Last Tuesday Night Track Workout

Last night was the last Tuesday night track workout before the big day. The goal was to run our marathon pace...

Well, I've had questions about that...What is my marathon pace? I think I am always running my marathon pace...

But some serious running talk here (if I may). If I were to go by my 10K and 15K times, (10:44 and 10:56), I think that means I would be running 11 minute miles... but somehow that seems unrealistically fast. I have the 5:10 wrist-band (estimated 11:49 miles), and I will say that running an 11 minute mile last night at the track felt awfully slow, but what I know to be true is that NONE of the long runs have been that fast. Maybe I'm going out too fast (and you all know how slowly I tend to start. I'm not a rabbit like Alberta and Edith are).

So, I'm starting to get some running jitters...and we all know what I do when I'm nervous. I SHOP!

It all started when my new sunglasses broke...the noseguard on the right side fell off. Can you see how its missing in the photos? Well, I don't know if you can tell from these fabulous photos I took, but the glasses are now uncomfortable and worthless...That's what I get for buying expensive RayBan sunglasses. But I'm irritated because the darn things only lasted 3 MONTHS. (I know, I know, I go through sunglasses like they're toilet paper).

I thought I was in luck because I purchased them at Costco, (and I thought Costco took back EVERYTHING) but the guy at the optical dept said that Costco doesn't deal with the warranty on glasses, but that RayBans have a 12 month warranty from the manufacturer, so he suggested that I should go to the website and try to get them fixed or replaced that way.

But here's the deal. Yes, RayBan will honor the warranty on the glasses, BUT I have to send them (insured) to New York AND pay a $12.50 (non-refundable) "handling" fee...to me that's going to be about $20.00, just to send them to be looked at.

I think I'll be going back to Costco with this info...

In the meantime, I've had my eye on these really cool Oakleys...whatdaya think???

In the meantime, I did need/want a new watch...so since I was in Costco, I looked through the watch section, and low and behold...they have a Timex Ironman watch that doubles as an iPod controller for $40.00.

So, guess which essential piece of running gear I now own? Ooooohhhhh... I ran with it tonight; it works :-) (hooray, .)


So, what I learned last night is that I really need to take it easy for the first 1/2 of the race and that I shouldn't go shopping at Costco when I'm nervous.

But golly an 11 minute mile pace would be nice :-)

Best and Worst...There's One Thing I Won't Miss...

Here's my goal...5:10.

Turbo thinks I should be able to do it...no problema... Of course, his next comment was something like, "That should be easy, can't you run a 10 minute mile mom?"

"Well...yes...the challenge is running 26 of them in a row...so I'll be aiming for 12 minute miles..."

I thought for a little while on Friday, that our last training run would be the perfect bookend to the first in the pouring rain, but the weather held...it alternated between being perfect, or too hot near the smelly marsh on the north side of Crown Point (bacterial decay according to Elsie), or to too cold and windy at Hospitality Point.

Then after the run, BBJ, Mik, Elsie and I took an oath. It went something like...

I, state your name, do solemnly swear (I promise that we all managed to actually state our names, rather than doing the Animal House, "state your name" joke...but only because Paul warned us not to...) ...then we promised to do our best, to have fun, and that we were already winners...something like that...hard to remember because by that point it was incredibly cold and windy and it wasn't much fun standing around in sweaty-wet clothes.

If you weren't there, you should take the oath now...

I got to thinking during this weekend's run about some of my favorite and not so favorite moments in this training season. It was brought on by a herd of 6-minute milers roaring past me about an hour into the hour and a half, out-and-back, taper that we did from Hospitality Point to Crown Point and back...8 miles in an hour and a half...thank you very much....



Anyway, there were Elsie and I, just trucking along after about 5 1/2 miles. I won't speak for Elsie, but I was feeling pretty good...we'd been running more than 5 miles, I was not dying, and I wasn't having any serious conversations with any of my body parts... and then they roar past with such ease (talking and laughing), and I couldn't help but be a little envious because I know that no matter how long I run, or how hard I train, I won't ever run like that, so I found myself thinking...

"Well there's one thing I won't miss"

Which, of course, led me to think about other things that I would and would not miss about training. So, since it's the season of awards, I thought that I'd start our first (and probably only) annual heffer-RnR-training awards (I think we should call them The Mabels). So here are some of my nominations.

