Complete Failure!

I just returned yesterday from a trip to NYC.  The weather was beautiful and I took the chance to run in Central Park on Tuesday.  It was a little warm, but I am used to that.  It was a gorgeous run.  I was able to snap a few pics along the way and one in particular of the Plaza.  It's amazing how many tourists there are in NYC at any time of the day, 365 days a year. 

While I did have a good time running in Central Park, I have enough sense to know that I am not going to be able to compete in the Asheville Half without injuring myself.  I would like to go and support my running buddies, but can't justify the cost of the hotel considering I am having new brakes installed on the Passat tomorrow, $400.  I hope my friends will understand.

I hope to get out and do a nice run this weekend and maybe a bike ride.  I am searching for my motivation and seeing all those skinny people in NYC has helped a little.  I mean, there are still fatties in NY, but most of them are tourists.  ;-)

My best friend, Scarlett, was teaching her little boy animal sounds the other day and they were teaching him to 'moo' like a cow.  Her husband, French Fry as I call him, told him..."It's the sound Uncle De makes."  Well, I never.  Course, Ross starts mooing immediately.  The very idea.  I know I have put on a little weight, but in the words of Suzanne Sugarbaker, "You all act like I oughta be buying bolts of fabric down at Georgia Tent and Awning!"  Sniff, sniff!

Thanks Sammy for keeping me company in NYC.  The margarita we had in that shithole BBQ joint was worth the trip!  I missed Ian being with me on the trip and I am sorry I won't be able to go with him when he takes Baxter up there next week.  Ships, passing in the night.

Cheers!  Bloody cheers!

I am weak...

Well, I got back last night from my business trip to Memphis and Nashville.  I took time in Memphis to see friends and to spread some of Gracie's ashes along the Mississippi River.  She loved running along the river out at Harbor Town.  Jenness went with me and it was nice to have someone along that knew Gracie. 

I did fall of the cookie wagon, not more than 5 hours after my last post, I was stuffing my cake hole full of Petit Ecoliers, the milk chocolate ones.  I am weak, yes, I am!  

I did finally run last Wednesday night, with Greg.  It was a good run.  I managed to eek out 26 minutes of actual running.  We made a stop or three along the way.  I hope to run this evening, but you never know.

I am going to the doctor this afternoon for this persistent cough.  It's annoying everyone around me.  My boss, Ian, Heath, people in the grocery store, people on the plane, and most off all, ME!  It's a tickle cough that you can't ignore.  So, maybe he will give me a good review.  I also intend to get my Xanax refilled for my flying anxiety.  I had it filled in 2007 and have managed to make the 10 pills last until this year.  It's not the actual flying that makes me so anxious, it's the crowded plane, delays, and bullshit that you have to put up with.  The Xanax helps.  And a margarita with the Xanax double helps.

I know this blog is supposed to be about running, but it just isn't happening.  The half marathon is in three weeks.  Time will tell if I will be a spectator or a participant.

Day 1 of sobriety!

It's been 16 hours since I had my last cookie.  I remember it well.  I am really trying my hardest not to eat any cookies today.  When you eat cookies and you don't run, you get fat.  When you eat cookies, with milk and you don't run, you get fatter.  Time will tell!

Yesterday on NPR, they had a segment talking about cookies.  Of course they were talking about the kind of cookies that are installed on your computer when you visit certain websites, but still, it made me hungry for cookies. 

I have always loved cookies but for some reason, in the last week, I have been craving them.  Ian is an enabler...he bakes, I eat.  And here I have used the word 'cookie', 9 times already.  Four more times and I'll have a baker's dozen.  A baker's dozen cookies, ok, 3 more times. (Scarlett, I know you are counting, I used the C word 10 times so far.)

Ok, enough of that.  Have you ever been typing a response on Facebook and you hover your cursor over the share button only to see a very bad mistake?  I did that this morning.  I wanted to type that a girlfriend of mine was 'very wise'.  However, the 'D' is right next to the 'S' and my finger found the 'D'.  Yesh, if you saw it before I deleted, I am sorry.  I meant 'wise', I promise.

I made reservations today for my business trip to Memphis and Nashville on August 30th and 31st.  I am so excited to eat real BBQ in Memphis and have breakfast at the Barksdale on Cooper. 

We have a big wedding tomorrow in Marietta.  Good times!

Happy Weekend!

Cookies!

It seems that everywhere I turn the last 24 hours, there is a cookie in my face.  Last night Ian made his wonderful Pad Thai again and then all of the sudden around 9, he starts making chocolate chip cookies.  They were really good and I ate like 12 of them and I also had a glass of milk.  So good!

Today when I got up to get ready for work, the coffee was brewed and Ian had left out a bowl for cereal, a cup for my coffee, a spoon for each and the canister of cookies.  I poured my coffee, pushed the cereal bowl aside and had two cookies for breakfast.  Small cookies mind you. 

Later in the day, after I had finished my healthy Kashi Sweet and Sour Chicken meal, someone alerted me that cookies had been left in one of the conference rooms.  I managed to pull myself away from my work and waddle in there to take a looksy.  I chose the white chocolate, macadamia, coconut cookie shown below.

Now did I need this cookie?  No, clearly not.  But it was oh so good.  Nom, nom, nom.  I really hope that the trend continues and that there are more cookies in my future.  I get depressed thinking that there may not be. 

