end of 2007!

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...

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 you're curious, stop by the ladies' shoe department in one of the major national department stores this holiday shopping season and just observe for a few moments.

aside from the selling shoes thing...i love retail. i am enjoying working for macy's. i'm still getting used to being on my feet so long, and my running has taken a nose dive. i MUST get back to it. i'm sure i will.

in the meantime...i've come down with the creeping crud. sore throat, fever, general misery. ugh. please bring me some chicken soup and rub my feet. ;-)

just wanted to share...

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 job, i'll only be able to run on days when i've had a proper rest the day before. if i have the energy, i'll go use the elliptical trainer on the "alpine" setting tomorrow at the gym. that should be better than nothing!

oh...my tootsies! lol

anyways...enjoy your day.

First Snow!

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 retail job. Being on your feet all day long is difficult. I would compare it to being able to run two miles. Then, you go out and run ten miles. You can get across the finish line, but you'll be tired and not to mention sore. Then, the very next day, you go run those ten miles again! And then the third day, another ten! You get the picture. You don't have time to recover. My poor feet! Ha.

So, I had Tuesday and Wednesday off. Whew. My feet needed it. Today I felt up to an easy run, so Miz Nina and I went out about 9:30 in the snow to follow the trails. I was in heaven! I love running in the winter. I'm so happy it's winter again!

Back to work for me Thursday through Saturday, but I have Sunday off. My daughter and I are signed up to run in a 10K in DC early Sunday morning. Can't hardly wait! Wish me luck with my tootsies!

All the best!

the one with one of those job thingies

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!

#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 actually able to see the folks who won blaze by me! That was exciting. My time? Whatever. I ran behind this dude who juggled 5 balls the entire time...and I never passed him. Sigh! Next Year, Juggle Boy! I was there for the fun, and as you can see, I was smiling when I crossed the finish line. Check out the race report HERE from Washington Running Report.

On November 17, we selected a holiday-themed race and had a blast! Yes, we chose it because of the name. It was the Freeze Your Gizzard Off 5K held in Leesburg, Virginia at the Ida Lee Park Recreation Center. Now...THAT was fun!! Read the race report here from Washington Running Report. The race didn't begin until 9am, which meant we actually didn't have to get up all that early! The grounds of the Ida Lee Park are lovely, and the route took us around the perimeter, up and down gently rolling hills. Anyone looking for a new place to visit, I highly recommend it. Anyone looking for a fun new 5K, this one is for you!! Not to mention...the T-Shirt is awesome!

Coming up next: The Jingle All the Way 10k There's always a race on somewhere in the DC area! How fun!

Just so you know...there's another 10 miler in the Spring. Hmmm... The Cherry Blossom 10 Miler. Do I dare? What do you think?

Enjoy your day! Happy Thanksgiving, Y'all.

have a nice trip!

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 intently examining that giant “Lebanese Cyprus” I like that’s on the right side of Majestic Lane, heading back up towards the shopping center. I was so engrossed in it, I stubbed my toe on the uneven sidewalk and went down! I did this really awesome Jackie-Chan double roll into that front yard, in front of some little kids holding their lunch boxes while their mom herded them into the family mini van. Before they could utter a word, I had already rolled my way back onto my feet and was trotting on down the sidewalk. Yeah. I meant to do that.

oh, the joy

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 perfect runs bring clarity to my life.

keep on keepin' on

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 reading from a script, yelling into the phone. his voice sounded strong, but little bit stressed. #1 daughter and i shared the receiver and listened intently together. at the end of his speech there was a brief pause before he hung up, and we yelled "LOVE YOU!!" as loud as we could. wow. in the background i could hear men yelling, "GET OFF THE PHONE! GET OFF THE PHONE! NOW! NOW! NOW!" i could hear other recruits giving their families the same information. whew. amazing.