Favorite long run

I really liked the two runs in Coronado...even though I got lost once. I also think it was the start of me thinking I could actually run long distances, and one of them included the first interaction with Elvis.

Least favorite long run

My nomination would have to go to Torrey Pines...the heat, the hills, the sand, my shoes...I hated all of it.

Favorite training moment during a long run

On all of the out and back runs, my favorite moments were seeing the rest of the herd whenever we'd turn around. You all kept me going.

I especially wanted to thank BBJ for not passing by me too quickly this weekend. I almost kept up with you for awhile.

Least favorite training moment during a long run

Ah geez...I think the couple of miles going through the awful streets of Leukadia (and taking a wrong turn, and missing a water station) on the train run were the worst for me.

A close second would have to go to all of the times I twisted my ankle running through and around the pot-holes and divots in the street around Marina Village.

Favorite humorous training moment

Golly, there have been so many...was it when Betty had her shorts on backward? or when Elsie yelled out that it was all about the tight ass? Betty's experience with Dear Jesus? BBJ introducing us to the idea of bloody nipples? Mik being smarter than us and running her own course? Edith's new relationship with Purple? Alberta spending her time in bed with the Do it Yourself Network? Me, admitting what I did with the map. There are far too many to chose just one.

Least favorite-non funny training moment.

Of course, there's the woman who was hit by the biker...which was just horrible...but as far as our training goes, all of my least favorite moments were on the Torrey Pines Run...and all of them were tempered by the fact that I saw you all afterward, and then Betty and I got to talk about Bones and Leather Nipples...so it was all better after that.

Favorite blog-story

Many of you have told me that you enjoyed the blog in which I was trying to convince my various body parts to continue running during the 20 mile run. I had a lot of fun writing that blog, but my personal all time favorite is probably the iPhone incident blog...mostly because if not for that incident, I may have never really continued with the blog thing in such earnest.

Least favorite blog-story

Probably all my rants about testing. Yuk...

Favorite training gadget-gear I spent money on.

Golly, there are so many of them, but I think we'd all agree that the Sephora face wipes are THE BEST!

For me, in second place are the injinji toe socks. I know its a weird idea, but I haven't had a single blister since I started using them.

Least Favorite, what-a-waste-of-money, training gadet or gear I spent money on

Gosh, I hate to admit, especially on a blog that Walter reads, that I EVER WASTE MONEY ON ANYTHING...but I ordered the Amphipod Running Pack, because, as you all know I can never have enough pockets, but Betty took one look at it and noted that she thought it looked like it would case some serious chafing...which it did...

OK...so these are my nominations. I'm sure you have yours and I want you to share them as well, including any additional award categories you want. What were your favorite/least favorite things about training since January?

By the way, feel free to share your favorite/least favorites even if you've been training vicariously!

Only five more days folks... I can hardly believe it.

I won't write about it, if you don't...

For the past several months, I have been trying to post a something after Tuesday night's track workout. This week, you'll notice, the Tuesday/Wednesday post is a little late. In truth, I haven't been able to figure out what to write, or even if I did know what to write about, I wasn't sure that I had it in me this week to write anything that would be funny or thoughtful or even slightly entertaining due to the elephant in the room–the topic that I won't write about, but has consumed the majority of my thinking this week, and this has made it difficult to write about anything else... But since the majority of my readership of 12 doesn't want to read about that topic anyway, I won't be writing about IT...and for those (if there are any of those) who don't know what I'm talking about and are saying "huh????", I apologize, except to say that we've had a tough time at school this week due to a colleague's really very bad choice and it's been difficult and horrible to see my closest friends be in pain due to that choice, which has made it difficult to write and that's why I haven't.

But that IS all I'll say about that.

So...what to write about...what to write about... Luckily, I've discovered that in the blogosphere, Thursday is known as "Love Thursday," which I'm sure has all sorts of connotations that we could have fun with, but since I was thinking that I needed something to make us happy, I thought I'd post a couple of pictures from these past 6 months of training that I just LOOOOVVVVVE!

