36 is the New 40

Pat turned 40 on Saturday.
Pat is my brother in law. He Ryan's older brother. But Pat's wife Meme? She is younger than all of us other Losers. But if you average all the Loser ages together you get 36. I am the mean.

Here are the pictures from the party:

The blow out:

Meme and Pat's powder room has a tub. And that clever Meme made the tub into a lounging area. And it is now known as the VIP lounge.

I caught a bunch of people waiting to get into the lounge.

And going in.

And then coming out.




All. Night. Long.
Total party in there.
I kid you not.

Now, I can't tell you everything that goes on in the VIP lounge because well, I guess it is a little like Vegas and what happens in the lounge stays in the lounge. But I will show you some of the stuff that goes on . . .
Little washing of the hands.
Little cleaning up some split beer.
And there was, of course, the hanger on's.

We played in the tiki hut.




And then Stephan--always with the late night entertainment-- showed us what happens to some men when they turn 40. He used the palm tree to illustrate his point.

He did need a little help with some parts of his presentation.

But he was able to finish up on his own.

I'm not sure what happened next but I think maybe the Oregano said something--or posibly it was the Rosemary--you know , always sensitive about his girly name-- but Stephan got into fistacuffs with the herbs.
And he totally got his assed kicked by the Oregano, Rosemary and Mint.

You know you should never underestimate the strength of these herbs. So powerful is their pungency that Dee Dee commented that it smelled like someone was making sauce. Yeah, of her husband.

And after everyone left. Pat opened some gifts. A bottle of moonshine, a very shiny Rolex. . .
And a ride-a-long that Ryan plans on stealing.

Happy Birthday!

One Man's Trash is Another's Treasure . . .

Or so the saying goes.

And so it went. To some extent.

I had a garage sale yesterday. And I am not a garage sale person. I know I sure don't want anyone else's crap. I am more the type of person who wants to have the coveted stuff not the tossed out old stuff. Lucky for me there are plenty of people who are willing to buy the tossed out, no longer coveted old stuff.

Despite this somehow I still have a garage full of crap.

But I have been unburdened of the ugly dresser, an old rusty motorcycle, the baby jogger (can't say I was sad to see it go-- no matter how well it served me) and the Little Tykes play crap that has been an eyesore in my backyard for much too long. I also sold a lot of Carmella and Beau's clothes. I still have a baby crib, changing table, high chair and some very cool window boxes that need to go. And for those who like the uncoveted and no longer loved things all these items and many others will be listed on Craigslist. The ridiculous amount of children's clothes I have will be going to consignment stores or listed on eBay. Though I do have a enough I could probably open my own kid's consignment store up to age 5t for both boys and girls.

All said and done I made just under $400 yesterday. Yeah! More money to go buy more crap.

Oh, I made the kids work too.


They had a lemonade stand. Mostly they drank the lemonade and ate the cookies and muffins and brownies and rode bikes around the garage sale items like they were cones on an obstacle course.

Still they made $8 and absolutely loved having a garage. Carmella even got up with me at 6 am to help set up and wipe stuff down. She was all about the arranging and setting up and writing SOLD! signs and taping them on items.

Beau, on the other hand, slept in. He is more of my wheeler and dealer; a true salesman. For the first few hours he went up to every customer: "Good Morning! I got bwonies! Cupcakes! I mean muffins. Cookies? Lemonade?" When they ignored him he would persistently follow them with an empty cup and the basket of baked goods until they relented and bought something from him. After awhile he grew bored of the lemonade stand and started playing with the all the crap that was for sale--the edger, the tripod, the baby jogger, the freaking annoying as shit mickey mouse alarm clock briiinnnngggg!!! . . .


Because of the preparations involved in getting ready and setting up for the garage sale my running and workouts this week suffered slightly. But I did manage to get the key workouts in so I am pleased with the effort this week-- even if it is short of goals:

Sunday: Rest day. Collect crap for garage sale.
Monday: 5 mile recovery run at 8 am.
At 10 am 28 mile bike ride with Steph. This was great ride except for where the asshole in the Caddy tried to hit her. I just don't understand why you would floor it and go around a cyclist that had already signaled and made their move to turn left way before you were even close enough to pass. Jerk.
At any rate, I love riding with Steph. I think we are very well matched--unless she is holding back on my account.
In the afternoon I hit the gym for a swim. Continuous 1600 meter swim that came in at 27 minutes.
Tuesday: 2 hour run. 15 miles at an 8:42 pace. Still too slow.
Wednesday: Speed work day. Ladders on the treadmill for 8 miles in 57:22.
Thursday: Wanted to do a 6 mile recovery run but instead I spent the day pricing stuff and getting all the kid's clothes together.
Friday: 3 hour run. 20 miles at a 8:54 pace.
Saturday: Garage Sale

Week's end totals:
Run: 48 miles
Bike: 28 miles
Swim: 1 mile

The Kittens? Apparently they tire easily . . .

** Please note that Blogger is acting crazy and keeps deleting stuff like links, photos and text I add. It is making me crazy and is taking more of my time than I have the sanity to deal with. So I am publishing as is becauseI can't mess with this anymore . ***

As previously mentioned Saturday night was my sister's bachelorette party. I am happy to say I still hold the rights to the most fun bachelorette party ever--at least that I have attended. I only bring this up because everyone who knows me knows that I pretty much think of everything as a competition (especially where I get to win-- which is seldom, but not in this instance.) And I suppose, that is as it should be. I should also give credit to Meme because she is the one who threw me one hell of a Bachelorette party.

The past few weeks I must admit have somewhat bemoaned the bachelorette party. Don't get me wrong, I do love a party but seriously, the madness must at some point must end: I am 36, married and have 2 kids. I am also pretty gung ho on all my marathon/triathlon training. So the prospects of a long night on the town of all out partying just didn't have the appeal to me as it once did. And appeal it once did. Nonetheless I pepped talked myself into a night of debauchery and was ready to hang.


From the left--Me!, Captain Morgan, Kristy, Bride (Pookie), Rae, ABBA, and Fishstick. There was suppose to be Mel and Meredith but they had sinus infections. Celina bailed. And Peru, Monique and I believe a few others were meeting up with us later in the evening.

We started the evening at Fuego's for tapas and cocktails.Very yummy! Captain Morgan brought Bride a "Bride-to-be" sash. Bride, however, was very specific about not wearing veils or penises on her head or doing anything bachlorette like except the drinking and dancing. But after much coercion she agreed to wear said sash for just one picture.

Of course I--jealous of pink attention garnering sash-- insisted on trying it on and pretending to be a Bride of the Year and stating my platform--which I have no idea what I said but I am sure it was not terribly clever. Everyone else liked this idea too and also tried sash on and said stated their platform.

Fishstick's was kung fu fighting.

I believe Rae
And Kristy's platforms were hints to their boyfriends.
I can't tell you what ABBA's was.

Or Captain Morgan. Not appropriate content.
In response to this I ordered an espresso martini heavy on the vodka and espresso.

