So I have gotten to the gym a few times this month. It's a start, especially since I have a 5 miler come mid December. Wednesday I pushed myself to the gym. 2 miles. It wasn't glorious.
D came to the gym after he walked the dogs. He looked very dour. I had just finished so he used my treadmill. As we were trading floor for mill, I asked him if he was ok.
D: We're lucky we still have a house.
A: We were robbed?
D: No. Did you cook breakfast?
A: No, I had a Clif Bar.
D: The back burner to the stove was on.
Do you want to guess who did that? So I had 2 errands to run before going home, and I was in a bit of a haze at the thought of our house filled with gas blowing up, that the note I had left D could've caught fire and burned the house down, and both ideas with McM and SB in the house. Not good. We now have no knobs on the stove.
Thursday, they went to day care. Friday they both slept the whole day. So it looks like daycare has been added into our rotation.
Saturday, D went to run at the gym. I told SB I would take him for a run. Well, there is no getting out of the house with just him, so I found the other Halti and McM came with us. McM is a horrible runner. And add the Halti, well, I allotted 60 minutes for 3 miles. We did a poop break and neither did anything so off we went. Every 10 feet, McM laid down and tried to get the Halti off. SB and I quickly figured out which side of our bodies would be pulled and leashes were all rearranged. SB found that in the fall (versus the spring) the road has leaves, and these were great to pee in every 10 feet. So we ran in the middle of the street. We noticed the unlicensed night club is for sale (yes!!!). We finished the first mile at 14:56. Second mile went decently accept cars kept coming at the intersections when we were there. And every turn, McM had to lay down and fix his face. We now could go about 1/4 mile without peeing or laying down. We got to Terrorist Dog Hill. The terrorists are back. SB seemed to not care. McM wanted to play. So he hit his brother in the head and they fought in front of the terrorists. Really????
We went back around the loop and finished mile 2 in 14:26. 2 kids were walking their dog with a retractable leash (HATE THEM!!!) and headphones. McM almost had the dog in his mouth by the time they saw us (they were zigzagging back and forth across the street and we were doing our best to avoid them). Got McM situated again. One last pass at Terrorist Dog Hill. SB did his business. Used condom, a snake skin and some beer bottles. I didn't pick up after him. I'm not putting my hand in there. Came back to the subdivision and finished up the 3rd mile. 14:23. We got home and SB tackled McM. McM went to the fireplace and went to sleep. We kept him up for the rest of the day. He slept all night (that is not normal for him).
Daycare tomorrow.
Weight I have lost
Monday, November 21, 2011
Monday, November 7, 2011
Running...blech!
Let's just say after October's Half Marathon, I was D.O.N.E.
I didn't want to run, I didn't want to think about running. And so I didn't. (I did read your blogs). D was hurt (runner's knee according to my diagnosis followed by the doctor's diagnosis of the same thing). We talked about running and instead would go to bed. All month instead of running we played with the dogs and drank beer and went on dates and slept.
We knew we had a 5K on November 5, but frankly neither of us cared. Tuesday, Nov. 1 we both went to the gym for a 2 mile run. We both agreed it was hard.
So we didn't go back. Saturday, A picked us up for the Romp and Stomp 5K in Cabbagetown. I love Cabbagetown. It is a funky little area of Atlanta, with houses really close together (which is why we didn't buy one...one goes up in flames, they all go up in flames). The tornado that hit Atlanta in 2008 destroyed part of the area and they rebuilt. They are a solid community. Anyway... back to the Romp and Stomp... It was a lovely 40 degrees. The coldest it had been for some time. I contemplated what this meant for my lungs. Ah...
This is an annual race we all do. It is close, it is fun, and we always have a good time. Our friends L and D also joined us. We talked prior to the race about various topics. A's husband despises Facebook, so we have concluded that she must now talk about her baby's daddy when she refers to him on there.
So the race started and D and D were gone. I ran in front of A and L and thought something must be wrong. I stayed ahead of them for .3 miles. Then as the crowd thinned out they were able to pass me. We ran down the road and passed all the houses and one of the parks. Ran to the coffee house/dog park. I got a little sad. This is the race I skipped 2 years ago, because it was the day after Porter passed away. I missed her. I decided to keep running hard. Mile 1 was 11:52.
I ran and thought about her funny eyebrows, her complete lack of enthusiasm for anything that wasn't beer or the bed, and her complete laziness. She was the sweetest dog ever; everyone loved her. And she loved them. I got to Mile 1.5 which was slightly up hill. I couldn't breathe. My lungs were done. I walked/hacked until I finished getting up the hill (45 seconds) and came back down the next street (so down the hill). Mile 2 was 12:45.
I couldn't believe how out of shape I was. One month ago I could run 13.1 miles, and now I couldn't run 3? I kept putting my legs in front of each other, but I was hacking a great deal. My running slowed to a crawl. I thought about walking again, but considering Po died of lung cancer, I decided to run, to push myself in honor of her. I don't know how much honor I gave her considering how slowly I was going. I got to the Krog Street Tunnel, and the Garmin went out. I sauntered through that based up on the time on my watch. I got through that and knew I had about 3 blocks to go. People were passing me, but all I thought about was Porter. Silly girl. I no longer cared that I wasn't even close to a PR. I no longer was sad she was gone. I knew she would have been happy if she could've been there with me, or if I would have stayed home and cuddled with her.
D and I were hesitating on what to do for the afternoon, and in that 3 blocks I knew we were taking the boys to Po's favorite places while she was alive. If there was a patio and a beer she was happy. And we would celebrate her life, and not be sad she was gone. And with that I crossed at 39:08.
My D had chased L's D for most of the race. L's D finished 24:23 while my D finished 26:50. L finished at 32:12 and A finished at 34:48. We said goodbye to L and D, and A drove us home. Despite the lackluster performance, I got to see my friends. So it was a good race.
I didn't want to run, I didn't want to think about running. And so I didn't. (I did read your blogs). D was hurt (runner's knee according to my diagnosis followed by the doctor's diagnosis of the same thing). We talked about running and instead would go to bed. All month instead of running we played with the dogs and drank beer and went on dates and slept.
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| Scuttlebutt, my Yellow Jacket |
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| Me and McMenamin the Moo Cow |
We knew we had a 5K on November 5, but frankly neither of us cared. Tuesday, Nov. 1 we both went to the gym for a 2 mile run. We both agreed it was hard.