First Day of Training...Do you remember the rain-run (as opposed to the Train Run). Do you remember how difficult it was to run 3 miles that morning?

Not a running photo...but I think a bunch of us know why I took this picture on the long ride to the Reno Airport from Momma's cabin (just too late to get the real road-side action!)

More love from before the SuperRun!

This one just makes me smile cuz Walter and Betty are in it

The scene of the crime...and the blogging catalyst

On a last note... about a week ago, another runner/blogger that I've been reading, who lives in Ottawa and is running her 1st marathon this weekend, wrote about how she's been sort of cranky during her tapering week and I'm wondering if any of you have been feeling rather cranky this week...oh wait, maybe we can't attribute our crankiness to the taper...it must be something else.

WE'RE RUNNING ONLY AN HOUR AND A HALF THIS WEEKEND. I do just LOOOOVVVVEEE to say that...

Alice

"In the dark, you could pass for 28!"

Here we are (Mik, Betty, Alberta & yours truly...we missed BBJ, who we think is nursing his tender calf) Don't we look like we've just taken a leisurely 11+ mile stroll around OB & Point Loma?

Yes, it was quite a weekend, quite a weekend...we started tapering, which means race day isn't far off. Have you noticed the counter in the right column. The shirts are ordered...neon lime green for everyone.

This week's route took us through Ocean Beach and Point Loma again, to Shelter Island and back...,

...but this trip revealed no condoms or bongs while running through OB...Maybe I was looking up this time, or perhaps I was looking forward, but for some reason, this weekend I was repeatedly confronted by the past...more specifically with the undeniable truth that time has passed and I've gotten older. (although here is a lovely photo of our back-sides...see we do have tighter asses!)

The first sign of this "passage of time" came during the run through OB...ya see, in my mid 20's and early 30's I used to frequent a fine dive bar called The Catalina Lounge, which is on the corner of Catalina and Voltaire in OB. It is the kind of dive bar that I know many of you would enjoy, and probably some of you have been there...pool tables, cheap beer. There is a sign in the bar that says "No Dancing" and the bartender would actually YELL at us if we looked like we were dancing, but it was sort of a good natured yell. Seems the bar didn't have the kind of liquor license that allowed that sort of thing.

Oh yeah, and they have Goldfish on the bar for a snack...what a great dive bar.

Walter and I have been there a few times, mostly before we had kids. Oh and we would also frequent another dive bar down the street on Voltaire called The Pacific Shores, which (and I kid you not about this) makes you feel like you're under the sea when you're there because the walls are all blue and wavy and the booths are all blue and shaped like clam shells...and I swear you think you are a fish when you're there, even if you haven't been drinking...

Anyway, I used to go to The Catalina Lounge with friends from my misbegotten youth, Dee, Maurice, and mostly Bruce... who introduced me to the place... I'd known Bruce since high school and when I moved to San Diego, Bruce became one of my best friends. I think I just latched onto him whether he wanted me there or not.

Bruce had gotten into UCSD after high school, (I remember being just completely stunned that he got into UCSD, or that he was going to college at all, because I know I spent a TON of time during our senior year in high school, poking him to keep him awake during our government class because he and some of his buddies had gotten high before school and he was ready for a nap by 2nd period government class).

I, on the other hand, was a pretty straight arrow in high school (don't laugh, it's true), and I think Bruce, and his buddies Dominic and Dave sorta adopted me as their sober, non-partying, virgin "pet." They would make jokes about "corrupting" me and all...but they never really made much of an effort toward it. (BTW, that's Dee, Bruce and "Maurice" in the photo. Maurice was my first friend who partied with a pseudonym...that my friends are people who use pseudonyms is a strange theme in my life...Also, this picture was taken the night of my "bachelorette party." Yes, Bruce was at my bachelorette party).

Bruce was the one person who could get me to laugh at myself, and this started to allow me to stop obsessing about what I was or wasn't doing, what I was or wasn't getting, who I was or wasn't being. He'd make fun of me for being what he called "surly" when I wasn't getting my way. He'd listen to my endless rants about how men were so rotten and he'd endure my frequent tirades about why I just couldn't find a man, or a career for that matter, who would appreciate me.