After all the silliness Bride told me that she wanted to go to Opera (which I knew was the plan as I arranged with her other friends to put us on the guest list) but then she also wanted to hit the Cleremont Lounge and then MJQ's.

Yeah! I was totally down for MJQ's. Ryan and I cut a serious rug there after the Pixies a few years ago. And not since the days of Disco Hell at the old 40 Watt and those grandly fun nights at the Star Bar with Dj Romeo Cologne (yes, I have a soft spot for the dives) have I had so much dancing. I do love to boogie. But the Clermont Lounge is a completely different matter. Yes it is absolutely a dive but it is one of the dirtiest places I have every been in. I have been there once and have no desire to revisit. I should mention that my visit to the Clermont was when I was 6 weeks pregnant with Beau and doing the not telling dance of early pregnancy. So I was also sober. Pregnancy and sobriety are 2 states you don't want to be rocking at the Clermont.

I hear you Atlanta. I know what you are thinking. It is The Clermont Lounge. And I know it is an Atlanta must go at least once landmark. But it is so, so disgustingly dirty. Dirty on so many dark and subterranean levels. And for those of you unfamiliar with exactly what the Clermont Lounge is let me be the first to tell you: It is the darkest hole of strip clubs. It the strip club of where women who have no business taking off their clothes do. And as if that isn't enough they then do things like crush beer cans with various body parts--you know, like their boobs. I think there is even one stripper there who is like 60 or so.

So like I said, not a place you want to go pregnant or sober. The memory and the frightening images I saw at my visit to the Clermont are burned a little clearer than I think anyone would want on their brain.

I digress. It happens. A lot, I know. So what happened next? Well, we finished our dinner and drinks and headed across the street to Opera. It is the old Eleven50 and is tres fancy. Cover I hear is $25. We, thanks to Bride's roommate who tends bar and her other friend Peru whose husband is an investor or somehow connected got us on the guest list and V.I.P passes. I am not exactly sure what the V.I.P passes did for us other than to permit us to walk up and down a lot of stairs. Seems we did that. A lot.

Here are some of the pictures of us at Opera.


Me and Fishstick on the terrace making out. Okay, not really. But only because she would have nothing to do with me. Please know I am kidding. Mom. Ryan. Jason.

Playing with the "retro" setting on my camera:



Captain Morgan doing his best James Dean.


And the Bride, about 5 minutes before she turned into a pumpkin.


And thus ended the night of dancing for me and Fishstick. Everyone else stayed and carried the party on. Fishstick and I carried the Bride home.

Curses, Foiled Again!

Blasted Aqua fit.

Went to the gym to swim Saturday AM. No easy feat herding the cats to the gym by 9 am on a weekend. Especially when they don't want to go. Well, Carmella did but Beau had other ideas. We were having one of those strong willed child days where he disagrees with everything I want him to do-- even if he really does want to do it. It is so annoying.

I just shove him in Kids Klub and he collapses on the floor and sobs with his head buried in his arms(he is an Oscar worthy actor). I tell them I will be back in 30 minutes. Carmella is already off playing and Beau just carries on. I leave him there to his tears and go the locker room. I get my stuff together and walk out to the pool. And much to my dismay is the Aqua Fit class bobbing up and down. Curses.

So I collect my stuff and go to get the kids. In the 3 minutes I have been gone Beau has miraculously overcome his devastation and is quite happily playing with his friends. That is until he sees me. And then he starts in about how he most definitely does not want to go to Kids Klub. Kids Klub is dumb. Boring even. And I tell him that is fine. We are leaving.

He rapid fired switches his gears and now throws a fit about how he most definitely does NOT want to leave Kids Klub. I cut the theatrics short and tell him he is going to Meme's. He rapid fire changes his tune again and we all walk to the car--Beau happily skipping now and Carmella and I just roll our eyes at him. He is just so fun when he acts like this. I just love it. Really, it is so cute!
NOT!
AT.
ALL.

Aunt Meme had graciously volunteered to take the kids to her nephew's b-ball game the night before. And before she could second guess her offer I accepted. So I had nearly 2 free hours--pretty much unheard of for me on a Saturday. So I took Lance for a little ride. We did a tour de Roswell that came in at 23 miles and was quite enjoyable. Well except for the brief jaunt down HWY 92 where after the first big truck doing 50+mph blew past me I hopped on the sidewalk with my tail tucked. But the rest of the ride was very nice and not at all humiliating. Anyway . . .Thanks Meme!

Week's end tally
Run: 51 miles
Bike: 46 miles
Swim: 600 meters

Front End Loading: My New Mentality

1 crank gel
1 Cliff shot gel
30 ounces of water
16 ounces of Gatorade
3 hours and 7 minutes of listening to my favorite songs
1 10 minute ice bath

The feeling of finishing my first 21 miler of marathon training this year?

Uh, duh! Relief!

Yeah! I did it! I got my first week of marathon training exactly where I wanted it. Maybe not so much with the pace but that will improve. I still have what? 10 weeks to improve until the Chickamauga marathon. Definitely better off than I have been before other marathons.

My new approach to training is "front end loading." I did not make up this term. I am stealing it from my good friend Deanna who often says at parties, when she is the driver, that she has to "front end load." What she means is that she is going to get her drink on--cut herself off and ride the buzz-- and still give herself several hours to get good and sober before she has to drive. This works well but you do have to know when to say when and stick with it. Point is you have a good time and still keep yourself feeling good without consequence.

So it occurred to me that I might should try this with my nutrition on my long runs. I tried it today and admittedly, it is hard to want to do it but man what a difference it made at the end of a long run.

I started out around 9:30 this morning. It was about 75 degrees and little breezy and a lot less humid. Nevertheless, I was totally dreading the run. Did not want to do it. I was tired just thinking about all those miles.

I brought with me one of those water bottles that wrap on your hand, a crank gel, a clif shot gel and 2 bucks. After the first mile I took a sip of water every 5 minutes.

Even still the first 3 miles completely sucked. They are all uphill and my calves were so heavy and tight; felt exactly like the muscle needed to free itself from my skin. I stopped in the middle of a hill and hung my heels over the curb to stretch. The muscle relaxed and felt better so I ran on. In the 4th mile I started to feel good and had picked the pace up by the 5th mile.Right before the 6th mile was my first planned stop. On long runs I usually hold out til the 7th mile to stop. I was really feeling my grove but I had to stop. I made myself drink half of the water I was carrying and had a crank gel. Totally did not want it or felt like I needed it. Refilled my bottle and ran on taking small sips every 5 or so minutes.

I continued to feel good but around 10 miles I had to stop was I had reached the last place for me to refill my water until 18 miles. So I drank half and refilled my bottle again.

Around 13 miles I had my Clif shot gel. Walked for a minute and drank some water. I think I may have waited a little too long here as I started to feel a little yucky but it could have been an emotional thing and I also really hate this particular leg of my run. It is 2 roads that are very boring and totally 4 miles. I always feel very lonely and sad but these roads are a lesser evil to my other hillier options so I suck it up. The gel must have kicked in around 16-17 miles because I started to feel all happy again.

