Day 13315, & Part Two, aka you bitches crazy!!!

So, when when we left off, I had just seen Nat and Charlie at mile 20 and I had just tried to catch up with Fishstick without maiming any small children in the process.  I failed... to catch up with Fishstick, that is.

She finished her 1/2 7 minutes better than her goal, 2:13!

Congrats to Fishstick!

It took about 15 minutes to navigate the crowd to find her.  Eventually, she talked me through it and I found her.  She and I made our way over to the finish to wait for Nat and found a good spot on the fence about 100 yards from the mat.

This was my first time watching a marathon.  I have to say it is quite inspirational.  It is easy to get caught up with the cheers from the crowd while appreciating the runners' achievements.

We had to wait about 15 minutes for Nat and Charlie to round the corner.  This allowed for 15 minutes of:

"Is that Natalie? Is that Charlie? There's a guy in red..."

God bless Fishstick...

Nat and Charlie, and Preston, came in right at 4:00.  Unfortunately, Nat was plagued with discomfort for most of the race.  That said, I have to say, 26.2 miles in four hours is pretty great, let alone with GI issues.  It was nice of Charlie to hang in there with Nat.  I hope that when I make it to marathon level, somebody is there to make me finish.

Anyway, Stick and I set out through the crowds again in search of Nat.  Then I got the text:

 "Beer...Shower!"

We found her at the NB tent.  Despite our worries, well ok, our incredible fear, her mood was good and we hung out a few minutes while she stretched, chatted with Preston (sans wife, again) and motivated ourselves for the walk back to the car.  With all the streets closed, it made for an extra mile or so added onto the 13.1 and 26.2.  And at least it allowed me some degree of exercise for the day.

Back at the house, the girls got ready for the beer part of the day.  I would say that this is when things started to change...

Upon arrival at 3 Crow Bar, we found Preston and his wife at a table and joined them.  Nat and Stick got some food and we all enjoyed some beverages.  I should also mention that it was at this table that I noticed several of the other marathoners staring our way.  I wasn't sure why until one finally approached to confirm that Natalie had indeed run the full.  Apparently, people have trouble believing you when you show up to the bar in heels, looking perfect, 2 hours after running 26 miles.

After Preston and wife departed, we made our way over to the bar and settled in.  

Jay joined us for a bit.  After a few drinks, he headed back home.  He even stopped off at the local gallery and bought me a present.  Note: I have been eyeing this painting for about 5 months.  I have absolutely no idea what sparked this impulse buy, but I am not going to complain.  Pretty...

We stayed at the bar.  I would say this was when things started to get ugly...

It all seemed calm at first...

We all seemed to be having a perfectly adult afternoon...

Natalie even too time out to lecture Lil' Bit on the dangers of smoking...

And Stick did a GREAT job of photographing every aspect of the day...

So, I have absolutely no idea what time we left the bar.  I do know that the tab was big.  I know that apparently I drank a lot.  Apparently, I drank 11 pints of beer.  And, apparently, while having trouble rounding up my companions, I threw my arms in the air as exclaimed "Let's go, bitches!"

Also, apparently, I was forced to run out and stop Nat and Stick from just wondering out into the street.  The walk home was fun, silly, and a bit insane.  Those pictures are on Nat's camera.  Ask her about them.

We stopped at the house to see if Jay wanted to go get dinner with us.  Fishstick decided that she and Nat should drink some vodka.  And then...

I have no idea what prompt adults to act like children...

But I am guessing it has something to do with drinks.

We made it around the corner to the restaurant, and I told the server we needed food immediately.  This was the one fact that I clearly understood.  Things seemed to calm down incredibly over the course of dinner.  Food, yes, food always helps...

I think that we were much better off on the walk back home...

OK, maybe we were not even the slightest bit better.

Sunday morning I thought I was going to die.  Instead, we all decided to go for a run.  As expected, Nat kicked my butt.  Yes, even after running 26 miles, the girl still runs 4 miles in 30 minutes.  I would hate her if she weren't so sweet.  Stick decided that a run wasn't that appealing and took a nature walk instead.

Brunch was nice.  It seemed to alleviate any residual hangover symptoms that hadn't been conquered by the run.  We headed home, they packed up, and headed back to Atlanta.  

Nat and Fishstick are quite a pair.  While I don't think I could handle another weekend anytime soon, I would venture to say that this was the most fun I have had in a long long time!

Actually, you two are welcome anytime.  Stick, I will tell my folks that they are entertaining at Christmas!

