New carpets installed!

Well, after two years of hating our carpets, we finally decided to bite the bullet and get them replaced. It was a LOT of work to get ready but they really look great. The best thing is that the guest room is now my workout room. We decided to not put the bed back in there for now so it's great. My Pilate's machine is set-up and ready to go as well as my free weights, yoga stuff and anything I may feel like doing! No more excuses. Now I just have to get my butt in there!
I really lucked out this afternoon cause my two clients ended up cancelling! I was sooooo happy cause I was sooooooo tired! I wasn't sure how I was going to give them a great massage. Also, my early client tomorrow had to cancel too. She broke her leg in three places! And she calls that an excuse. Oh by the way, she didn't break her leg doing any crazy trail run or anything like that, she was walking a dog!!!!! I'm just saying! Walking a dog is worse for you than running??? Can we make that leap! I think so! Anyway, hopefully tomorrow will remain slow at the spa and I'll get another day of rest. (from the spa, not from house duties)

Tomorrow I'm starting my additional cross-training workouts. I'm going to the gym at 6:45 AM for an abs class and then a 7:00 spin class and then I'll meet my friend Anne for a run at 9:00! Sounds like a perfect day! Anne will be moving back to CA in about 3 weeks. I miss her already. She's a great friend and we just get along soooo well. I already plan on going to San Diego in June to run the marathon with her.

Well, looks like I should get back to work. The house is still in shambles, but so much better than this morning. At least the furniture is back in place and the beds are made. Now we just have to go through the clothes and shoes and junk to weed them out. We have way too much junk and I don't want to just stuff it in the closet. It's a great way to clean house for sure! We'll have to have a garage sale when we're done! NOT!

Gotta Run!

OBX Marathon

I survived the OBX Marathon but it was a tough one. I never felt good out there and I guess that's because I didn't taper for the marathon as it was intended as a training run. It's a catch 22 cause I want to use the races for training runs to build up to the 100 but also want to be able to run a respectable time for the races. I'm not sure if I'll do the Derby 50K in a couple of weeks. It was not fun to feel so tired throughout the entire race. The marathon was a great event though and the support was awesome. Anne came down and met me at the halfway point and ran with me for a few miles. She actually left me at about mile 22 or so and I chased her from there. I wasn't much fun as I usually am in a training run, so I don't blame her for taking off. I just wish I could have kept up and felt better. Frank and I have also concluded that our age is a factor and it's very humbling. Factor that in with running ultras and you have a real case of slow times. I do think that running some shorted races and speedwork will help but we are older for sure and much slower. Perhaps it will be time to shorten our distance running after Umstead.
Anne texted me today to tell me that they sold their house in PInehurst and will be moving back to San Diego. I am so sad as she is a good friend and I am goin to miss her a lot. She is so much fun to be with and to do things with. I hope to get to visit her this summer and run the San Diego Marathoj with her. It'll be her first marathon and she better not beat me.

Halloween Hustle

 
Here's Anne and I after the Halloween Hustle 10K. Let's just say my "hair" took a beating! It was fun and good to do a "short" run. Next week, the marathon! Yikes, that's another 20 miles!

Recovery going well

I managed to get a 4 mile run in this morning and felt much better than anticipated. I ran a slow 4 and plan on a slow 8 in the morning. Today is my second day of gluten free eating although I'm not all that sure that everything I have had is gluten free but at least I haven't had any wheat which I know I"m allergic to. I'm hoping it will help to lesson my running induced diarrhea. (sorry to be so graphic) I'm also hoping that it will reduce my itchy irritated skin. I look like a leper and I've read that that can be a sign of allergies to wheat and gluten. Fun!
I had my yearly mammogram this morning so I'm good to go for another year. Yay! Always good to have those things behind you.
Franks' birthday is Friday so I'm trying to figure out something to do. My brain is working overtime.
Okay, better get ready for work. Only 2 clients today so that is great. Looks like it's going to be a slow week although I did have 3 yesterday. So far none on Thursday so I'm asking for the day off and maybe we'll go to the beach or golfing or something. Today is a perfect day weather wise but alas, it will not last. A cold front will be here in the morning so golf may not be an open. (It's supposed to rain as well)
Gotta Run!