As for my cold, it's still hanging on.  I was driving down Ponce this morning and had to pull over because I was coughing so hard.  However, last night was a better night because I had the cookies followed by a 2 tablespoon Nyquil chaser. 

Still not running! 

Monumental!

In my true passive aggressive manner, I posted a truly PA blog yesterday. My comment about the friend who texted me for a run…well, the friend called me this morning. (I had no idea people actually read my blog.) Greg phoned and apologized for not checking on me. It was very kind of him and I appreciated the call. It goes to show you that passive aggressive behavior can be rewarded.

Of course the other friend, who thinks I am a hypochondriac, does not read my blog because of a condition I like to call ‘self absorption’. I say that and here I am writing a blog assuming that people actually care about what I have to say. Talk about self absorption.

So I promised Greg that I would not give up on the Asheville Half and that as of today I have every intention of running, walking, or sauntering the race. Even if I get there and decide not to do it, I will enjoy the weekend with my running friends and Ian.
 
After all, Asheville is a nice place to visit. I like to go there and visit the monument erected there in honor of a famous Vance, Governor Zebulon Vance. When I say ‘erect’, I mean ERECT. Look at that thing!
 

I guess that settles it. I will go to Asheville but who knows if I will run. Right now I get winded walking up one flight of stairs. Thanks Greg for the call and cheering this morning!!!!

Can't cough and run!

I have experienced a set back in my half marathon preparation.  I have been sick for over a week now with a summer cold.  I ran a fever for at least 4 days and now it's the coughing that is bringing me down.  With 4 weeks left, I just don't see how I can do it. 

Woe is me, I know.  I know all of my friends will be disappointed, but what the two of them don't understand is that this half marathon is all hills and you have to have lung capacity for that.  You have to train your lungs and heart to participate in the endeavor together. 

I had one friend text me for a run this weekend.  When I texted back that I couldn't make it because I was still under the weather, I didn't even get a return text of get well wishes.  It's not like I can control illness other than taking a copious amount of Advil and cough syrup. 

My boss is to blame for all of this.  She was sick first and then infected me with her coughing and talking, coughing and talking.  She was all uppity and went to the doctor, where she was given cough syrup with codeine and fun pills that made her sleepy.  Well, do you think she shared?  Heck no!  She just sat over there and bragged about how sleepy she was, blah, blah, coughity blah.  (SOP, if you reading this, hugs!)

I haven't been to the doctor because I get ridiculed for that.  To hear my other friend tell it, I go to the doctor for a fallen eyelash.  So, I am toughing it out.  If I die of TB, it's on his conscience. 

So the quandary is this, to drudge ahead with the goal of Asheville or simply take time to get well.  I think by this weekend, I will have my answer.

Heat Index, what is it?

I ran with FrontRunners tonight and when I got out of the car the temp gauge was at 101.  I managed to run for 32 mins before I started seeing pink giraffes and dancing buffalo.  When I made it back to the park and got in the car, it was much cooler at 100 degrees.  I forgot my towel and had to drive home sweating like a hog.  There was a puddle on my fine leather seat but I didn't care.  I just wanted to get home.

When I got home I just couldn't leave well enough alone and I mowed the lawn.  Since it rained 4 days in a row I haven't been able to mow.  It looked ragged, green, but ragged.

I am watching TV now and there is an Excessive Heat Advisory for our area, flashing across the screen.  Um yeah, we know.

Monday Motivation!

I find that my motivation is greater on Monday nights to get out there and run.  I think it's b/c I behave so badly on the weekends in regards to my dietary choices.  Last night was especially motivating b/c the weather was remarkably better than it has been in a while.  It was overcast and hazy all day yesterday and that helped maintain a lower temperature during the day.  It was still very muggy. 

We had a great crowd at FrontRunners last night.  Several new faces and a couple that I didn't see afterward.  I lost them around the AmTrak station and never saw them again.  I wonder if they hopped the choo choo home.  We waited for 20 minutes on them back at 905, but they never appeared.  Maybe they just walked it in.

I ran for 38 minutes and 35 seconds.  I am not sure of the distance we covered.  I am more motivated by time right now than I am mileage. 

I think if I buy a new pair of running shoes, or a new GPS for running, or a pair of roller skates for rolling, the motivation will increase by ten fold. 

Time for shopping!

My first disinterested blog!

I am starting a new blog today to chronicle my running, or lack thereof. 

After I completed my marathon and half marathon within 30 days of each other, I fell out of favor with running.  I had no interest whatsoever in getting out and running up and down the road for no goal or no glory.  I was spent.

I could come up with a ton of excuses, but it mostly boils down to laziness, and fear.  Lazy, cause I am and fearful of not being able to live up to the training I put in for the marathon.

So, at my friend Greg's request, I signed up for the Asheville 1/2 Marathon in September.  That's like 7 weeks away and I am only running 8 to 10 miles a week.  The 8 to 10 might as well be 40 though, it takes every ounce of will to get out there and do it.  Sigh.

I think if I force myself to publicize my running efforts, I will do better.

Oh, and I am at my heaviest since 2005.  Moo!

Stay tuned, I am sure the bitterness will come across as funny to some!

Run along!