The Marshmallow Test

After I read this article today about the apparently well-known "marshmallow test", I found myself wondering if I would have passed that test as a four-year-old, or if I would pass it now. I decided that I would, but mainly because a single marshmallow isn't that tempting to me. Now put something I am craving in front of me, and I'm not so sure...but I'm curious how my young nephew would do. The premise is that a kid is told if he can sit and wait (for what turns out to be 20 minutes) until the adult comes back without eating the marshmallow, he can have two when the adult returns. Kids who are able to wait do better later in life in many areas. The article above just touches on it, but a google search yielded some more detailed articles on the subject, as well as even some religious interpretations relating to other impulses, which you'll have to find yourself!

(looking for images was fun - did you know you can make a marshmallow bra, a solar-powered marshmallow roaster, and many more things you wouldn't think of? as long as you can resist eating them, that is....)

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas!

I hope all of you have a good day.

DOUBLEbikeMATCH!

Have you been reading or hearing about DOUBLEbikeMATCH? Wondering what it is? If you give a bike for $134, or a donation of any amount to World Bicycle Relief before December 31st, an angel donor will match your gift!



So giving one bike is like giving two!

On another note, here is avery short article about Brian Matter's upcoming trip to cross camp in Belgium.

Cars on Ice!

This is kind of awful but it's hard to look away.... some will find it funny...

This may or may not be in Seattle. When I was there at Thanksgiving my sister said they hardly ever get snow there when I asked how people drive on the hills when it snows. I remember an old boyfriend who moved to Seattle saying that people were totally helpless when it snowed, they had no idea how to drive in it. Not that any of us would do so well in those conditions!

This also hits a nerve after just driving through some icy stuff hours ago coming back from Nats....

Thanks to Naz for pointing this one out!

I'm back from Cross Nats - pics are going up in batches. Hopefully there will be time for a post later this week.

IL State CX Champs at Montrose

Congrats to Scott on winning the IL State Champs race and the overall series! This is his second year in a row as the IL State Champ.

The Cat 1/2's race was super exciting, thanks to these guys! Kevin K. and Scott battled it out here, with James LaLonde behind them in the photo. Luca and Mike S. were also strong contenders in the battle. Congrats to Kevin on a strong second place and a great season!

Congrats to Devon of the Pony Shop on being the IL State Champ in Women's Cat 1/2/3! Devon usually races with the Cat 3 men, but for this race she decided to do the Women's Cat 1/2/3 race. (there's Naz in the background, approaching the sand hill) Lou and his Pony Shop team were out in force in every race all season and had great results all year, in addition to Devon's win.

Above is Holly (Killjoy) coming in second in the IL State Champs race. She rode a great race, finishing well before the other women she's been racing with all season. Congrats, Holly!

Tim B's Verdigris team was rocking it in most of the categories. They are a contender in any race they enter. Many of my old Whole Foods/Active Endeavors mt. bike teammates (Tim, Chris, June) are now on Verdigris. I believe, but am not sure, that June won the series in Cat 1/2/3 women, Tim B. won Master's 40+, Wayne won Masters 50+ (Wayne had a stellar YEAR all around!!!), and I'm guessing Chris L. won the state championship and the Masters 30+ series? Correct me if I am wrong... I wasn't able to access the overall standings on the web site.

Chris L., who rocked the 30+ as State Champ and Series Champ AND often raced the 1/2's as well! This pic is from the Cat 1/2/3 race yesterday.

A big congrats to all the IL State Champions in the various races, as well as the overall series winners. Congrats to ALL of you who rode your hearts out all season long. (I can think of lots of people not mentioned in this post) Whether you got 2nd place, or 10th, or 35th, you worked hard, improved, and hopefully had a lot of fun and made a lot of friends in the process!! For fun, friendship, and a sense of accomplishment, cross is the best!!

I know just from watching my friends that there were some incredible seasons out there. Congrats you guys!

Hopefully next year I will be back out there again, too.

One wonderful thing about cross is the consistent enthusiasm of the fans and the encouragement of fellow racers. The Half Acre Team, (an awesome new team themselves), decided to give the Awesomeness Award to the team that most embodied Awesomeness to them at the Cross Series this year. The only way to properly reward this was to make an awesome cross specific trophy! Julie, Ben and Audrey got their creative heads together and created just such a thing. It was awarded with much noise and fanfare by the Half Acre Team, after the Cat 1/2/3 men's race. See below for some pics of the "awards ceremony". You will have to add your own soundtrack. Imagine a small, very loud cacophonous (in a good way) mob migrating towards the Cuttin' Crew bus, and you will get the idea....







Pics are up. In the severe cold, I feel fortunate that my camera worked. It was slow and I missed alot of shots when it took forever to cycle, but I still was able to get some pics! Others had more trouble, it seems. Maybe it's because my camera is fairly new, hence the battery is newer? I've never had it in such cold conditions before. Now I have an idea of what to expect at Nats. I also had a lot of trouble with icicle hands (given that my gloves were off most of the time) and with my big fuzzy warm hat getting in the way! I switched the hat before the last races, whew, I could see again! (BTW, hand warmer and toe warmer packets rule!!)

Cat 4 men's set

Cat 1/2/3 men's and the Awesomeness Award at the end

Cat 4 women and juniors

Cat 1/2/3 women, Cat 3 and 50+ men

I'm sorry, I didn't get there early enough for the first race!

What's up with our weather that we can get a nice sunny day but it doesn't stay that way past the early afternoon, lately?

Visiting the Sprout Family

Above, Chris' friend holding Kate.

I got to do something really special earlier tonight (I'm writing this late Wednesday night). I got to hold Chris and Kim's baby Kate, who was, at that point, just barely over a day old! She is adorable!! Tiny and perfect. I wasn't expecting Chris and Kim to be comfortable having someone else hold her so soon, but they offered. When I got to their hospital room one of their friends was holding her, so she was already learning to adapt to various laps. I don't have much experience with babies, so I wanted to make sure I wouldn't inadvertently break her, drop her or hold her the wrong way!

Kim doesn't look like she just had a baby, except for her tummy. She didn't even look tired! Neither did Chris.

Kate's dad looks pretty happy...

Sprout is humoring me here by letting me hold her, plus she doesn't care that it's a kind of a bad hair day!

The Sprouting of Sprout!

Congrats to Chris and Kim on the Sprouting of Sprout!

To be more specific, congrats on the arrival of Kathryn Lois Strout, born 4:49 pm Dec. 2, 2008, 20.5 in, 7 lb 15 oz. I'm looking forward to meeting her!

JIngle Cross Mt. Mudslide Video

Here is an awesome video of riders AND the grinch descending Mt. Mudslide aka Mt. Krumpit at Jingle Cross!

(check out the previous post if you haven't seen the elite women mudslide photos yet!)

Mudslide!! aka Making the Most of Mud (with a smile)

Thanks to the Elite women for providing spectators at Jingle Cross on Day 2 (Sunday) with an hour of entertainment on the muddy downhill! Here are pics of Holly and Devon making the most of MUD, with a smile!! It was so fun to watch. Made my day. I'm still smiling.
Devon...

gives new meaning to the word mudbath...

Holly....

This one below is probably my favorite...click on it to see Holly's expression.