Looking ahead to 2008

I don't believe in resolutions as I'm not good at keeping them, but I do like to set goals and have a few for 2008. Most of them are around running and health and fitness and are not new. They've been my goals for awhile now but it never helps to restate them at the first of the year.

My biggest goal this year is to run and finish the Umstead 100 Mile Trail Run. In order to be successful at that goal, I need to lose weight which is my next goal biggest goal which is to lose at least 15 pounds. I've been saying that for a long time, so I'm not sure how I'll accomplish it this time when I haven't been successful in the past, but I know that I have to. One thing I'm going to try this time is to increase my exercise and workouts but by cross-training instead of just running. I find that the more I run, the more tired I get and the slower I get which doesn't help burn calories. I think I need to do more interval type of training so the spin classes and possibly some other classes as well might help fill in the extra burn that I need. Frank and I went to the pool at the club for the first time last night and really liked it so we're going to add that to our working out as well. We decided that we're going to become gym rats. Back in PA we were mall rats but here we're going to be gym rats. I think we'll be healthier and happier as a result. Gee, looks like not having a mall around to go to really is a good thing!

Another goal I have is to find a job as a massage therapist. Now that I have passed the certification boards I feel motivated to really start looking and finding contacts. I'd like to work at the club so I can meet more people there and get even more comfortable there.

Looks like my goals are pretty boring and perhaps I need to relook at what I want other than just to run Umstead. I think there may be more to life then running and training. Once Umstead is behind me I plan on focusing on things other than running and working out but for now, I plan on being pretty selfish and focus on just that and then I'll be ready to move on!

Year in review

It's the time of year to reflect on the outgoing year and what a year it has been. Starting in January, we drove to NC to visit with Colleen and Erin and ran our first 50K in quite awhile. I actually PRd at 6:19. Our next event was the Rocky 50 mile run in Texas. Frank fell and broke 3 ribs but managed to finish and win his age group! What a marine. I finished in 11:37 and was pleased with that. Our next event in February was Erin and Josh's wedding in Charlotte. In March Frank and I went to Cleveland for a week to babysit while Tate and Julie went on vacation to Florida. Training for Umstead was not where I had hoped it would be. April came and we went to Raleigh to run our 100 mile event, albeit half-heartily. Frank and I dropped at the 100K (62 miles), me with painful feet and Frank with blisters.

Frank was still waiting for the ball to drop at AT&T. Since September the rumors of cutbacks were endless. We were sure he'd be out of there by the end of 2006 but nothing. I decided that we should get the house ready to put on the market by May 1st so that we'd be ready to go when the offer did come along. While we were in Raleigh we decided to drive back down to Southern Pines to look for a house again and decided that the townhouse would be great. May 1 Frank finally got the news that he's been declared surplus and was off pay-roll by the end of July. He did not have to go back to the office though so we put the house on the market immediately and it sold within 2 or 3 days! Now we had to make a decision about where we were going to retire. We drove back to NC and decided that the townhouse was not going to work for us and looked at and found a single family home. It was older then what we thought we wanted but we liked the location and the basic feel! Now it was just wait until moving day. We went home and started packing and getting ready for the big day. Our closing wasn't until the end of July so we had a couple of months to just be in limbo. Finally the big day came after much stress about problems with the buyer getting a mortgage etc but we got the news that all was settled while we were driving to NC! We were almost home. It was such a stressful time, we were really unprepared for the problems that losing a buyer would have created. The market was very volitile and seemed to have fallen apart in just a few short weeks. Anyway, all's well that ends well.
We finally settled on our new place a few days later and then a few days after that, we had furniture. We immediately started painting and making the place ours. We had the carpet removed and replaced with hardwood and then had the bathroom remodeled. In 5 short months the house was finally updated and to our liking. Now we can relax! Oh not yet, it's holiday season!
Tate, Julie and Ada made it down for Thanksgiving which was great. Colleen, Steve and Erin and Josh made it down as well and it was so nice to have the whole "family" together!
Christmas we only got to see Erin, Josh, Colleen and Steve for a couple of hours on Christmas Eve but it was nice to be so close. Next year I plan to have everyone here!
Colleen is pregant and is due January 11 and Tate and Julie just learned that they're expecting again so by next year at this time we'll have 3 grandbabies!
We were able to get some running in once we settled in to our new place. It was record hot when we moved here in July so it was not easy to run but we tried. We ran a half marathon in August, the MTC Shirt Run a week later, a 24 hour run in September (I only ran for 18 hours) a trail marathon in October, a half marathon in November, and a 50K in Texas in December. We are training again for Umstead so hopefully we'll be ready this year. We doing a 50K next weekend, a 50 miler and a 50K in February, a marathon in March and then the 100 miler in April. There have been so many disruptions to our training but I think that for the most part things should be going smooth for awhile!
I took the national massage certification exam earlier this week and passed which was something I didn't think I'd be able to do. From everything I heard about it and read about it, it was very tough and it had been 8 years since I had gone to massage school. I was very happy and am looking to becoming gamefully employed within the next few months. I still have to apply for my license and that may take a couple more months but I'm getting closer!
So all in all I think that sums it up. We've got great neighbors and really love it here. I don't think we could have found a place better suited to our lifestyle even though we chose a golf community and we don't golf. It's a beautiful area and why should it only enjoyed by those golfing! We love it too.
Well, that's about all for 2007. My goals and dreams for 2008 will be posted tomorrow. Happy New Year!

I'm Nationally Certified!

I can't believe it but I PASSED the National Massage Certification Exam! I must have picked some lucky choices! I do have to admit that the studying that I did in the days coming up to the test did help although there were many guesses and some logical answers as well. In any event, I passed and now it's on to the getting a NC License. I don't have to take another test but I do have to get charactor references from licensed medical people, whether it be a massage therapist, doctor or anyone like that that has a license to perform. And because PA doesn't require any licensing or even certification I have to contact the local police in Doylestown and have them write a statement that I'm in good standing there! I can't believe everything I have to go through to be able to work in this state. I do recognize that it's for everyone's protection but I do think they get a little carried away. Once I get all of my documentation together I send everything in to the state and then I'll have to wait for another 30 to 60 days to get my license. (if I meet their approval) Hopefully everything will go smoothly but they sure don't make it easy.

I got out and ran for about 10 miles. I thought I'd do more but it was really hot and humid and I decided to call it a day. Hot is relative but it was almost 70 and that's hot for January not to mention the humidity. Who can breathe? We're meeting the club tomorrow for a breakfast run so hopefully I'll get in another 10 tomorrow. If not, I figure I'll run 10 on Monday and then 5 on Tuesday and Wednesday and then take off until the race on Saturday. I'm looking forward to getting into a routine again now that the holidays are behind us (well after Tuesday) and I don't have to study anymore. Yea!!!!

We straightened out the garage this afternoon so that is a good feeling. Now I have to find homes for the stuff that we brough indoors. We found books and stuff that we had forgotten about so that's always fun. All of my weights and workout stuff has made it into the new workout room so now I just have to organize it.

Today I had the bright idea of moving the desk closer to the entry door so I could do massage in that room. It would eliminate the need to use one of the bedrooms however, I don't really know if I'll be doing many massages here. I think I'd rather get a job in a spa or the fitness club but it would also be nice to offer our runner friends massages. We'll see how it goes. It would be a pretty big deal to move the desk as it's an L-return desk and it's very big and heavy. We decided to put the old dining room rug under it and now would like to remove that as well. I think we'd have to disconnect the L-return from the main part of the desk in order to move it and I'm not sure if our level of handiness could handle that! I guess it'll depend on how much we decide to want to do it. The rug is pretty funky and gets in the way of the computer chairs so it would be nice to have it gone.

National Certification Exam jitters!

I'm scheduled to take the National Certification Exam tomorrow and have finally decided to sit down and do some serious studying. I've been studying for the past couple of days and thought that maybe there was a glimmer of hope that I could squeak through and manage to pass but I don't think that will be the case. I just took several more practice tests and didn't improve much from before studying although a couple of the areas did show an improvement albeit small. It's such a crazy thing. I had to go through hell just to get approved to take the test, and that approval only lasts 3 months and guess what, that 3 month is up on Jan 4! Okay, so I'm a procrastinator! So my approval and fee paid would all be forfeited if I don't take it tomorrow. I feel very confident that I won't be able to pass but have to go through it anyway. I liken it to signing up for a race, not putting in the required training but showing up for the start with a wing and a prayer. I'd love to just bag it but I guess I owe it to myself to check it out. If I do go and fail, I have to pay another $225.00 to take it again with still no guarantee. Unless I feel that there is some way that I could eventually study and pass the test, I don't plan on trying it again. Plan B is to get certified to do personal training and work at the healthclub as a personal trainer. I like the sounds of Plan B more and more. My brain is ready to explode!
I tried to get a run in this morning but that was just not happening. My legs and everything else that I needed to drag myself around the lake was just not there today. I'm not sure if it's post holiday blues (aka too many cookies) or too much studying but in any event, I'm hopiing that my energy and stamina come back soon. I've got 3 months left to train for Umstead and can't afford too many bad days. I need to get back up to running and working out. It's amazing how the holidays can really effect your routine.
I think that after my test is over I'll be able to focus on my running again. Hope so! It'll be April 5 before I know it!