So we didn't go back. Saturday, A picked us up for the Romp and Stomp 5K in Cabbagetown. I love Cabbagetown. It is a funky little area of Atlanta, with houses really close together (which is why we didn't buy one...one goes up in flames, they all go up in flames). The tornado that hit Atlanta in 2008 destroyed part of the area and they rebuilt. They are a solid community. Anyway... back to the Romp and Stomp... It was a lovely 40 degrees. The coldest it had been for some time. I contemplated what this meant for my lungs. Ah...
This is an annual race we all do. It is close, it is fun, and we always have a good time. Our friends L and D also joined us. We talked prior to the race about various topics. A's husband despises Facebook, so we have concluded that she must now talk about her baby's daddy when she refers to him on there.
So the race started and D and D were gone. I ran in front of A and L and thought something must be wrong. I stayed ahead of them for .3 miles. Then as the crowd thinned out they were able to pass me. We ran down the road and passed all the houses and one of the parks. Ran to the coffee house/dog park. I got a little sad. This is the race I skipped 2 years ago, because it was the day after Porter passed away. I missed her. I decided to keep running hard. Mile 1 was 11:52.
 |
| Porter (October 1, 2001 - November 6, 2009) |
I ran and thought about her funny eyebrows, her complete lack of enthusiasm for anything that wasn't beer or the bed, and her complete laziness. She was the sweetest dog ever; everyone loved her. And she loved them. I got to Mile 1.5 which was slightly up hill. I couldn't breathe. My lungs were done. I walked/hacked until I finished getting up the hill (45 seconds) and came back down the next street (so down the hill). Mile 2 was 12:45.
I couldn't believe how out of shape I was. One month ago I could run 13.1 miles, and now I couldn't run 3? I kept putting my legs in front of each other, but I was hacking a great deal. My running slowed to a crawl. I thought about walking again, but considering Po died of lung cancer, I decided to run, to push myself in honor of her. I don't know how much honor I gave her considering how slowly I was going. I got to the Krog Street Tunnel, and the Garmin went out. I sauntered through that based up on the time on my watch. I got through that and knew I had about 3 blocks to go. People were passing me, but all I thought about was Porter. Silly girl. I no longer cared that I wasn't even close to a PR. I no longer was sad she was gone. I knew she would have been happy if she could've been there with me, or if I would have stayed home and cuddled with her.
D and I were hesitating on what to do for the afternoon, and in that 3 blocks I knew we were taking the boys to Po's favorite places while she was alive. If there was a patio and a beer she was happy. And we would celebrate her life, and not be sad she was gone. And with that I crossed at 39:08.
My D had chased L's D for most of the race. L's D finished 24:23 while my D finished 26:50. L finished at 32:12 and A finished at 34:48. We said goodbye to L and D, and A drove us home. Despite the lackluster performance, I got to see my friends. So it was a good race.
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| McMenamin |
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| Scuttlebutt |
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| A toast to Po |
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| McMenamin loving on D |
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| Can I get through this fence? |
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| Me and McMenamin |
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| We have to go home? |
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| Another toast to Porter |
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Smuttynose Rockfest Half Marathon
So D and I trained all summer for this. Well, we would like to think we did. In actuality, training in the summer sucks ass. It is hot and humid, and right when it got cool, Georgia Tech football started which meant getting up even earlier to run to get in 2 hours of tailgating prior to game time.
So, we flew up to Boston, and our friends E and A hosted us. I went to college with E. On Saturday, we went to Meadhall which D and I thought was called Meathall. We split a Reuben and had Coffee Porter. On Saturday night, they invited more college buddies over, J and E, and N and K along with their kids. I had never met J/E's children and I hadn't seen N/K's son since he was 2. We ate pizza, drank beer (E brews a really nice Nut Brown and a good Oatmeal Stout) and watched football. I felt back in college except I had to go to bed at 10PM...which was the time everyone left. It was very good to see them all.
Sunday, E and A drove me and D to Hampton, NH. It was 50 degrees and raining. We tried to pretend it would lighten up as we got closer. We got to Hampton and parked. It was pouring. E and A stayed in the car and D and I went to get our numbers and shirts. It was not only cold and wet, it was windy. We got back to the car and sat there for about 45 minutes. Finally D and I decided to get out and "get used" to the weather. E and A said to call them if we changed our minds and wanted them to come back and get us. (They went to ME and visited A's mom and then went shopping). D and I stood under an overhang and discussed not running. It seemed a decent idea. Then it didn't. Then it did. Then it didn't. Finally the rain let up and only went straight down as opposed to sideways. Everyone gave D dirty looks. Apparently they don't like you wearing a Capitals running shirt despite the fact the Bruins won the Stanley Cup. Good thing I didn't wear an Orioles shirt since 2 days before, the O's prevented the Red Sox from going to post-season.
At 8:55 we walked to the start line. There was no corrals. Some words were said. Then we were off. D and I said bye and started running. Pretty much it felt everyone passed me (I started in the middle of the pack). We ran down a street, turned and then ran along the ocean. The wind picked up. It blew me both ways. My iPod cord was crazy. The rain picked up. I thought about if I hit the road wrong and slipped. I decided not to think about that. 9 minutes passed, and couldn't stop because another wave of people passed me. I finally was able to walk at minute 11.
Mile 1-12:27 (KY Derby 2011 12:29|2010 13:38)
Mile 2 continued along the ocean and then turned and you were still by the ocean. I was a little confused. One of my new My Chemical Romance songs came on and I decided to replay it, which meant I had to take the iPod out. When I put it back in my pants (I have no pockets), it didn't go right. So then I had to readjust and the headphone plug fell out. So I reached and got the iPod, and carried it. But the song was good. I readjusted when I got to the next walk break.
Mile 2-12:40 (KY Derby 2011 13:13|2010 13:44)
Mile 3 I had some water. Immediately I thought I was going to puke. We turned into Hampton, and I thought it might be rude to vomit on someone's lawn. Despite the weather, there were a lot of people out cheering every one on.
Mile 3-12:29 (KY Derby 2011 13:21|2010 14:49)
Mile 4 was through some bigger houses. Some people were out with water. Again, immediately wanted to puke when I drank. I decided not to have any more water. People were out cheering us on. One lady had 2 spatulas banging them together. The fact I was so far in the back and the people were still out in the weather was great. We turned onto some main road.
Mile 4-13:11 (KY Derby 2011 13:32|2010 14:11)
Mile 5 was weird. None of the roads were closed, but this one seemed more traveled. I tried to stay on the side of the road, but I kept passing people. I wondered what was wrong with them. I don't pass people. I got to a water stop, and had some Gatorade. No vomit issues. Mile 5-12:44 (KY Derby 2011 13:20|2010 13:55)
I don't really remember Miles 6-8. Lots of trees and windy roads. I thought I was going to fast. 2 hours hadn't even passed when I got to mile 8. I did eat my granola bar in this stretch. I was on a main road. There were large parcels of green land. Being I live in drought land, I hadn't seen that much grass in some time. Sometime during Mile 7 a woman told me I had a really nice pace. Then she passed me.
