2006...The Year of Too Many Miles

2006-10-03T06:05:00.000-07:00

Monday really isn't so bad

2006-10-02T18:36:00.000-07:00

The week and month is off to a WONDERFUL start!

I ran 20 miles yesterday in Mboro, 12 with Dee Anna, at a 10:18 pace and felt pretty darn incredible. The last two were hard, but I am feeling ready for Detroit on 10/29/06...my sixth marathon in my hometown to boot!

After the run, I went to Joe's and spent time with him and the girls. We ate dinner and watched TV. I crashed about 10pm after watching Trace Adkins complain about how he is not happy in life. Whatever dude! That night, I had wild dreams - dreams about being in Washington DC and interviewing for Accounting jobs, being late for interviews and having to put up with 20 somethings fresh out of college. Ugh...thank GOD it was a dream. When I awoke, I felt like I'd been up all night. Even after 3 big cups of super strong espresso...I was in 5 mph pace all day.

Joe, Anna, Gracie and I went on an adventure today. To Shelbyville Trout Farm - which was closed on Mondays when we got there (!) and to see Mrs. Keisling in Tullahoma. I opted to Walmart rather than meet the fam. We headed back to Mboro and had a big lunch at O'Charley's and then I headed to Providence Place for some good shopping.

Got home to a great message that my payout might be coming this week. Hip hip Hooray! And that the lease security deposit was a TON more than I had expected...even better news - since I have some nice, expensive lawyers to pay.

Dee Anna didn't get to shop with me - a real downer. Mom Wolfe is really sick post chemotherapy. Dee is pretty worried about her and spent the night there tonight. I'll run with Dee on Friday so hopefully Mrs. W will be on the upswing later in the week.

Tuesday - nothing big planned...
Sleep in
Run (don't know how many miles yet)
Lift weights
Hot Yoga
Hopefully meet Lawyer and close the sale
....if all this happens, good bottle of champagne waiting for me!!!

One weekend and less than 30 days

2006-10-01T08:50:00.000-07:00

I finally had a weekend with Joe - I cannot remember the last time we had a weekend together. It has been AT LEAST a year. We started the week off wonderfully - he got back from check ride training on Monday, so I snuck over and spent the night with him. Tuesday, I had my own day to do stuff - so I worked in the yard until I had blisters on my hands! The yard still has a long way to go....

Thursday, we went to Joe's Dale Hollow cabin, goofed around and did really just nothing. I went to Crossville to visit my friend Amanda and her sweet baby twins, Carrie and Rachel. We had a great visit, I stopped at Russell Stover before and got us chocolate too! Carrie and Rachel were premmies but are now 2 months old and 9# each. I love visiting babies just don't ever see myself having any. Amanda and Brad are real wizards in life - they saved up for 3 years and have 16 weeks of paid leave off to spend with their girls! Smart friends!! On the way home, I stopped at an antique shop and purchased cookie cutters for the holidays - a plane, a catchers mitt, a dragonfly and a ballerina. Figured Joe and the girls would have fun making cookies when the weather turns to cold soon.

Friday, Joe and I got up early at the cabin and ran 4 miles. It was 40 degrees!! LOVE IT!! I am finally getting back into shape. Each run shows my heart rate a little lower and the effort becoming easier. 30 days until Detroit Marathon...yikes!

Saturday was the big 15k race at Shelby Bottoms. I missed Dee Anna so I didn't get a big warm up in. Started with Chick (John Ciciatelli) and we decided to run 9's. At mile 4 couldn't stand being passed by some other runners, so I took off. Good effort, though miles 8, 9 were a hard effort. I should've backed off early on. Finished 1:20:22 which is a 45 second PR. I'll take it considering I've not been training! Made for 6th in my age group and only a minute behind Dee Anna. Saturday evening, Joe and I made it to Christemberfest. The ever popular Oktoberfest in September at the home of Mark Miller. We "sampled" 5 different beers, met with friends and had a great time. Stumbled home around 1130pm that night and crashed!

Today, is the big test of running. 21 miles at 2pm on the Murfreesboro Greenway...ugh. I am so dreading it. I have no idea what I'll run in Detroit. But I've planned, Detroit, Huntsville, Austin, Atlanta and Nashville or Cincinnati. The plan is 5 marathons between now and April 2007. This way, I'll be 38 almost 39 with 10 under my belt. Hopefully, I won't break between now and then.

More on the week later - gotta get ready for the drive to Murfreesboro for that big awful run!

Two Months...MIA!

