Trifecta, Part 3

(Mile 12 today. Thank you Lionel Cheng for the photo)

It. Is. Finished. The inaugural Winterfest Trifecta. Whoo hoo! It was a very successful weekend indeed. Great idea, Laura Lenz! A huge THANK YOU to everyone that helped with all of the events: race directors, volunteers, sponsors. And thank you to all of the participants and donors who helped raise money for 3 charities: Special Olympics (Polar Plunge), Elder Network (Stair Climb) and breast cancer research at Mayo Clinic (Lace-Up Against Breast Cancer half and 5K). Today's event was first class. Very well done LUABC committee!

Matt from the Post-Bulletin interviewed Mike Schmitt and myself today. We'll see what turns up. Stay tuned!

Congratulations to Ron Giles and Mary Chestolowski for their wins today at the half marathon. They both ran excellent races. They both also donated their Running Room gift card awards to one of the speakers today, my friend and fellow runner Betsy Baartman who is currently fighting breast cancer.

My run went OK. I've been having a right hip 'thing' for many weeks now. It was bothering me early then seemed to get better in the middle miles. However, I started battling my ever-present leg cramps about mile 11 so stopped 7 or 8 times after that point to get them to release. But all in all I had a good run. The course was about .3 mile long, so that makes me even more pleased with my time.

I donated 2 dozen M&M chocolate chunk cookies (Neiman Marcus recipe, see link below) to the silent auction today. Peggy Menzel bought them ... for $40! Thank you, Peggy. Jean Murray bought my 2 dozen cinnamon rolls, also for $40! Wow. You guys are generous. :)

I actually won a prize in the Trifecta drawing, and I never win ANYTHING! A one night stay at the Best Western and a bottle of viognier wine. :o) Lionel Cheng and Trevor Distad won the one hour private flights (thank you Pete Martin and Dean Ferber for the donations) and Julie Stanton won a one night stay at the Radisson. I forgot the name of the gal that won the one night stay at the Broadway Residence & Suites, site of the Stair Climb. Congrats one and all.

Here's a link to Tom Woo's photos. Thanks, Tom!

Thanks for your favorable comments on the cookies I baked yesterday. :o) I am at my happiest when I'm baking, which many of you know! The ones with the pink M&Ms were the Neiman Marcus cookie recipe which is all over the internet. I add a little extra flour (probably about 1/3 cup or so.)

Here's the recipe for the heart cookies which had the red drizzle on them:

The Valentine Cookies (that's the name ... from a church cookbook)

1 1/3 c. butter
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c. water
2 tsp. vanilla
4 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
3 c. oatmeal (1 1/2 c. quick oatmeal, 1 1/2 c. rolled oats)

Beat butter until creamy and add sugar gradually. Beat in eggs, water, vanilla and then dry ingredients, except oats. Stir in oats. (I chill the dough at this point for easier handling.) Roll out on floured board to 1/8" to 1/4" thickness. Cut out and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 for 8 to 9 minutes (or shorter, depending on the size of your cookie cutter). Frost with your favorite cookie frosting, if desired.

Quote for the day: "If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain." --Emily Dickinson

TTFN.