When he met Walter, he just said that it was proof that there was some one in the world for everyone, and then I think he thanked him for marrying me and wished him luck. Anyway, let's just say that Bruce helped me deal with many of the obsessions and neurosis of my young life, and even though we were the same age, in may respects, I thought of him as my big brother.

As I was running on Saturday, and passed the Catalina Lounge, I had to wonder what Bruce would have said about me running a marathon.

First, even though he was pretty unflappable (we used to joke about how nothing ever fazed him), I think he'd be pretty surprised. I was never much into physical fitness in my 20's or 30's (or even teens for that matter). I was definitely more into partying and playing by the time I got to San Diego. In trying to be humorous about my lack of interest in running, I'm pretty sure that I once said something like:

"Do you ever see anyone smile when they're running? No? Well, if I ever see anyone smile and run at the same time, then I might think about doing it."

Yeah, surly... But it does sort of explain my shameless mugging for the camera doesn't it?

See how happy I am here...just to be running past the 90 year old man...

And I do appreciate how you all smile for the cameras as well... It gives me continued motivation to run when I see people smiling while running...

I think Bruce would also have been pretty entertained by this current running obsession I have. I can almost hear him saying something like, "Don't take it all too seriously. You should probably have a beer before you start the race, you'll be more relaxed that way."

Bruce was a genius...

Bruce died about 5 years ago from a brain tumor. One day he was here, then he was gone. He was living on the East Coast when he got diagnosed...and it all happened really quickly. I remember going to the beach in OB one day to gather some sand and ocean water in a jar. I was going to mail it to him so that he'd have a piece of San Diego with him. I remember calling the hospice where he was staying to get the address and the nurse telling me that he'd just passed away earlier that morning...

In any event, running past the Catalina Lounge brought up some memories for me...or at least made me think about the passage of time.

(OK... that was a little depressing...which I didn't mean it to be. I have really excellent memories of Bruce...really, the Catalina Lounge made me think of those memories...really...anyway, I need to change topics now...so watch this clever transition...you'll be impressed, trust me...)

So some of these pictures are from my bachelorette party. Dominic and Bruce were there (as were Dee and Maurice). You know me, Bruce is the one with the silly grin and Dom, he's the one with his eyes closed. I'm sure he's saying something important.....oh yeah, that transition...

THEN on Saturday night, I went to Mona's Bachelorette Party. (Ta Daaaaaa)

It was a lovely affair as you might imagine...a lingerie shower. The BEST gift of the night was from a clever friend (not me) who gave her a before and after gift...for before... sexy lingerie and for after she's been married awhile... an ACDC t-shirt and sweats...

Guess which gift the married women in the room completely coveted...

Anyway, after the gift showering, a bunch of us went to a NIGHTCLUB in PB (SERIOUSLY! I don't own nightclubbing clothes...) called Johnny Vs. Go ahead, check it out...I'll wait....

See what I mean? Turns out it's pretty much your standard PB beach bar...at least that hasn't changed. I think Mona puts it best when she says that jeans and a ho-shirt are appropriate.

Anyway, for those of us who have been around awhile, it's in the place that USED TO BE a club called Manikin (and if you know that place, then you probably also recognized one of the bars that appeared in the Tom Cruise movie Top Gun was the one next to the Red Fox Room in University Heights in the 1980s...), but I digress...

Anyway, Manikin, I mean Johnny V's is across from the restaurant and nightclub that USED TO BE Diegos...and up the street from a place we used to go to for last call called The Old Ox... which was down the street from the PB Cafe all of which was called the PB Bermuda Triangle (you could get lost the whole weekend there) and NONE OF THESE PLACES EXIST ANYMORE.

Not only that...but none of the people in the bar last night (average age 22 I might add) were out of diapers when I was going to those places. Truth be told, I think my mere presence in the bar increased the average age by at least 10 years...and I was making a joke on the way to the club about lying about my age, and a colleague (who hails from So. Dakota, and who did manage to get a group of 20-somethings to do the robot on the dance floor, which was worth the price of my watered down cosmo just to see) ANYWAY, she assured me that in a dark room I could pass for 28!

Thank you very much...

So, lets see, can I pass for 28 (in the dark or otherwise)? ...you be the judge...