Sorting it all out

I've been recovering from the New River 50K for the past couple of days and have been trying to figure out why I bonked so badly. I guess it all boils down to being under trained, not eating enough, not drinking anything except water and no electrolytes. Add that to my intestinal issues and it's a road to disaster. I felt great up to about 15 miles and then felt like I was being pulled backwards or running in to a headwind. It took me awhile to realize that it was me slowing down and not everyone else speeding up. (I'm a slow learner) I thought wow! they must be feeling good and are picking it up! Wrong, I had slowed to a crawl and soon would be literally crawling (okay, almost crawling) Anyway, by 20 miles I knew that the last 11 miles would be very hard. I was having a hard time staying on the trail. I kept veering off and leaning to the left. I felt like a car when it's needs to be aligned. Nothing I could do could keep me standing or running straight. I hooked up with MTCer Vicky Fogelman and we dragged each other in. With 1.7 mile to go, the sweeps decided to sweep us in. One of the guys, finally had to literally run next to me and lean into my side so I wouldn't topple over! It was very embarrassing. So far, no photos have surfaced although I could still be blackmailed!
I know it's important to eat and drink but perhaps I felt it wasn't really that important. I was running and feeling great and was running for hours without having to stop to walk. That was great. I felt like my training must be paying off. And then boom! It was over. Oh well, I ran about 15 really good miles so that is what I'll take away from the experience. They are all training runs so it doesn't really matter, I suppose as long as I learn something from all my "training" runs.
One thing I've noticed also is that the runners that seem to be having the best time, have the best time! Think about it! That is the premise of Born to Run and something we should all aspire to. Smile!!!!! Even when it hurts, be HAPPY!

Grampa's birthday bash!

 
Here's a new pic of Frank and Miss Ella. She's quite the little person now.

Waiting for U2

 
Here we are at the U2 Concert waiting for U2 to begin.

U2 concert

 
Here's a pic that Colleen took at the U2 Concert last night. What a great concert!

Golf days of summer!

 
Here I am playing my first round of 9 holes of golf! From the looks of my form and the decision to not keep score, I need a few more lessons. It was fun though and I really think I will like it once I have an idea of what to do out there. We golfed with Joe and he was great. He's only been golfing for two years but he's very good and he was very helpful to us teaching us quite a bit already. It took us 3 hours to play 9 holes which is pretty bad. Most take about 1 1/2 hour for 9 holes. We're making 9 holes of golf seem like an ultra. Oh well, we can only get better, right?

Angels amoug us!

Here's the latest pictures of my little angels. It doesn't get much cuter than this! I miss the girls and hope to see them this fall. I'll probably have to fly out for a few days but our schedules are getting pretty full now that the fall is here and we're training for the 100! Long runs and races almost every weekend. I ran 15 yesterday and 6 today and felt great so I guess I'm recovered from Hinson Lake. Our next run is the New River 50K on Oct 10 and then we signed up for a 10 mile trail run on Oct 24. So short, what were were thinking. That's actually a long story but none the less, we'll be doing a 10 miler, I guess it'll be speed work! Two weeks after that we'll be at the OBX Marathon and then two weeks after that is the Turkey Trot Half marathon (haven't committed to that one yet) and then the following week is the Derby 50K. So many races, so little time. I better pick a date to visit Ohio soon before they're all booked up! I'm working on finalizing my race schedule and will post it soon!

Running in to the night!

We ran the Hinson Lake 24 Hour Run this weekend although fell short of our 24 hour goal. After about 13 hours of running and socializing we decided it was time to go home and get some sleep. Frank ran 52 miles and I ran 45! I was a little disappointed by not reaching my 50 mile goal but the bugs started biting and my feet started complaining so I decided to go home. The good thing is is that I did not get injured and my recovery time will be minimal which is a very good thing. My legs feel great and my biggest issue today has been the mosquito bites. My wrist is swollen and I just itch everywhere. My legs are already a mess from other bites and now it looks like I'll have a few more to add to the collection.
I'm taking the day off work tomorrow so we're going to head to Costco in Greensboro for supplies. Shouldn't need too much but it's always fun to go to civilization every now and then.
Tomorrow I really need to get serious about my training and my weight loss. My intentions are good but somehow I manage to lose site of my goals and let my guard down. Hopefully I'll be able to stay focused this time. Losing 20 pounds would really help my running. I'd be smoking fast! Okay, I'd be a little faster!

