The Stampede

running in blue jeans

2009-02-10T16:49:00.003-05:00

the other day was beautiful! it was almost 70 degrees; the last traces of ice melted away. miz nina and i ventured out to our trails for a quick two mile doggy walk. miz nina quickly decided that walking just wasn't going to do it for either of us. the sunshine, the warm breeze, the promise of spring made us feel exhilarated. do you remember when you were a kid going outside to play after being

the big 5 OH is coming at me like a freight train

2009-02-05T17:34:00.003-05:00

my 50th birthday is exactly one month from today. i'm going to be HALF A CENTURY OLD! egads.i'm starting my running program over again - from the beginning. it's never too late, right?it's been a hard year and i put my running on the back burner. long story short: i went through three, count'em three jobs this year. each one led me to a bigger and better job but sadly the last, and best one

the virginia muggies

2008-06-28T11:41:00.003-04:00

hey! so i've been out there a couple of times since i last wrote - jogging up and down my limited trails. it's been rather humid, hot during the afternoons, and there's been some worry about air quality. with work, the best time for me to get in a quick run is first thing when i get up - about 6 a.m. when it's still cool. i've been delighted to see several of our forrest rascals out there: angry

Getting Squared Away

2008-06-22T15:51:00.002-04:00

Summer is here! 2008!I was able to visit my lovely daughter at Quantico today. She's 3 weeks into OCS and looks fierce, and has some awesome bruises. She's working hard, trying to make it. Let's send her good energy. Oorah. My boy is doing well in his Marine corps career. Both of my babies are still in Virginia, which makes a Mom feel good. Mr. Wonderful is far away still in "Dog's Breath" but

running in my head

2008-06-01T09:15:00.002-04:00

running in my head. only.short version: i got lazy. then it was harder to get out the door. now i'm recovering from "the crud" which has left me coughing, breathless and exhausted. please send me some good JUJU.breaking news: my daughter reported 5/30 to quantico for OCS - or as she puts is "summer camp on crack!"

the benefits of florida sunshine

2008-04-16T08:35:00.003-04:00

my visit to south west florida was lovely. i spent ten days with my folks and was spoiled rotten. the weather was fantastic and i ate really well. i ran a bit too, enough to work off the extra calories from eating fried grouper. oh yum.now i'm back home, overseeing work being done on my house. lots of banging and miz nina is not pleased, although she is now resigned to the workers being here for

Oh, hai!

2008-03-26T20:33:00.002-04:00

me & the kiddos - the early years i have become a terrible blogger, i admit it. sorry. i have thought of you every single day since i last posted. finally, i'm stopping by to add a few lines, and let you know, that i'm still breathing, i'm still running, and i'm doing ok. here's a list of all that's happened since i last signed on: 1- i quit the shoe job. no big surprise.2 - #1 son became a

end of 2007!

2007-12-31T20:06:00.000-05:00

happy new year's everyone! :-)hope all is GR8 in 2008!in my running life --i got a job and only ran 3 mile in december? wtf! i'm quitting.the ladies' shoe department - so not worth it. i haven't run. people have thrown shoes at me. ugh. i'm outta there!see ya!!...to be continued.

i had NO idea...

2007-12-14T20:31:00.000-05:00

so....way into the selling shoes at the ladies' shoe department at the local Macy's....omg...i had NO IDEA that this was so crazy. i've done retail before, and i know it can be hectic; that customers are sometimes grumpy, impatient, and that the schedule can be freaky, and that it's physically exhausting all for minimum wage.... but shoes? lemme tell you, this is like nothing i've ever done. if

just wanted to share...

2007-12-06T23:24:00.000-05:00

hi! just wanted to share a scene of our first snow in northern virginia with you. i was out early this morning, with miz nina. we only took a walk. it was a little too icy and i was due at work in the afternoon. i didn't want to risk slipping. speaking of my job.... how in the world can i get used to being on my feet all day, and keep up with the running? i think that until i get used to the

First Snow!

2007-12-05T17:29:00.000-05:00

We had our first snow today. I was fortunate to be off work today, so I didn't have to be out in the horrendous traffic. We only got 1-2 inches, but, folks, gotta tell ya, people in northern virginia, just can't handle driving in the snow. I think it's mainly because there's just TOO MANY OF US here!Did I get my run in? Absolutely! My running took a nose dive the last few days since I began my

the one with one of those job thingies

2007-11-29T14:24:00.000-05:00

employment.i found it.i'll be selling shoes at macy's.boring enough? yep. boring is good.benefits are good.employee discount is good.commission is good.

Fun Times!