Day 13313, & a weekend with Nat and Fishstick, Part One

So, you know how it can be awkward to see someone for the first time in 15 years?  You don't know what to expect.  You don't know what you are going to talk about. You don't know what you still have in common... Etc, etc...

And, you know how it can be awkward to have to spend a weekend with the friend of a friend? You don't know this person.  You don't know what to talk about. You don't want to offend them inadvertently, etc, etc...

Yeah, well none of that was an issue this weekend...

I only had to work lunch on Friday, as I had planned for the weekend.  Nat and Fishstick arrived around 2:30.  I went home to change and then drove back to meet up with them at the expo.  I was afraid to find parking, so I parked at LP and walked over the pedestrian bridge.  Wow, that bridge is LONG!!!  Anyway, after many texts, I found the girls at the convention center and we went to get them some lunch.  After much frustration over the fact that I NEVER go downtown, we settled on Merchant's for lunch.  As I was only having a beer for lunch, I was fine with whatever was decided.

I had never met Stick before.  In fact, I was a bit nervous about spending a weekend with Nat and Co.; it had been sooooo long since I had seen Nat, let alone getting to know a complete stranger...

Well, maybe not a complete stranger.  Apparently, Stick's dad, George, is golfing buds with my dad, Weazel.  And, apparently, Stick has been in my parents' new house, possibly more recently than I.   And, apparently, Stick really hit it off with my stepmother when they all celebrated George's last birthday.  So, ok, maybe not a total stranger...

Anyway, Friday was a bit subdued, as the girls had to get to bed early for the race.  After their lunch, we headed back to the car to get my car and off to the house we went.  Dropped of their stuff, they met Jay. Jay got a pot from Nat (see last post--thanks Nat... and Lala) idle chit chat, and off to dinner we went.

We were meeting Charlie for dinner.  Charlie and Nat are blog friends but had never met before.  Note: also a bit strange to me at first, but whatever...I am, after all hosting an old girlfriend for the marathon, so really, what is too strange???  Turns out, Charlie was in the Navy like Weazel (who's name is also Charlie, btw) and is a really nice guy.  

I have to mention my favorite part of dinner.  While we sat at the bar before going to the table, Nat was approached.  "Excuse me, is your name Nat?  I recognized you from your blog." She is famous?  Stick and I were amused, jealous, and a bit annoyed at her fame... Anyway, Preston was nice, even though he left his wife alone at their table for like 15 minutes while he talked runnin' with the folks at the bar.

My other favorite part of the evening?  DG's commentary on the evening: "You know, runner people are crazier than Lord of the Rings people..." I have soooo much to look forward to!

Dinner was great and we all had fun.  We finished up and headed home at about 9 so those running could get some sleep, as well as those who were driving those who were running.

5 AM, nothing better.  Actually, it was fantastic to wake up to the smell of coffee.  Jay doesn't ever start coffee in the morning.  I drove them to the start just as the rain let up.  Sadly, a result of the coffee being ready, I was unable to go back to sleep after the drop off.  So, I got some laundry done, ran the dishwasher, paid some bills.  I hopped on the interweb to stalk their progress and then made my way down to Nat's mile 20 (Stick's finish) at about 9:45.  Perfect timing...

Just as I walked past the 20 mile mark, Charlie and Nat appeared at the bottom of the bridge. Unfortunately, action shots were not a possibility as Nat was having issues with GU.  I got some pictures in, watched them resume the run, and made my way down to the 1/2 marathon turn into the stadium.  Again, it is all about timing.  And mine was off by about 14 seconds...

I made it down to the turn off just in time to see Fishstick run by.  I tried to catch up to get a better picture, but there were children strewn all over the sidewalk.  I couldn't navigate the obstacle course and handle the camera.  Oh well, off she goes...

to be continued...

Day 13309, & Spring is in the air...

Ahh, Spring...

Flowers blooming, grass growing, bees buzzing, airlines merging...

I have been pretty worked up over the last few days. According to Jay, I have been mean, hateful, and angry. Mayhaps this is true, but it isn't you, dear...

Anyway, just to catch you up, as it has been awhile since my last post:

Issue #1- The democratic primaries are just plain annoying. If one more issue gets tied up in race or gender I just might scream. Hasn't anyone realized that these two are just petty and foolish? Childishness is not a race or gender issue. It is an issue of maturity. I am beginning to wonder if I wouldn't make a better president.