2006-09-18T18:33:00.000-07:00

Officially at midnight, September 18, 2006, marks me being absent from blogging two FULL months! Unbelievable...no, believable! I have once again checked out on life.

So much has happened in those two months. I have grown as a person and completed a lot of soul searching. What many thought I was, was not at all. I am ready for a new adventure - but still have many things to sort out.

The Fleet Feet saga of the summer . I went to the conference in Hilton Head and roomed with my nemisis, future Murfreesboro owner. It was pure hell. She made me nuts. She was so happy go lucky, so wealthy, so easy to get in the system...it pissed me off. I fought with Inc. the entire time and had a pretty awful week at the beach. The last day, I had a meeting with the President and was intercepted by the Franchise Development Manager. At that point, we had an arguing match in the hallway, I threw my hands up, went to my room, packed and left for Nashville. The trip to Hilton Head sealed my fate. I was done with the organization and their backhandedness. It was all a load of crap!

The weeks ahead - I made it somehow through most of July. Had an incredible birthday, 38th on July 25. I cannot believe I am 38!!! I don't feel responsible enough to be that old!! Maybe when I'm 50, I'll really grow up?? Doubt it. Joe was extra good to me this year, took me to the lake and bought me some very thoughtful gifts. We had a great time. On my return, Inc. came to see me again and coerced me to talk to the President about selling. So, it was a wash. On July 28th, I signed the deal to sell my store to the President and his "partner" (in crime, yep).

It is now the evening of September 17, 2006 and the store sale still has not closed. Does not surprise me. That company is a complete nightmare. The have their heads up their rear ends. I swear! So, we've escrowed to pay the bills and here I sit almost one month in on my sabbatical waiting for my windfall so I can have some fun. Once again the dumbasses ruin my time. I'll be so glad when I'm finally done with them. IF I ever say anything about being involved with them again, please someone be my friend and kick me hard!

On a personal note, my brother and I moved my Mom this past weekend from Detroit to Charlotte, NC. She left her husband of 14yrs. Yahooeee!! Free at last, free at last. It was an ugly move - but a necessary one. On a positive note, I had the chance to stay with my friends, Lorie, Trevor, Lyndsey and Tanner Sawgle. I never get enough time with them. I love them a lot and wish we were closer. Lyndsey is a real sweetheart and so wonderful for 16yrs old. She and I stayed up talking after the parents went to bed. I'd love to have a 16yr old to spend time with....

I've been job hunting a little bit but not too hard. I figure once October comes, I can hit it hard. Not sure what I want to do yet, well...right now the neighbors dog is having a bark fest - so I would like to go shut him up...but job wise, not too sure! And not too worried about it right now.

Joe and I have been doing well. As any relationship is, there are some really great days and some days to work on. He plans to sell his home of 17yrs to his ex wife, Mimi aka psycho bitch. He is having a garage and addition put on his cabin at Dale Hollow right now. He plans to move everything there. He wants to live with me, but he has small children, and we've done that before...not doing it again. So, if we're to be husband and wife, he'll make it happen. We're now approaching yr 2 of our relationship. It's hard to say what will happen. I do know he's really great, just always wish he was in town more. It's real hard being solo on the weekends and juggling time between the kids. Guess I am tolerant of being a part time girlfriend right now, cause that's all he has to offer.

Running has totally turned to crap. During my transition to being unemployed, I ran very little. Drank lots of beer and ate really bad. That led to my nice fat belly. Not that I've gained any weight, I am just more saggy and dough like than I've ever been. It's pretty pathetic. So, I started off Sunday with running 15 miles - mainly a shuffle. Detroit Marathon is just weeks away and there is no way in hell I'll run 3:45 this year...not with the pounds I'm packing. But, hopefully with the stress of my Mom off my shoulders and the ever pending store sale, I can get back at it. I did pretty good today - can always do better though!

My goal is 12 weeks from now to be 20 pounds lighter. We shall see. I'm at 139.4 right now...ugh. Hard to write it. Maybe if I write it, seeing it in print will get me motivated!

Well, I'm back to life. Sorry for checking out. The last two months have nearly been the death of me. I'm feeling better mentally, got back with my friends and things are on the upswing. Hopefully nothing will happen to make me sad or upset or to feel the need to crawl under the rug again.

Growing up and having fun!

2006-06-18T15:49:00.000-07:00

Well, the weekend is over - boy was it a GOOD one! I ran the Moon Pie 10 miler in Bell Buckle on Saturday and it was a complete blast. Saw so many good friends...and remembered how fortunate and blessed I am to have so much. The race was HOT but I faired well. Coach Keith said hold 9:30's but I was able to hold 8:30's except for 4 mile hill. I finished 1:27:23 - only less than a minute off last year's time. The fact that I had a coach from November 04 to June 05 and felt like crap last year amazes me. This year, I walked away stronger than I've been in years. Guess Coach deserves a raise??