Merry Christmas

It's Christmas morning and we slept in and then opened gifts and had our Christmas pancake breakfast. We had Christmas with Colleen and Erin last night and that was fun to spend time with them. Only a couple more weeks and we'll be back in Raleigh for the birth of Ella! What an exciting year it'll be for Colleen and Steve. I'm going to work really hard to have Christmas at our house next year. We've never had the kids on Christmas day and now that they're older with families of their own, hopefully we'll be able to make that happen although I realize that it's hard to spread yourself between multiple families. Anyway, we're going to work on that. It's our year next year to have Christmas with Julie and Tate and if we can get them to come here, I'm sure that Colleen and Erin will be able to spend part of the holiday with us as well.
We're going to dinner with Carolyn and Mike, our new neighbors tonight so that will be fun. They're great and they're Chico's home away from home, so it worked out to find such terrific neighbors. Their kids arrive on Thursday.
It's a beautiful day here and should be in the 60s this afternoon. We'll probably take Chico to the dog park. We found a terrific off leash dog park and Chico really loved it plus it'll really tire him out so he can sleep and recover while we're at dinner.
Frank got me three one hour personal training sessions at our club. I'm really excited about that so I can incorporate the machines at the club into my training as well as get my foot in the door as far as getting a job there in the future as a trainer. That is what I would really love to do, so I'm thrilled that he gave me the certificates! I probably would not have bought them for myself or even thought about it! I can't wait to start. Thanks Frank! I decided to take the day off today from running or working out but tomorrow I'll begin again!!!!!!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Holiday Blues

It's that time of year again when I get the holiday blues. It was great to have everyone here for Thanksgiving but it looks like we'll be alone for Christmas. We are going to visit Colleen on Christmas Eve and Erin and Josh will be there but we'll only be there for a couple of hours. It just doesn't feel very Christmassy to run in and out! Oh well, I guess that's the way it is. One day we'll have Christmas at our house and have everyone here. Wouldn't that be wonderful? Looks like we'll have 3 grandbabies by next Christmas! Wow! Looks like Tate and Julie are expecting again.

After the holidays, we'll have lots of time on our hands. I take my certification exam for doing massage next Friday. I don't think it is very likely that I'll pass, but I'll give it a try. I can't even figure out how to study that would help me pass so I'll just resort to pray and luck! If I don't pass, then I think I'll pursue a different career opportunity. I'd really like to work at a health club as a trainer or fitness coach but am not sure how to get my foot in the door. I plan on pursuing that after the first of the year. Now that the house is pretty much done we need to find something to keep us busy. I guess a job will do that!

Running is going okay although I've been trying to get back into my weight training and spinning so my legs were pretty trashed earlier in the week and I kind of had a set back but I think that they will be stronger as a result. I just need to be consistant with doing the weights so it doesn't work against me. I'm planning on running my 25 mile long run tomorrow but if my legs are still recovering from lifting, I will cut it short and run long on Sunday. I plan on running at least 30 miles over the weekend and that will give me 55 miles for the week although many of those are probably junk miles but it's time on my feet which is what I need for now. I'm planning on increasing my weekly mileage and workouts to get ready for Umstead. I'm thinking that Umstead will be my one and only 100. It's just too time-consuming to spend so many hours running. I really would like to spend time doing other activities but we'll see. Maybe I'll figure out a way to do them all!

Achy Breaky Heart!

Oh my achy breaky heart! Well, it happened again today. I got to the gym to run on the treadmill and my chest was burning again like it did at the start of the race last weekend. What is going on? This is crazy. Anyway, after about 10 minutes of burning and trying to walk it off, it started to feel better and I was able to run. It was a little unsettling and I decided I should visit my doctor. I got an appointment for 12:30 and she said it sounds like heartburn (I've never had heartburn except when I was pregnant, a very long time ago!) and she gave me some medication to take for 10 days and then just buy Pepcin over the counter for future occurances! I feel relieved that that is all it is but am curious as to what is causing it. Probably too much ibprophen, I'll switch to Tylenol for awhile and if I need to go back to Celebrex I will. I think I'll be fine and it's under control. Another crisis avoided!
Well, the party last night was very nice. It's so much fun living in a friendly area. Grady and Debi showed up and everyone was eager to catch up with them. They are so friendly and down to earth it is hard to imagine him in his other world. He did make a comment that he is retired and his days will be filled with riding his motorcycle, playing with his grandkids and golfing. Today he is golfing with our neighbor Mike.
I'm off to the Southern Pines gym to take a ball conditioning class and then yoga. Gotta Go!

Ran 8 at the park

I got an 8 mile run in this morning at the reservoir and felt pretty good so I guess I'm recovered. I'm looking forward to getting some long runs in and getting a shape for Umstead. I had a brainstorm out there and decided to move all of my workout equipment into the guestroom. This way it gets it out of the masterbedroom and I can leave it up and ready to use. All we had to do was to move the bed to the wall and we'll simply move it back when it's needed. Now I'm hopefull to get my weight training workouts in as well as Pilates. I'll leave that machine up as well. I'm hoping hoping to use it to mediatate as well. I do like working out at the club, but I like doing my weight resistance training at home although I'm sure I'll still take classes there as well.
We're on our way to one of our neighbors for a Christmas Party so that should be fun. We've met a few neighbors but I'm sure we'll meet many more tonight.

Our Little House

Today was an interesting day. Grady and Debi Little stopped by to pick up a package that had been delivered here for them. We had a neighbor that is in contact with them let them know that we had a package for them. We had just gotten back from shopping and we were going through mail so the house was a little messy but all in all was okay. They were very nice and loved the changes that we made to the house. They told us how much they had loved the house and they only left because they felt they needed a gated community with Grady's name in the news and the house was empty so often while they were away during the baseball season. They were very comfortable and someone who you would enjoy being around. They'll be at Regina and Jim's party tomorrow night so we'll get to chat with them a little more. We were so thrilled that they stopped by and were so down to earth. Everyone has told us that they were just down home nice people and that's certainly the way we felt. I did learn though that we should really try to keep the house guest ready as people do just stop by. That may be a southern thing, I'm not sure. I did make the bed so that was good as I showed them the new bathroom!
This neighborhood is really great. Our immediate neighbors are really nice and we've been invited to a party tomorrow night, Saturday night and another on Monday! Frank and I are both a little uncomfortable with small talk. I'm not sure what we're going to have to talk about but hopefully something will come up. We don't golf and they don't run! Oh well, we can certainly eat, so we'll just keep our mouth busy with eating!
I did go to the park to run today thinking I would run for 2 hours. I ran into Joanne and Julie and ended up walkiing with them for a mile or so and then went on my own but discovered that my legs were tired and with the humidity and heat, I felt like a slug and decided to cut it short and went home. I have no idea how I was able to run so well in Texas where it was even hotter and more humid than it was here today. Hopefully the weather will be a little better tomorrow and I'll get a good run in.

Time to Be

We're waiting on the final contractor to come to put a filter on our water supply. The water is really bad so hopefully this will help with both the taste and smell. It really gets my allergies in high gear with all the clorine etc. Yesterday they came and installed the new shower door so the bathroom is DONE! Yay! No more contractors in and out. Here's a pic of the bathroom although it's really hard to get a good one with all of the mirrors causing flashback but you get the idea.

I ran on the treadmill today and did 4 miles. My legs were a little tired but I felt pretty good, much better than I thought I would. And then Frank and I stayed for the yoga class. Boy did I need that. Very gentle stretching, something I haven't done in awhile!

Then we came outside into 70 degree weather. What a perfect day although it's going to be in the 80s this afternoon. We're still hitting record highs! Good Gore be right? No, I don't think so when you look at the weather in the rest of the country, freezing ice and snow! Go figure. I'll take the record highs although a little rain would be nice.

I'm really looking forward to getting some good training in. Other than Colleen having a baby, Tate having minor surgery in January and my brother starting treatment for Prostate Cancer, life should be a lot quieter. I'm so looking forward to having time to just BE! Oh, I forgot, I am taking the exam for my massage certification on Dec 28 so will need to study but I am so not expecting to pass that it's hard to focus on it. If I don't pass, I think I will start looking for some other type of part-time work or just do some massages at home for some of our friends. We'll see, but I'm not going to worry about it. It may be time to move on to something new! My options are open. Plus, I'm kind of liking this not working although to be honest, it's been like a full time job with everything that this house has required. But, that's done, and time to find a new job!

A Great Run!