Mile 6-13:08 (KY Derby 2011 13:19|2010 14:42)
Mile 7-12:59 (KY Derby 2011 13:47|2010 14:48)
Mile 8-13:18 (KY Derby 2011 13:27|2010 15:24)
At Mile 9 they gave out Vanilla Hammer Gel. I never had that before. It tasted pretty good. Once I figured out how to open the thing. Between 9 and 10 you came down this hill, and it overlooked all the ocean. If I wasn't thinking about my time, I would've stopped to take a picture.
Mile 9-13:52 (KY Derby 2011 15:52|2010 15:50)
Mile 10, it started raining again. I noticed I was cold. I passed a lady who was limping. Another lady was hitting her knee while running. A cop car started riding beside me (on the wrong side of the street). I couldn't figure out why. Then the marathon winner passed. About 6 or 7 minutes later another marathoner passed. My shirt was heavy. The number was sticking to my stomach. Everyone around me was putting on their jackets. I was getting colder. I finished up a walking minute and started running.
Mile 10-13:28 (KY Derby 2011 14:46|2010 16:37)
Mile 11 I ran passed another woman and she tried to match my pace. I didn't mean to be a bitch, but another My Chemical Romance song came out. I air-drummed and sang. My feet picked up. Cars passed me thinking who was this crazy woman. I had a great time. As soon as the song ended, I remembered I was cold.
Mile 11-13:49 (KY Derby 2011 2011 15:25|2010 19:44)
At Mile 12, I knew I had a PR in my pocket. I knew what time I had to hit mile 12 to get one and I was 6 minutes ahead of that. However I didn't feel like running anymore (Typical). Still I forced myself to keep going. I would be able to get dry soon enough. I got Mile 13 on my Garmin and could see the finish. I didn't really even try to pick it up. Then some woman tried to chick me. Oh no. I did pick it up and beat her.
Mile 12-13:39 (KY Derby 2011 15:12|2010 16:46)
I crossed the line and hit the Garmin. No way. No way! PR. And I cracked 3 hours. D was there. He had cracked 2 hours. We hugged and then went to call E. Both our phones were wet. Mine was dead. We couldn't get his to open. After 15 minutes we finally were able to text where we were and he said he was on his way.
Mile 13-14:16 (KY Derby 2011 12:03|2010 16:11)
Mile .28- 3:50
Total: 2:55:42 (13:30min/mi)
D: 1:59:12 (9:11min/mi)
Right after, D's knee gave out. We helped him into the car. E and A gave us blankets. Although ecstatic, you know we were miserably cold. We were supposed to get 2 free beers. Neither of us got one. It rained all the way home.
After we got home and showered we went and watched football and had beer. I had Guinness and Green Monstah. Then we went to Redbones for dinner. I had a Coffee Porter.
Besides getting to see my friends and visiting Boston, I would consider this race again. The director emailed us back some questions (no bag check-in as most people drove there and had cars there), the volunteers were fantastic, the shirts were good, the neighborhood gave a lot of support. They couldn't help the weather.
So, we flew up to Boston, and our friends E and A hosted us. I went to college with E. On Saturday, we went to Meadhall which D and I thought was called Meathall. We split a Reuben and had Coffee Porter. On Saturday night, they invited more college buddies over, J and E, and N and K along with their kids. I had never met J/E's children and I hadn't seen N/K's son since he was 2. We ate pizza, drank beer (E brews a really nice Nut Brown and a good Oatmeal Stout) and watched football. I felt back in college except I had to go to bed at 10PM...which was the time everyone left. It was very good to see them all.
Sunday, E and A drove me and D to Hampton, NH. It was 50 degrees and raining. We tried to pretend it would lighten up as we got closer. We got to Hampton and parked. It was pouring. E and A stayed in the car and D and I went to get our numbers and shirts. It was not only cold and wet, it was windy. We got back to the car and sat there for about 45 minutes. Finally D and I decided to get out and "get used" to the weather. E and A said to call them if we changed our minds and wanted them to come back and get us. (They went to ME and visited A's mom and then went shopping). D and I stood under an overhang and discussed not running. It seemed a decent idea. Then it didn't. Then it did. Then it didn't. Finally the rain let up and only went straight down as opposed to sideways. Everyone gave D dirty looks. Apparently they don't like you wearing a Capitals running shirt despite the fact the Bruins won the Stanley Cup. Good thing I didn't wear an Orioles shirt since 2 days before, the O's prevented the Red Sox from going to post-season.
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| D and I pre-race |
At 8:55 we walked to the start line. There was no corrals. Some words were said. Then we were off. D and I said bye and started running. Pretty much it felt everyone passed me (I started in the middle of the pack). We ran down a street, turned and then ran along the ocean. The wind picked up. It blew me both ways. My iPod cord was crazy. The rain picked up. I thought about if I hit the road wrong and slipped. I decided not to think about that. 9 minutes passed, and couldn't stop because another wave of people passed me. I finally was able to walk at minute 11.
Mile 1-12:27 (KY Derby 2011 12:29|2010 13:38)
Mile 2 continued along the ocean and then turned and you were still by the ocean. I was a little confused. One of my new My Chemical Romance songs came on and I decided to replay it, which meant I had to take the iPod out. When I put it back in my pants (I have no pockets), it didn't go right. So then I had to readjust and the headphone plug fell out. So I reached and got the iPod, and carried it. But the song was good. I readjusted when I got to the next walk break.
Mile 2-12:40 (KY Derby 2011 13:13|2010 13:44)
Mile 3 I had some water. Immediately I thought I was going to puke. We turned into Hampton, and I thought it might be rude to vomit on someone's lawn. Despite the weather, there were a lot of people out cheering every one on.
Mile 3-12:29 (KY Derby 2011 13:21|2010 14:49)
Mile 4 was through some bigger houses. Some people were out with water. Again, immediately wanted to puke when I drank. I decided not to have any more water. People were out cheering us on. One lady had 2 spatulas banging them together. The fact I was so far in the back and the people were still out in the weather was great. We turned onto some main road.