Outer Banks here we come!

We found a house to stay in when we go down to run the Outer Banks Marathon in November. We got a great price and there's a ton of room so a couple of couples will be coming down to join us. Anne and Elsa will probably run the half marathon and the boys will probably run the 8K. (Frank will run the marathon of course.) The place looks great with a hot tub for after the race as well as a pool table, and glorious views. The couple we're renting from has run the marathon but recently moved to California so won't be there this year. They said it was a very fun race. That's just what I need, a fun marathon! I'll run in the back of the pack and just enjoy the day. Now, I have to get serious about dropping a couple of pounds and getting back into marathon running shape! OBX here we come!

Umstead 2010!

I can't believe I did it, but I signed Frank and I up for the Umstead 100 mile trail run in March 2010. I thought one was going to be enough but it seemed like we had to do one more. Let the games begin!

Tubing?

 
Here's a pic of Frank and I tubing! We went to a get together at Marie's house again this year and decided to try tubing. Last year we were afraid of injuring our old bones! It was really fun even though we both got thrown off after we told them it was okay to speed-up a little! Be care of what you ask for!

Ella discovers the magic light

 
Here's Ella discoving that the light will go on and off with the press of a button and was very proud of herself! The amazement of a child.

August get together

 
Here's the latest pic of Ella and us. I must be shrinking!.

Quick thoughts

Here's a pic of the now one year old Zella! She is a real cutey with the BLUEST eyes. I like to think this is a picture of her talking with her grandmom!

It seems I never have time to work on my blog. Between trying to get my workouts in, work and the running club, golfing, there is just not enough time. I tried to run for the first time today since the Meldown 50K (a 30K for me) and I'm still very sore from the chafing and decided to not make it worse and went home after 2 miles. I did manage to get a weight training in so that was good. It's been a while since I've even thought about that and boy, did I feel it today. I've lost quite a bit of strength but hopefully will be back up to speed in no time. I feel so fat and flabby that I am really motivated to get back into my routine workouts. I plan to swim after work tonight.

I bought the IPOD Touch after a couple of my friends commented on the weight loss applications that they have used to lose weight. I love my gadgets and so far so good. It definitely makes you think twice before absently eating. I've been pretty good about logging my food and it's amazing just how little 1200 calories really is. Who knew? Well, I guess I did but I didn't want to believe it! Anyway, I'm really expecting to succeed this time.

It's been so hot and humid here and I'm really getting tired of it. Trying to run in this oppressive heat is impossible. Hopefully the worst is almost over.

Well, I guess that's a wrap as I have a list of things to do before work and I always end up having to rush. Gotta Run!

Our new deck

Here's a pic of our new deck. It's great to be able to sit outside and relax. I love it!

One of these days, I'll get back to by blog. It just seems that there's never enough time. I've been really busy with working out and working. I'm feeling great and have had much more energy so my running is increasing and improving. I've also started a women's bike group and we meet on Fridays to bike about 25 miles. I've also put together a small group of women for a Wednesday morning run. It's great to find so many like minded women. I'll blog more about them soon. For now,it's off to bed as I have to get up around 5:30 to meet to run at 7:00 to try to beat the heat. It's been extremely hot and humid lately!

Red Sleigh 60K Bike Ride

 
Here's a pic of Frank and me after finishing the 60K bike ride. It was a VERY hilly and challenging ride but beautiful and well run. Very little traffic so we were able to feel pretty comfortable. It was actually a race with chips so there were a lot of really serious riders. The winner of the 100K finished at the same time we finished the 60K. Go figure. Oh well, I suppose they weren't senior citizens. All in all a great ride and we both would go back again next year. It was Frank's first time on the bike this year, so he was very pleased to go out and ride 37 hilly miles. Age is just a number, right?