2007-11-21T12:58:00.001-05:00

#1 Daughter and I have been busy enjoying several local races. First up, we joined in the fun with the Masonic Veteran's Day 10K in DC. We drove into DC early that Sunday morning, and parked on a bridge near the starting area. The sun has just come up, and it was still quite cold!! It was a nice, fast, flat course -- I especially enjoyed it because it was an out and back route, and I was

have a nice trip!

2007-11-08T15:19:00.001-05:00

Today when I went for my run it was only in the 30s. It felt really great! I hope you are enjoying the cooler temperatures like I am. I did my 5+ mile loop through the neighborhood. I was actually one minute faster today than on Monday when I was having my awesome run. As I started out, I was admiring all the fall foliage as well as the left over Halloween decorations that are still out. I was

oh, the joy

2007-11-05T07:59:00.000-05:00

i had one of those runs yesterday. 5 miles around the neighborhood. pretty autumn colors. cool weather. i felt like i could go on forever. these "perfect" runs don't happen often, but when you hit it, you know it. everything clicks. nothing hurts. it's pure joy. i think that's why i keep plodding along, because i know eventually i'll get one of these precious moments. although fleeting, these

keep on keepin' on

2007-10-24T13:13:00.000-04:00

so, at 2140 this past monday i got the infamous parris island recruit phone call home. it was amazing. #1 son was yelling, "this is recruit XXXX. i am calling to tell you i have arrived at parris island. do not try to contact me. i will contact you in 7 to 10 days with a phone call or a post card. i am fine. that is all." or something to that effect! i was trying to soak it all in. my boy was

the last day with my baby boy

2007-10-20T16:21:00.000-04:00

after today, #1 son won't be my baby boy anymore. :-(i'm so proud of him and his choice to join the marine corps.tomorrow i'm dropping him off. he's starting his 13 weeks at parris island. we're all excited for him! i'll be back to running next week. we all know this kid will be! ha ha

internal turmoil

2007-10-16T08:34:00.000-04:00

the endorphins from finishing the army 10 miler lasted a little over one week! whoa. good stuff.now i'm crashing. i'm going through something. i can't find my hair clips. they're the flat "goodie" ones that ctclady gave me and i can't run without them. they're the source of all my power.mr. wonderful leaves tonight for a two year stint in "dog's breath." i'm not going. i'm staying in our cute

october musings

2007-10-10T09:18:00.000-04:00

i took an easy 2 mile recovery run yesterday morning, about 7:30 a.m. why 2 miles? it's just a logical loop through the neighborhood that i chose that happens to be 2 miles. i felt fine, although it's still just so dang muggy and i just get so dang hot that i can't go as fast as i would like to. i was surprised that i really wasn't that sore or tired after the ATM on sunday. my legs did ache a

my ATM stats

2007-10-09T09:33:00.000-04:00

i got my time from the army ten miler. i did exactly like i thought i did. what's even better? since this was my first ever ten mile event, i PR'd!!!overall place: 16645division: female: 45-49division place total: 629/sex place/total: 6809/chip time: 2:15:16gun time: 2:38:56i've been reading the message boards at the http://www.armytenmiler.com/ web site. omg. lot's of discussion regarding the

the one with the army 10 miler

2007-10-07T13:41:00.000-04:00

i did the entire army 10 miler.i beat the bus!i had an awesome time!washington d.c. is a beautiful city, and this was a wonderfully scenic course. i wholeheartedly recommend it to everybody!!my strategy today was to run 12 minutes and to walk 2 minutes as long as i could. it was quite warm and extremely humid, so i had to really take it easy if i wanted to get through the whole 10 miles. i

just another race weekend?

2007-10-05T09:04:00.001-04:00

america's largest 10 mile race is being held this sunday in washington, d.c.yes, folks, it's the ARMY TEN MILER!!you know the old saying, "this seemed like a good idea 3 months ago?" when i signed up to do this race six months ago, when i was back in switzerland, i was using it as a motivator to keep me moving through the hot summer months because i was SURE that by october 7 it would be

the one with the really long run

2007-09-30T19:07:00.000-04:00

this is the famous tyson's corner landmark we all call "the toilet bowl." i stayed at a hotel across the street from it from the beginning of july until mid august. all that time i managed to run in spurts here and there. i really disliked running there. i'm very happy that now that we're all moved into our real house, i can enjoy running around the neighborhood, or even better, taking to the

summer's last hurrah

2007-09-23T08:30:00.000-04:00

after mother nature teased us all this past week with low humidity and temperatures in the mid 70s, on saturday she gave us a reminder what summer in virginia is all about. with humidity higher than air temperatures, i ventured out early saturday morning to join in a 5K run by the Navy Federal Credit Union. although the actual air temperatures were only in the upper 70s, my hopes of "PRing"

rare dinosaur sighting!