Mile 4-13:11 (KY Derby 2011 13:32|2010 14:11)
Mile 5 was weird. None of the roads were closed, but this one seemed more traveled. I tried to stay on the side of the road, but I kept passing people. I wondered what was wrong with them. I don't pass people. I got to a water stop, and had some Gatorade. No vomit issues. Mile 5-12:44 (KY Derby 2011 13:20|2010 13:55)
I don't really remember Miles 6-8. Lots of trees and windy roads. I thought I was going to fast. 2 hours hadn't even passed when I got to mile 8. I did eat my granola bar in this stretch. I was on a main road. There were large parcels of green land. Being I live in drought land, I hadn't seen that much grass in some time. Sometime during Mile 7 a woman told me I had a really nice pace. Then she passed me.
Mile 6-13:08 (KY Derby 2011 13:19|2010 14:42)
Mile 7-12:59 (KY Derby 2011 13:47|2010 14:48)
Mile 8-13:18 (KY Derby 2011 13:27|2010 15:24)
At Mile 9 they gave out Vanilla Hammer Gel. I never had that before. It tasted pretty good. Once I figured out how to open the thing. Between 9 and 10 you came down this hill, and it overlooked all the ocean. If I wasn't thinking about my time, I would've stopped to take a picture.
Mile 9-13:52 (KY Derby 2011 15:52|2010 15:50)
Mile 10, it started raining again. I noticed I was cold. I passed a lady who was limping. Another lady was hitting her knee while running. A cop car started riding beside me (on the wrong side of the street). I couldn't figure out why. Then the marathon winner passed. About 6 or 7 minutes later another marathoner passed. My shirt was heavy. The number was sticking to my stomach. Everyone around me was putting on their jackets. I was getting colder. I finished up a walking minute and started running.
Mile 10-13:28 (KY Derby 2011 14:46|2010 16:37)
Mile 11 I ran passed another woman and she tried to match my pace. I didn't mean to be a bitch, but another My Chemical Romance song came out. I air-drummed and sang. My feet picked up. Cars passed me thinking who was this crazy woman. I had a great time. As soon as the song ended, I remembered I was cold.
Mile 11-13:49 (KY Derby 2011 2011 15:25|2010 19:44)
At Mile 12, I knew I had a PR in my pocket. I knew what time I had to hit mile 12 to get one and I was 6 minutes ahead of that. However I didn't feel like running anymore (Typical). Still I forced myself to keep going. I would be able to get dry soon enough. I got Mile 13 on my Garmin and could see the finish. I didn't really even try to pick it up. Then some woman tried to chick me. Oh no. I did pick it up and beat her.
Mile 12-13:39 (KY Derby 2011 15:12|2010 16:46)
I crossed the line and hit the Garmin. No way. No way! PR. And I cracked 3 hours. D was there. He had cracked 2 hours. We hugged and then went to call E. Both our phones were wet. Mine was dead. We couldn't get his to open. After 15 minutes we finally were able to text where we were and he said he was on his way.
Mile 13-14:16 (KY Derby 2011 12:03|2010 16:11)
Mile .28- 3:50
Total: 2:55:42 (13:30min/mi)
D: 1:59:12 (9:11min/mi)
Right after, D's knee gave out. We helped him into the car. E and A gave us blankets. Although ecstatic, you know we were miserably cold. We were supposed to get 2 free beers. Neither of us got one. It rained all the way home.
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| Medals, Times, and Shirt |
After we got home and showered we went and watched football and had beer. I had Guinness and Green Monstah. Then we went to Redbones for dinner. I had a Coffee Porter.
Besides getting to see my friends and visiting Boston, I would consider this race again. The director emailed us back some questions (no bag check-in as most people drove there and had cars there), the volunteers were fantastic, the shirts were good, the neighborhood gave a lot of support. They couldn't help the weather.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Did I quit running?
No. Well, sort of.
After the 12 miler I stopped running. Tuesday I was sick and went to bed early. Wednesday, D and I went to see Blink 182 and My Chemical Romance. Thursday, it took me over 2 hours to get home from work.
And thus my 7 miler on Saturday. I already knew I wasn't going to do it. Between headache, sore throat, yet another 12PM start for Georgia Tech, I just wanted to sleep in. That didn't happen either. The dogs started barking incessantly. And being that it was early, and we weren't fully awake, we opened the front door to find a big ass dog. So thinking clearly, we let him in. McM and SB immediately expressed their displeasure. SB did so by stabbing my foot with one of his claws (think Wolverine). We got them to the back deck and examined this mammoth beat (an American Bulldog). Collar, no tags. In all our running, we have never seen him.
So we took him up the street and no one was out looking for him. We rode around in the car, and no one was out looking for him. We brought him back in and he showered us with kisses. I called a local vet (ours was closed) and took him in to get a micro-chip scan. Of course, he was not microchipped and of course he was not neutered. He was a big loveable kisser. The vet and I weighed him, 70lbs. So back in the car and home. D had cleaned out the basement. My friends texted what time we would be at Georgia Tech. A discussion ensued and we decided to go to the game (yay, GT won!).
We got home and decided to walk the dog through the basement to outside. However coming up from the basement/garage, McM got downstairs. I managed to get SB on the back deck and downstairs to pour water on McM to get him to unhinge his jaw from Yuengling (a dog/beer we don't want)'s neck and to get Yuengling to do the same. D said his hands were ok. I held Yuengling and D took McM upstairs and took him and SB for a walk. Being ever so smart, perhaps they would do better in the public common area. Again, no go. McM wanted NOTHING to do with this dog. So Yuengling went back in the basement.
After watching TV and having a few beers we put SB and McM out on the deck again and brought Yuengling inside. McM tried to go though the plate glass door to get to him. That's when we knew there would be no Craig's List, no Oliver Alert, no rescue, no signs on phone poles, etc. This dog had to go to the pound. Our hands were cut up. It wasn't safe for anyone. So back to the basement. Sunday D took Yuengling to the pound. I was supposed to go, but I burst into tears at what we were doing, so I stayed home.
His owner has 7 days (since Sunday) to claim him...the pound named him Sergio. Sunday was spent crying. And because I didn't feel shitty enough, I had a neighbor email me what a complete inhumane person I was (our 'hood has a google group and a FB group and I put photos and updates out there). Another neighbor is looking into adopting the dog. I hope he does.
Monday, I heard scratches at the door. The dogs went insane. I didn't open the door. I don't know why our house is a dog magnet. The dogs don't go on the front porch. It is so weird. 2 weeks ago, we had another dog, but he was chipped. I'm avoiding all dogs at the moment.
