Stop in the name of love

I'm gonna throw out my raincoat

Mmm, I hope it's all right

Gonna go find me a rainbow

And hang it up in the sky

Blues pass me by

Kelly Sweet

Monday, as most of you who read this know, is stop sign day at the Ridge. They started timing you about a year ago and it is a good motivator to have you always trying to beat your time. But it will take something extraordinary for anybody to top the time Luke from Colorado hung up this week. An unfathomable 35 minutes for the 4.5 mile hake at a 9-11% grade and climbing 1000 feet from the start. He was 15 minutes in front of second place and even with my 45 minute early start went by me a 1/2 mile from the top. And when I say went by me it was in a blink of an eye.



I did still manage to be "second" and I am one of the few who can touch the stop sign...there Mr. 35 minutes :)

















Jane, the grandma who has a boyfriend in Wisconsin named Jim (not me), and who set a new personal best.





















Daniella and Linda crossing the finish line in jubilation.

And then hugging the stop sign

Jim and Kim celebrating his personal best of 1:04 up the mountain. She had walked back down to finish again after running up much of the way and hanging up a number in the 50's.

It's hard to describe the feeling when the sign actually appears but jubilation comes to mind. Jubilation that the pain will be stopping soon

Susan from Colorado and obviously way too young looking to be the mom of the guy who ran the mountain in 35 minutes. But speed runs in her family as she blazed up in 1:05. Congrats to her!!!

Sally from Montana who was the first female to hit the top and shaved 6 minutes off last weeks time. Way to go Sally!!

The big reward for being the first two girls up the hill? Some big sweaty guy wraps his sweaty arms around you for a picture. Although they seem shockingly happy. Must be the adrenaline failing to make them aware of their surroundings.

Sunday road trip to Walmart with Jane, the exceptionally cool Jen, Sally, and Daniella

Saying goodbye on Sunday is always so hard for me. The fabulously funny and sadly now Billy Joel tainted for life by her ex, Dana from New York waiting around for her 6:30 am shuttle.

Onto Tuesday and then flying home in 48 hours :) Peace, Jim