I made myself stop before the last 5k. I dumped out the water and filled my bottle with ice and Gatorade. It was cold and delicious. I took a sip of it every 5 or so minutes of the last 3 miles. I was even able to push up the final hill before my house. Best of all, I finished this 21 miler feeling like I could have gone a few more; and that is how it is suppose to be done.

Around all the other running blogs everyone is talking about what marathon plan they are following so I figure I'll throw my unplan out there into the bunch too. I say unplan because every time I have ever tried to follow a plan I end up deciding I don't like it and do my own thing.

Goals: Running 4-5 days a week. MPW; 50-70 except taper and possible cut back weeks. Increase in mileage is roughly 10-15% of mpw; e.g. if I run 45 one week the next I shoot for 50. Base line is 40 mpw--I will try not to go below this. 1-2 cross training days.

The Plan Breakdown
The Recovery Run: 1-2 a week of 4-10 miles at whatever pace feels comfy. I just don't want to think about pace. I just want to enjoy the run.

The Speed workout: 1 a week: 3-8 miles on the treadmill--ladder or negative split runs. Any race I do will replace speed workouts. Also, speed workouts will be the first to get cut after cross training.

The 2 hour Run: Run at or close to marathon pace. (12-16 miles) For me this means 7:50-8:35 pace. I am not quite there yet but I think once it gets cooler it will not be a problem.

The 3 hour Run: 17-25 miles run 30 seconds to one minute slower than marathon pace--so 8:30-9:30 pace. Ideally, this training cycle I want something like this: 2 17-19 milers, 3 20/21, 2 22/23milers, 1 24/25 miler.

Cross training: 1 swim (1 mile) and 1 bike (20-30 miles)a week. I may need to add some weights but I am going to try without. I hate lifting. Bores me to tears and I just feel silly doing it. Cross training will be the first thing cut if I can't get all my runs in.

Race Goals:
Half Marathon: sub 1:40--ideally closer to 1:30.
Marathon: PR but really sub 3:40 and ideally 3:30.

So I still have one day left and I've pretty much met my goals:
Sunday: rest
Monday: 6 miles recovery
Tuesday: 16 miles 9 minute pace
Wednesday: 23 mile bike ride @16+ mph
Thursday: 8 miles in 57 minutes. 600 meter swim.
Friday: 21 miles @ 8:55 pace.
Saturday: Probably an easy run and a swim--maybe bike since Meme has offered to take the kids to a local b-ball game.

But then again, maybe nothing. As tonight is my sister's bachlorette party. I've got a night of drinking and dancing and clubbing with the kittens laid out for me. I may be an old cat but I can still kitten it out when need be. Tomorrow, though, for sure there will be fall out. However, perhaps a little front end loading will be in order to avoid riding the hangover train.

My Cheating Heart

I feel a little like I am cheating on my lover with my new crushes. (You do know I am talking about running right?)

Yesterday I rode bikes with Steph. It was great fun and I had a blast. Tuesday I had gotten in a 16 miler and decided I needed a day off from running if I wanted to get a 18-20 miler in this week too. Besides, who actually rests on their off days? Not me.

I heard a rumor yesterday morning that Steph had a free 2 hour window so I coerced her into hooking up with me for a ride. I met her at her kids' school in Roswell and rode out towards Crabapple and then came back Crabapple Rd through Roswell proper down to the river. Rather than doing the same-old same-old loop along Azalea and Riverside we headed up Timberbridge to Little Willeo and that spit us out onto Johnson Ferry Road. We stopped by Big Peach for some GU and chatting with Kate, Todd and Joe. Kate is becoming quite the tri chica. Todd was lamenting moving up in the age group and getting older. And biggest news it that Joe is planning on doing the Chicago Marathon with aims of qualifying for the Olympic trials. Joe has been a verified fountainhead of training advice for me this past year and has politely and patiently answered all my inane racing questions. I wish him the best of luck in this new endeavor.

We chatted a bit too long because Steph realized we only had 30 minutes to get back to pick up the girls. We were over 14 miles in and after some discussion we guessed the quickest way back to Roswell was straight out Johnson Ferry Rd to Shallowford. I've ridden JF solo before and while it wasn't great fun it is manageable. Really, I was way more nervous about the curves and steep downhill on Childers Rd. In the end the hairpin turns proved not worth worrying about but the uphill after the bridge that never even occured to me until I was on it was the biggest bitch ever. All I can say is thank God we had stopped for some Gu's. Even still my quads were screaming something nasty at me.

The ride back was a mad dash. We covered the nine miles in just under 30 minutes. Not sure of overall pace--probably around 16-17 mph--both our Garmins suffered from inaccurate timing because neither of us are proficient in remembering to hit pause or start. Doesn't really matter. It was hard and I G-mapped it for the distance. I came up with 23 and some change. Best of all we made it back not a second too late. I cheered Steph on like she was in transition and told her to Go! Go! Go! Get Dags out of kiddie hock! I racked her bike (put in car) and got her shoes and shirt out.

Who cares what the other mom's thought?

And Steph, just think of it as practice for 2 bridges. Next time, (assuming you'll go with me) I promise to better plan the route and be more mindful of our time.

So the ride was a bit tougher than I had planned but totally worth it. I decided to switch my long run to Friday since yesterday was a harder "rest" day than I planned on it being. However, on today's rest day I not only cheated on my boyfriend again (but just a little) but I also screwed myself trying to make it up to him. The plan today was just to do an easy 6 miles.

It would seem that I have problems with running an easy pace on the treadmill. My mentality is to get it done and get it done as quickly as possible. And it has been a few weeks since I have run any run under an 8 minute pace so it did feel good to crank it out. I guess I let it go to my head. I was just enjoying the run and my new playlist that I just kept going. When I hit 8 miles I decided to call it a day-- though I definitely could have gone on. It was 8 miles in 57 minutes and 12 seconds. Felt awesome.

But as soon as I walked it out I started to feel the drag. Uh oh. I brilliantly thought a cool down swim make me rebound. So I headed to locker room and changed for the pool. I got about 600 meters in and decided if I still had any hope of having a decent run tomorrow I better get out of the pool. It was hard because the water felt so good and the swim just effortless. After running hard and then switching to swimming you feel like you are gliding.

I was little down for quitting the swim but it was the right thing to do. Hopefully I will have a nice long run tomorrow. If so, I'll reward myself and make it right with the swim on Saturday. All these boyfriends. What's a girl to do?

Oh and for those of you that do ipod and like me are always on the look out for new tunes here is my current On-the-Go playlist. Great for a ladder workout like I did today.

1.Clocks by Coldplay
2.Well Thoughtout Twinkles by Silversun Pickups
3.Ruby Sees All by Cake
4. The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth but Clap Your Hands
5.The Sunnyside of the Street by the Pogues
6.The Crane Wife 3 by The Decemberists
7.Kissing Families by Silversun Pickups:

8. Whisky in the Jar by the Pogues
9.I Still Remember by Bloc Party
10. Lazy Eye by Silversun Pickups
11. The Underdog by Spoon:

12. Eyes by Rogue Wave:

Herding Cats

Or what my mornings are like.