We're back from Texas and are already looking forward to going back next year. Sunmart was a great event. It was really over the top for an ultra. Over 1000 runners and no expense was spared. That's what happens when you have a big corporate sponsor. The organization was incredible with nothing being overlooked. I was afraid that there would be long lines, shortage of goodies or finishing awards but no worries. Tons of everything. The weather was not looking good with high humidity and record heat but somehow, we got through and I actually felt great after a very shaky start. I felt terrible and had little hope that I'd be able to complete the effort in front of me but somehow everything seemed to clear and I just kept feeling better and better. I ended up being able to pass people that were really struggling with the heat. Frank and I both placed 3rd in our age groups and received a beautiful cast bronze statue of a horse! How cool was that? We have matching bookends.
When we arrived at the park at 6:00 it was still dark and we were greeted with a winter wonderland. They had decorated the park with Christmas lights and animated lawn ornaments. It was too fun! Even the aid stations were decorated with holiday greetings! Everyone was very friendly and supportive.
Now it's time to get ready for Rocky Raccoon! My goal is to break 11:00! Probably a little ambitious but I did it once (many years ago) but it is a pretty runnable course so why not try it!

A Sunny Sunmart!

Well, it's finally here. Ready or not. We've wanted to run the Sunmart Ultra since we first started running ultras and although we're "only" running the 50K and not the 50 Miler as thought, it will be fun and a great break after 4 months of stress with the house. It's going to be HOT! In the 80's on Saturday but I'm sure in the woods will be cooler. Can't wait to see all the goodies!
I'm definately not where I thought I would be weight wise either and now will begin again. I have 4 month til Umstead and if I don't follow through then I guess I'll know just how important it is to me.
Well, it's off to the airport!
Wish us well!

The Virus is back

The virus came back yesterday and after hoping it was allergies, I finally decided to take the antibotics that the doctor had prescribed. Now I know why I had such a bad run yesterday. I filled my prescription this morning and am starting to feel better. The pack is only for 5 days so my last dose will be Saturday. At least I should be fine to run the race but it's probably still best to do the 50K instead of the 50 miler. No sense pushing it although I don't even know if they'll let us change our event.

I didn't run or do yoga this morning and decided to just take it easy and get feel better. I was so discouraged this morning but now that I've started to feel better, I am optimistic to feel okay for Sunmart.
I also decided that now that we're done with the house stuff, I'll have more time to cook and concentrate on healthier eating. I want to focus on improving my immune system. Apparently it's been comprimised and needs some attention. Time to take care of myself.

I also am working on my training schedule for the remaining time until Umstead and it looks pretty good. Hopefully no more catratrophies to screw it up.

I may try to run a couple of miles tomorrow but that would be just to see how I feel although the real test will be after the flight to Texas. Fortunately we're flying out there on Thursday so we'll have plenty of time to recover from the flight.

Back on track

Okay, I've made a final decision about this weekend. I've been agonizing over whether to run the 50K or the 50 miler this weekend at Sunmart. After running this morning I came to the conclusion that it just doesn't make sense to try the 50 miler with the shape I'm in. I had thought I'd be in much better shape and would be ready to run a 50 miler by now but with everything going on, it just didn't workout and it would be counter-productive to my overall training plans if I attempted the 50. I feel very relieved and comfortable with my decision. I've also decided that it would make more sense for my to the 50 Mile option at Rocky instead of the 100. I had thought I'd use the Rocky 100 as a 24 hour training run but will now just do the 50 miler. (looks like I'm always taking the easy way out!) I then plan on running the Holiday Lake 50K the following week. I think it'll be great to run a 50K so soon after a hard run but it will also be great to see Jean and Herm!
Sometimes it's really hard to really quiet your mind long enough to hear what it's saying. I was fighting the decision to "just" run the 50K instead of the 50 miler but I finally listened! Now I know what direction I'm going and can get down to business and get my training back on track!

I also woke up this morning feeling like I'm coming down with that pesky cold again but we think that perhaps it's my allergies. How annoying!

Busy Weekend

It's now Sunday afternoon and everything is quiet and back to normal. We had a busy weekend, starting with Friday. I baked Christmas cookies to take to Colleen's shower tomorrow and the glass people came to install the new mirror. Bob finished putting the frame around it and it looks great. Now everything is done except the shower door and we're expecting that to be installed on Wednesday. It will be great to not have to worry about having contractors coming in and out and to have our mornings back. Looks like we'll spend Christmas Eve with Colleen and Steve and will probably just stay home on Christmas Day so most hustle bustle for us is done. I am so looking forward to being able to start a more consistent training effort that will train us adequately for Umstead. We thought we'd be further along in our training efforts than we are but fortunately we still have 4 months left to get in tip top shape! I do better under pressure so now that we're at that do or die place, we have to do!!!
Franks brothers and their wifes came down and went to Colleens shower with us. They loved the house and felt really comfortable. It was fun to see them and spend time with them. They left for home this morning after going to Colleen's for breakfast. We went as well and it was fun to see the baby's room. It's very bright and cheery.
Off to get some training in! Enough time off ! No Slackers allowered!

I'm Back! Well, almost!

I set out this morning to run a 25 mile training run to be more mentally prepared for the 50 miler next week feeling pretty good. Armed with my new asthma inhaler, I felt great! I could breathe. The first loop was great, 12.5 miles and I was ready to go back for the second loop. I set out for the second loop to discover that my body was rebelling! I guess the fact that my running had been comprimised during the past 3 weeks due to contractors and holidays and then coming down with a virus, had affected me more than I realized. I ran/walked (mostly walked) another 3 miles and decided it was probably not in my best interest to keep going. My doctor said that I probably had a virus and it could come back. She even gave me a prescription for an anti-botic just in case. Anyway, I decided that I would best be suited if I allowed my body to recover and get ready for next week. Frank and I have been contemplating doing the 50K instead of the 50 miler. I am waffling back and forth but if I keep my goal in mind, which is Umstead, I would probably best be served to back it down to the 50K. The longest run we've done was the trail marathon in October and it probably makes more sense to build our mileage gradually. The MTC group also has a couple of 25 mile training runs planned at Uwharrie on the 22 and 29 of December. Uwharrie is similar to Round Valley and would be a good training run. Jan 5 is the next 50K that we're planning on doing so I guess our training would be best served by getting a good training base and increase from then. We have until next Friday to make our final decision but it looks like sometimes, you have to follow your head and not your heart. We'll see. I haven't made a final decision and will continue to explore all options! I like those courses when you can decide on the fly!
Stay tuned!

Feeling Better!

I'm feeling better so looks like my babying myself has paid off. I ran this morning and felt great. It was a perfect day, crisp and sunny. I ran around the house on streets I hadn't explored before and it was really fun. It's really a great area to train as it's loaded with lots of hills but none too steep, just lots of ups and downs! I feel so much more relaxed now that our work around the house is almost done! How freeing a feeling is that? A couple more things and we're done!
Today we had a electrician come by to check out the TV Bose Sound System and discovered that there's a problem with it and we have to send it back to Bose for repair. We have hooked up our old DVD player in the interim so we can at least watch a movie!
Friday Bob will be back to finish the bathroom and install the new mirror and frame. HR will also be here to install the whole house water filter. I'm really looking forward to that as our water is pretty bad. It actually is clogging the refrigerator filter so hoping that will be cleared up as well.
Frank and I are really looking forward to the break from all of these intrusions. It's been great getting everything done in such a timely manner but it will be nice to have some peace and quiet. We've both decided that when we get back from the Sunmart 50 Mile Run, we're going to really get serious about our training for Umstead! Hopefully we'll be able to get by for 4 more months without finding jobs! We want to get much more consistant with weights and cross-training as well as running. If we're both on the same schedule hopefully we'll encourage each other to stick with the plan! We will be ready!

Under the Weather

After a night of not sleeping well I woke still not feeling great. Not really sick, just blah and a little achy. Tried to run but decided it just wastn't going to happen. I did make an appointment with a doctor for the rash on my leg that is not getting better as well as my cold. Hopefully she'll tell me it's just a cold and not the flu. While I'm there, I'm hoping I can get a flu shot and hopefully it's not too late! I'm a little concerned about running at Sunmart but the good news is that I'll be way rested! There's still 4 months until Umstead so I'm not going to panic but I am anxious to get back to my training especially now that our work around the house is about done. Now I've got the time to train, just not the energy!
Our new TV Media Stand came this morning and it's very nice. I'm very pleased with it. I had to move the Christmas tree to the other side of the room as it was just too much in the corner. Anyway, it looks great and was a good choice after many weeks of searching online. Frank was giving me a hard time cause I couldn't make a decision but it was really just that I hadn't found the right one. And the best part was that once I found it I still kept searching and was able to get it for $175.00 cheaper from a different online store! Plus no tax and no shipping. Tax is very high here so I'm also happy when I can get something without paying tax!
Frank is heading back to Sandhills College this afternoon so I think I'll take a nap and hopefully feel better. It's so frustrating not feeling well but I guess that I'm lucky it's now and not closer to Umstead. Maybe I was due!