2007-09-11T09:07:00.000-04:00

did you know, i'm so excited today! one of my favorite bloggers has reappeared after a long silence!! see Dinosaur!in my personal running news: yeah...i'm still plodding along. the heat and humidity have been hard for me after my seven years in europe. ugh. but last weekend i was able to get in a little over 5 miles. it was nice and slow, and i was hot and uncomfortable the entire time, but

indulgence

2007-08-31T20:07:00.001-04:00

i had two servings tonight of edy's toffee bar crunch ice cream...$1.99 from Giant.God Bless America.

it's going around

2007-08-30T15:52:00.000-04:00

hacksore throatheadachehackughi did run yesterday...and although it was humid and i only made it 3 miles before i was melting...and it was great! i love my old neighborhood!! it has trails, lots of sidewalks, shady streets..everything a runner could ask from suburbia. our backyard even backs up onto protected woods - with critters and everything. it's not unusual to spot a deer...or a skunk (

where does it all go?

2007-08-28T09:11:00.001-04:00

we are officially moved back into our own house, and we are furiously unpacking! my running has taken a back seat the last two months, and i only have myself to blame. i didn't put it first, and i let things like the summer heat and humidity and POISON IVY get in the way. i managed to put in enough that i haven't completely rejoined the couch potato brigade, so that's good news! so...whew...i

pass the calamine

2007-08-01T18:22:00.000-04:00

flash back: a couple of weekends ago i spent many hours working in the yard of the house we own. i pulled off ivy from one entire side of the house, tamed an overgrown rhododendron, got rid of vines that had overtaken our wooden picket fence in the back. now....this week....i'm breaking out in oozy welts all up and down my arms and legs. (wtf! sigh) every time i run and get hot and sweaty it

momma needs new shoes

2007-07-30T19:38:00.000-04:00

time for me to replace my running shoes.can i admit that i'm extremely overwhelmed and suffering from reverse-culture shock?i'm staying across from a giguntus mall in northern virginia...and today i walked in there and i kinda freaked out a little.whenever i run into the Giant (grocery store) to pick up something like bread or milk i'm entirely confused by the endless choices.i've also driven

it's not the heat, it's the stupidity

2007-07-25T16:14:00.000-04:00

hi...just stopping by to let you know i'm still alive. ha. still in a hotelwaiting for the house to get painted and recarpetedliving out of a suitcaseeating out every nighttrying to run in the morningsbut i'm finding it stupidly difficult to get into a routine.i have the upmost admiration for you folks out there who travel and still keep up with your running. you are my inspiration. the hardest

it's all relative

2007-07-01T08:05:00.001-04:00

I spent a wonderful week in Tallahassee with my Mom and Dad, and also attended my 30th High School Reunion. All of this was major fun.I managed to get some running in, although I must confess I was really a wimp and the heat and humidity kicked my you-know-what. I did two runs early, early in the morning and still only managed to run about 25-28 minutes. When I was finished I was sopping wet. The

back in the US of A

2007-06-20T07:44:00.000-04:00

just a quick hello - in case you stop by.i arrived back in virginia yesterday.it's likeWHOAhot, man.

une coupe de champagne

2007-06-11T06:22:00.000-04:00

this is me enjoying some champagne, the evening after finishing the Schweizer Frauenlauf 5K. i am wearing the awesome "finishers T-shirt" i got.as i crossed the finish line was was given: a bottle of gatorade, a banana, a small box of cereal, a really nifty armband to hold a cell phone or mp3 player, and the cool technical fabric finishers T-shirt. i love getting goodies!merci a tous! danke viel

Oh Em Gee

2007-06-10T16:37:00.001-04:00

oh my gaawd y'all,i almost lost my husband today.i thought he was a gonner.a run-away 300 lb desksliding down the stairsloosebonka bonka bonkahe was at the bottom of the stairsi haven't seen that manmove that fastin 20 yearsomggravity.it's a killer.

Schweizer Frauenlauf Bern = check

2007-06-10T10:56:00.000-04:00

Herzliche Gratulation, allen Teilnehmerinnen des 21. Schweizer Frauenlaufs in Bern! now i can check this off the list. whew. it was a good one. #1 daughter and i had a blast. we were fortunate that her boyfriend, SpikeyLeatherJacketGuy, came with us and took pictures! Here's #1 daughter (# 33145) as she's finishing up the race - all smiles.SpikeyLeatherJacketGuy caught me (#33146) finishing up

for better or for worse

2007-06-10T02:51:00.000-04:00

...ha! just like my house.

i am the master of the universe. i am!!