Fathers Day with Ella

 

What do you think she's up to?

Father's Day

 

Colleen and Erin came down to visit for Father's Day. Little Ella is really getting big and very inquisitive. She loves Chico but he always stays one step ahead of her and tries to hide from her tender touch. Too bad cause Ella really loves him!

Ada in wonderland

 
 
 
 

Time to reflect

It's been awhile since I've posted much that's going on so I'll try to catch up. I'm still struggling with getting back in the game but am feeling better now that I'm working less days. I'm down to 3 days a week and it's such a relief, physically and mentally. Now I just have to get my workout schedule in order. It seems that my days off from work coincide with my days off from working out which is kind of dumb. I need to work on that. I've pretty much decided to try to run another marathon this fall but am not all that excited about it. I'm still torn and prefer running the trails. I guess I'll just train for a marathon and see what happens. It's been so hot here that it's making running tough but I suppose that is what makes runners tough. We ran 8 miles yesterday and it was brutal, very hot and humid. We have met some great people to run with and hopefully I'll improve as a result.
I'm reading the book Born to Run for inspiration. It's a very interesting book because I am so familiar with many of the people in it and it gives a lot of history to ultra distance running. It certainly is making me want to get out and run on the trails. We're going to do the Sweaty Butt 50K on July 4. Well Frank is, I'm only going to run two loops (hopefully I'll run two loops) for about 20 miles. That'll be the farthest I've run in a long time. It should be fun as it is a Fat Ass so no pressure. Elsa and Joe are going to do it as well. They've never been to Umstead so I'm looking forward to showing them around.
Looks like our next big race will be a 10 miler in Wilmington NC. We've been wanting to get to the beach for awhile so this is a great opportunity. The race is Saturday evening at 6:00 so we'll have all day to hang out and then there's a party after the race so that'll be fun as well. That is July 18 so I've got a month to get ready. We don't have anything picked out yet for August but in September we plan on doing Hinson Lake 24 hour run. Hopefully it'll be our comeback race with the Mangum group.
Tomorrow we go to the township to discuss our deck addition. They told us it would only take about 10 minutes so it sounds easy enough. I'm really looking forward to have the deck completed. We'll be able to eat out there and even get a little sun. I need my vitamin D.
I bought some new massage training dvd's so I'd better get watching them. I'm hoping that they'll help save my hands and arms.
I also wanted to add another picture that Tate sent me of Adalyn and me. He takes such great pictures. This pic was another one in the Cleveland Garden.

Gotta Run!

Back from Ohio

We just got back from a weekend trip to Ohio to see the grandbabies. (and Tate and Julie!) They are gettting so big, the babies, not Tate and Julie. Anyway, I'm still recovering from the trip and hope to run in the morning and start getting back into some kind of shape. Now that I've cut my days at work, I have no more excuses!

What next?

Well, I've managed to cut my days to only working Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Hopefully that will help restore my energy as well as my hands. I went to the doctor and he did more blood test but we both agree that my lack of energy is most likely from overdoing it at work. I go back to work tomorrow and have a full day so that will be a test.
Running is still not going great for me although I sometimes have a good day (or should I say a not too bad day) and at least it keeps me from totally giving up. Tomorrow I plan on running on the treadmill and then taking a spinning class. I'm hoping that it will be good to mix it up a bit. I have found that swimming really feels good after a long day of giving massages so I try to do that after work as often as I can and I really enjoy it.
We've decided to expand our deck a little so that we can actually sit out there and get some sun. I can't believe what this township requires in order to "expand" a deck. We're probably adding about 100 square feet so it's not a big deal but it still requires the same thing as if we were building a house! Crazy. Anyway, I hope it's worth it. I spent several hours this afternoon trying to find the info they need. I hate paperwork.
We're going to Cleveland to visit Tate and his family this weekend so that should be fun. I'm looking forward to seeing the kids. I'm sure I'll be amazed at how much they've grown. I wish we could see them more often but we just have to make the most of it when we can.
Frank and I actually signed up for golf lessons and I'm really looking forward to it. It's a 5 week golf school and a friend is going to do it as well. I think it will be fun to putt around a little and hopefully it'll be a social outing as well. It seems the only people we meet are the ones we've met from running which is great but for the most part, they are acquaintances. It'll be good to have another interest other than running as well. Who knows we might even like it!