Issue #2- Gas prices. I know that this isn't news, but it is very annoying. If it costs me 50.00 to fill up, so be it. But, of the 50.00, the government is getting 9 bucks. So, McCain suggested that the US suspend the gas tax for the summer. Good idea! Then, his critics said that such action would further the budget deficit. Really? Cause that's odd? Are they saying that the budget for the year was written under the assumption that the government would be getting .50/gallon this year? Hummm, interesting. It is like they planned it. I am not one to throw around conspiracy theories. This just really ticks me off.

Issue #3- Some oppose the Delta/Northwest idea. They say the deal isn't fair to the employees, the shareholders, or the consumers. Well, maybe the deal isn't perfect. I think it is preferable to 80000 lost jobs, an enormous stock loss, and the loss of TWO airlines. After all, Delta lost 6.2 BILLION dollars in 3 months!!! Really? Said merger is a bad idea? I will have more on this as I develop my strongly worded letter to the editor...

Saturday was Jay's birthday. Jay is one of those people who like to celebrate the birthweek. I am not one of those people and I refuse to do it. That said, I will pretty much deal with whatever he wants to do on his actual birthDAY. For example, I let him drive. Secretly, this is a selfish maneuver. It is my way of avoiding his critique of my driving and most certainly prevents a minor argument.

Anyway, off to the Farmer's Market we went. Why? Well, apparently we needed...

A pot. And, apparently, just any pot would not do. "We" looked and looked for just the right pot. This was fine, as there is really nothing I would rather do than hang out at the Farmer's Market on a Saturday morning before I have gotten my full coffee fix. We didn't ever find an acceptable pot during this morning trip. Maybe the afternoon would prove to be more successful.

After Jay's family dropped off their gifts, cards, etc, we were off to his favorite pond supply/garden/fish retailer.



I am much better with this than the earlier excursion. Who does like to look at a pond or two? We went with the plan of choosing a few new koi for the backyard. Easier said...

Upon arrival, Jay begins to think about all of the things he can do to change his pond. Coincidentally, all of these new ideas cost money. I point out that he said that the last time we enlarged the pond, he said that was going to be it. I also pointed out that the new pump, filter, etc that he bought last month should eradicate his newly acquired inferiority complex.



But still...


A man can dream...
(And, no, this thing is NOT going in our backyard!!!)

Anyway, back to the task at hand. We had to select a fish or two. I, of course, wanted to go pick out the biggest fish we could afford. Jay, the realist, wanted to buy a smaller set of fish. Apparently, he felt that if we got an expensive fish home to the pond it might die. He easily convinced me that I didn't want to gamble away such money on a fish. We shopped in the small fish section.


I should mention...

Jay takes fish selection VERY seriously...

After we selected our three new mini-koi, we headed home. Not so fast! "Let's stop at Home Depot and see if they have a pot." Damn this wretched pot dilemma!!! Now, I love Homo Depot as much as the next queen, but I never love it on a Saturday afternoon. Again, as it is Jay's Birthday, I don't object. And, we found a pot. The ficus has a nice new shoe.

Happy Birthday, Jay!

Meanwhile, I have been running a bit. Went out to the greenway for my run last Wednesday morning. Sunny and 65 outside. I successfully ran a warmup mile in 9:45. Off I went... No stoppin', no walkin'...

5 miles in 0:47:50.

Thursday was an easy elliptical day, then training. Friday, my ankle was bugging me, so it was elliptical again. Boring!

Then Saturday, while Jay's family was over, I hit the greenway again. 5 miles in 0:46:18. I fell in right behind some guy who was running a perfect 9:15 ish mile. I followed him. That seemed to help, until I had to turn back at the 2.5 mile marker. I decided not to request that he cut his run short for my benefit. But still, I was pleased. I held the pace on my own.

Sunday, I drank some beers.


Monday, I felt good and decided to give my newly planned street route a try. Hills. Big ones. Ouch. I plowed through my 2.6 mile route in 26:15. Not bad. Big hills at a 10 minute pace. OK. I'll take it.

Tuesday, leg weights, with a mile elliptical and a mile treadmill warmup. Again, I felt good. Training was good.

Last night, however, I couldn't sleep. My legs felt tight. Today I was a bit stiff. But, over my first few hours, I walked it out. Or, so I thought...

Tried for a 3 mile run, but by the beginning of the third mile, my left ankle, right calf and shin, and left knee were all giving me stern warnings. So, I walked. 3 miles, 36 minutes.