I think I'm about 30 in this picture, but SERIOUSLY, just check out the HAIR and the RED LIPS! I'm about 29 in the other picture (because I got married when I was 29...that's how I know...)

So, what's my point here?(and please do make one about running Alice. It's getting late)

Honestly...it took me awhile to ponder this, which is why I'm missing Desperate Housewives to write this at 10:00 on a Sunday night, and this is the conclusion I've come to:

I'm a heck of a lot healthier now than I was at 28.

Lord knows I'm a hell of a lot happier.

Walter still puts up with me.

I have been blessed along the way with lots of good friends who have helped me grow up, who have endured my rants and tirades, and who are willing to not only run with me now, but who will continue to run with me in the future.

In short, I've got a heckuva life!

So even if I can pass for 28 (in the dark or otherwise), I'm pretty darn certain that I wouldn't want to actually BE 28 again...because I know that in less than 2 weeks, I'll be doing something that the 28 year old me wouldn't even have considered.

Thinking about the race plan

We need a plan...And I'm just the person to talk about it (not plan it mind you, just talk and write about it)
First... We've been talking for months about ordering matching shirts for the race and time's running short (have you noticed the counter? We've got about three weeks people.)

I think we should order these Cool-Max T-shirts for the race. They're about $20. Betty and I wore the tank top version for the AFT 1/2 marathon last August. It was unbearably hot that day and the shirt wicked both the sweat and the water I kept dumping over my head at the water stations, AND I was unbelievably comfortable (or as comfortable as one could be when running 13.1 miles in 80 degree August-morning heat).

It comes in both a t-shirt and tank-top style. Betty and I suggest that we get them in LIME GREEN as it will make it REALLY easy for friends and family to spot us in the crowd because we will stand out like 1970's, Wham, Day-glo, lime-green, Popsicles!

It comes in other styles as well (long sleeve for example), but the other styles don't come in FABULOUS LIME GREEN.

We can wear matching headbands as well if you'd like. Really...just to get that 1970's, Wham-look going. It'll be us and ELVIS baby...

Anyway, let me know what you think and I'd be happy to get them ordered (even if you're not running the race, you can chime in your opinion about the shirt selection). I like the lime green, but the NEON YELLOW may also be a good choice. Betty can let us know if there's still time to get something printed on them.

Second... the pre-race meal...what should we eat? I think the plan right now is to have a pot-luck dinner at Mik's.

Betty made some suggestions for the best pre-race meal. She thinks hot wings, two Guinness, some chili fries, and two bowls of ice cream should do the trick. I'm thinking my stomach may not do so well with the chili fries. Maybe we won't let Betty cook for the pre-race meal, but she's welcome to bring the Guinness to the post-race bash at my house.

In all seriousness, what should we eat?

Lastly, I've been thinking about Paul (our coach, who we love and who has made a difference in our lives...and who may have been chastising us last night about our non-stop talking to each other during the warm-up and his announcements, but we were talking, so we couldn't tell for sure), who has reminded us CONSTANTLY that this has been about the journey, not the destination. After dropping Betty off after last night's track workout (6-800's never felt so good!), I was thinking about this journey and how much I've enjoyed all of it and how much I'm going to miss training with all of you (will I miss running more than 14 miles...not so much...).

I will miss running on Saturdays with Betty, and Alberta, and Mik, and BBJ and I will miss Tuesday night track workouts with Elsie and Edith.

Maybe I'm just feeling weepy and sentimental due to the other change in my life*, but I just wanted all of you to know how much I've appreciated running, training, laughing, and eating breakfast with all of you. You are the best.

And to all of you who read the blog (but who don't post). Today is national de-lurking day...please leave a post and let us know what you think of the t-shirt and/or menu plan for the pre-race meal.

Alice

*No...it's not THAT change I'm talking about here, but for those of you who don't know, I have accepted a teaching position at Grossmont College next year. It's a HUGE move for me, more than a little scary, and rather bittersweet to be leaving my high school/home of the last 15 years. I'm sure I'll write more about it in future blog posts, but no more about it today, because I don't want to start crying.

Pretty, pretty, pretty...pix from the Race for Literacy

Just some pix from the Race for Literacy
Alberta - eye's open...proof that she was there

Betty - Five miles is soooooo easy. I could do THIS every weekend!