Father's Day was not the same this year, as I have put the relationship in my Father's hands. We had a disagreement about my Grandpa, "Gpa," dying a few weeks ago. Gpa was an alcoholic and Dad put him in a home. Gpa went cold turkey on the drinking, ended up in a coma and died they day he labeled DNR. I was not told until the day he died...actually 1 hr from when he died. I never got to say goodbye. I will forgive my Father for this, yet I am very hurt. Gpa and I had a special bond. We always forgave our faults and have full life together. So, I have not heard from my Father since before Memorial weekend...and I probably won't...ever. Very unfortunate.

On a happier! More lively note! I am soon to be a homeowner!! I found a 1930's Bungalow in East Nashville today. I went to the open house and there was one of my best customers from my store. OMG!! So, I asked them, no matter what happens today...let's still always be buddies. We chatted for a while and then I checked out the place room by room. It is for sure the home I've been searching for (after looking at 30 some houses!)...hot tub, deck, big shaded yard, 2 blocks from the Family Wash (my favorite local pub), in the heart of "transition" as I like to call it. East Nashville seems to be where us young at heart singles live in "transition"...until we decide to really grow up and be serious. NEVER...I refuse! ha ha I cannot wait...to have my own cool little place again.

Scares the crap out of me though, knowing if something falls apart, I'm learning to fix it...ugh.

Liam - check ...got the house, plan the trip! Bring friends...(but not too many...I only have 2 spare bedrooms!) Cannot WAIT!

Thoughts on the weekend

2006-06-15T03:17:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm heading out for 8 miles this morning. So many miles! Just 2 days ago I completed a 10 mile fartlek run and Saturday I have a 10 mile race (with 4 more miles added to that.) You'd think with all these miles, I'd be rail thin. Unfortunately, I've been given my license to eat...and the pounds have been adding up. On Tuesday, I made a decision to count calories. So, after much research, I figured out I would eat 1300 calories a day plus whatever I burned with exercise. And...TA DA...I'm down 2 pounds since Tuesday. We'll see how long this lasts!

I'm trying to decide if I really have a bad case of allergies of if my immunities are down from the mega miles. I don't feel bad - just have this irritating runny nose!! Errr!! Saturday, is the official Bell Buckle Moon Pie 10 Miler in Bell Buckle, TN. This will be my 6th race. Last year I set a new PR of 1:26. This year, ??? who knows...lately I'm all over the board. Dee Anna is tanning her behind in Florida right now...so I have to find someone new to challenge me. Should be a fun time though!

Got a new do yesterday! I went to a new "salon" instead of my usual $5.00 haircut. It's nothing huge, but a nice even cut with a few more blonde highlights. But, no more ponytail...that got the chop! I have what I call "cat hair." Fine, thin and willing to clump at any time.

Well, I have a lot to say today...but the coffee and the road is calling me.!!!

The never ending attempt at Boston

2006-06-12T18:14:00.000-07:00

In early 2006, Dee Anna and I decided to start running together again. We figured since our PR's are so close why not? We started training for CMM full - and I backed out. Excuse after excuse, I ran only the 1/2 on CMM day. Shortly after CMM, we made a new pact - to train for Boston.

So, we hired UT star Keith Kimmons to coach us. The coaching and base training started in May with a "tune up" race at Strawberry Stride 5k. Keeping Dee Anna in sight, I finished 24:54, 5th place. I guess the race crew felt sorry for me, they even took my picture and presented me with a coffee mug and pint of strawberries. Later, I was deleted from the race results. Best laugh I've had yet! Well, it's somewhere to start...I guess.

Next up, another "tune up" race in May at Cotton Row 10k. Keith gave Dee Anna and I separate goals. We're good friends and so competitive. We ditched each other at the porta potties. This being my 4th Cotton Row, I expected it to be a decent one. I finished 54:22, just 2 seconds slower than my first ever Cotton Row in 2003 and over 1.5 minutes slower than last year. Boy, do I have a lot of work to do!

So, now the pressure is on. June is when the work starts. Last week I logged 40 miles with one 10 mile "tempo" run at what was supposed to be 8:30 miles. I could hold that 8:30 pace just ONE mile. Back to the drawing board, Coach Keith. And a 13 mile run on spent legs this past Sunday. Nobody ever said a Boston Qualifier was going to be easy!