Photo Updates

The calm after the storm! It's so nice to have a few days to relax. All is done with the house for now and it's time to sit-back and enjoy the fruits of our efforts. It was great having the kids all here for Thanksgiving although the day flew by. Looking at the photos, as usual, my thoughts and plans were not totally fulfilled. I wanted to have more group shots and family shots but "forgot"! It was such a crazy day especially when the sink got backed up. But all in all it was great. I can't wait to have everyone together again! Maybe Christmas next year. It would be so nice if Julie and Tate could move down here. Hopefully they'll be working on making that happen. I think it would be wonderful for them to be near family and being closer to Colleen and Erin would be a plus for them as well. I'm still not feeling all that great today so it's another easy non-workout day. Hopefully by tomorrow I'll be back to hitting the trails. In the meantime, I'm just going to enjoy the downtime. I'm probably run down from trying to do too much with training for the 100 miler, getting the house done and planning and fixing dinner. It's all fun and I love it but I guess it does wear you down!
Well, I'd better get started with my day and even though I'm relaxing there is always something waiting to be done! Happy Day!

Post Holiday Blues!

I can't believe that Thanksgiving has come and gone. It's now Sunday morning and all is quiet once again. I started coming down with a cold on Thanksgiving Evening and am hoping that it will be a quick recovery. I slept all afternoon yesterday after our trip to the airport with Tate and Julie and Ada and then went to bed early so hopefully I can just baby myself back to health.
It was really fun to have everyone here for Thanksgiving. I spent the morning cooking and preparing the feast and then managed to clog our garbage disposal just before everyone arrived. That was quite a stressful event. We managed to get dinner back on track but it was a little harried and stressful. After dinner Tate tried something that his plumber had done for their clogged drain and voila, it worked! Crisis averted! I had no idea how we would wash dishes, etc. What a relief. Mcgiver to the rescue!
After dinner we just hung out and talked. It was so nice to have everyone here. Colleen is getting very large and is due in about 6 weeks! Erin and Josh brought there newest bundle of joy, Nola, and she is quite the bundle of energy. She's bigger than Chico now so he was a less tempted to try to dominate her his visit. Tate and Julie loved the house and it was fun to show them everything we had done since moving in. Ada was a lot of fun and loved having her bed set up in the den behind the desk. I think she felt safe and cozy. She is so smart and was a lot of fun. She loved the alphaphet mat we got her and I think she'll have a lot of fun with it.
It was pretty emotional bringiing Tate and julie to the airport yesterday. Ada was tired and cranky and woke up crying after fallling asleep in the car. Tate got all stressed out and it was prety ugly saying good-bye. I left them feeling really sad and can only hope and pray that that it becomes easier for Tate to deal with stressful situations like that. It really stresses him out when Ada cries, but guess what; kids cry and get frustrated just like us. And they learn how to handle it by how we handle it. I remember having a poster stating that Kids Learn What They Live and thinking how true it is. They imitate us and want to be like us. Hopefully he'll work on staying calmer and learning to relax a little. Kids are very frustrating and they certainly know how to push our buttons, we just have to learn to be ready for that and to not just react. I know that Tate and Julie want only the best for Ada, and will work on that. She's in the terrible two's and is no exception to other two year olds. They know just what to do!


I was planning on running 25 miles today but have decided to bag that and just get back to feeling better. Hopefully I'll be back on par in a day or two. We have the 50 mile run coming up in a couple of weeks and I want to be ready for that but it looks like ready or not, here it comes!
I'm attaching some photos from Thanksgiving. Tate took photos of the whole family and hopefully he'll send files of those so I can put those on here as well.
Happy Thanksgving!

Waiting for the paint to dry!

Decided to take the day off from running after running the half marathon yesterday although I felt really good inspite of running on the roads so I finished painting the bathroom. I tried to do the wash paint effect with a light glaze but it just didn't look right so I decided to forego the special effect treatment and go with the standard painted wall at least for now. I also painted the trim white and it really looks nice. The wall color is a peanut butter color again a color that is a surprise to me but it looks nice with the shower tile. Tomorrow I hope to get the border put up and I think that will really give it a finished look. I'm not sure when Bob is coming to put the frame up around the mirror above the tub but it should be this week. Hopefully I'll have the border up before he gets here. Tomorrow the mirror and glass people will be here to give us a quote on a glass shower door and a large mirror for the vanity. I'm pretty nervous about that expense as it's not one we were planning on and money is running out.
It'll be a busy week as we're getting ready for the kids to come for dinner and the weekend. I'm really looking forward to Tate and Julie seeing the house and of course, to us seeing Ada. I think she'll love the house as she'll be able to really run around. I ordered her some Christmas presents and hope that they arrive before she does!
As far as getting ready, I guess the biggest thing I want to do is to decorate for Christmas although I'm not sure if that will include the tree or not. I'm kind of thinking that we could put everything out except the tree. That way it'll look Christmasy but not too much. I still have a little shopping to do but we have about everything. I want to buy new towels and mats for the masterbath now that we've settled on a color. It'll really help polish it off. A lot of sales (okay, Belks) going on so hopefully we'll get a good price.
I'm hoping to run Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday as I'm sure that the rest of the week will be spent doing last minute stuff and then we'll want to spend time with the kids. We are planning on another 6 hour run on Sunday so that will make up for not running Thursday, Friday or Saturday. I'm not sure what we'll do with the kids while we're here but there are a few things going on so I'm sure we'll find something fun to do. We only have Friday as far as actually doing something, so it shouldn't be an issue. I'd like to go to the Horticultural Center at the college and show them around downtown Southern Pines and Pinehurst, if only driving around.
Hopefully I'll be able to cook a few things in advance so it won't be too crazy on Thursday but it shouldn't be too bad since I don't think anyone will arrive until early afternoon. I will make the deserts earlier in the week.

My goals for the week:
Monday - AM Run 6
PM Body Pump

Tuesday AM Run 6
PM Spin

Wednesday AM Run 10
PM Body Pump

Sunday AM Run 25


This is a little ambitious with getting ready for the Holidays but at least it's a goal. Bob may end up affecting it slightly but hopefully I'll be able to come close to my current plan.

Turkey Trot Half Marathon

We just got back from running our first half marathon road race in many years. It was a very hilly course but a beautiful day with perfect weather. We went to a pasta party last night at one of the Striders house in Southern Pines. They lived in gated community - very uppity although the host and hostess were very down to earth. Their house was very oppulent, not our taste but incredible to say the least. We met with our new friends from both the Striders and the Mangum Track Club. It was a lot of fun. The MTC group is great and we joined them for lunch. A couple of them decided to not run the race this year so they were out there taking photos and cheering us on. Frank placed second in his age group so he was very happy. My age group was a very full group this year and even Barbara Mack who won her age group (50) at Western States and is an awesome runner, came in second so I was at least 5th but don't know yet. I was very happy with my time however coming in at 2:16. I was hoping to break 2:30 and did even better than that. I realized out there that we really should do more road racing just to force ourselves to run a little harder! There's a 5K coming up in a couple of weeks that we're planning on running. Unfortunately a couple of the upcoming races conflict with other things that are in the works.
So now, it's time to paint the bathroom. It's going to be really nice when we get it all together. I didn't think we'd be painting until after the holidays but I found some paint (had it made) and now I'm chomping at the bit to get it down. We're heading down the home stretch so it's very exciting. Our mirror and shower door won't be done for Thanksgiving but hopefully everything will be done before Christmas.
Off to paint! Look for more photos!

Quiet Day

Today was a pretty quite day and that was really nice. I took a Body Pump class this morning and then a yoga class. I decided to give my legs another day to rest. I plan on going to the gym in the morning to run a few easy miles. The half marathon is on Saturday and although I'm not "racing" (like I ever do) I don't want my legs to be too tired. The course is very hilly and I don't want to be last. Tomorrow night one of the women in the running club (the Sandhills Striders)is having people over for a pasta party. She seems very nice. I actually met her at the reservoir and have even run with her on occasion. She's also in the her 50s so that's nice although she's fairly new into running and pushes all the time. She's not realy for ultras yet! I think the one thing that I've learned from ultras is patience. Sometimes I feel like I'm too laidback at times. I don't ever remember being like that but I must say, I do like being like that and would not want to be in a rush all the time. I really just enjoy going out for a run and taking my time and smelling the roses although I prefer smelling coffee. Anyway, it's a good thing at least in my mind although I'm not to sure many understand that or agree with that point of view.
Tomorrow Bob (the carpenter) is stopping by to repair a couple of eyesores that the removal of the old vanity created. He's too much. Who ever thought a contractor/carpenter would care enough to just stop by for a couple of minutes. He's really quite a find I must say and he goes above and beyond what you'd ever expect someone like him to do. We were really lucky to have found him. It's truly amazing that we've been able to get so much work done in such a short period of time. I'm sure it will all be worth it but at this point I feel like it's just been too much, all encompasing. Hardly a day goes by that we don't have to go to Lowes or somewhere to buy something else. I'm not sure what we'll do once all that is done but hopefully it'll be fun stuff, like working out!
I do have to study so most of my evenings will now be devoted to studying my Anatomy class. That is not so much fun but I really hope that it will get me ready to pass the massage certification exam. I actually met a women today who is a massage therapist and she said to really study Anatomy and Oriental techniques. It'll definately be a challenge. Oh well, time to hit the books!