The Capt'n - Thinkin' of breakfast for literacy - next year

Maccu - I woke up early for this???

Alice - There's a reason I don't run in cotton t-shirts!
Mi-mo-sa, Mi-mo-sa

The things I do for this woman...honestly....

"I won't be cooking any burgers; I'll be sitting on a stool..."

We had THE BEST WAITRESS at World Famous today. She took our picture, kept our coffee cups full, AND because there were only three in our party, WE GOT A BOOTH! Don't we look comfy?

Kudos to Mik for 1) running 20 miles this morning and 2) working two shifts in her sons' little league snack bars afterward. I hope she got the stool...she deserved it AND ... we all deserve breakfast in bed tomorrow.

And of course...we had mimosas...here's what was left of them...

Me? I just ran my 20, ate, drank, then came home showered, and tried to nap, although after ingesting 3 packets of Gu and the bottomless cup of coffee, my caffeine intake sort of interfered with the napping part...lets just say I rested...so sad.

20 miles is far.

Understatement of the century, huh? So is running 16, 17, or 18...but having done 17-22 miles, I'm ABSOLUTELY confident that we'll be able to run the full marathon. For me, it won't be fast. It won't be pretty, but I'm pretty sure that I, and the rest of my body parts, can do it.

I have conversations with my various parts and appendages as I run. I enjoy how they all feel the need to check-in with me at random times during the long runs, sometimes when I least expect it. One of the things that's kept me entertained are the conversations I have and deals I make with myself. Today's conversations went something like this:

After five miles of running:

Ball of left foot: Hey, I don't want you to forget that I'm workin' for you here...so here's a random sharp pain to remind you that I'm here. Send me some love why don't you...you used to get pedicures somewhat regularly, but for the last 9 months, nada...what's up with that?

Me: OK, left foot. I know you're there and I want to thank you for running over those pebbles back there, but we've just started today, and you can't be acting up yet. Thanks for all your hard work these last 9 months. I stopped getting pedicures because you gave up three toenails last summer, and I could see paying for a full price pedicure which dealt with only 7 nails.

After 7 miles:

Nose: Hey Alice, I know you THOUGHT you were over that cold...but I think I'll still be running down your face for awhile today...just so that you don't forget that even though you breathe through your mouth, I'm still here too.

Me: (to nose) Hey nose, I love ya too, but I wish you'd stop running. It's a huge pain in the ass to keep blowing all your snot into my shirt.

Shortly thereafter:

Ass: Wait a minute, who you callin' a pain in the ass...I'll show you a pain in the ass. How about if I just tighten up for awhile.

Me: (to ass) oh please. It was just an expression...I appreciate the work your doing too, and don't you appreciate being just a little bit tighter now that I've been taking you out running these past weeks?

After 10 miles:

Left quad: Geez, I'm working pretty hard here too...how about some Gu? Are you ready to stop yet? I think I'll just tighten up for awhile so that you remember the effort I put into this.

Me: OK quads (don't want the right one to feel left out...so I address them both) the Gu could be arranged, but no, we're not stopping yet. Seriously though, do you think you could relax just a little? Whenever you tighten up, the hamstrings feel left out, and they start to tighten up as well... We all just need to relax here. We are only 1/2 way there.

After 13 miles

Back: Excuse me...all that sniffling and blowing is really starting to bother me...how about if I just run some random back spasms for awhile. That'd be new...I've never done that before...wheeeee!

Me: ooohhh that hurts. What's your problem back? If you keep this up, we'll have to walk for awhile, then it will take longer to get back and that means we all wait for mimosas...now come on body, let's get it together here... How about if we stretch for a little while...

After 15 miles

All body parts: WTF Alice...we've been at this for over three hours. We think we're done and we're gonna stop running....NOW....

Stomach: Excuse me...those three packets of Gu...I'm pretty much done with those now and I'd like to get rid of the excess...

Me: Aw come-on parts...We still have about five miles...we gotta keep going, think breakfast, think mimosas...

Parts: We don't think so... Not that into it... Just. Want. To. Stop. Now.

Stomach: I'm not talking about stopping...

