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!