2007-06-08T01:55:00.001-04:00

truth be told, i like to think i have control over the universe. i like to think i have power over what happens next, and to some extent i do. unfortunately, other people just don't understand that they need to be doing everything i say. *sigh* i have been depending on #1 son's brawn to move heavy furniture out of house that i plan to give away next week. he has completely unbalanced my world by

the day has come

2007-06-02T13:23:00.000-04:00

the day has come,the one that seemed so impossibly far away when i first took my youngest child to school back in mexico city in 1992.my youngest child has graduated from high school.i am thrilled beyond belief.i am proud.i am nostalgic. i went for a wonderful run yesterday with my daughter and miz nina. we ran in the rain through the forest. nina and i even saw a deer crossing the trail in

McSnotty

2007-06-01T08:59:00.000-04:00

badbadbad coldughcan'tmovecan'tthinkcan'tsleepcan't eatcan't runbut..this too shall pass tomorrow is to be a HAPPY DAY, and i'm starting to feel better.

jet laggity-laggin'

2007-05-29T04:32:00.000-04:00

http://www.mccd.edu/faculty/jrmccabe/jetlag.JPGugh. jet lag. hate it.i have a "cure" if you're interested: hours and hours of bright sun light as soon as you land. mentally prepare yourself for the local time at your destination and set your watch as soon as you begin your flight. once you land, keep yourself busy, in bright sun light as long as you can, and don't go to sleep until the local bed

the one with the 200 miles

2007-05-25T09:04:00.000-04:00

today i completed 200 miles in 2007. i did a quick 2 miles this morning in my sister's neighborhood. she has a SAH that she lives on. always FUN to end a run with that.turns out Mr. Wonderful was joking about my dog running away. no words can explain how far he crossed the line with me. i'm relieved my sweet nina is ok.#1 daughter and i are catching the plane back to CH this evening. hope you're

my dog ran away

2007-05-23T11:16:00.000-04:00

miz nina, my faithful companion, ran away the morning that i left switzerland. i am so sad.i don't return until next weekend. maybe by then mr. wonderful and #1 son will find her.

all my bags are packed, i'm ready to go...

2007-05-13T00:09:00.000-04:00

it's 6 a.m. and i am making coffee. soon i will be heading out the door to catch the train to the zurich airport. i'm off to virginia for two weeks! #1 daughter is graduating! this will be awesome.i woke up this morning a teensy bit sore in the glutes. hmmm. i have S.A.H.-butt. ha!thanks for following me along as i prepared for my first race. i appreciate your support. i'll be back to blog before

the one with my first race

2007-05-12T12:32:00.000-04:00

this is me in the backyard before the racerace day! i've been training for this for 6 months.it came...and it went!i ran my first race ever in my whole life! i enjoyed, savored every moment of it. is that a way to say i took my time? enjoyed the scenery? yes..it is. i took it easy, and if i wasn't the last runner, i was close to the last runner. the swiss are all freakishly fit! there were old,

Schweizer Frauenlauf

2007-05-09T11:04:00.000-04:00

today i signed #1 daughter and myself up for the Schweizer Frauenlauf on June 10. i had a good workout today. it was my last "hard" run before the 5K on saturday. it was really windy. i'm hoping running uphill into the wind will make me a teensy bit stronger. the weather report for saturday is "iffy" so i'm expecting it to be cool and rainy. tomorrow i'm going to run my very last "easy" run with

le freak, so chic

2007-05-07T03:56:00.000-04:00

ahhhhfreak out!le freak, so chic!everything i've been planning and looking forward to is coming together. everything is going to pretty much happen at once! hang on! everything is "snowballing!"first up is this saturday's 5K. my very first one ever. i'm ready. can't wait! i'm going friday morning over to the "expo" to pick up my packet. afer the race, the very next morning, i'm flying to virginia

her majesty the queen

2007-05-05T11:27:00.000-04:00

my daughter, who is in the queens' guard at william and mary had the honor of standing guard for the queen during her visit to the college yesterday afternoon. she's in the group somewhere!for highlights of the queen's visit to w&m click here.here's my girlie <3 my little girl is the 2nd guard on the leftwe're having lots of rain here in my swiss town today. there was a brief break this afternoon

just another day in paradise

2007-05-01T12:30:00.000-04:00

president bush speaks at the centcom coalition conference at macdill AFB floridachavez seizes control from big oil (he's a p.i.t.a.)castro is a no show at the may day parade (hmmmm)georgia wild fires won't let up (ctclady is enhaling smoke!)boy george was arrested for assaultrosie o'donnell is leaving The View (thank goodness)dannilynn is going home with her biological fatherimmigration marchers

my pretty pony

2007-04-29T11:48:00.000-04:00

you must see Matinée dance at the 2006 World Equestrian Games. can you guess which is her favorite song?