So Tuesday, was a 4 miler (I'm in taper week). D's knee is hurting and he has no shoes (not happy with Zappos). I park my car and get all my stuff together. I have my iPod in my hand (unplugged from the charger). The parking lot is totally full, there are some people in it and there are a lot of people at the bus stop. I go in the gym and get ready to run, and the iPod is nowhere to be found. I knew if I looked for it, I wouldn't run. I knew the sucker is old. I knew it was gone. Oh well. I ran a boring 4 miles with no music, but thanks to the guy on the phone next to me, I know all the people who entered the airport bid for restaurants in the new terminal (another reason not to talk on the phone in public...I'm sure I'm not supposed to know this information). I finished my run and asked the gym manager about the iPod (if someone turned one in). He was as hopeful as I was on finding it. I wished him a good night, and walked back to the lot. I got in the car, and saw some blue thing on the windshield. I looked at it again. IT WAS MY iPOD!!!!!
Someone must have seen me drop it and put it there. And no one else stole it. Thank you good people!!!!
Tonight is my 3 miler. Tomorrow is my 2 miler. Then off to the Smuttynose Half-Marathon. I get 2 free (good) beers afterwards!
(And Doug will hopefully have shoes).
After the 12 miler I stopped running. Tuesday I was sick and went to bed early. Wednesday, D and I went to see Blink 182 and My Chemical Romance. Thursday, it took me over 2 hours to get home from work.
And thus my 7 miler on Saturday. I already knew I wasn't going to do it. Between headache, sore throat, yet another 12PM start for Georgia Tech, I just wanted to sleep in. That didn't happen either. The dogs started barking incessantly. And being that it was early, and we weren't fully awake, we opened the front door to find a big ass dog. So thinking clearly, we let him in. McM and SB immediately expressed their displeasure. SB did so by stabbing my foot with one of his claws (think Wolverine). We got them to the back deck and examined this mammoth beat (an American Bulldog). Collar, no tags. In all our running, we have never seen him.
So we took him up the street and no one was out looking for him. We rode around in the car, and no one was out looking for him. We brought him back in and he showered us with kisses. I called a local vet (ours was closed) and took him in to get a micro-chip scan. Of course, he was not microchipped and of course he was not neutered. He was a big loveable kisser. The vet and I weighed him, 70lbs. So back in the car and home. D had cleaned out the basement. My friends texted what time we would be at Georgia Tech. A discussion ensued and we decided to go to the game (yay, GT won!).
We got home and decided to walk the dog through the basement to outside. However coming up from the basement/garage, McM got downstairs. I managed to get SB on the back deck and downstairs to pour water on McM to get him to unhinge his jaw from Yuengling (a dog/beer we don't want)'s neck and to get Yuengling to do the same. D said his hands were ok. I held Yuengling and D took McM upstairs and took him and SB for a walk. Being ever so smart, perhaps they would do better in the public common area. Again, no go. McM wanted NOTHING to do with this dog. So Yuengling went back in the basement.
After watching TV and having a few beers we put SB and McM out on the deck again and brought Yuengling inside. McM tried to go though the plate glass door to get to him. That's when we knew there would be no Craig's List, no Oliver Alert, no rescue, no signs on phone poles, etc. This dog had to go to the pound. Our hands were cut up. It wasn't safe for anyone. So back to the basement. Sunday D took Yuengling to the pound. I was supposed to go, but I burst into tears at what we were doing, so I stayed home.
His owner has 7 days (since Sunday) to claim him...the pound named him Sergio. Sunday was spent crying. And because I didn't feel shitty enough, I had a neighbor email me what a complete inhumane person I was (our 'hood has a google group and a FB group and I put photos and updates out there). Another neighbor is looking into adopting the dog. I hope he does.
Monday, I heard scratches at the door. The dogs went insane. I didn't open the door. I don't know why our house is a dog magnet. The dogs don't go on the front porch. It is so weird. 2 weeks ago, we had another dog, but he was chipped. I'm avoiding all dogs at the moment.
So Tuesday, was a 4 miler (I'm in taper week). D's knee is hurting and he has no shoes (not happy with Zappos). I park my car and get all my stuff together. I have my iPod in my hand (unplugged from the charger). The parking lot is totally full, there are some people in it and there are a lot of people at the bus stop. I go in the gym and get ready to run, and the iPod is nowhere to be found. I knew if I looked for it, I wouldn't run. I knew the sucker is old. I knew it was gone. Oh well. I ran a boring 4 miles with no music, but thanks to the guy on the phone next to me, I know all the people who entered the airport bid for restaurants in the new terminal (another reason not to talk on the phone in public...I'm sure I'm not supposed to know this information). I finished my run and asked the gym manager about the iPod (if someone turned one in). He was as hopeful as I was on finding it. I wished him a good night, and walked back to the lot. I got in the car, and saw some blue thing on the windshield. I looked at it again. IT WAS MY iPOD!!!!!
Someone must have seen me drop it and put it there. And no one else stole it. Thank you good people!!!!
Tonight is my 3 miler. Tomorrow is my 2 miler. Then off to the Smuttynose Half-Marathon. I get 2 free (good) beers afterwards!
(And Doug will hopefully have shoes).
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Running Blind
So D and I had a very busy Saturday since Georgia Tech games are scheduled at Noon or 12:30 again.
After figuring out what time I had to be at Tech to get my drink on, I concluded that I had to be at the Silver Comet Trail at 6am. I told D this plan, and he just looked at his phone (I texted it to him of course). I told him he could sleep an hour and start, but he said, "No, we're a team. We do this together." So another Friday asleep by 9PM, and we woke up at 515. He walked the dogs while I ate breakfast and we left.
Got to the park and there was something I didn't think of. It was pitch black out. There were 2 other cars in the lot. Considering I go by my watch to see when to run/walk, I was kind of wondering. D said to listen to 3 songs, and then light my watch and walk that minute. I could do that. I was adjusting my phone, my iPod, and my granola bar thins in my pants (again no pockets). We got to MM0 and started running. Immediately the Granola bugged me. I had to shift stuff around. Then the iPod volume changed (it is on its last legs and has no lock anymore). So I had to fix that 3 times. Finally, I got all that situated. And yes, I did it all while running.
Running while not being able to see is very strange. I used the white stripes on the path and the moon to help see. But the stripes were about all I could see. I ran on the stripe and hoped no biker was up this early. I tried not to think of strange men jumping out, snakes falling on my head, or dead tree limbs for me to trip over. I wondered if when I got to mile 2 if I would fall in the hole in the bridge. Anyway Mile 1 came and it was 15 minutes. I chalked up the poor time to all the fidgeting at the beginning.