Bathroom update

Today has been a productive day and we were able to cross some of the items off our do to list! First we got our run in. We decided to run long (3 hours) and I quickly discovered that my legs were still a littel fatiqued from the 25 miles on Saturday. I did the run/walk thing and got it done. It was pretty warm and hard to believe that it's almost Thanksgiving.
When we got home, we got right to work moving out stuff from the guest bathroom back into our remodeled bathroom. It sure is nice having my stuff close at hand! We've got so much storage in all of the cabinets in the new vanity that a couple of the drawers are still empty although I'm sure that won't last too long. Here's a photo of the vanity and new shower. We're still waiting for the shower door so we've put up a fabric shower curtain in the meantime and the mirrors are temporary as well. We're also getting ready to add paint and a wallpaper border but that may take awhile. We're getting ready for Thanksgiving and need a break from the house remodel.
Today I also started an online Anatomy and Physiology class. Hopefully that will give me the edge I need in order to pass the Massage Certification test that I need to do in order to work in this state. It's going to be tough but I'm going to give it my all.
Stay tuned!

Closer to Done

It's Monday afternoon and we're one step closer to being done. Tim, the cabinet maker just left after finishing the new vanity. It looks great now that the trim is on and the hardware. Now, we just need the faucets (they'll be done tomorrow) and then the mirror. We've decided to get a new mirror that will extend the entire length of the vanity. It will be a lot of mirror but I think it will look great after Bob frames it. That will take a little while as we're going to have to order the new mirror and he'll have to buy the frame and then Tim will have to stain it again. We are close to done though and all's well that ends well. It will be worth the wait and additional expense. Henry also came today and sealed the shower so we'll be able to use it tomorrow after HR comes and connects the new shower trim. The shower came out beautiful. We love it and once the trim is in, it'll be perfect. We'll be able to move our stuff back in tomorrow and get the house back together just in time for the holidays!

HR (the plumber) is also going to install a reverse osmosis water filter. The water here really tastes and even smells bad. I'm not sure if the drought is making it worse or if it's what it's treated with but in any event, I can't drink it. I'm really looking forward to good tasting water.

No running today but I am going to do a weight lifting workout and maybe a spin class. Gotta get in shape for Umstead. I think the spinning is really helping to strengthen my hamstrings and they really need it.

Okay enough babbling for now. Off to workout!

I did it! Yea!

I did it! I got my long run of 25 miles in! I decided it was more about training my mind than my body so decided to just relax and enjoy the run and the music. I felt great and ran the first 12 1/2 miles in about 2:45. I was very careful to not let me heartrate or my pace get to fast. Last week I think I got a little carried away and ran too hard and got tired and discouraged and I'm sure the fact that I decided to run 10 miles the day before a 25 mile run was not smart. Anyway, what a difference a week makes. I was reading my Ultrarunning book last night and it gave me some thoughts about walking and training and I think it also helped! I'm really surprised that I felt so good out there as the morning started out pretty rough. I didn't sleep well last night cause I woke up thinking about the issues with the new vanity and realized that there might be a problem using the mirror and I got very stressed out. Here I am at 1:00 this morning measuring walls and trying to figure out how best to handle this latest crisis. I wanted to just cry. Somehow I convinced myself that all would be okay and was able to get back to sleep but woke this morning with the same panic sick feeling that comes with making a stupid mistake. I probably would have stayed in bed and cried all day (pretry good coping skills huh?) but the tiler guy was coming to finish the shower so I decided the next best thing to do would be to get out of the house away from the bathroom that is now a thorn in my side. Out I went and voila! All is better. I had a great run and was able to work through the crisis and had a couple of options created in my mind for handling the situation that made me feel that all would be fine. Anyway, I'm pretty sure that we can "fix" the problem.
When I was at my car refueling I noticed a MTC (Mangum Track Club) sticker on a car in the parking lot and wondered if it was anyone I knew and then I realized it was Sarah Jane who I had met at an earlier event. I knocked on her car window and re-introduced myself. She hadn't run yet and ended up doing the second loop with me! How cool was that. She is 63 and is running JFK next week and although she ran about 20 miles at Chicago last month, hasn't run much since. The run walk that we did bolstered her confidence and it certainly helped me. It made the second loop breeze by and was fun getting to know her better. She lives in Southern Pines and hopefully we'll hook up again. She was easy to run with and I really enjoed the company. So what started as a terrible day, ended up being a good one.
When I got home I tried one of my thoughts for the bathroom issue and I think it will work perfectly (well as perfect as can be with an inperfect scenerio) I'm very relieved and will be really relieved after Bob (the carpenter guy) comes and confirms that my idea will work.
Well, I'm home,showered and ready to relax. Frank went to get subs (lunch and dinner) for us and I'm looking forward to some solid food. Yum! It makes it all worthwhile!
All's well that ends well! My motto for the day!

Bookcase reveal!

The bookcases are finally finished and the paint is dry. I've started to accesorize them and will have to do some shopping to fill them up although I'm planning on putting my Christmas decorations out next week so the house will be all ready for Christmas by Thanksgiving! Tate and Julie will be celebrating Christmas with us when they're here for Thanksgiving (next year we get Christmas) so it'll be more fun if the house is ready! Plus I love to extend the Holiday Season! Check out the photo. I'll follow it up with a Christmas photo but for now, here it is!

Week in Review

Well, it was another busy week with lots going on around the house. This week should be a little calmer although we're hoping that the shower will get tiled and the new vanity and top are installed and hopefully the electrition will be back to finish up as well. I'm hoping that we'll be able to have a better running week and get our miles back up. I ended up running only about 30 miles this week and my long run was only 13. I had planned on running two of my 13 mile loops but just couldn't get back out for the second loop. Now, I have to run long next week as that's the last opportunity I'll have to run long before Sunmart. We have Thanksgiving and then the shower and then Sunmart will be here before we know it! I do feel like my training is starting to pay off and I'm running "faster" than I was this past summer. (I suppose the cooler temps really help with that) My biggest concern is the mental aspect of getting in long training runs on my own. Training for Umstead is going to be tougher than I thought. My IPOD really helps but didn't get me there today. I'm hoping that the fact that I ran 10 yesterday contributed to the fatique and discomfort in my legs today. Looks like I'll get out there next Sunday again for another attempt but will take Saturday off so I'll have fresh legs! It's going to be a great week! I'm shooting for a 50 mile week so that's my goal plus a couple of spinning classes to top it off.

Happy Halloween!

We went to an outdoor Halloween Party last night! Frank and I went as a Police Officer and convict. Guess who went as who!? It was fun and we met a few more neighbors. Everyone was a buzz about all of the work that has been going on around our house as well as Grady Little. Grady "resigned" from the LA Dodgers so that Joe Torre? can take over managing the team. The joke was that maybe Grady will want his house back! Also, Ed,another neighbor is going to Russia next week to perform as a professional clown with Patch Adam (he's apparantly Patch Adams accountant!) A very interesting neighborhood to say the least. Check out the photos!

Hey, I thought this was a running Blog!

Yes, most of my posts have been about the progress on the house and not about running. I guess that's because it's been overtaken by house stuff and not doing much running but hopefully we'll be back to running and training on a more consistant basis.

I ran 8+ miles yesterday and went back out today for another 13 so that was great. It's finally cooling off a little and that really helps. Yesterday the humidity was a killer but today was much better. I actually felt pretty good out there and am hopefull that I'm on the road to better running. Next weekend I'm planning on running a double loop of the course I ran today. I'll be able to go to my car for refreshments half way through and hopefully will be able to ignore the cries from my tired body to just get in the car and go home! I'm looking at 6 hours out there and that might be tough by myself. Thank god for the Ipod! Today I used it to help me "run" for the duration of the song. I picked up the pace with the faster songs and used the slower songs to recover and run a little easier. Hopefully I'll be ready for the SunMart 50 miler in December! They have a cut off that I've never had to think about before but I'm sure that will be on my mind although I should be able to stay well ahead of it! (well, at least a little ahead of it!) The 50 miler there is 12.5 mile loops so todays run should be a good preparation for that.
Well, time for popcorn, afternoon treat! Yum!

A long week!

It's been a very long week and I can't believe how much has been done. The bookcases are finished (they'll be painted next week), the microwave is now built-in to the cabinet, shelves have been added to the master closet and the shower is prepped and ready to be tiled next week. The vanity is being built and should be delivered in a little over a week. It looks like everything will be done before Thanksgiving and that is wonderful. Everyone works so well together and it's been a breeze. They'll be in and out all week but hopefully won't interfere with our runs! Gotta get ready for Umstead!