pleasure spiked with pain

2007-04-29T08:12:00.000-04:00

i was listening to the red hot chili peppers today while i did my long run, and then some dixie chicks to keep me mellow.this morning miz nina and i enjoyed a leisurely walk through the baerenreid. we saw lots of flowers and heard lots of birds singing. we saw a group of four teenage girls come trotting by on two horses and two little shetland ponies. the girls on the little ponies were bouncing

Rise and Shine

2007-04-28T03:37:00.000-04:00

don't hate me because i'm beautifulin response to the Rise and Shine Challenge i found on two of my favorite blogs 21st Century Mom and Not Born to Run i posted my own "Rise and Shine" photo this morning. ugh. hopefully you haven't choked on your morning coffee. it's blurry, sorry, but i didn't have on my glasses.so today is saturday. it looks like we might have some rain finally. it has been so

are you stuck in negativity?

2007-04-26T03:55:00.000-04:00

that question just jumped out at me from today's www.yahoo.com main page. (see article) so, i thought about it. hmmmm. yeah... i think i tend to get stuck in that negative muddy goo several times a year and i usually need something to give me a kick in the rear to get out of it. it wasn't until i was a "grown up" that i realized that the proverbial kick in the rear had to come from ME. i couldn't

Her Majesty

2007-04-25T04:31:00.000-04:00

Her Majesty Visits W&M in 1957 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Returns to William and Mary May 2007 we are especially excited for daughter #1 who is in the Queen's Guard.

thank you, robert key

2007-04-23T10:28:00.000-04:00

robert key, founder of www.faithfulsoles.com is one of my readers. thank you, robert, for following me on my journey. i'm thrilled to be your choice for this week's "runner of the week."visit www.faithfulsoles.com today

accidento.

2007-04-23T08:51:00.000-04:00

i dropped my pedometer in the potty. it's dead...i'm pretty sure.i ran 4.55 miles today (without said pedometer...i mapped the route out on the computer).i was able to run about 35 minutes without stopping. it was really sunny today, mid 70s. i'm getting a tan.daughter #1 is stressing big time. ten more days of classes at w&m, then 2 weeks of exams. i wish her well and remind her this too shall

the one with the attack

2007-04-21T10:39:00.000-04:00

i am over "the hump!" i've reached my goal this month. i've run three times now going from 25 minutes to 34 minutes without stopping. i must admit i AM SLOW! i'll then take a short walk break, drink some water, then keep on going, running/walking as i choose all the way back home. i'm hitting a distance close to 5 miles total. last tuesday night i had an attack of sorts. i couldn't sleep. my body

my day off

2007-04-17T10:25:00.000-04:00

i'm taking the day off from running, but i took a lovely long walk in the Baerenried today with miz nina. we walked to the top of the schupberg. lucky you - i took my camera again. what a beautiful morning. the forrest was filled with the sound of birds singing. i felt like i was in a disney movie. yesterday i ran 25 minutes without stopping. i'm on top of that learning curve, baby! so today,

virginia tech

2007-04-16T15:17:00.000-04:00

....i'm waiting to hear from a friend if her child who attends V.T. is ok. :-(my heart goes out to all those people.follow up:my friend says her child is safe. she had been informed about the first incident and didn't go to campus. her roommates however were already on campus and spent several hours in lockdown.

spring scenes

2007-04-16T06:46:00.000-04:00

i took a lovely little 4 mile walk this morning with miz nina and took my camera along today since yesterday i told you how pretty it was. i'm going out for my run later this afternoon. interestingly, yesterday was the first time i had ever ever ever walked ten miles. doing the "nordic walking" was a lot of fun too. today i can feel that i really got a work out yesterday, but i am not sore --

the one with the nordic walking

2007-04-15T08:23:00.000-04:00

today is absolutely gorgous! sunny, mid 70s. the colors of the day are: pale sky blue, grass green, dandelion yellow, alpine white. there's a light cool breeze. days don't get much prettier than this. i wish i had brought my camera along so you could see too. i decided to take a long walk today instead of going for a long run. my knees are a kind of achey and i wanted to rest them a bit, but not

the one with the 100 miles

2007-04-13T08:23:00.000-04:00

the Barenreid. from the top of the Schupberg. taken by my lovely daughter.as of today,i've run 100 miles in 2007 ! not too shabby for a 48 year old woman who was never a runner!this calls for champagne! yesterday, i ran up the schupberg on the trails. nina went with me. it was nice and cool in the shade. going up the hills though is HARD. from my house to the highest point on the schupberg is 200