Meanwhile, Nat is here in 48 hours for the marathon. I am excited. It has been 15 years. Maybe I will drink a beer for each year...

Day 13298, & a little less blah...

But still, sigh...

You know you are in trouble when you start re-thinking all of your priorities.

Maybe it is the recession that "they" say we might be heading into. Maybe it is the recession that I say started about 3 months ago. Maybe it is the thought of spending huge amounts of $$$ on a new restaurant in the the middle of the recession. Maybe it is home mortgage 1 and 2. Maybe it is car payment 1 and 2.

Maybe.

But I think maybe it is just me. 36.5 seems an odd age for a life crisis. Then again, what about life isn't odd or unpredictable?

On the bright side, I ran with Lil' Bit this morning. She is a good running partner. No idle chit chat. Just put on the iPod and go. Thatta girl!

The weather wasn't as bad as I imagined. A balmy 58 degrees. I figure the bright side to be a less crowded greenway so I won't complain.

Again, mile one in 8:10 minutes. I would say oops but, rather, I should question where mile 1 actually starts. Has my whole life been a lie? Well, I ran 3.5-ish miles in 34:15, and we finished up the 4-ish miles in 42 minutes. It felt good, but now my legs feel tight. As tomorrow is rest day (beer raises only), they can recoup then.

This week looks to have been a 17 miler. It'll do me just fine.

Tonight, however, is the official start of...

Prom season!!!

Crazy kids, no alcohol sales, and lots of chicken.

Again, sigh...

Day 13297, & I am feeling blah...

It is quite easy to work your self into a rut.

It is not so easy to get yourself out of one.

Que sera...

It rained today. It rained a lot. 2.5 inches in the last 12 hours. Having had to deal with drought conditions last year, I am not one to complain about the rain. Normally, I am not one to complain about cold either. It is going to be cold this weekend, with a frost warning for Monday night. This, I am going to complain about.

The plants are VERY confused. Last year, we had a hard freeze during this same week, after the same warm, pleasant lead in to springtime. That cold snap did quite a few things in. Then, as the flora recovered, it never rained again.

This year, as a result, things look a bit off. The leaves look funny. Nature just looks tired, worn out, exhausted.

And that is EXACTLY how I feel right now. Again, que sera...

I couldn't do my hilly street run today for fear of being swept away in the wind and rain. Instead, I went to the gym for a 50 minute treadmill run between lunch and dinner. It was 80 outside. I would say it was 85 in the gym. Practice for summertime, I said as I sweated out every drop of hydration from my body. Really, no A/C? I know that it isn't good to be too cold, but how about 76 or so.

Anyway, 5 miles, some incline, and varying speed between 6.0 and 6.6. PT gave me some new stretches to do this week. They seem to help.

Tomorrow is supposed to be 1+ hours on the Greenway.

And, of course, it is going to be 45 degrees.

Day 13295, & I am not dying...

Well, the results are in...

I had a physical a few weeks ago. It was my first physical in 6 years. Why wait, you ask? Well, it is EASY to get caught up in other things when you are avoiding the doctor. You gotta love the power of denial.

Anyway, I was quite certain I was dying.

Of what, you ask?

High blood pressure, high cholesterol, alcoholism, cancer, diabetes. You know, all the basics. Yes, I realize that I wasn't going to die of all of these things. I just wasn't sure which one was going to be the one that actually killed me.

Anyhoo, it turns out that I am not going to die tomorrow, or hopefully the next day either. Aside from some slightly high blood pressure (hello, I am a restaurateur...) my levels were all normal.

I was very excited and relieved. Kidneys and liver all functioning normally. No need to cut back on beer yet. Cholesterol good. No need to cut back on all of the delicious high fat food I enjoy. Blood pressure? Well, clearly, I should cut back on work and try to vacation more.

Oddly, Jay was not as receptive to this as I might have hoped. Apparently, he is not as concerned about my health as he should be. Please keep this in mind should something happen to me and he collects his lottery winnings, I mean life insurance.

The doc told me that my newly acquired running routine should help solve the BP issue. He also suggest that I cut back on my drinking. The thought of carrying out his suggestion raised my blood pressure. Not an option (again, restaurateur...)

Anyway, moral of the story? Don't be afraid of the doctor.

I took today off from running and the gym. Back to it tomorrow.

(and I have no idea why blogger does not want to let me put a space between paragraphs...bitch be crazy!)

Day 13293, & I need a speedometer...