I just don't get it.

I would think that with Beau being four and Carmella being six it should be much easier to get 2 kids in the car and off to school. I mean, come on! I only have 2 kids. How do people with 3 or even 4 or more kids do it? I just have to think they don't have a Beau. Maybe they all have Carmellas. Oh my gosh. Can you imagine that? A family of Carmellas? I'd never have to do anything!

I don't know. I guess it is easier--either that or I've mellowed. I distinctly remember when Beau was around 7 months and crawling (before Beau started moving everything was easier) and Carmella was 3 that once I finally made it to the car and had both kids buckled in I would start crying. Sobbing with head pressed firmly on the steering wheel. I would be all sweaty and spent from the WWW smack down known as putting clothes on writhing Beau and an hour of stale mate negotiations with Carmella over what outfit, how she wanted her hair, which shoes, and exactly what toys she just had to bring. Not to mention the ordeal of actually dressing myself while the 2 of them destroyed any semblance of order I had going in the house during which time they also took off their shoes. I must have had to put shoes on each kid no less than 3 times before we ever made it to the car. Of course once we got in the car they would promptly take their shoes off. Beau even once tossed one out the window.

The hardest thing I had to do that first year with 2 kids was leave the house. The second hardest thing was stay home with 2 kids under 3 and try to keep the house clean. And I mean a close second that most days involved several calls to poison control. I often had to weigh the situation: Should I make that 3rd call to poison control in one day and risk DEFACS wanting to pay me a visit or wait it out and see if Beau got sick from licking the dishwasher detergent cap? What to do. What to do. DEFACS, upon seeing the house in its desperate state, would most definitely decide to take my kids away. So I would weigh it out--phone in one hand, Beau on my hip, Carmella pulling on my leg, whining. And then I would wonder if that would be so bad. You know. If DEFACS came. Saw my obvious unfitness. And took the kids away for awhile? Heck, at least I'd get a little break. . .

Yes. Thoughts of a stressed out and stretched too thin woman. Better now, thank you.

So yes, it was so freaking hard to go places but staying home was worse. At least if we were out I wouldn't have to spend all day cleaning and re-cleaning my house.

So yeah, at least now when I get in the car to go somewhere I am not a sobbing mess. I am however one second short of losing my marbles and pulling my eyebrows out.

Take this morning for example:
6 am I wake and Ryan brings me a cup of coffee and then he leaves for work.
I drink coffee and watch the news until 6:15.
At 6:15 I make my bed and go turn on the lights in the kid's rooms.
Carmella hops right up and puts on her clothes, puts on her shoes and fixes her hair without speaking to me. Then she helps me while I straighten her room and make her bed. All the while I quietly call out to Beau. Carmella goes and gently nudges him and he yowls at her and she shrugs and goes downstairs and gets her dance bag and book bag and daily snack and waits patiently for me to make her breakfast. She turns on the TV.
It is now 6:30 am. I start a load of laundry, start breakfast, dress and continue coaxing the whining lump from his bed.

I finally understand what it is that the lump is saying. It is saying he is too smart for his pants. "Clothes are dumb stupid. I don't want to wear clothes," he says.

"Fine," I say. "Go to school naked but everyone will laugh at you," I warn him as I physically remove him from his bed and then go down stairs and turn the air down to 70.

Beau comes downstairs in his underwear and lays on the kitchen floor. I finish getting breakfast ready while stepping over him as he lays on the floor whining. He tells me that he needs to go to Parker's. He needs to see Parker's toys. He misses Parker's toys. He needs to have a playdate. For real. Super bad. He isn't kidding.

I put breakfast on the table and unload the dishwasher and take Lola out still ignoring Beau who has now gotten off the floor and is sitting at the table. Carmella is particularly disturbed that Beau isn't wearing clothes. She keeps asking me, in disbelief, if I am really going to let Beau go to school naked. I ignore her too.

Finally Beau admits that he is cold and that he would like his "dumb stupid, boring clothes."
Beau dresses while I shove bites of banana in his mouth. I implore Carmella to eat her banana and drink her juice. Beau declares himself the breakfast winner: "You loser Cardella! Cardella is a loser, Cardella is a loser" he sing songs. Carmella shrugs to show how much she cares.

I send kids up to brush their teeth and start cleaning the kitchen. Carmella goes and brushes her teeth. Beau goes in his room and starts pulling out his toys. He drags his rocking motorcycle into the hallway and starts trying to take off his shirt and calls down to me to help him put on his spider man costume. Carmella comes downstairs and waits by the door. I ask to her to put Lola in the crate. I go upstairs and put all of Beau's toys back and brush his teeth for him all while he protests.

It is 7:20am and we go out to the car to leave. Beau runs around the yard. Makes sure he is still fast. Carmella gets in the car and waits. I corral Beau and put him in his seat. We get Carmella to school in less than 5 minutes. Beau has a fit as I pull out of carpool and head back to our neighborhood.

"Take me to happy school! Take me to happy school!" Beau yells from the back, kicking my seat. I tell him I will and I tell him as I tell him every single day that I can not drop him at school til 8:30.

Beau then insists first that he will wait in the car. And like I do every single day I tell him no. Then he says, like he does everyday, that he wants to play outside. He wants to ride his bike. And like I do every single day; I tell him no. I ask him to please just watch TV quietly and to not take off his shoes. I also ask him not wrestle with the dog while I have another much needed cup of coffee, straighten the upstairs, switch out the laundry and inhale a bowl of cereal.

It is now 8 o'clock and I call to Beau that we are leaving in 10 minutes. Please be ready and have your shoes on I tell him. I finish up and turn out the lights and put the air back on 78 and take Lola out one more time.

I come downstairs and find that Beau is covered in dog hair and has his shoes off. I put his shoes on and take his shirt off. I ask him to please go get in the car and wait for me while I go grab him a shirt that is not covered in dog hair.

I lock up the house and expect to find Beau in the car but he is riding his bike in the garage. "Look Mommy," he says when he sees me, "I am riding my bike in circles!"

"That is great. Please put this shirt on and get in the car." I, on the verge of imploding, tell him.

"Where are we going Mommy?"

"Really?" I ask. "To school."

"The happy school?" He says this as if this is the first he is hearing about this all day. "I like school. Can I go to Parker's. I need to see his toys. Wait! Let me get a toy and can I wear my Darth Vador costume?"

Oh.My God.

So it is no wonder that in my frazzled state and once I finally got home to run that I made the mistake of going too long. Oh well, two steps forward one step back right? 16 miles at a 9:02 pace. I should have stuck with my just do 12 miles plan. Whatever. Tomorrow I get to ride my bike and today is only Tuesday and already I am 22 miles (did 6 yesterday) of my planned 50 this week.

Yeah!

Got it done.
Friday: 6 miles in the evening. Nice run at about an 8:10 pace. I thought about making it 10 but I had brought no water or money or nutrition with me and it was almost 90 degrees. I really needed a run this week where I didn't finish feeling like crap.