shameless bragging

2007-04-11T13:37:00.000-04:00

my daughter - what can i say? she has so much talent. visit her photo page here.she has an amazing "eye" and her prices are reasonable. buy something - help support my college student. we are both going to run in the schweizer frauenlauf bern on june 10 ( if all works out!). probably just the 5K since we'll be jet-lagged.mark your calendars:may 20 - my #1 daughter graduates from W&Mjune 2 - my #1

hornussen

2007-04-11T11:01:00.000-04:00

so...yesterday i ran one of my usual trails, going by a spot i've gone by numerous times before and always wondered about. yesterday there were men out practicing the sport -- something i'd never ever seen before. i did a google-search on traditional swiss sports and came up with what it is! it's called HORNUSSEN and looks like a combination golf/baseball/shotput kinda event. i saw the guy

my trip was great!

2007-04-10T12:17:00.000-04:00

i had a wonderful time in trier. lots of laughs! lots of fun! great to see old friends again. i've known these gals more than 30 years now. my buddies. :-)

the oldest city in germany

2007-04-04T14:30:00.000-04:00

tomorrow, i'm taking a little holiday to visit with some good ol' florida gals! i'll be in trier. did you know, that trier is the oldest city in germany? i've been there several times. it's lovely! the moselle river runs by it. there are also many vineyards in the area, as well as numerous ancient castles and fortresses. i'm leaving my running shoes at home since this is just a quick visit. i'll

fondue's revenge - or - the first time i ever ran 8 miles

2007-04-02T06:29:00.000-04:00

we had fondue last night. my husband always makes it on the weekends during the colder months. it's very delicious - if anyone wants to know how to make a real swiss cheese fondue, let me know and i'll send you our instructions. we dip vegetables into the pot of bubbling cheese, as well as bread - which probably isn't so swiss, but we feel better about ourselves when we do. be forewarned: there

and this too shall pass

2007-03-28T13:54:00.000-04:00

remember the photo of my yard this time last week? ha! we've enjoyed beautiful weather again the last few days. i just found out we're moving again in the summer. this will be move #12 with Mr. Kicky McKickerson. where does the time go? tick tockin regards to my running program, i'm back to where i was before i hurt myself in february. this is the time i really need to work if i want to be a

the man from tallahassee

2007-03-24T04:17:00.000-04:00

any LOST fans out there? i have to tell you that although i've seen a few episodes when it first started, i haven't followed the show. i hear the latest episode involves my hometown! yep. i'm a grit, a tallahassee-lassie, a bobby bowden fan, a graduate of florida state university. go 'noles!so, did anyone out there see the show? what's the scoop?since i'm such a big weenie about the snow and not

nyah i donwanna

2007-03-23T05:27:00.000-04:00

brrrrrr! it's the first week of spring and we're having our winter weather finally. i've opted not to run outside today. i'm a big weenie when it comes to snow. i'm a florida-girl. i love watching it snow from inside my cozy warm house. that's why i've been so tickled that this winter has been so warm.so, no running outside today for lil ol'me. it was down to the basement for some step aerobics.

my inner MOMness

2007-03-22T11:25:00.000-04:00

i enjoyed my run yesterday. it was good. i felt really virtuous to be out there in the bad weather. it was blowing and snowing. luckily it had warmed up earlier in the afternoon and alot of the snow on the trails and sidewalks was gone, so really, there was no reason not to go.i was feeling kinda down though. our daughter and her friend left tuesday at the crack of dawn to go back to school. it

creeping crud

2007-03-19T09:37:00.000-04:00

no running today. the weather is wild. crazy windy, then hailing, then snowing. hmmm. my son woke up sick at the crack of dawn. he has the creeping crud and can't keep food down. poor bubba. mr. kicky is also complaining that he is feeling a little "off" today. yikes!today is my daughter's last day at home. she is running around with her friend now looking for treasures in the 2nd hand shops we

happy saint patrick's day

2007-03-17T09:27:00.000-04:00

happy saint patrick's day!this is a photo i took in 2001 during a family trip to ireland. this is a view of the lovely town of iniostige and the nore river. mr. kicky and i attended a st. patrick's day dinner last night. had decent food, all the beer you wanted and a live irish band. enjoyed ourselves immensely and visited with some friends we don't get to see often. this morning mr. Kicky took

music is my morphine drip

2007-03-15T07:28:00.000-04:00

a 1/4 mile into my warm up today my battery went dead in my MP3 player. i had to run without a soundtrack today. booooo! i'm a wimp. i neeeeed my tunes, man. i was jonesing for some rolling stones, some hendrix, dylan or springsteen. jonesing bad. when i listen to my tunes, i stop focusing on the pain. i felt every single stride i took today. ow. ow. ow. ow. seriously.i got in my 3 miles today.