So, I got up at 6 today.  That is about an hour early for me.  Went into the restaurant, sans coffee, to get payroll done.  I like to get the payroll in early so that I can get my reports back in time to get the weekly P&L done before I finish up my day.

The point? Well, the point is that I have been so excited about Saturday's run and I wanted to get back out and do it again.  I had to get in to get payroll done so that I could leave, go run, go home and shower, and go back to work for lunch.

I have not experienced any pain or soreness from Saturday.  I did feel a bit tight today straight out of bed but it is the second day, so I ignored it.  I went to the Greenway and stretched for 15 and started out...

Mile marker 1: 8:05

Oops! No wonder I felt like I was struggling.  Slow it down!

Mile marker 1.5: lapped at 4:30.  9 minute mile? Still too much...  Hold back a bit, you still have to go back to the beginning...

Meanwhile, on the way to mile 2, I encountered some geese.  Cute, I thought.  I hate to scare them, I thought.  Well, they can fly away if they're bothered.  No worries.  And then... Really, geese?  You are going to RUN from me???  Yeah, rub it in!  My pace is slower than yours.  You can probably run a 5K in 20 minutes.  Fine.  Stupid if you ask me though, as you could fly the 5K much faster.... (Side note, I should take my camera for these moments, but I don't want to carry it.)

After the taunting from the geese ended:

Mile marker 2.0: lapped at 5:01.  Much better! Remember this is what you want, Chris...

So, I turn to go back.  But, now I am tired from overdoing it earlier.  And, not only do I have to get back, I also have to get to work soon.  If I walk the 2 miles, I will have less coffee time at home. Get it together!

The final tally: 3.5 miles, 35 minutes, with the final .5 cool down finishing me out at 4miles.  So, I got my pace where I wanted it overall, just not the way I wanted to get it.

Work sucks, by the way. Nuff said...

Day 13292, & no pain...

Which implies a bit of gain...

I am feeling fantastic about my run.  No pain today.  No stiffness.  Just a tad tight in the calves by the end of brunch.

Now that I have officially been dubbed a runner by Nat, I must develop a plan for my further development.

I would think that this would not be difficult, as we have managed to develop a plan for the restaurant for the last 5 years.  Managing a growth plan for running should not be quite so stressful.  That said, it is stressful.

I do weight training on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

I do beer training on Sundays (2 for 1).  Sunday is generally the day off...

That said, I am fearful of a substantial run on Mondays, because I am doing legs on Tuesdays.

That would mean no substantial running on Sunday, Monday, or Tuesdays.  That seems silly and unproductive.

So, my thoughts as a newbie:

Monday: 3-ish mile Greenway (flat)

Tuesday: 2 mile treadmill warm up, leg weight training

Wednesday: Greenway, 5-ish miles, or 45-ish minutes

Thursday: 2 mile Treadmill warm up, upper weight day

Friday: 30 minute road run, hills and all

Saturday: Long run, 1+ hour, Greenway...

Sunday: Beer, no running, except maybe running to the beer...

That seems like about 15-20 miles a week.  According to the running guru at Team Nashville, I shouldn't be running more than 5-10 miles a week at this stage.  BORING... I trust his judgment, I just don't like his advice.

Thoughts?

Day 13291, & I am not a rock star...

But I felt a bit like one this morning...

4 miles. 38 minutes. On asphalt!

I am not what you call a nature person. I am like the city mouse. I am like Eva. I like amenities. That said, the Shelby Bottoms Greenway is quite enjoyable. The Shelby Bottoms Greenway is also quite...

Flat!

I went out for a run this morning with my friend Clay. Clay is a runner. Clay likes to run at an 8 minute pace. Last Sunday, while drunk, Clay agreed to run a slower pace and help me run at A pace. I realized that until I can gauge how I am doing, I need this assistance. So, off we went.

I managed a 9:30 pace, so Clay said, and so the stopwatch and miles markers confirmed, for the first 2 miles. Then I needed a walk break. I think Clay needed a walk break too, as he apparently did not take a drinking break last night... After about a 3-5 minute walk, we turned around and resumed the run. Probably a bit faster on the way back, but I will call it 9:30 for the 2 mile return.

I should probably also mention that I was able to maintain my end of a conversation for the duration of the run. I am going to assume that this means I was not overdoing it and that I wasn't courting death.

We will see how I feel about all of this tomorrow. I am quite suspicious of my legs, as they gave me no warning signs this morning. But, in the meanwhile...

I think I am almost a runner now.