Saturday: I got in a surprise 16 miles in the morning. My plan had been to just do 10 but I was feeling good so I upped it to 14 then decided to go ahead and do 16. Same route that I did 10 days ago but instead of a 9:20 pace it was an 8:41 pace. I made it through the run with only one crank gel and some water. What a difference the cooler weather and the absence of a headache makes.

I am sad I got no bike in last week but right now it just isn't a priority and with marathon training the first thing to go will probably be the bike.

Run: 46 miles
Swim: 1 mile
Bike: 0 miles

Still haven't pinned down what marathon/s I am going to do this fall but Ryan seems most on board with the Chickamauga on Nov 10th. It isn't far and since it is a double loop he and the kids would be able to better spectate. I still really want to do Rocket City though. If I were to get to do my ideal fall race plan it would look like this:
Oct 7th Emerald Point.
Oct 27th Silver Comet Half Marathon
Nov 10th Chickamauga Marathon
Nov 22 Atlanta Half Marathon
Dec 8th Rocket City Marathon

Trophy Husband? or What goes bad on a Hoof?

Boy toy, definitely!
And to answer the second seemingly unrelated question: NOTHING! Com'on! Who doesn't love bacon?
So that's Ryan.
My trophy husband.
He is 55 days younger than me.
And bacon? He loves it. Almost as much as Parker eats turkey.
Scandalous, huh?

Today he turns 36 and now we are the same age. Even still, I get carded way more than he does--no doubt these are people who feel sorry for me and think my self-esteem needs a boost but nonetheless . . . This means, clearly, that I am the younger looking one. And THAT is what really counts. Right? (And yes, Lala, everything is a competition.)

We celebrated with little fanfare. Pizza, beers and cake. And no, I am NOT the one who drinks the PBR (gag). Hence why I am the younger looking one. Very low key since Carmella was not feeling too good.

I did get him a really great card.
I'm such the romantic.
I can't show it to you because it might fall under "questionable material" and I might get flagged.
But I'll describe it. (Or you could just go to Publix and see it for yourself)
It is a picture of pig's butt. You open it and it says:
I'm sorry, I thought you said you like PIG butts and you could not lie.

I still can't stop laughing about it.
The check-out lady at Publix didn't find it nearly as funny either but Ryan liked it.
And see, that is why we're a couple.

I've been playing a game.

It is called "Let's Pretend."

Carmella and Beau play this all the time. They are so good at it that I am often confused by what is pretend and what is real.

Okay not really, but let's pretend. . .

It doesn't matter whether they are pretending fairy tales, superhero vs, evil villain or even that they are fish in a pond waiting to be fed-- they totally go at the imaginary world with gusto and completely adopt the pretend personas. There have even been the times where I had to pretend that they were my pets and I had to feed them their lunches on the kitchen floor. I go along with it here and there.

So inspired by their make believe prowess I thought I could mesh it with a little positive thinking and one part denial and pretend that I was person who doesn't have a cold. Unfortunately no amount of pretending has helped and I am just going to admit it right here that I have a cold. I've had it for over a week. It is not, like I first thought, a result of running outside on all those code red days, nor is it my fall allergies because who are we kidding? Fall? I don't think that is every going to happen here. So I have a virus(hangs head now in mortal shame). I am weak. My immune system failed me and I caught a cold. No, not from the kids or any known source. And now I have infected the whole house. It is the pretend cold that is never going to go away. I can't even make believe it away.

Actually, today I am better. But it doesn't matter since now Carmella has the pretend cold. Unfortunately hers is worse. She has a fever and a hideous sounding hack. She said she didn't want to go to school today because she was embarrassed of her voice. So she is home and that means no 17 miler for me today.

When Beau had my pretend cold earlier this week he liked showing off his froggy voice and since he didn't have fever he got to go to school. His teachers have praised him all week as to how well behaved he has been and marveled that "he took a nap 3 days in a row!" Well, that streak was broken yesterday when I sent him sans the cough syrup since he seems to have kicked that fake cold to the curb. And yesterday Beau got put in time out twice and did not take a nap and he did not get a reward at the end of the day. But see this of little consequence to Beau because he almost never gets a treat and the fact that he got one 3 days in a row will probably keep him from caring for at least a month that he doesn't get one. I honestly think for Beau the thrill of being naughty is sweeter than candy.

My pretend cold though is still hanging out behind my right eye. In the morning when I wake up my eye is oozy but clears up and the rest of the day I just have the sinus headache from hell. It is like a cloud. It makes me dizzy and my thoughts are slow. At least, the chest congestion is gone and my ears are no longer clogged. I've hated how all week I've felt like I was underwater, sounds muted and garbled. Did you say something? Help me! I 'm stuck in my head! But mostly I just hate this pretend cold and have begun to think maybe it isn't a cold at all but is really cancer or maybe even West Nile. I hear lots of birds have it. Mosquitoes carry it. And me? Well let's just say if I'm around there is no need for anyone wear repellent. The mosquitoes love me and me alone.

My point? Oh, yeah. I have a point! And it is that I'm pissed off because my workouts have-- yet again-- sucked this week. That's all. I really didn't have anything spectacular to say other than that. Not that I am making excuses mind you but sigh, I know I am making excuses. But when I look back next year I will know that it wasn't just laziness but a dumb old cold that had me slacking this week.

Sunday: Rest day. Lake day.

Monday: 5+ miles-- Garmin went out on me but I know it was less than 6, more than 5. Crappy run though. Pounding headache. In the afternoon I went to the gym to swim. I didn't expect much since I thought it would be a snotty choking mess but I surprised myself. I did a 400m warm up and then timed a 400m. It came in a 6 minutes 12 seconds. I rested 30 seconds and did another 400m. I was surprised that it too came in at 6 minutes and 12 seconds. I find that when I swim anything longer than a 100 I have very hard time staying focused. I try to stay with it but my mind wanders and my stroke becomes less efficient (I think but maybe not). I feel like I could be faster if I could just keep my head into it. I cooled down with an easy 400m.

Tuesday: I had some work to do and just felt really crappy so I bagged the run. I did vacuum the whole house with the shop vac to rid us, albeit temporarily, of Lola's hair. I do this at least once every week to keep from killing my regular vacuum. I am thinking I should start counting it has a workout out since it kills my back and completely exhausts me. Not kidding. I am dripping in sweat after I get done dragging that shop vac all over the house and being half bent over sucking hair off the floor and all the furniture. Heck, sometimes I even vacuum Lola. Next year puppy girl is getting shaved. Either that or we need to think of something we can make from all this hair. I might be less annoyed about it if it was generating an income not just an inconvenience.

Wednesday: I don't' know what was wrong with me. I got all optimistic about my rest day and the predicted low 80 temps. I mapped out a 22 miler. It was from my house out to Roswell and back. Lala's house was my 11 mile pit stop. I felt great til I hit Mabry Rd and I just should have known better. That road kills me. It is an extreme long downhill and then an extreme long uphill. It was miles 7 and 8. My headache came back and I just couldn't shake it. I ran past Lala's thinking I would rebound and would just make the run 18 or so. I had to turn back to her house and ended up asking her drive me home. The run did end up being 14 miles at a 9:23 pace so terrible pace but I am glad I got some of the miles in. I felt so tired and my head was pounding. I felt sick the rest of the day and even took some Motrin in addition to the decongestant. I think I was in bed before 9 pm that night.