wednesday-ness

2007-03-14T11:28:00.000-04:00

downtown bern, switzerlandhey yall. just a quick stop by the ol' blog. i'm having a great time with the girlies. my daughter has purple-blue hair. she says is "blurple." she has the most amazing color of strawberry blond hair that ladies pay the big bucks for. gotta love it. at least it's gonna wash out. kids today. sigh.yesterday the girls and i went out for our runs. the girls did their thing.

today in the news

2007-03-11T04:03:00.000-04:00

Hart Bridge (aka the BIG GREEN MONSTER)Jacksonville, Floridamy pal ctclady totally rocked her 15K yesterday at the jacksonville gate river run. not only did she finish TEN MINUTES FASTER than last year, she was able to run up that huge bridge without stopping! (the racers call it the big green monster. ha.) i'm so proud of her!! my friend, she's amazing!in other news, i did my piddly little work

a gentle breeze

2007-03-08T04:36:00.000-05:00

this is a pic i took in feb. 06 when ctclady took me for a walk on fort myers beach, FL.my wonderful friend "ctclady" is running in the jacksonville gate river run on saturday. this is the second time she's run the race. she is the reason i've finally started running. ctclady started running a few years ago and i've admired her steady improvement and accomplishment. not to mention how strong,

going, going, gone

2007-03-06T10:17:00.000-05:00

had an amazing workout today. felt so good i did it twice. ha. yeah...probably got a little over eager. i know tomorrow i'll feel it, but today i was groovin' along. life was good. my pedometer says i went 5.33 miles. that's 1 mile walking warm-up (for me to untangle myself and for miz nina to get all her sniffing and potty issues done), then i did the first week workout of the couch to 5K

I'm BAAAACK!

2007-03-05T10:04:00.000-05:00

well today for my birthday....i got up early and had coffee with bubba before he went to school. then i went back to bed and slept until 11. then i got up and watched "the young & the restless" in french, and then watched ""the guiding light" in english. by then it stopped raining, so i laced up my running shoes and took nina out. today i decided to start back running. it's been 4 weeks since i

and then all of a sudden....

2007-03-02T10:50:00.000-05:00

...my foot felt better!!i woke up this morning and as soon as my feet touched the floor i knew my sore right foot was suddenly so much better than it was yesterday. i am so excited, but curious. why is it so much better today? what made the difference? well..it has been four weeks since i hurt it.maybe i shouldn't question the TOE GODS and just take my improvement on faith. in the meanwhile, i

i'd walk a mile for a....

2007-02-25T14:36:00.000-05:00

CAMEL? ha i took miz nina for a walk this afternoon..gingerly...slowly...afraid of pain.... i started off down the street. as i kept walking i felt better and better. i felt so wonderful to be outside, to feel my body moving, to feel the wind on my face. i kept going. i managed to walk one mile, ladies and gentlemen.

doggin' the walk

2007-02-23T11:47:00.000-05:00

well, well, well..... i managed to put on my sneakers today!and to miz nina's delight, i took her for a walk! i only went to the end of the block and back again....really slowly. she wanted to haul-boogie and go, go, go! when i couldn't keep up, she would turn around and give me a frustrated glance. whew, i'm frustrated too. it's been three weeks since i hurt myself, but that's three weeks behind

progress?

2007-02-19T07:13:00.000-05:00

so...my life for the last two weeks has been confined to my house. i'm bored, bored, bored.i can slip a shoe on my ouchy-foot, but i can't walk much on it. i do fine at home in my house slippers - that's about all. on saturday i went to the grocery store with mr. kicky, but was in pain the entire time, and ready to come home after 20 minutes.i'm so distressed that i am still not back out there

un merengue

2007-02-18T08:14:00.000-05:00

to take the CHILL off the day!

woof

2007-02-14T10:29:00.000-05:00

happy valentine's day! muah!

i'm blowing this pop stand

2007-02-11T10:54:00.000-05:00

i haven't been out of the house since i wrecked my foot. i am going out tonight!! yay!! we're going over to see friends for supper -- people who like me for myself and who won't care if i shuffle over there in my slippers. can't wait! woo hoo!!pathetic, i know! but i'm so psyched! ha

down but not out

2007-02-07T06:52:00.000-05:00

thanks for the blog visits and well wishes. it sure made me feel better. my foot is also starting to feel better and has faded from a lovely shade of lilac to a pretty groovey green. the swelling is almost gone, but my poor pinky toe is still pretty black & blue. i haven't attempted to put a shoe one yet, but i'm pleased to announce i can almost put my weight on it, and have progressed from

enough said

2007-02-05T12:02:00.000-05:00

i love this video. thanks ctclady for sending it to me.