During the next mile, a lot of people passed me (like 8). Both ways. Some had head lamps, some were solo. All said, "Good morning." I focused on the breeze (it was 58 degrees), and how I was feeling. I wondered how D was doing. I finished Mile 2, and then crossed the bridge. The moon lit up the hole in the bridge (where the wood is separated from the asphalt) and I got over it. Mile 3 continued to be in the middle of the path. The slant of the road is big right here. I thought I was running a decent pace. Unfortunately I hit Mile 2.97 before a tunnel, and mile 3.01 on the other side. No clue to speed it up or slow it down.
I got up to the Bike Depot. There was a lot of traffic (car) and you could see groups getting ready to to go out. It was now light out. I began wondering when I should take a granola bar. I felt fine, although I felt my pace was slower than normal. At mile 4.6, I ran over a spray painted mark, "Love is Forever." Then, I passed D (who was returning) at mile 4.7, so I knew either we were the same pace as we were last time we ran 12 (we passed each other at this point) and we either both sped up or were the same. I decided we were the same pace. I forgot about Mile 5 and forgot to look at my watch. Another not knowing to speed up or slow down. I felt ok. Mile 6, I could finally see my watch. The pace was crazy. It was 4:58, 10:17. 9:28. I KNOW I can't run at any of those paces, so it was just the GPS bouncing off the trees (you are in a deep crevice in this area). I just kept running. I looked down at 6.1 and realized I had to turn around.
I ran until the watch got a 9 on it, and then walked, and ate my granola bar. It was crumbly, the chocolate was melted, and it was hard to eat. There was nothing else exciting about it. As I ran back through the crevice, the pace times were still all wonky. Ran back and saw "Love is Forever" sign and smiled.
By now, I was bored. There were a lot of bikers out. And a lot of running groups. I seemed to run out of things to think about. Then I passed a woman in a Get Fit Atlanta shirt. I thought about my friend Jen, and how she epitomizes class. She participated in IMWisconsin last week. Due to a bike equipment failure, she didn't finish. Yet, she stayed out on the course and cheered all her teammates/friends on. She was angry because she said she was hydrated fine, she had energy, and she was trained. And the bike messed her up. She is already an Iron Man, but all that training for an equipment failure? Even when she said it on FB, I wanted to reach through the screen and give her a hug. If I were there, I would have taken her for a beer. But no. What did she do? She got cleaned up, and helped her teammates and rallied them on. She is the same woman who when I did my tri, stood in the rain and took pictures of me finishing even though her husband had finished 45 minutes before I did (he ran the 5K with me). I hope she continues TRI-ing. I know right now, she is focusing on ultra marathons.
And with that contemplation I was at 9.5 miles. I decided to have my other granola bar. I had now stopped paying attention to my pace, just the 9:1. I got back to the bridge, and notices a ton of people out. I decided I liked running in the dark. I felt much stronger in the last 2 miles. I wondered if I should have picking up the pace earlier. Again, I missed the 10 mile pace. I was down to less than 2 miles, and focused on keeping my legs up. Which made me think that my butt hurt. I needed to think about something else. I passed a woman with a Great Pyrenees who only had 3 legs. And they were running. I decided if the dog could run on 3 legs, I certainly could on the 2 I had. Then I decided I was delirious comparing his 3 legs with my 2. Then I got sad that my dogs couldn't come to the football game with us. And Mile 11 was done. Delirium and all.
The last mile I seemed to pass people who passed me previously. I wasn't going fast (to me). Was there something I didn't know that they all did? Well, I decided if I ran, I would find out sooner. I wondered if D was walking the path to meet me (no). I wondered if the people standing in the path in front of me tossing a football in the air (multiple footballs) were going to move (no). I wondered if they were mad, that I assumed they would've moved and ran into one of them (I don't know). I saw another running group going out. Haha! I'm almost done. I got passed by a guy wearing an All3Sports biking shirt on a bike without a helmet. I wondered if he knew he was a dipshit. Finally, I could stop wondering all things. 12 miles was done!
I walked a little ways and saw D. I didn't realize he was hurt, and was a little irritated he was just standing there with a Gatorade. It seemed like a cruel joke. He started limping over to me, and I grabbed the Gatorade. I asked him how his run was, and he said, "Shitty." That's when I noticed he was limping. He thinks his shoes aren't padded right. Off to New Balance tomorrow to get an insert. If that doesn't work, he will return his shoes. He said the ones with 400+miles are more comfortable (they are worn, and he does need new shoes). So hopefully he can get that settled. He said he was on pace to beat the 2 hour time limit until the last 3 miles. His last mile was 16+minutes.
I'm worried about him.
So we got home at 10. We walked the pups and showered. No time for makeup (or SPF protection). Sunglasses, beer, tickets, and we were off. Got to Tech at 1045. Not bad.
And Tech smacked the shit out of Kansas. So yay!
I looked at my times this morning. I need to speed it up!
12 Mile Comparison: 2010 and 2011
2010 April2011 September2011
Mile 1: 13:48 14:14 15:00
Mile 2: 14:19 14:19 14:32
Mile 3: 14:31 14:02 14:08
Mile 4: 14:36 13:35 14:07
Mile 5: 14:21 12:54 13:44
Mile 6: 15:28 14:22 14:02
Mile 7: 16:05 13:52 15:07
Mile 8: 15:17 13:59 14:15
Mile 9: 16:09 13:37 14:16
Mile 10: 16:17 13:20 14:02
Mile 11: 18:04 13:52 13:39
Mile 12: 18:03 14:05 13:55
Total: 3:07:03 (15:35/mi) 2:46:14 (13:51/mi) 2:50:55(14:14/mi)
After figuring out what time I had to be at Tech to get my drink on, I concluded that I had to be at the Silver Comet Trail at 6am. I told D this plan, and he just looked at his phone (I texted it to him of course). I told him he could sleep an hour and start, but he said, "No, we're a team. We do this together." So another Friday asleep by 9PM, and we woke up at 515. He walked the dogs while I ate breakfast and we left.
Got to the park and there was something I didn't think of. It was pitch black out. There were 2 other cars in the lot. Considering I go by my watch to see when to run/walk, I was kind of wondering. D said to listen to 3 songs, and then light my watch and walk that minute. I could do that. I was adjusting my phone, my iPod, and my granola bar thins in my pants (again no pockets). We got to MM0 and started running. Immediately the Granola bugged me. I had to shift stuff around. Then the iPod volume changed (it is on its last legs and has no lock anymore). So I had to fix that 3 times. Finally, I got all that situated. And yes, I did it all while running.