Happy Birthday to me!

I can't believe that it's been over a month since I've posted. I am definately too busy and have to work on changing that. Today was my birthday and I had to work. I'm starting to get pain in my elbows, arms and hands so that is not good. I'm going to tell my boss I have to cutback or I'll end up not being able to work at all. I've been working 5 and sometimes 6 days a week, putting in over 30 hours and it's just too much. Now that the weather is warming up and summer is here, I definately want to have more free time and hopefully will be able to work that out. I like having a little extra money so I'm not ready to stop work yet but we'll see what happens.
I'm still struggling with my running and working out but am now convinced that probably the biggest handicap I have is that I work too much and am just exhausted much of the time. Noticing a trend here? Looks like something has to give. soon!
Well, it's almost 10:00 PM so I'd better get ready for bed. I want to get a run in in the morning and then I have an appointment at the eye doctors to check out my glasses. I got new glasses in March and I don't think the lens is right so I want them to be rechecked.
Friday I'm going to our doctor about my hand, wrist arm, elbow shoulder etc. I hope he has some words of wisdom. I'm also going to go to an acupuncturist next week for treatments as well and am really excited about that.

Back in the running!

Well, I got through the Owls Roost Half Marathon and after a rocky start with dead legs I was very pleased with the outcome. I started in the back with Irene and started to jog as I began to warm up so I was last from the get go. My chest burning was minimal so that was a pleasant surprise. I started passing people around 3 or 4 miles and started feeling better about my steady pace although my legs were still tired from Thursdays workout and I had my doubts about finishing. I started to count the runners I passed for awhile but lost count. I realized that I'd be able to figure it out by looking at the results to determine how many people ended up finishing behind me. I ended up passing about 28 people so that made me feel great. I was third in my age which I didn't expect but I was happy with that has well. Now I'm excited to do more races and get my endurance back. We've signed up to do a 15K this weekend in Chapel Hill and it looks like a lot of fun. Another single trail event and not too long a distance so it'll be a good training run. Maybe we'll make a comeback after all.
Work has slowed down and I'm only going to end up with 2 clients today which is fine. Kind of nice to have a break actually. I do plan on swimming after I'm done which will be around 7:00. I'm finding I really like winding down after work and it's a great time as the pool is pretty quite by then.
Chico goes to the vet tomorrow to have his teeth cleaned. That always makes me nervous but the vet came highly recommended so I feel as confident as I can feel I suppose.
Well, better get ready for work and play. Lots to pack for the spa plus the gym!
Out!

Owls Roost Rumble

Well, we're off to do the Owl's Roost Rumble 1/2 Marathon. It's in Greensboro about 2 hours from here and it's going to be about 89 degrees so it'll be HOT!!!! Oh well, it'll be a nice day in the woods. I ran about 8 miles yesterday after a leg workout with my trainer. Probably not the smartest workout right before doing a half marathon that you're not up for, but what the heck, who ever said I was all that smart. At least I have a ton of excuses for a very slow run!!!!! It's a good think I'm not too competitive and am not too concerned about my time.
Sunday is the Striders picnic and it's going to be about 88 degrees! A good day to stand around and chat rather than running! I'm hoping to get on my bike Sunday afternoon and for good measure, maybe just in the pool for a cooldown swim!
I've been swimming after work at night and I'm really enjoying it. Once I take the initial plunge I'm always glad I did it but it's tough to make myself get wet. I'm hoping that an evening workout will become a habit and eventually may be able to do something other than swimming but if not, swimming is a great workout.
Well, better get ready for the drive. It'll be great because we'll be able to do a little shopping. Target and Costco! Who could want for more. Who ever thought a trip to Target would be fun!!!!! Well, it is!
Say some prayers for us this weekend as neither Frank nor I are in "racing" shape! I'm mosting hoping not to fall. Ever since I broke my pinky, I'm a little nervous!
Better go!
Out!