Today Frank and I removed the wallpaper from the master bath so we can get it primed before the vanity goes in. Doesn't Frank look like he's having fun! I'm not sure whether to paint or wallpaper but at least the worst is over. We're both exhausted. Hopefully tomorrow all we'll have to do is run!

We did finally get out and run today and plan on another one tomorrow. Hopefully we'll be able to get back to our normal training next week. With everything going on we weren't able to run at all this past week although Frank did squeeze a yoga class in on Friday while I held down the fort.

I've attached a photo of the faucets we chose for the masterbath. It looks a little lonely but I think once everything is in it'll look great. Still a lot to do but it's all coming together. Next week we'll be ordering the shower door and the counter top. After that, it's just wait until everything comes in and hopefully all of the workman will be available to finish their jobs!

Stay tuned!

Making Progress

Today was a good day! Our bookcases are now finished except for the painting. Hopefully that will happen soon. They look great and I'm very happy with them. Lots of great places to display whatevers! The bathroom is now torn up and work has begun. We've had workers in all week and although it's been a little unsettling and stressful for us, we've gotten a lot done. It looks like they'll be out of here in a couple of weeks and then we can just relax and enjoy! The tile guy was here today and started preparing the room for the tile. The plumber has been here and roughed everything in so we're really doing great. He'll return to finish with the faucets and shower once the tile work and cabinets are done. The electrian stopped by today and will be back to add more lights to the bathroom soffit that Bob is extending to now cover the entire width of the bathroom as well as lighting for the bookcases. We met with a cabinet maker today and he's going to stop by tomorrow to work out the details for building the bathroom vanity. It will save money and time by having the cabinet custom made. I never would have thought that.
I love the tile and faucets that we chose and everything should look great once it's done. Without even realizing it, we were drawn once again to the Victorian style of faucets. We even purchased a new one for the kitchen to go with the rubbed bronze in there and it's Victorian as well. I guess it's hard to totally change what you're attracted to. Hopefully it won't look to out of place in the kitchen! The bathroom will definately be more in the victorian theme.
Our running and working out has really been affected this week but hopefully we'll be back in full swing by the weekend. I think all of our shopping and running around should be about done although there's always something else that we need. I don't think we ever realized just how much we'd be doing to the house. It just kind of snowballed! Oh well, hopefully it'll be done soon and we'll love it!
Photos to follow soon!

Bathroom Design

Wow! Everything is happening so fast. It seems that our contractors are all available to start our bathroom work immediately so Frank and I have been out beating down the streets looking for faucets, vanities and tile for the shower! Fortunately we've actually agreed on everything and work will begin on Monday! The vanity will take a couple of weeks to get so we'll be using the guest room shower until then, but it will all be done by the holidays so that is terrific!
We've selected antique looking brushed bronze fixture for the tub, sink and shower. It's really beautiful. We feel very fortunate that we were able to find something we liked in such a short period of time so that the work can begin. We were feeling overwhelmed by everything that we had to do but it's all falling into place. Everyone has beem so helpful and we feel like we're making good choices. It's still scary spending so much money but we did have it set aside to do stuff on the house, so I need to relax about it.

It'll interupt our training schedule for awhile but hopefully we'll be able to work that in as well. I'm concerned about my studying for my certification tests so I can find a job around here, but hopefully I'll be able to devout some time to that as well. I'm just going to have to make time since I have to take the test by the first of the year. The girls are coming for the weekend, so we've been getting ready for that as well, putting the finishing touches on the rooms and cleaning. After they leave, we'll start moving our stuff into the guest bathroom. Never a dull moment that's for sure.

It's really fun to watch everything come together. Frank and I have been shopping for accesories and he's really getting into it and I must say we've done good! Lots of new prints and trinkets around that bring everything together. I think I have created a shopping monster! Maybe he'll be able to find a job in decorating!

Well, gotta run!

General Contracting!

Just when I thought we were done with major projects around the house now that all of the rooms are painted, new electric fixtures are installed, and most of the furnishings and accessories are in place we are handed the biggest project of all! We are now working with individual contractors to have the work done for the remaining remodeling and will be busy running around ordering materials and coordinating efforts. The good news is is that it looks like we'll be able to have everything done by the holidays so that is great.

Today, the new carpenter (Bob) is here tearing down the bookcases that had been started earlier. It looks like he'll be starting to build the new ones next week. (he's in-between jobs so good timing on our part) The bathroom project will be a pretty big project but hopefully won't take too long. The tile guy just left and will be giving us an estimate and should be able to start in a week or two. The plumber will be here later and hopefully he's available to start next week as well.
Our electrician, Dave Salmon turned us on to the carpenter and what a find that was! I am so pleased with the direction that this is now going. After our experience with Rudy, it's a little unsettling to hire someone else just by word of mouth but the electrician who did a super job works with the carpenter on a lot of jobs and was highly recommended.

We're going to drive to a new house today to look at the job that our tile guy is working on. It'll give us ideas (hopefully not too expensive) and from there we'll be ready to order the tile. I'm hoping to get a seamless glass door. It's a little more expensive (well okay a lot more expensive) but heck if this is our "forever" house, I say go for it. We've been able to cut expenses in several areas so should have the money to get what we want.

Well, I'd better start doing some searches for ideas and get busy with my day.

Third time's a charm (well almost!)

We finally made it through the ID process at Motor Vehicles today! Now on to the test! We took the test and passed! I was sweating it for awhile, especially since I got the first question wrong. Not off to a great start. Anyway, I continued and passed and got my license. Frank was not so lucky. He was after me and even thought he passed the test the computer went down right after they took my picture (I guess you could say I borke the camera) and that was that. Now he has to go back to get his actual license with photo but hopefully that will be uneventful. Hopefully his test results aren't lost in the computer glitch! Being at the DMV became even more stressful when the handyman that we had just fired last week, also appeared to get a new license. He is the only person that I can think of that I never wanted to see again, and low and behold, there he was! How awkward. And then I thought, why should I feel embarrassed, he was the one that did shotty work. None the less, it was awkward to have to sit across from him as we waited our fate!

We ran at the reservoir this morning and for the first time in awhile, I felt great! The weather was perfect and I felt rested from not running yesterday. I ended up painting the guest room in lieu of running yesterday after waking up tired and fatigued from Saturday. I think we're going to start running long on Saturdays and then taking Sundays off to recover, at least most weekends. We'll use Sundays to get stuff done around the house, bike ride or just relax and read the paper and drink coffee. We'll see how it works out but it seems like a good idea.

We're going to the club tonight. Frank is going to do some weights and a little more running. I'm going to take the spin class. I love spinning and think it will help with my endurance and hill running! Our goal now is to start focusing on the Umstead and what we need to do and then doing it. Both of us would like to do a few two-a-dayers during the week. We'll see!

Tomorrow night is POA #6 barbeque. Frank and I signed up to go so hopefully we'll have a good time and meet more new people as well as see some of our neighbors. I'm sure eating will be a challenge but hopefully I'll be able to make reasonable choices. Wednesday is Frank's birthday so we'll be eating out again, so it may be a difficult week to stay focused on healthy eating especially with the girls coming down this weekend. It'll be fun to see Erin's new puppy and Colleen's new belly!

A Driver Denied! Again!

We were turned away at the NC Motor Vehicle Dept today for the 2nd time due to incomplete ID! They had told us we needed two forms of ID and could use birth certificate or Social Security Card as well as current license. Frank brought his birth certificate but quickly learned that one of the two forms of ID had to have a Social Security number on it! This is one cautious state. I've gotten drivers licenses in at least 5 other states and have never had anything like this happen. Perhaps it's due to Sept 11 or as a result of illegal aliens but it seems that they have no problem getting a drivers license, but perhaps not in NC. Anyway, it's very frustrating as I have to keep calling our insurance company to get an extension of the verification card that they have to provide. Oh well, I guess it's just another annoying thing to do as a new resident. Hopefully the third time will be a charm as we plan to go back next week and try yet again. I thought that taking the test would be the hard part but it seems that just having the right paperwork is the tough part.
After that fiasco, we went to luch at 149 which is a "health food" restaurant. Erin had given Frank a gift certificate for there and it was pretty good and healthy. We will go back although it is pretty pricey.
Then we went shopping for more accersories. Frank is really getting a eye for such things and he spotted a few things I missed! Soon I won't be needed at all. I think we may be over accesorizing if that's possible but when we find "cute tropical" things, we can't resist. Things are coming together but I still am anxious for all to be done and perfect. I'm not sure why I have to have everything perfect but I do. As much fun as the hunting is, to walk into a complete room, just makes me feel good. We're waiting to hear from the contractors that came to inspect the masterbath so that we can know what we're dealilng with and get the work started. From what we've been told, they are never in a hurry around here. Plus, we still have to get someone here to tear out and then build our bookcases. Oh hum, next year at this time, I"ll be bored cause we won't have any more projects but I'm very much looking forward to being bored.
We're planning to run for about 3 hours at the reservoir tomorrow. I guess I'll go around the lake and then out to Nick's Creek and back. That should be around 15 miles. I'd like to repeat it on Sunday and really get a good base built. I think we're on the right path, now we just have to stay consistant. I ran today at the club and then did a yoga class and felt great so I must be recovered from last weekend.!
Later!!