Running while not being able to see is very strange. I used the white stripes on the path and the moon to help see. But the stripes were about all I could see. I ran on the stripe and hoped no biker was up this early. I tried not to think of strange men jumping out, snakes falling on my head, or dead tree limbs for me to trip over. I wondered if when I got to mile 2 if I would fall in the hole in the bridge. Anyway Mile 1 came and it was 15 minutes. I chalked up the poor time to all the fidgeting at the beginning.
During the next mile, a lot of people passed me (like 8). Both ways. Some had head lamps, some were solo. All said, "Good morning." I focused on the breeze (it was 58 degrees), and how I was feeling. I wondered how D was doing. I finished Mile 2, and then crossed the bridge. The moon lit up the hole in the bridge (where the wood is separated from the asphalt) and I got over it. Mile 3 continued to be in the middle of the path. The slant of the road is big right here. I thought I was running a decent pace. Unfortunately I hit Mile 2.97 before a tunnel, and mile 3.01 on the other side. No clue to speed it up or slow it down.
I got up to the Bike Depot. There was a lot of traffic (car) and you could see groups getting ready to to go out. It was now light out. I began wondering when I should take a granola bar. I felt fine, although I felt my pace was slower than normal. At mile 4.6, I ran over a spray painted mark, "Love is Forever." Then, I passed D (who was returning) at mile 4.7, so I knew either we were the same pace as we were last time we ran 12 (we passed each other at this point) and we either both sped up or were the same. I decided we were the same pace. I forgot about Mile 5 and forgot to look at my watch. Another not knowing to speed up or slow down. I felt ok. Mile 6, I could finally see my watch. The pace was crazy. It was 4:58, 10:17. 9:28. I KNOW I can't run at any of those paces, so it was just the GPS bouncing off the trees (you are in a deep crevice in this area). I just kept running. I looked down at 6.1 and realized I had to turn around.
I ran until the watch got a 9 on it, and then walked, and ate my granola bar. It was crumbly, the chocolate was melted, and it was hard to eat. There was nothing else exciting about it. As I ran back through the crevice, the pace times were still all wonky. Ran back and saw "Love is Forever" sign and smiled.
By now, I was bored. There were a lot of bikers out. And a lot of running groups. I seemed to run out of things to think about. Then I passed a woman in a Get Fit Atlanta shirt. I thought about my friend Jen, and how she epitomizes class. She participated in IMWisconsin last week. Due to a bike equipment failure, she didn't finish. Yet, she stayed out on the course and cheered all her teammates/friends on. She was angry because she said she was hydrated fine, she had energy, and she was trained. And the bike messed her up. She is already an Iron Man, but all that training for an equipment failure? Even when she said it on FB, I wanted to reach through the screen and give her a hug. If I were there, I would have taken her for a beer. But no. What did she do? She got cleaned up, and helped her teammates and rallied them on. She is the same woman who when I did my tri, stood in the rain and took pictures of me finishing even though her husband had finished 45 minutes before I did (he ran the 5K with me). I hope she continues TRI-ing. I know right now, she is focusing on ultra marathons.
And with that contemplation I was at 9.5 miles. I decided to have my other granola bar. I had now stopped paying attention to my pace, just the 9:1. I got back to the bridge, and notices a ton of people out. I decided I liked running in the dark. I felt much stronger in the last 2 miles. I wondered if I should have picking up the pace earlier. Again, I missed the 10 mile pace. I was down to less than 2 miles, and focused on keeping my legs up. Which made me think that my butt hurt. I needed to think about something else. I passed a woman with a Great Pyrenees who only had 3 legs. And they were running. I decided if the dog could run on 3 legs, I certainly could on the 2 I had. Then I decided I was delirious comparing his 3 legs with my 2. Then I got sad that my dogs couldn't come to the football game with us. And Mile 11 was done. Delirium and all.
The last mile I seemed to pass people who passed me previously. I wasn't going fast (to me). Was there something I didn't know that they all did? Well, I decided if I ran, I would find out sooner. I wondered if D was walking the path to meet me (no). I wondered if the people standing in the path in front of me tossing a football in the air (multiple footballs) were going to move (no). I wondered if they were mad, that I assumed they would've moved and ran into one of them (I don't know). I saw another running group going out. Haha! I'm almost done. I got passed by a guy wearing an All3Sports biking shirt on a bike without a helmet. I wondered if he knew he was a dipshit. Finally, I could stop wondering all things. 12 miles was done!
I walked a little ways and saw D. I didn't realize he was hurt, and was a little irritated he was just standing there with a Gatorade. It seemed like a cruel joke. He started limping over to me, and I grabbed the Gatorade. I asked him how his run was, and he said, "Shitty." That's when I noticed he was limping. He thinks his shoes aren't padded right. Off to New Balance tomorrow to get an insert. If that doesn't work, he will return his shoes. He said the ones with 400+miles are more comfortable (they are worn, and he does need new shoes). So hopefully he can get that settled. He said he was on pace to beat the 2 hour time limit until the last 3 miles. His last mile was 16+minutes.
I'm worried about him.
So we got home at 10. We walked the pups and showered. No time for makeup (or SPF protection). Sunglasses, beer, tickets, and we were off. Got to Tech at 1045. Not bad.
And Tech smacked the shit out of Kansas. So yay!
I looked at my times this morning. I need to speed it up!
12 Mile Comparison: 2010 and 2011
2010 April2011 September2011
Mile 1: 13:48 14:14 15:00
Mile 2: 14:19 14:19 14:32
Mile 3: 14:31 14:02 14:08
Mile 4: 14:36 13:35 14:07
Mile 5: 14:21 12:54 13:44
Mile 6: 15:28 14:22 14:02
Mile 7: 16:05 13:52 15:07
Mile 8: 15:17 13:59 14:15
Mile 9: 16:09 13:37 14:16
Mile 10: 16:17 13:20 14:02
Mile 11: 18:04 13:52 13:39
Mile 12: 18:03 14:05 13:55
Total: 3:07:03 (15:35/mi) 2:46:14 (13:51/mi) 2:50:55(14:14/mi)
Friday, September 16, 2011
12 Miler Coming Up
I have my 12 Miler tomorrow. I'm not really looking forward to it. The run...oh that will be fine. I'm not looking forward to getting up so that I can take 3+ hours out of my morning (getting to the trail, running, and getting home) and be walking out the door at 1015 to get my drink on before the GT game. It makes me tired thinking about it. By the time game time rolls around (seriously, I hate 12 or 1230 game times, and the ACC never fares any better), I should be sound asleep in the stands. I know, I could not drink, but that would be like the Pope suddenly becoming Buddhist.