Thursday: I woke up feeling pretty good and decided that I would do an easy run and plan on a long run on Friday. I ran 5 easy miles in under 40 minutes. After I finished my headache was back but lesser than the day before.

Friday: So far no run. I am hoping maybe later I can get in at least 6 but hopefully 10. I am hoping the same for Saturday too. Not looking good though.

Dear Asshole in the shiny red truck,

I am fairly certain the make was a Dodge. Your license plate started 880 and I'm not certain of the rest but I think it was XLD. You have a Cherokee tag. You are a white overweight man in your 50's or 60's.

I saw what you did to those two cyclists on Trickum Rd today. Your were absolutely breaking the law and had I had my wits about me I would have called the police and reported you. You, at the very least, would have been charged with a misdemeanor but possibly a felony for using your vehicle with the intent to murder. I think that is what is called aggravated assault.

Because what else could have been your intent when you raced up on the those cyclists--one in a bright blue jersey and the other in a yellow jersey that said ACDC? They were both cruising along at fast clip--probably 25mph and the speed limit there is only 35 but I can tell that you didn't care about that since you were obviously in a hurry--as that can be the only reason I can figure out to why you were not only speeding but driving so aggressively. I mean, the cyclists were within their rights and were obeying the traffic laws: they were on the right side of the road-- I'll concede, possibly a little to the middle but the road there is uneven and it is their right to ride to the middle when the road presents a hazard for them. So for you to gun it and swerve as if to hit them and then cut quickly in front of them, well, I just don't think your intent was anything less than to cause them to wreck. Very lucky for you they didn't since not only was I a witness but so were the other 2 cars in front of me.

And I personally think you should consider yourself very lucky that when you got stopped at the light--which I am sure pissed you off even more-- and the two cyclists caught up to you that they only gave you a "talking to".

I could see, from where I sat in the left turning lane, that they just wanted to educate you on the State of GA's traffic laws-- as it was quite apparent from your behavior that you have no idea what they are. And while I couldn't quite hear what your response was, I can guess it was that you didn't give a rat's ass what the law is since the cyclist, in response to whatever you said (and I know it wasn't nice since I saw finger pointing on your part), yelled "It is the law!" And then threw water all over your pretty leather seats (to which, admittedly, I chuckled at).

But honestly, you know, what I think they should have done was pulled your ignoramus ass out of your shiny red truck and splayed you out across Hwy 92 to see if you liked playing chicken with cars.

So in case you have any confusion Mr.Ignorant and ill-informed driver here is a little pamphlet you might want to read. It has all these laws in it and the most important one you need to note is that cyclists have all the rights to the road as a car does.

Signed the girl in the car 2 back from you who saw the whole thing. This is your warning. Bastard.

More Tortoise than Hare

Getting it done.

I guess.

If that matters.

Really, if anything, I feel like a turtle on a fence post just watching-- unfortunately not participating in-- the race that forever goes quickly by.

I wish I could say everything is fantastic over here but it isn't. Everything is pretty crappy and I am just hoping that this is a phase of some days must be dark and deary and it will all pass soon enough into brighter, sunnier, happier, easy breezy days. Physics, you know: the ball will bounce and all that. Or am I thinking of Newton? Whatever. Lit major, art minor; BA. Creative writing, rhetoric; MA. Stats for poets and bio for art brats: so yeah, no science. Whatsoever.

And yes, I know all that is part of the problem. Moving on now. Metaphors abound--neither here nor there. Relevant or irrelevant. It is what it is. Word?

I usually count on my running and stuff to get me through the times when everything else is crappy so it really brings me pretty far down when the running is going crappy too.

See, that is not suppose to happen. It does but it isn't suppose to.

Nonetheless, I am trudging diligently ahead and am sticking with my plan of running 40 miles a week-- including a 2 hour run, until Sept. In Sept, hopefully it will be cooler and things will have calmed down and I can--without guilt-- begin in earnest to start training for a marathon(s). I will add a 3 hour run and build up the weekly mileage towards 60 mpw, and maybe--but doubtfully-- 70 miles per week. I tend to sort of mentally and physically fall apart once I hit 70+ miles a week so I am not sure there is much value in going to that mileage. And lately I've seriously been wondering if there is anything to be gained in going over 60 miles per week. 50 is really probably ideal for me.

Quality, not quantity is going to be priority this year in the training. Okay. Really, not getting injured or burnt out is the goal. I plan on keeping the bike and the swim too. My bike makes me happy and the swim makes it all feel better. I also like how swimming keeps my arms lean and tone. When I was lifting weights I was tone but bulkier. With my body type I look like a line backer if I have any bulk on top and all I have to do is look at weights and I Hulk out. Turn green and everything. Roar.

Lately I am trying my best to deal with the heat. And it has been hard and not so fun. See, the thing I love most about running is how unencumbered it is. All you need is your shoes and the road. Well--if you're like me-- your ipod and your garmin too. And I do like to have my phone--you know, just in case. But otherwise you are unencumbered. Free. So having to carry water or food or stop for either is very annoying. Totally messes with my groove, my rhythm.

Now, don't get me wrong; I definitely think it is necessary, once the mileage starts getting up there to fuel. But for me? In cool weather? Yeah, the need for fuel doesn't usually happen until I am 2 hours into a run. I have pretty much since I started running been able to do 2 hours with out water. ( And yes, certainly I run better, faster if I have something after an hour or so but what I am saying is that it isn't necessary for me in training.) But sadly, I have found in this heat I can't even make it an hour lately and even then water just isn't cutting it. It is driving me crazy.

After my most disastrous run on Tues and equally bonked bike ride on Wed I went by Big Peach to pick their big running brains. Steve Demoss-- as always-- was very helpful and gave me an impromptu seminar on fueling and electrolytes and what to do and what not to do. I left with some more
Crank gels --that have been working okay-- and some EFS Steve recommended I try.

Friday I needed to do 10 miles. Less would have been fine but the more I did on Friday the less I would have to do on Saturday to reach my goal. I like only being less than 6 miles from my weekly goal on Saturday because 6 is almost always doable for me.

So Friday I made a bottle of the EFS and set out down by the river (read, flat) for a 10 miler. I carried it with me--something I haven't done in forever-- and I sipped the entire way and I felt-- in comparison to lately-- most excellent. I finished up in an hour 20--an 8:04 pace. Best outside run in weeks.

I attributed the well feeling to the electrolyte mix but wondered if maybe it was just because it was 15 degrees cooler than it has been. The temps were in the low to mid 80's Friday when I ran and on most of my other runs the range has been mid 80's to 100 degrees.

