how they had tracked us by receiving text messages every 3 miles. 

Waiting for the racers

(I'm behind the lady.)  Almost to mile 11...

We did it!  The medals were also awesome.

"WHAT?!  I didn't get a space blanket!"

My Mom and Dad came, and my brother Mike, my Aunt Cindy, Uncle Jim, Aunt Carol, Uncle Dave, Grandma and Grandpa Haines, and cousins Rebecca, Claudia, Sarah, Rachel and Lydia, not to mention Marie's husband Manoj and daughters Misha and Maddie.  It was awesome having them all there.  The thing that was the coolest about running the race was seeing all the family members along the way, not just mine, but seeing people there supporting their family members. 

The next day we had a picnic at Alki beach, near where Marie and Manoj live.  It was a beautiful day.  My brother Mike and I also went on an underground tour of Seattle which was really cool.