So anyway, I'm going to try some nutrition for this run. Nature Valley Granola Thins. These things are the biggest waste on the planet. So I bought a box last week, because Kroger was having buy a select 10 things and get $5 off your bill. This was in the select things, and at the end with my coupon and the $.50 from the get $5 off, they came to something stupid like $.30 (I think they are regularly $2.79). My palm is bigger than this 80 calorie square. I ate one when I got home, and texted D to tell him of the ridiculousness of these things. (Now you understand why I text D while sitting next to him...it is the way we communicate, and he gets every fleeting thought that comes into my brain). When he got home, he agreed they were dumb. You have to eat at least 3 of them (240 calories) to get any type of "fullness" so I tried to figure out what I was going to do with them. I decided I would take 1 or 2 on my 12 mile run and see how they do. So I'll let you know.
And Nature Valley didn't in any way, shape or form, contribute to me thinking their product was stupid.
So anyway, I'm going to try some nutrition for this run. Nature Valley Granola Thins. These things are the biggest waste on the planet. So I bought a box last week, because Kroger was having buy a select 10 things and get $5 off your bill. This was in the select things, and at the end with my coupon and the $.50 from the get $5 off, they came to something stupid like $.30 (I think they are regularly $2.79). My palm is bigger than this 80 calorie square. I ate one when I got home, and texted D to tell him of the ridiculousness of these things. (Now you understand why I text D while sitting next to him...it is the way we communicate, and he gets every fleeting thought that comes into my brain). When he got home, he agreed they were dumb. You have to eat at least 3 of them (240 calories) to get any type of "fullness" so I tried to figure out what I was going to do with them. I decided I would take 1 or 2 on my 12 mile run and see how they do. So I'll let you know.
And Nature Valley didn't in any way, shape or form, contribute to me thinking their product was stupid.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Weekend Update on a Tuesday
So the new shoes... LOVE THEM!
The last few weeks of running have been barely existent. It is hard when your feet hurt to run, and you know you have to do things afterward that require you to use your feet. It doesn't help it gets no cooler than 75 at night and is usually hotter than that by the time you get out the door.
So, Saturday, at 7 I got up and checked weather.com. "D, I need new eyes. My phone says it is 58." We got dressed and walked the dogs. D goes, "I can see my breath." Got back home and put the dogs in their crates and off I went. I went up to Stolen Car hill and out to the prison. Down a hill and said hi to a pup, and back to the prison. Into the prison parking lot. It was shift change. Prison guards all seem to have shiny new cars. Or Harleys. Back out of there, down to the roadside memorial for someone that has been there for 5 years. I was very careful with the cars, as I knew they couldn't see me with the sun glaring in their faces. I could see them, so not hard to step on the sidewalk when I had to. Ran past the guys who sleep at the church (I can't figure the church out since no one is ever there on Sundays). Down the side of the prison. Another car aimed for me. This time, I KNOW I was in the grass.
Thought about my feet. They were feeling good. Thought about my speed. Knew it was slow. Came back to the church and down the "new to me" neighborhood. Ran all the way to the hill. I didn't go down it because I would have to come back up. Plus I couldn't see what was down the hill and it isn't the most pleasant of 'hoods. Came back to the street and to the Mosque. Yes, because I passed the Mosque, I thought about Muslims in our neighborhood. When I first moved, this one wasn't very welcome (I believe it is a converted Taco Bell). However, it holds the monthly neighborhood meetings for the "new to me" 'hood. I'm glad everyone can be neighbors here. I went over to Bell South Hill, and all the way to German Shepherd Pass. She doesn't have her GSP anymore. I wonder what happened to him. Did the usual stretch.
Thought about my foot again. Still no pain. Got back to GSP and still had a mile to go, so I ran back to the prison again, and turned around. Got home.
5 minutes faster than my last 7 miles.
Later we sat on the front lawn drinking Guinness. We met our new neighbor. She seems nice. She likes guns. She managed to say she had at least 4 of them in the 20 minutes we talked. She watches our house, a lot. She shooed away the lawn guy (she didn't see his truck and thought some random dude was edging our bushes), and asked for the bug guy's card. She knew when UPS delivered a package and what the UPS driver looked like. Somehow, I think I will sleep better knowing someone has my back.
The last few weeks of running have been barely existent. It is hard when your feet hurt to run, and you know you have to do things afterward that require you to use your feet. It doesn't help it gets no cooler than 75 at night and is usually hotter than that by the time you get out the door.
So, Saturday, at 7 I got up and checked weather.com. "D, I need new eyes. My phone says it is 58." We got dressed and walked the dogs. D goes, "I can see my breath." Got back home and put the dogs in their crates and off I went. I went up to Stolen Car hill and out to the prison. Down a hill and said hi to a pup, and back to the prison. Into the prison parking lot. It was shift change. Prison guards all seem to have shiny new cars. Or Harleys. Back out of there, down to the roadside memorial for someone that has been there for 5 years. I was very careful with the cars, as I knew they couldn't see me with the sun glaring in their faces. I could see them, so not hard to step on the sidewalk when I had to. Ran past the guys who sleep at the church (I can't figure the church out since no one is ever there on Sundays). Down the side of the prison. Another car aimed for me. This time, I KNOW I was in the grass.
Thought about my feet. They were feeling good. Thought about my speed. Knew it was slow. Came back to the church and down the "new to me" neighborhood. Ran all the way to the hill. I didn't go down it because I would have to come back up. Plus I couldn't see what was down the hill and it isn't the most pleasant of 'hoods. Came back to the street and to the Mosque. Yes, because I passed the Mosque, I thought about Muslims in our neighborhood. When I first moved, this one wasn't very welcome (I believe it is a converted Taco Bell). However, it holds the monthly neighborhood meetings for the "new to me" 'hood. I'm glad everyone can be neighbors here. I went over to Bell South Hill, and all the way to German Shepherd Pass. She doesn't have her GSP anymore. I wonder what happened to him. Did the usual stretch.
Thought about my foot again. Still no pain. Got back to GSP and still had a mile to go, so I ran back to the prison again, and turned around. Got home.
5 minutes faster than my last 7 miles.
Later we sat on the front lawn drinking Guinness. We met our new neighbor. She seems nice. She likes guns. She managed to say she had at least 4 of them in the 20 minutes we talked. She watches our house, a lot. She shooed away the lawn guy (she didn't see his truck and thought some random dude was edging our bushes), and asked for the bug guy's card. She knew when UPS delivered a package and what the UPS driver looked like. Somehow, I think I will sleep better knowing someone has my back.
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