i ran today. i managed to do 4.7 miles with just under a 10 minute mile pace. i actually had to walk a couple of times, so i wonder what i might've done if i could go straight through? it's still so humid, and not that cool yet. i had to walk a little bit to cool off. when i get that slightly "nauseated" feeling i know it's time to cool down a little bit. can't wait for cold weather. seriously. i don't know why i still have such trouble with the warm weather and humidity. guess i should get a check up, but in the meantime, respect my limitations. after all, i haven't lived here in 7 years.

now that both Mr. Wonderful and #1 Son have departed, it's time for me to get me one of those job thingies. hmmmm. i don't know what i want to do. i do know how i want to do it: i want a decent commute - anything under 1 hour. i want to make ok money. i want something that i would enjoy but that i can leave behind at the end of the day. something boring would be perfect. boring is good. boring means no one's life hangs by a thread. wish me luck!

#1 daughter and i are going to The Burg tomorrow for William & Mary's Homecoming festivities. yay! fun times. Go Tribe!

hope you're having a great day too!!

the last day with my baby boy

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

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 little house in virginia. #1 son leaves next monday for marine bootcamp. #1 daughter is home and doing well at her new job. everything is hucky-duck.

i know i need to run. only 2 more miles until i complete 400 miles this year. but i can't find my hair clips. ugh. grumble grumble where are those clips???!!!

october musings

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 bit sunday afternoon, but i rested, took an advil, and it went away rather quickly. my only other complaints are a sore toenail and mildly sore hip flexors. that's all.

later in the day we set record temperatures as we reached 94 in DC, and Dulles International Airport. 94? this is october. weird weather. the leaves are changing color, and we have the AC on! the weatherman promises changes are coming over night and we'll be enjoying typical october weather in the morning.


my daughter and i signed up for the veteran's day 10K in washington dc on november 11th. we're both really looking forward to that.

i'm also considering doing the 5K at William and Mary's Homecoming on october 28th. i love going down to "the Burg" as my daughter calls it. i love "CW" (colonial williamsburg), all the outlets, the little local dives...and yeah...i've been to The "Leafe" (Greenleafe Tavern).... this time i'm finally going to Sno To Go, which is undoubtedly a right of passage.

#1 son leaves for Parris Island on 10/22. the weekend trip to the Burg is something i planned to keep my mind off my "baby" leaving home.

not to be outdone by his old maw, the "baby" went out on monday and ran an equivalent 10 miles on the trails around the neighborhood in the heat & humidity. he finished in about an hour. ahhh. that's so cute.

my ATM stats

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: 16645
division: female: 45-49
division place total: 629/
sex place/total: 6809/
chip time: 2:15:16
gun time: 2:38:56

i've been reading the message boards at the http://www.armytenmiler.com/ web site. omg. lot's of discussion regarding the poor young man who died, as well as the lack of water on the course. i'm so sorry for him and for his family and friends. how very sad and tragic.

the one with the army 10 miler

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 carried a little water bottle with me the entire time, which was the smartest thing i have ever done. if i wasn't drinking water, i was pouring it over my head to keep myself cool!!

i lost ground at a potty stop at watering hole number 1. sheesh. but didn't have to "go" anymore after that.

around mile 6 there was some weird CONCENTRATED GATORADE. omg. blech blech blech but it's supposed to be good for you? blech blech i thought it tasted alot like sweat. blech

around mile 7 we ran past the capitol building. it was so beautiful. i invaded a fountain there that was within our course range and re-filled my water bottle ...not to drink, but to keep pouring water on my head. phew. it was stinking hot! with the humidity so high, people were cooking. ambulances were running all morning. eek.

around mile 8 there wasn't any water. finally it seemed some was brought to that station before i passed it completely, and at the very last table i got a big drink of water. i was super thirsty, and still had the yucky leftover sweat taste of the gatorade piss. big rookie mistake, man. i drank a whole cup...and immediately regreted it because i got a cramp. oh well...so i walked really fast most of mile 8. in hind sight, getting that water was really important! there were no more water stands after that.

at mile 9 i was getting happy to see i still had energy to burn, but was only comfortable now running 4-5 minutes and walking 3-4 minutes. ugh. hot hot hot! folks around me were pretty much doing the same. no shame in walking. better than heat stroke, any day!