So yesterday morning, after a quick 2 mile warm up with Lola I decided to test out if it was the cooler weather or the electrolyte. I dropped puppy girl off and grabbed a swig of water and headed out for my 6 mile hilly loop. It was overcast in the high 70's/low 80's. I finished up in just under 49 minutes. So fairly consistent with my run on Friday-- probably a bit better since it was tougher because of the hills.

Okay so all this really has told me is that my body can't deal well with the heat and until it gets cooler no amount of fueling is going to make me run faster when it is this obnoxiously hot. I am just going to accept that when it is hot I am the tortoise and maybe once it gets cooler I can see how hare like I am--if at all. Slow and steady they say. So who cares, right? Bugger off bunny, I say. I'm just going to keep on plodding.

But, you know, at the very least I think to keep from looking like a turtle it would be in my best interest to bring water, drink water and possibly have all that other gooey fueling stuff too.

So the break down this week:
Sunday: Nada. Too hot.

Monday: 5 mile run am--easy-- and then 1600 meters in the pool in the afternoon. I swam solidly for 1200 meters then did some 100 sprints. First 100 came in at 1:16. Rested 30 seconds and the second one came in at 1:19. Rested 45 seconds (I was dying!) and it came in at 1:26. I quit and just did a cool down for 100 meters and called it a day.

Tuesday:Very sad bonked run that only ended up being 4 miles. Gross.

Wednesday: Pathetic but got it done 16 miler in 2 hours and 29 minutes.

Thursday: 30 miles on the bike at 17 mph pace. I rode out Azalea to Willeo up Timber Ridge to Little Willeo and then out to Riverside and up Eve's road, got confused in a neighborhoods and came back down Eve's and onto Martin Road and around and back out Riverside to Azalea. It was okay but I was out of gels so I only brought 20oz of water that I didn't remember to drink any of until about 20 miles in so the last 10 were just hell. I about died on the hills in Martin's Landing.

Friday: 10 miles in the darn right arctic low of 80 degrees.

Saturday: 2 mile warm up and then 6 miles in 49 minutes. Then hours of swimming at the lake with the kids.
Totals:
Run: 43 miles
Bike: 30 miles
Swim: 1 mile

I am really smart

That is what I heard Beau telling his teacher today as I picked him and Parker (playdate!) up from school. I have to say that everyday I am blown away by the confidence this kid possesses. He goes up to older kids at the pool and says "I'm Beau. You? You can call me Beau. Wanna know how to do a cannonball? Watch this." He is 4 and he has 7 year olds following him around and doing what he says.

Then there is Carmella. Last night I went to her first grade open house and was so blown away, though not surprised, by how neat and organized her desk was. My desk in first grade was always very messy--even when I cleaned it for the desk fairy. Knowing Carmella I expected nothing less but what cracked me up was how artfully organized her desk cubbyhole was. It was arranged and decorated. It was pleasing to look at. A desk to marvel at. I could tell that she took time and put thought in her arrangement.

And then there is me. And today I feel very not so smart. But I am proud, if nothing else, of my tenacity. See, yesterday I bonked in the heat 2 miles into my planned 15 miler. It ended up being 4 miles. Totally brought me down and I was plagued by self doubt and negative thoughts all day long.

So today this little engine that could tried again. I needed at least 11 miles but I told myself that if I got in my 15 miles I would give myself permission for a bike ride tomorrow.

I started running a little late. For some reason getting clean sheets on the beds seemed a priority. So I made the beds and folded a little laundry and paid some bills and made it out to run around 9:30 a.m.

Uhm, it was a little hot. 85 degrees hot to be exact.

I started to feel the pre-bonk signs despite my slow pace around 5 miles. I had planned a break at 7 miles but stopped at 6 and had a crank GU and lots of water. I felt really good and committed myself to what I thought was to a 15 mile loop. And I continued to feel good until I hit the 10th mile and started to struggle up a hill. So I walked until it was flat and then negotiated a walk run for the next 2 miles. At 12 miles I stopped for some Gatorade. Again I felt decent enough and thought about all the times I physically felt worse: last 5k of the ING marathon, 42 hour labor with Carmella, that time I had a stomach flu and was nursing a newborn, the time I did my first 22 miler and had to sit on the curb and cry for a minute because it was so hard, when I broke my pelvis and the morphine had worn off and they moved me for xrays. Every time I stopped to walk I would think; Well, I don't feel nearly as bad I did those times-- and I would start running. I even saw Garmin register a few 6:30 minute mile pace. Embarrassingly, though I also saw some 10 minute mile pace too.

I kept recalling the other more physically demanding and painful times in my life and just kept plugging on. I even pushed on in the 14th mile when I was temporarily blinded by a cloud of dry Georgia red clay a dump truck had just spilled at a construction site I ran past. I ran with my eyes closed past the workers who were not at all sympathetic. Bastards. Again, I still didn't feel as bad as I had those other times so I went on running despite how much I really wanted to call someone, anyone that cared, to come pick up my hot, sweaty and tired ass. But I hung in there and I got through it and it ended up being 16 miles in 2 hours and 29 minutes. A 9:20 pace. So not fast but the temp when I finished? 96 brilliant degrees.

I embraced the ice bath like a long lost lover I never knew I missed. Ahhhh. . . it was bliss. Just divine.

So maybe I am not really smart like my kids but I am persistent. And by persistent I mean kinda dumb.

Let's Talk About Sex

Baby! Let's talk about you and me.

Let's talk about it. . .

Just kidding, let's talk about food instead. Let's talk about all the good things to eat at a wedding.

Word.

I just think you cyberends (Internet friends) were so super to help Lala pick her dress and I thought that maybe you wouldn't mind being of assistance with the wedding menu too. Lala is meeting with the caterer this week and I think it would great for her to hear what are some of your favorite wedding eats.

Here, in case it helps, are the details of the upcoming soiree: the wedding is at 7:30 pm in-- as Rae recently coined--the Wedding Meadow (aka The Goat Memorial Garden's, aka, Lala and Pop's front lawn) and then the reception is immediately following at Lala and Pop's. There will be about 150+/- people and it will be a buffet. Reception is inside the house and on the front and rear terraces. There will be tents in case of inclement weather. Lots and lots of candles.

Okay, now that you have the details in mind tell us first what you like to see being passed around on trays while you enjoy cocktails and socialize on the terrace--maybe dance a little. We have discussed low country shrimp, crab cakes and spanakopita.

Thoughts?
Opinions?
Suggestions?

What about the buffet? Pastas? Carving station? We are leaning towards a honey glazed pork loin but other options are turkey or a beef tenderloin. Your thoughts on meat on a stick? What about salmon. Veggie suggestions? Cheese, olive and bread tray? Fruit?

Com'on! Let's hear it. I know that unlike ladies dresses food is something everyone has an opinion on.

Beatitude? Attitude? Or just plain incertitude . . .

And you do the Hokey Pokey and you turn yourself about because, well everybody knows, "That's what it's all about!"

Okay, I have absolutely no idea "what it is all about" so the hokey pokey is the best I can come up with--right foot in, right foot out, left foot in, left foot out. Spin around. Sounds about right.