Out of my funk!

Today is April 1 and I'm finally out of my funk. Whew! I was just really not doing well. Part of it was probably that I'm so exhausted from working so much and I think I've solved much of that problem. I had been extending my hours and it was just too much. Also, I wasn't running until 9:00 most days and it was just too late as I couldn't get anything else done. So, I'm running at 8:00 and working out with a personal trainer a couple days a week. I felt a lot stronger this morning on my run and am finally making progress. I think the Cross-fit Training will really help with my cardio as well as strength. We're starting to think about running again and have signed up for at least one trail run. We're going to do a half-marathon trail event in Greensboro where they hold the 40 miler in the fall. It's a good way to make a return to the trails. It's on April 25. In May we're doing a 15K in Asheville on the Biltmore Estates. It's supposed to be beautiful although I'm actually a little sorry that we signed up to do it as there are some other events that might be better for us to do. The Biltmore race is on the roads but it's only a 15K so hopefully it won't be too bad.
Tomorrow is the running club meeting and hopefully that will go well. I've got a good agenda and we have a guest speaker coming to talk about feet! Hopefully it will be interesting.
Not too much going on and it's almost time for American Idol so I'd better get ready! Who will get the boot tonight? I hope it's Megan but she seems to skate every week!
Gotta Run!

Where do I begin?

It's been so long since my last post I'm not sure I even remember how to post. I"ll give it a go although it may be a short one. Let's see, what has been going on. Running has been so so and not much progress. It's really discouraging but it is what it is, I suppose. I am planning on working with a coach/personal trainer so hopefully that will get me back on track. The plan is to do more cross-training and mix up the intensity. I"m hoping to pay her in trades! Wouldn't that be cool? I just got back from a few days in Florida visiting with Tate and his family. It was really fun to spend time with them and to really get to know Zella. She is so cute and what a good baby. (except that she doesn't like to sleep through the night) She is very smiley and inter-active. She was always trying to figure out what I was doing and then copy me. Very cute. She's about ready to crawl and then watch out! Ada really loves her little sister and it's fun to watch them interact. Ada is really smart and had a great time in Florida. She's very excited about turning 4 next month. Hard to believe it's been 4 years.
Work has been really busy and actually kind of stressful which I didn't expect in a spa environment but when you have a bunch of women, stress will appear. Kind of funny actually.
Let's see, looks like Frank will be working for a couple of months for the censious bureau so that will be interesting. Looks like we'll be bringing in the dough for a few weeks anyway. It's been so depresssing watching out retirement money dwindle to half of what it used to be. Hopefully, it will recover before we really need it although it seems unlikely.
Today, I've been doing research on continuing ed classes for my NC license. It's so crazy here but if I want to keep working, it's what I have to do. So many classes, so little time. I'm debating between reflexology and a deep tissue techniques. I want both but it's a fortune to take classes cause they're so far away and require staying in a hotel etc.
I'm still getting used to my new computer and haven't completely transitioned. My old computer still holds some info that I need to get moved to the new ones. Such as Itunes. I need to get it transferred so I can download new music!
Here's a picture of Ada and Zella during vacation. How cute are they.
I'll work on posting more frequently but this working 5 to 6 hours a day, sure cuts into my day!
Happy Trails!