Slow recovery

It was finally a little cooler today and I couldn't wait to get out and get a good run in. My thought was to go to the reservoir and run for 2 hours, nice and slow and get in 8 to 9 miles. It was a beautiful morning and for the first time in a long time, I was a little chilly at the start. As I began to run, I realized just how fatigued my body still was. So I decided to just accept it and walk. It was a nice compromise and a nice way to start my day. I realized out there that I have to respect the fact that I'm not 20 or even 30 anymore and allow my body time to recover from tough workouts. Tomorrow I plan on going to the club to run on the treadmill and then take the gentle yoga class. I also realized that I need to create a doable training schedule for Umstead that allows recovery time and not just what I think I should do or what the books say I should do. That is what I plan to work on over the weekend.
Hopefully the major projects around the house will be done soon and we can concentrate on training.
Better go study so I can pass my drivers test tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Time flying by

Frank and I have been busy this week trying to recover from the trail marathon we did last Saturday but have gotten stuff accomplished around the house. We got the sunroom painted and accessorized and it looks great. Finally one room finished, well except for replacing the fan with the new wicker one. That will make the room complete. I'm not sure if we'll tackle that one ourselves or not. We may have to in order to get it installed anytime soon.

We also worked on organizing the den and getting our books (what's left of them) out of the garage and onto the bookcases. I also worked on the guest room and took out much of the stuff that had accumulated in there. I had hoped to be able to go through the photos etc and be able to place them on the new built-in bookcases, but that was not to be. We ended up firing the guy that was building the bookcases as his work was shotty. Now we're going to have to pay someone to remove what he did and start from scratch. We're waiting for a couple of quotes now but it may be awhile. Hopefully they'll be done by Thanksgiving but it doesn't seem likely.
Anyway, little by little, things are getting done.

I'd like to be able to concentrate more on running and getting in shape but I find it difficult to focus on that when there is so much that I want to do around the house. It's easy to get diverted and just do house stuff. I guess I'm a home body at heart and I really like to be comfortable in my surroundings.

Tomorrow I'm going to the reservoir again to run. We went there today and I hooked up with a women that I met at the running club meeting last week, and we did a loop together. She's a little faster than me (who isn't) but that will be good for me to make me push a little more on "hard" days. The weather is supposed to cool down starting tomorrow. It's been record hot again and hopefully, this will be the end of it. It felt better tonight although it's still in the 80's but the low are supposed to be in the 40's by the weekend. I may just keep running all day!

Tomorrow will be a great day. I plan on getting a really good run in and then doing some shopping. Sounds like a perfect day!

Road Running vs Trails Running

I was just reading about the Chicago Marathon and learned that the race was actually called off at around 4:00 hours due to severe heat and the number of runners that were getting ill and am reminded of yet another reason why I prefer the trails. Yesterday we ran the Triple Lakes Marathon which is a trail marathon in NC and even though it was hot (upper 80s and humid) I only noticed it when we were out of the trails to cross a road. I would think "wow it's hot out" and then I'd go back into the woods and forgot about the heat. The other thing is just how much easier the trails are on your legs and and body (unless of course you fall, but that is a different story). I ran a tough, rolling course yesterday and today, I am not even sore. (well, barely) I am amazed that my body has recovered so quickly. I did soak in the jacuzzi last night so perhaps that contributed but I am very surprised. I think I'll go to the reservoir and run about an hour tomorrow, nice and easy but just to do something before starting the day painting the sunroom. I am very proud of my friend Bev, however, who is a road runner, and she completed the marathon in just over 5 hours. Very impressive. Reports were that about 10,000 failed to show up to start (very smart people, I might add) and then about another 10,000 failed to finish, so Bev did a great job. I hope she is recovering tonight and doesn't have any long lasting effects of such a gruelling event. She really knows how to pick 'em; earlier this year she went to Boston dispite severe weather and recommendations to not go, she went and she finished it and now again in Chicago. Maybe now, she'll listen to me and decide to give trail running a try! I'll work on her!
Tomorrow we're painting our sunroom and we decided to go with a sagey green which is really pretty but I'm afraid it will be too dark. I hope to report that I love it so let's hope for the best. But the good news, is is that if I don't like it, there's not a lot to paint so we'll just keep painting it until we get it right. It's so hard to choose a color until the whole thing is done. I tried just painting a couple of small sections but I don't think you can make a decision fromo that, so paint it all we must. We are going to be professional painters after we're done . Hey, maybe, that'll be our next career!
Better get some rest for another busy day!

Triple Lakes Marathon

Frank and I set off for Greensboro again this year to run the Triple Lakes Marathon/40 Miler. This year we opted to run the marathon distance instead of the 40 as our training did not warrant a 40 mile effort. (but it did an 18 hour, 52 mile run last weekend????) Anyway, I'm really glad that we decided to do "just" the 26.2 miles. It was tough. The course was very runnable but rooty. I fell twice and Frank feel once. It remined my of Rocky Raccoon. The fact that it's so runnable makes it even tougher. My goal was to run under 6 hours and I thought that would be good enough to capture my age group award as well, since last year the winning time in my age group was over 7 1/2 hours! Well, I did squeeze in in just under 6:00 hours (I came in and was passed by the first women running the 40 mile event as we ran around the little pond just before the finish! How humiliating!) Oh well, maybe I was old enough to be their mother) Anyway, a ringer from Florida decided to try a trail marathon for her 50th birthday and decided she could win this was judging from the previous years results. She's a road racer and looks really fast and guess what, she was. She ran the marathon in 5:07 so needless to say she whooped my butt but I was still very happy with my time and pleased with my effort, especially since I'm still recovering from "running" 52 last weekend. I do feel that my endurance is finally improving and I'm looking forward to more respectable times. Frank won his age group so he was very happy. He ran 4:49 and was thrilled with his effort since neither one of us are where we want to be but looks like he's well on his way. (plus he only ran 22 last weekend. I'm looking forward to checking the results as there were others running the 40 today that also ran the 24 hour last weekend.
I'd like to run it again next year, but it will depend on the Hinson Lake 24 hour run. I definately want to run the whole 24 hours so is Triple Lakes is the following weekend again, it just won't work.
Tomorrow an update on our bookcases. Very interesting. I'm too tired to write about it now.

Making Progress

Our sunroom and dining room furniture finally arrived today. Everything looks great. The sunroom is going to be our favorite room. Hopefully we'll be able to finish it next week. We're going to paint it and replace the white ceiling fan with a wicker one that will coordinate with the furniture. The monkey lamp looks perfect with the sofa fabric! I love it. It's feels good to have a room almost finished. Hopefully the bookcases will be done by next weekend. That's taken way too long.
We went bowling last night and it was fun however, I don't think I'm going to make it regular event. I was really bad (I only broke 100 once and that was just barely) and even though that doesn't really matter, it just isn't our cup of tea. Plus, it made me too tired to workout today although some of the fatigue could be left from running 52 miles last Saturday! Go figure!
Tonight we're going to a running club meeting at the health club so that will be fun. I'm sure it'll be an entirely different type of people than we met last night. We've met so many people since we've been here and everyone is always nice and welcoming.
Our neighbor, Carolyn comes home tonight so that will be fun. She's watching Chico this weekend. I hope it works out for both of them so she'll want to take him regularily. (so I can't spell!)
Okay, I'd better get ready for the meeting. More later after the marathon!

Reflections of my 24 hour effort

It's been a couple of days since the 24 hour run (18 for me) and although I would have liked to go a few more hours, I'm happy with my efforts. I ran today at the reservoir and did 9 miles and felt great. I don't think I would be as recovered as I am if I had of stayed out much longer and then I'd be in tough shape for Triple Lakes Marathon. I'd like to run that in under 6 hours. I think it's doable but time will tell.
Our sunroom furniture comes tomorrow. I'm so excited. It'll be nice to have an escape room to go to to read and relax. Once that is in, we should be able to move forward with other updates. I've been waiting to make a decision about the placement of the dining room light fixture until the bakers rake is in and that comes tomorrow as well so we'll be able to change out the light and buy a rug. It looks like it's starting to come together.
I'm getting frustrated with the bookcases as the carpenter (Rudy) has been less than dedicated to the job. He hasn't spent much time here and I'm beginning to question the quality of his work. He's due to come back next week, and if I don't see a lot of progress and better quality, I'm going to find someone else to finish the job. It's getting insane.
Tonight we're going bowling with POA6. I'm not all that thrilled to be going, but I want to be social. It should be fun and we don't have to go every week, just when we feel like it so that's good. I was really afraid of having to make a commitment and didn't want to do that.
Well, I'd better go fix dinner (an early dinner so we can go bowling)
Let's BOWL!