sidelined

2007-02-03T08:01:00.000-05:00

*sob!*

most household accidents happen in the bathroom

2007-02-02T08:35:00.000-05:00

the scene of the crimewalking out of the bathroom this morning after a wonderful hot shower.....i caught my right pinkie toe on this ugly (yes! it's ugly! it's evil!) corner of the bathroom door as i walked out.i hopped on my other foot into the hall way, dripping wet, wrapped in a towel, swearing, in shock, in disbelief, in pain, knowing that the horrible *pop* i felt was something going

shake your groove thang

2007-01-30T09:32:00.000-05:00

whew. found my groove. today was a good workout. sigh of relief. i ran the week 4 of couch to 5k program today. the workout is as follows: 5 minute warm up brisk walk, 3 minute run, 90 sec. brisk walk, 5 minute run, 2.5 minute brisk walk, 3 minute run, 90 sec brisk walk, 5 minute run, 5 minute cool down walk.i found it challenging but do-able. miz nina and i decided to stay on the asphalt today

Let's go! go! go!

2007-01-29T11:22:00.000-05:00

today was a beautiful day. i took a wonderful, long walk with miz nina. walked at about a 5.5 mph pace for 1.5 hours. not really cold at all! i had to take off my jacket. i checked out the trails i like. they were still pretty icy today, but if the weather stays nice then by tomorrow they ought to be good to run on.

duh feet

2007-01-28T03:47:00.000-05:00

yeah..so, i admited defeat (duh feet) after my last run and that i had actually injured myself and would need to take some time off to heal. dagnabbit. i've stayed home catching up on boring housework all week, resting my painful, probably, achilles tendonitis. housework = yuck today i'm meeting friends to go walking for a few hours down by the river in bern. i'm looking forward to it, and if i

couldn't find my groove

2007-01-23T08:20:00.000-05:00

did my workout today. it's in the upper 30s outside, breezy, dark. not too cold. definitely NOT snowing. there wasn't any ice out so the trails were easy to handle today. not especially muddy either. but...i just couldn't get into the groove. you know the one? when you start moving and everything is working right, you feel great, you get those happiness-bubbles, you feel like you could run all

keep moving. stay flexible. don't push too hard.

2007-01-23T02:33:00.000-05:00

my daughter's empty bedroomalthough life in general has been "ok" lately, i just sent my daughter back to college. :( (trust me! i'm way better at letting her go than i was freshman year!)and remember my saturday workout? i hurried out the door in the morning to knock it out before we took our little lunch trip to france. turns out i did a number on myself.my previous injuries? - blackening my

lunch in france continued

2007-01-21T10:37:00.000-05:00

the visit to colmar, france - in alsace lorraine. oh! it's all about the food!let me share with you.here's what i had for lunch:l'entréeSalade au Chevre Chaudle platTruite Almondineet pour dessert:creme bruléemmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

lunch in france

2007-01-20T01:56:00.000-05:00

so....we got through the wind storm without any issues at our place. it blew like crazy, and didn't stop until friday evening.i'm up early on saturday morning... waiting for daylight. i know i'm supposed to get my run done today because i didn't do it yesterday - way too windy to be out. Kicky McKickerson (the hubby) made it impossible to sleep past 0600 so...grrrr....i'm up! i'm up! there's a

the wiiiiiiiiiind!

2007-01-18T05:27:00.000-05:00

wow! i'm glad today is my resting day. it's drizzly outside, still not so cold, but the wind! it's gusting up to at least 40 mph i guessing. good day not to be out there.so far this winter i've been super lucky! we haven't had any snow. the temperatures have stayed above freezing, and some days have been so spring-like that our tulips are starting to put up shoots, the rose bushes have started

chugga-chugga-chugga

2007-01-17T10:31:00.000-05:00

today i ran along these fields, doing my couch to 5K program, then felt so good at the end of it, i jogged another 40 minutes through the forrest you see in the background. nice soft trails, gentle hills. ahhh. i felt great! miz nina was along and i just love that she pulls me up the steep hills. thank you nina!

My First Entry

2007-01-16T06:54:00.000-05:00

Hi! Welcome to my First Entry.i'm writing you from a small town, north of bern, switzerland. i've lived here a little over two years and will be here probably through next summer ('07) i'm originally from florida, USA.i am in the 3rd week of the Couch to 5K Program. this week's workout is: 5 minute brisk walk warm-up, 90 seconds jog, 90 seconds briskwalk, 3 minutes jog, 3 minutes brisk walk, 90