Catch Up time

Things are starting to get back to normal. I'm back to work, survived my first club meeting as well as the Myrtle Beach 1/2 Marathon! Whew! The meeting was well attended, about 25 members so that was a record I think. That followed with a great turn-out for the Saturday group run. We are definitely making a lot of headway in encouraging all level of runners to come out. Work is going okay and fortunately it's not really too busy right now so I haven't had to do too many back to back (no pun intended) massages. My pinky is still tender but everyday it gets better. The Half Marathon was a struggle and I certainly learned that I'm not in all that great shape. I still have a tendency to think that going out to run 15, 20 or even 30 miles is no big deal but it is when you haven't done it for a long time. I'm having difficulty figuring out where to focus. I'd like to get a little faster, thus run some road races and do speed work but then I think about how much I enjoy trail running and long days spent in the woods and think I should just do that. I'm sure that there is a way to have the best of both worlds and I just need to work that out. Lots of possible races on my races for 2009 but none have really grabbed me as THE ONE to focus on for a good race. I'm signed up to do the Umstead Trail Marathon on March 7 and am certainly not ready to run a marathon, especially that one. I think I will still do it but find a way to turn it into a 20 miler or something. There is a 6 hour cutoff and to be honest I'm not sure I could do 26.2 in under 6! It'll just be another "training run"!
I'm also wanting to get in really good (at least good for a 58 year old) and I know I need to do resistance training for that. I've decided to try P90X which is an extreme workout training that's claim to fame is "muscle confusion". I've started doing it and am enjoying it. It does mix everything up. The thing I'm not clear about is how to fit running and other workouts in. I'll just play it by ear I guess. Today I did Plymetrics and then arms and shoulders and felt great although I didn't get a run in. Tomorrow I will run and do the P90X Yoga!

I started a swim class last night and i think it will be fun. A couple of the Striders are in the class. I didn't know that anyone I knew was signed up but it was nice to see a couple of familiar faces. Hopefully it'll get me ready for the Woodlake Tri in May! It's such a close-knit community here that you can't really go anywhere or do anything without seeing someone you know. I really love that about this area. It feels so friendly and welcoming although most are must acquaintances.

I've got to get back to working on the club stuff. I have to write up the minutes from the meeting as well as order the new shirts. Once that is done, I need to schedule an officers meetings and get ready for the next club meeting. That will be here before we know it. I haven't firmed up a guest speaker yet but have a couple of suggestions. I also think I'll start a blog for the club. I think it will be a lot easier that to constantly send emails to the webmaster to update the website and also a lot more user friendly that a newsletter. That reminds be, I also need to remove non-paid members from our Yahoo group. Power!

Gotta Run!

Another setback

Geez, it's been almost a year since I've been painfree/injury-free! What is going on? I haven't even writen about my broken pinky and now I broke (well, okay injured my back!) First things first, I broke and dislocated my pinky and sprained the ring finger of my right hand. Being a massage therapist, this was not a good thing although two weeks of an unscheduled vacation was not all bad. At least I could continue to run run but spinning, yoga and weights were pretty much out of the question. I'm planning on going back to work next Monday and my finger is much better although still pretty stiff. So, I've been running and yesterday decided to take a day off from running (it snowed again) and resume my weight training. I even lowered my weights figuring I had lost some strength but managed to pull something in my back and bamm I was done! I could barely walk and it's still pretty sore. I went to the chiro today and apparantly strained my lower back muscles and it will take up to a week to heal. Problem is I don't really have a week so I'm hoping to get a long slow run in Sunday. We'll see. The Myrtle Beach Half Marathon is the following week and I'd like to at least have a respectable time and more important, is the Umstead Trail Marathon coming up on March 7 that Elsa decided to run with me. Now the pressure is on to do that one. Frank won't be doing it as he's still having problems but it just didn't dawn on me that perhaps I should pass on it as well as I haven't been training and it's hilly and was the beginning of my hamstring problems last year. Do we runners ever learn? Elsa and I have vowed to run/walk it as a training run but Elsa just qualified for Boston at the Disney Marathon so she's faster and in better shape than I. Oh well, I hope she is serious about run/walking the race and just having fun. We'll see.
I've been running a lot more lately (well until my recent setback) with a women Ellen that I met and Elsa so it's been really fun. We're all in our 50s so have really bonded. I was beginning to feel either younger or older than most that I met and hadn't met anyone that I could run with and now I've met two people! We meet at 9:00 and run 6 almost daily so it's very cool and I relly look forward to it!
Tonight is the running club meeting, the first one that I will be chairing. I've been working really hard and think it should go well. I have lots of ideas for 2009 and most will be thrilled but the core group may not be as thrilled as I'm not so sure that they want to the club to grow. They're pretty happy with the click that they're established. I guess we'll just be a club of various clicks! Probably based on pace!
I've spent a lot of time recreating the website and I'm very happy with it although I'm sure we'll be making changes throughout the year. Check it out. www.sandhillsstriders.org.
Looks like we're going to go to Florida in March to hook up with Tate and his family. He'll be much better than going to Ohio! It'll be even warmer than here although it isn't too bad here. Much better than the NE.
Better get ready for the meeting! Wish me luck!!!!:)