Running in Circles

Well, we did the Hinson Lake 24 hour yesterday or in my case, the Hinson Lake 18 hour! That's a new PR for me: 18 hours! We stopped at 2:00AM. It was a great event and lots of fun. I wasn't sure what to expect but as soon as we arrived we were greeted by fellow MTC members with hugs and good wishes. We set up camp next to Marie and Chris and were ready to go. The event is very low key and after a few words of advice from the race director, we were off. The course was a 1.52 mile loop and although I thought it would be boring, it turned out great. Doing so many loops alloyed you to see everyone and to run with various runners as the day progressed. I had some stomach issues and had to visit the restroom on multiple occasions. Fortunately, I felt no pressure to do any particular distance or time so I took a couple of breaks of about 30 minutes and that was great as it allowed me to chat with various other runners and friends. There was no pressure and many of the runners that I hooked up with hadn't determined their goal yet either so I felt comfortable with my lack of decision about what I was going to do. As the day progressed, most of my loops with completed with a women I met from SC named Teri. She is a feisty lady with multiple ultras in her life with 4 starts and finishes of Western States. She was a ultra chick way before it was mainstream. Anyway, 34 loops seem to fly by when you're chatting away and chat we did. My voice is a little horse today from all the talking.
I ended up running about 52 miles which was much further than I thought I would and what I was trained to do but I walked after about 20 miles, so I was comfortable with pushing the envelope although I am wondering how I'm going to run a marathon next weekend as my legs are a little sore. No worries, all will be fine.
Frank came out about 11:30 and walked for a couple of hours and after 34 loops, I had made the top 10 on the leader board (I had been there earlier but dropped off after too many breaks) Once I was assured of my status, I decided to call it a day. For a brief moment I thought about going for a few more loops to move up the leader board with more miles, however, thought about my running plans and realized that if I continued, I'd be recovering for longer than I want to as the start of my "training" for Umstead kick-offs. I have to admit, it was not bad running for 18 hours, although many were actually spent walking. I walked at about a 15 minute miles so that allowed my to achieve my target loop time of about 25 minutes, very doable. My feet started to really hurt on the last loop and I am a little concerned about how I will be able to continue forward motion in the 100 if my feet continue to breakdown as they did in Umstead, but hopefully training will toughen them up.
Well, better go fix breakfast. A full day of relaxing and recovering. Makes it all worthwhile! Bring it on!

Prime time

Well, after 2 two days of painting, removing paint, priming and then repainting, we're done. At least for now. That was just the doors! We sure learned our lesson to prime before painting, especially metal doors! What a difference. Still more to paint and spruce up but I think we'll take a much deserved break. I can't get over how much there is to do around here. I don't think I realized just how much I'd want to change. We decided to order new coffee and end tables for the living room so I'm very excited about that and we're also going to buy a new refrigerator. This one is just too annoying. We'll be able to use it in the garage to store extra stuff in so it'll come in handy.
Tomorrow we're going to take our drivers test. I better do a little more studying tonight.
Gotta get ready for the long run on Saturday. I think I'm going to run/walk for several hours but not 24 hours. Frank will run a few hours, go home and get Chico and then come back to the race. That should be enough, whatever it is. The next weekend is the Triple Lakes Marathon so we'll be doing lots of running! (and walking)
That's all for now. I'm pooped and going to relax. No spinning tonight!

Ready Set Go!

Okay, I'm ready to start moving forward and doing what I need to do in order to fullfill my goal of running a 100 mile run. I've decided to use the 24 hour run around the lake event next weekend as a confidence booster. My goal is to walk/run/or simply stay awake for the 24 hours. I walked for 2 hours today (4 times around the the reservoir for about 8 miles) to check out the mindset. It was actually kind of fun. I mostly walked but did manage a little "running" every now and then but mostly it was walking and thinking and planning. I'm ready to get ready! Part of being ready will also include dropping about 20 pounds. A challenge but one that I know I can accomplish. Stay tuned!

The following week we're going to do the Triple Lakes marathon. Last year we did the 40 miler but decided that we really are not ready to do 40 miles. (especially after the 24 hour event this week. My training for Umstead kicks off on October 1. It actually works out perfect and I excited to start making plans. Currently the plan is to run Triple Lakes Marathon on Oct 6, the Raleigh Marathon on Nov 3, The Sunmart 50 Miler on Dec 9, the Frosty 50 on Jan 6 (unless baby Whiteside comes early), Rocky Raccoon 100 miler (I'm only doing 80 miles) on Feb 2, the Umstead Trail marathon on March 8 and then the Umstead 100 miler on April 5! So basically we have a long run every month and will work the rest of our training around that. I'd like to work up to about 60 miles a week but we'll see. I guess it will depend on whether I can find a job or not.
I will be creating a training schedule that I plan on posting so I can have a sense of accomplishment as well as a commitment. Look for it soon!
All for now!

Home at last

Well, I'm home and now recovering from the pysical as well as mental stress. I never expect such a reaction but I should be used to it. It seems to happen every time. I don't have the motivation to get back into it yet but hopefully that will return soon. I feel heavy and tired. I want to snap out of it, but it just isn't happening. I guess I need to detox! Anyway, back to working out and feeling better tomorrow. (in the words of Scarlett!)
Next weekend is the 24 hour run? What have I gotten myself into. I can't even run for 1 hour, how am I going to run for 24? I don't even know if I'll be able to stay awake for 24 hours! That will be my goal. Forget about running or evening walking. Just stay awake. I think it will be fun though as I will get to know the members of MTC a little/lot better!
Well, one of my goals today is to finish the hallway painting and the trim is waiting. I went to Lowes this morning to buy paint and an entry way light fixture and when I got it home, discovered it was broken! So much for finishing the room today. Isn't anything ever easy? Okay, no complaining. Back to gettiing in the game!

going Home

Well, I leave for home tonight with mixed emotions. i'm glad to be going home but I'm sad that I won't get to see Ada until thanksgiving. It's so hard when your loved ones live so far away. I'm still hopeful that one day they will move closer to us in NC and we can be a support for them. It's so important to have family around but for now that is not the case.
It looks like I won't get a workout in again today but I guess I have to realize that that just doesn't happen when I'm here. I am going to take Ada to the park this morning so that will be fun. I'll miss my little Adalyn but will be glad to be home agai. There's no place like homme, there's no place like home!

fly away home!

On being a Grandmom

Well, I'm still in cleveland with my little Adalyn. She is really growing up and soooo smart. She can count to 15! How cool is that. She's a lot of fun but being here visiting is very stressful. I guess having your parents visit causing stress. Tate and Julie seem to be doing well one minute and then the next minute it's chaos. I feel very uncomfortable and just want to disappear. I wonder how much of Tate's behaviour is my fault. As a parent you want the best for your kids and want them to be happy. I don't see them as being very happy. It seems that they are dealing with so much pain and hurt that they totally miss noticing that the other is hurting as well. I wish that they would stop and listen to what the other is saying. They seem so sad and probably depressed. They have started marriage counseling and I hope that that will help them to stop with the blaming each other for whatever they are feeling and start learning how to heal and listen to each other. I feel responible for the fact that Tate has so much anger. He had a tough childhood and I'm sure that that contributes to his anger issues now. I really hope that they can make it work and be happy. I don't want them to look back 20 or 30 years from now and wish they could do it over. We don't get a chance for do overs so it's important to do the best we can every day. I was watching Oprah the other day and it was about children of 9/11 and one thing struck me hard and that was that the children want to live up to their parents legacy! They will go through life trying to be as good a person as the parent that was killed that day, was to them. How great is that. They could be angry and sad and I'm sure at times they are, but they all said that they want to be the kind of parent that their parent was to them. Another similar topic was addressing how some people are successful and others are not with the same or similar scenerios (professional sports players making lot of money) and how different they live their lives. The difference according to one who made it says it's all about having a good role model or someone to look up to and to not want to disappoint. The athlete was Tiki Barnes who said his mother would have beat his butt if he did wrong and he still looks up to her today and still continues to live up to her standards and wants to make her proud. It made me realize that perhaps Tate never had that role model to live up to and is still finding his own way and learning how to deal with the anger and disappointment that he feels. I do hope that he can find his way and learn that life is to be lived and to be happy. Each day with a loving family is to be treasured not wasted feeling sorry for yourself or looking outside for happiness. It starts by looking inside and living each day as you would want to be remembered for. You are your childrens legacy. I wish I could have a do-over as well and I wish that I was as good a parent as I am a grand-parent. I guess that's god's way of geving us a do-over. We get to be grandparents. Tate and Julie are great parents and Ada couldn't be loved more or treated better however, children do live what they learn and learn what they live and it's important to know that they do understand much more than we give them credit for and they don't miss a thiing. I love Tate and Julie and want to spend time with them and Ada but I hope that life around here will get better before I visit again. I'll pray for them and support them as much as I can.

More later