So, we all walked, and after about a 1/2 mile of walking and trying to convince my body parts to run again...and after finding a restroom, all of us (I'm happy to report) decided that mimosas and breakfast would be a VERY GOOD THING and even though we were all relatively numb and exhausted, everyone decided to cooperate...thank goodness...

Four hours, 15 minutes ...we were all done...longest run of my life...

Ending song of the run today: Jackson Brown - "Running on Empty." I didn't plan it that way...but how appropriate!

Awesomeness to Betty, Mik, Alberta & BBJ (who I hope is OK didn't overdo it too much with the calf muscle) for our great-last-long-run...

Three weeks people...

I think I'm going to LOVE tapering...

Ahhh Mimosas....

Alice

Have you ever nursed....

... an Apple?

Gwenneth Paltrow has...(and thanks to Betty for pointing out to us this Chris Rock introduction)

This all lead to Betty, Alberta, Elsie and me pondering other intimate object-type names that could possibly nursed such as:

Denver
Dallas
Montana
a Pearl
a Rose
Homer
A Candy

Think about it...we could all look down our class lists and find humorous nursing names/objects. What’s your favorite?...

These are the lengths we’ll go to be entertained while running 800's on Tuesday nights... This past Tuesday, I was slightly sad after having run the 5th 800 and thinking that I’d already run 6 of them (only two more, right? I shouted to Betty…No, we still have three more. Aw…geez)

Still, doing 800’s isn’t so bad when you’re listening to Prince (“Baby I’m a Star) or Dave Matthews Band (“Ants Marching) or Queen (“Fat Bottomed Girls”) or Lil John & East Side Boyz (“Get Low” – from BBJ’s playlist, which is still the nastiest song…but it makes me laugh).

I do think I scared a woman who I was running behind. I must have been breathing really LOUDLY, because she looked COMPLETELY startled when she saw me…but that might have also been because I had snot running MESSILY down my face (leftovers from the weekend cold). I’m sure I looked FABULOUSLY HOT! (I had to get a few more adverbs in there)

20 miles this weekend??? I don’t know, but I’m gonna try. I’m hoping the weather stays cool.

By the way, here's the group photo sent to me from the Race for Literacy Run this weekend...I gotta get a new pose...and I'm reminded why I never wear t-shirts to run in...



Alice

Is it real?

Yes, once again, I've migrated the blog to a new place in the world. This one is at Blogger.com. The URL is much easier to remember (and it doesn't use my name in the URL) AND iWeb was getting a little cumbersome.

I think I'll stay here awhile. It'll take me awhile to move the old posts to the new site, but I think it'll be worth it.

Anyway, Elsie sent this photo of her running in Mexico this weekend...I don't know, looks staged to me. What do you all think? Although I do have verification from Wilma that Elsie did, indeed, run.

See ya'all later on tonight at the track.

Alice

Absoludedly Habe Heab Cholds

I have a cold.

Pretty bad one too...which was inevitable after handling, shuffling, sorting, and (eeeewwwww) TOUCHING 1700 answer documents (multiple times). I try not to think about the number of germs and viruses I’ve had on my hands these past three weeks....although I don’t really have to think about it cuz, I’m living the result of it.

So I have a pretty bad cold....you know the kind where the head pounds, the nose runs, the chest wracks with the occasional fits of sneezing and coughing.

Despite this, at 5:25 this morning, I was fairly convinced that I could still run 16 miles with ya’all. At 5:28, after five loud and messy sneezes in a row, Mike told me to stop being crazy and to go back to bed and get better.

“No, I think I can do this.” I said.

“You should get better.” he said.

So, at 5:30, I called Betty... Her comment (half asleep) “Are you in front of my house?” (Clearly, I woke her up)

Me: “No, it’s only 5:30. I’m not going to run today. I’m sick.”

Betty: “OK, oh good, I thought I’d slept through the alarm.”

(By the way, Betty told me this week that my role in the group is to include adverbs to the ongoing commentary...to which I said, “absolutely!”)

I can’t remember what else we said to each at that point because I’m pretty sure I fell back asleep.

So I have no funny stories about running for you today. You all will have to fill us in on the running adventures this morning. I’m sad that I wasn’t there but I’m determined to do the Race for Literacy in the morning...

20 miles next week! Whee!!!! Definitely!