 

 

My second job!

Now that I've started working and taken over the running club, it's like I have 2 jobs! I'm so busy trying to get all of the club info transitioned to the new officers as well as update the website to a more user friendly version. I just finished a revision to the first two pages of the website and once that is done, I'll work on revising the Activities Page to include upcoming races and I also want to add a page for race results. I'm not sure how happy the webmaster will be. Time will tell.
We had a couple (about 4 actually) inches of snow this morning. Everything came to a standstill, even us! I'm attaching some pics to show just how deep it was and also how much fun Chico had. What a winter surprise.
There's still tons to catch up on but for now, I need a break from the keyboard. I've been working on the running club updates for the past 3 hours.

New Year's Resolutions and Goals

It's a little past New Year's but I've finally decided to work on my resolutions and goals for 2009. As most people, my main resolution is to lose weight although I suppose it's actually a goal. My resolution should be that I resolve to get serious about my eating habits and get back to eating more of a healthy and balanced diet. It's so easy to fill up on unhealthy foods and snacks not to mention that it tastes good and makes us feel good at least in the short term. In the long run, it makes us feel bad, physically as well as emotionally, at least it does me. My goal is to remind myself of my commitment to better nutrition and habits before I eat poorly not after. It's very easy to reaffirm after I eat something that is not so good for me. To help me reach my goals, I decided to join the Weight Watchers online again. It seems to be the easiest way to track my foods as well as to encourage some type of obligation to stay on track. It's simple and that's what I need. I had thought of various other tools or programs but decided that for now simple is best. We'll see how it goes.
My goals for 2009 besides losing weight is to get fit, really fit. It seems that with all of the running I do, I don't seem to be all that fit. My goal is to do more cross-training and be more consistent with my weight (resistance) training. I'm even thinking about doing a triathlon this spring to mix it up. I'm in the process of developing my "race" plans) but have not completed it yet but it looks like I may actually attempt a road marathon this year! What? Say it's not true. Yes, it seems that I may need some "shorter" distance events ( I can't believe that I think of a marathon as a shorter distance) to help me get back some of the "speed" and fitness level that I enjoyed pre-ultras. I(hey everthing is relative!) do plan on continuing with ultras but they will take a back seat and if I do them they will be shorter ones (50K tops) and they will be to develop my endurance and leg strength. I will be posting my 2009 list of races that I plan to do as soon as I've had a chance to do a little more research into what fits into our schedule. Currently I'm planning on running the Uhwarrie 20 mile trail run on Feb 7 and then the Myrtle Beach Half Marathon on Feb 14 and after that the Umstead Trail Marathon on March 7. Gee, I didn't realize that I had such a demanding schedule. So much for cross-training. Just kidding, I do plan on lots of cross-training even it's just WII training! (if we can ever get the WII Fit) My cross-training plan includes lots of spinning and swimming as well as the running. I'm hoping that work at the spa will slowdown a little so that I won't be too tired for a second workout of the day after I finish work. I've been trying to do that and so far the only success I had was to sit in the jacuzzi after work! How about a swim first??? I'm trying and my intention is there. Now it's just the follow through. Okay, I've spent the last 60 minutes signing up for WW and now posting my intentions so I'd best be off and get my resistance training in before I run out of time.

I am scheduled for a bone density test this afternoon so I want to get my resistance training and a spin class in before the test. I'm not scheduled with any clients this afternoon so it may be an easy day. We can hope but I'll be surprised if it stays that way.
Happy New Year.