And while I am turning myself about and mulling over what's it is all about I get tidbits of advice and other's wise philosophies on how to manage the dizzying spin of the hokey pokey. My most recent advice was regarding expectation. I found, apropos that Alexander Pope has this to say about expectations:

'Blessed is the man who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed' was the ninth beatitude.

Sigh, I guess I am not the blessed for I am always guilty of expectations. I am a person who craves certitude. I want absolutes and I expect too much and therefore am often angry, frustrated and disappointed. My expectations seldom met; certainty almost never found.

How to undo this? You just let it go? Well, that is what Lala says but me? Yeah, I don't know. I don't think I know how. I don't think I can but I am going to try, a little anyway, to expect less.

Yesterday Lala and I were conversing and she was advising me that I should not place expectations on anyone except of myself--and even those--the expectations I place on myself? I should lower. And only then, I will be happy. Mmm, kay. Right.

I, of course, have my doubts and need to weigh in on this a bit more. There is just too much unwrapping my mind has to do to get me completely around the idea of no expectations. I think there is a certain security in thinking you can expect things. Then again, it isn't real security if you find that in the end that you really couldn't expect things but, you know, prior to the let down you might have been feeling secure--- right? Sigh again, I don't know. I just think you should be able to have some expectation. But maybe I am confusing expectation with accountability and then we are just getting headier here than I intended. I am sure these ideas are married somehow but let's just focus on expectation and forget about culpability. This water is muddy enough for me; no need to dump more silt into it.

So I just think to have no expectations is to be a little more freewheeling and self-sufficient than I am comfortable with. And even if I really can't, I like to think I can count on some stuff to happen. Yeah, I know, that is the sure road to disappointment. Like I said, I need to work on it.

Anyway, Lala and I had this conversation before I headed out for my first long run in almost 2 months. And it wasn't a true long run but for August, it was long. My plan was simple: I needed to bring back the 2 hour run. In another few weeks I will add the weekly 3 hour run.

A 2 hour run isn't generally an issue for me but in August it is and particularly lately as I have been bonking after about an hour. I am having some dehydration/fueling issues. Still trying to determine which it is. Leaning towards dehydration though.

I decided that my long run would be the prefect time to unburden myself.

I also decided, since I was dealing with the evil triad of heat, hills, and humidity to make things a little easier on myself. I couldn't do anything about the heat and humidity so I took the hills out of the equation and, per Lala's advice on the simplest level, I took out expectations. Well, I still had one expectation: to be able to run for 2 hours. You've got to be able to expect something or how else do you know where to start? Where do you aim? Ugh! Sigh. I'm just not getting it.

I went down to the river and parked my car in the middle of the course. The temperature was already in the low 80's and it was muggy as hell. I ran out one way for about 45 minutes. I stopped at my car and had a crank gel and lots of water. The water sloshed in my tummy for about a half mile but then I was comfortable enough and picked the pace back up. Around the 10 mile mark I started to feel crappy-- as has been my body's habit of late-- but by the 11th mile I rebounded and finished fairly solid for a total of 14 miles in an hour and 59 minutes. Screw that last minute-- it was 88 degrees and I was done.

Last fall I was easily getting 15 miles in 2 hours and that was on a hilly course but since my only expectation was to run for 2 hours I am happy with my effort. So Lala might have something there but then again I also think that if I keep up the low expectations that I might not be challenging myself and that would ultimately make me more disappointed than not meeting my expectations.

At any rate I am pleased with efforts this week:
Sunday: Triathlon; 400y swim, 13 mile bike, 5k
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 10 mile run--no time
Wednesday: 10 mile run in the am--no time. 35 minute swim in the afternoon (I am guessing between 1600-1800 meters)
Thursday: 30 mile bike ride
Friday: 14 mile run--1 hour 59 minutes
Saturday: 4 miles on the treadmill--29 minutes 51 seconds.

Week end totals:
Run: 41 miles
Bike: 43 miles
Swim: 2000 meters give or take a hundred

Bag Lady Couture

You hoo
Hey there everybody!
Lala needs help choosing a dress to wear to my sister Pookie's wedding. She has 3 picked out and just can't decide.

For those that do not know Lala, she is the mother of the very nontraditional bride Pookie, my sister. See, Pookie really wanted a red wedding dress but could not fine one to her liking. And I'm sorry but I can't describe Pookie's dress to you because groom-to-be reads my blog but I can tell you that her wedding gown is not so traditional. It is more traditional than a red wedding dress but not exactly the cream puff confection that I wore. It would also be fair to say that compared to Pookie and Lala I am the Jacki O of conservative and classic taste in the family. What I am trying to explain is that the traditional mother-of-the-bride dresses do not appeal to either of these two artistes. Oh, and you should also know that Lala has long had a penchant for the bag lady look.


Please help Lala out and post your preference for dress and shoes in the comments.

Dress number 1 Is a purplish and gold slip dress in silk and burn-out velvet. I can't remember whose label it is. Lala bought it at one of those posh boutiques in Alpharetta.

It also has a shaw.

Dress number 2 Is an Ivan Grundahl dress in the true bag lady style purchased at Mooncake in Va Highlands. It is tres avant-guarde. This dress has crazy bustling, erratic hems and frayed edges. The material is a cross between a rain jacket and duchess satin. It is an army green color with a bit of sheen.

Back view:
Dress number 3 Is an old dress from Lala's closet. It is an INC dress. Gosh ,it may be almost vintage. I want to say it is circa 1995. I had borrowed it and altered it to fit me and wore it to a garden wedding in New Orleans before Ryan and I got married. It is a silk, army green slip dress with an organza inlaid hem. She will pair this dress with the meditation shaw she purchased at Moon Cakes in Va Highlands. This dress will require the magic underwear--in case that factors into your decision making.
Meditation shaw:
Dress number 3 also has an additional option with an alternate cover-up. Lala calls this the "cage". I think it looks like a nightgown.


Questions?

Like maybe, what is that little head in the pictures about? Why that is one of Lala's Secret Keepers. I have lots of silly comments about the Secret Keepers but I am going to keep them to myself since they are money item. And art that sells is a good thing.

Okay, now you need to pick the shoes.

The following shoes, color wise, will match all of the dresses (or so Lala says). So please pick a pair of shoes to wear with the dress you choose.

Shoe A. This shoe has a Lucite heel. Lucite is making a huge come back in accessories right now. It is also a practical choice for a garden wedding and will serve the dual purpose of not only being fashionable footwear but will also aerate the lawn without damaging the shoe. How great is that?
Shoe B Is a ballet flat in a faux metallic either alligator or snake skin with a t-strap. I personally do not think these are dressy enough and think these would work better with jeans. But then again, I'm a heel girl and if I could run in heels I would be wearing heels all the time. Lala, however, is a little taller than me so comfort--not height-- is more important to her.
Shoe C Strappy bronze Nine West Sandals. Eh.
Your vote is greatly appreciated and I will be sure to let you know what Lala decides however, do not be surprised if Lala doesn't go out and buy yet another dress. You know, Mom , maybe you should just wear them all and just treat the wedding as the stage for your own Bag Lady Couture fashion show.