the last mile was surreal. we were on the exit to the pentagon. the sun was blasting us. people were literally staggering along. it was hot as blazes there. i think i got through it because i had managed to down water at mile 8, and i was still carrying my trusty water bottle, with just enough water to keep pouring on my head. it was the most challenging and longest mile of the entire race i think. i kept up my walk/jog combo as best as i could but when we got to the last 1/4 mile i knew i could run the rest of the way. i asked the woman on my right if she'd like to run the last 1/4 mile together, and she agreed. we kept gathering women as we went. with our encouragement we picked up about 15-20 women who ran the last 1/4 mile all together. that was awesome. i even had enough energy left to kick it in the last 30 meters or so. yay! that felt so amazing!

i think my time was about 2 hours 15 minutes. i beat the bus, guys!! i beat the bus!!
army 10 miler, babyyyyyyyyyyy!

http://www.armytenmiler.com/


................
ps i read later in the washingtonpost.com that a runner died at the race today. my heart goes out to who ever that was and to their family.

Fairfax Runner Dies in Army Ten-Miler Race
Associated PressSunday,
October 7, 2007; 4:14 PM
ARLINGTON, Va. -- An unidentified runner from
Virginia died Sunday during the Army Ten-Miler race, collapsing near the finish
line at the Pentagon.
The runner collapsed about 200 yards from the finish
line, said Col. Jim Yonts. Arlington County medics took the runner to George
Washington University Hospital.
The cause of death was not known. The runner
was a civilian, not a member of the military, Yonts said.
The race started in
70-degree heat and high humidity. Race officials said there was plenty of water
and first aid stations along the course.
More than 25,000 people registered
for the 23rd annual race -- the largest 10-mile race in the United States. The
course runs from the Pentagon, across the Potomac River through the streets of
Washington, past the Capitol and back to the Pentagon.
Runners included
amputees who were injured in Iraq and a group of 36 women from Georgia whose
husbands are deployed in the war zone.
One other race death occurred in 1990,
Yonts said.
© 2007 The Associated Press
'

just another race weekend?

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 COOL.

well, get ready my fellow ten milers, it's " going to be a bumpy ride!" our starting temperatures will be in the 70s with humidity in the 84% range, according to the army 10 miler web site. whenever the humidity is higher than the air temperature, you're just not going to feel very comfortable. anyone who has followed my complaints in my blog entries, knows that i am not a huge fan of this kind of weather.

so whatever. i'm dwelling on it, and whining a little bit, aren't i?

it's just going to be what it's going to be. i am re-adjusting my goals for this race since i do know my limitations with this kind of weather. i plan to run as long as i can, then walk to cool off some, then run some more. we'll just see! right? my best friend says to just "relax and enjoy the day." i will take her advice.

this entire week i've been fretting over the yucko weather, and complaining about yucko runs. i've stomped into the house several times with sweat pouring off of me, whining, "why is this so haaaard?" " why can't i be faaaaster?" "why isn't this getting any eeeeeasier?" i had to give myself a kick in the rear and a reality check...i went over my running log (it's posted on the right side of my blog)...... look at it, ok? go look at my first workouts last winter...and then look at my latest ones. i have accomplished a lot for myself. ok ok ok..maybe i'm not a RUNNER...but i'm at least a jogger, and i'm out there, on my two little feet, complaints and all.

this race -- the army 10 miler -- is a celebration of my accomplishments.
if you're in this race with me, i'll be the sweating, red faced, middle aged woman with a pony tail at the very back of the pack!! if i'm lucky, i won't be the very last one across the finish line...but hey, someone has to be last, right?

yall have a good weekend.
HOOAH!

the one with the really long run

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 trails in the woods behind the house. the trails aren't as extensive as the ones i enjoyed back in switzerland, but i can easily use a 1.5 mile link over and over again. and that's what i did today. i ran it 3 times. it took be a little over 2 hours. i walked for a couple of minutes every mile or so just to make sure i didn't "over do""it. at my "advanced age" i'm all about that! i just wanna keep being able to keep on keepin' on. i'm just sayin'.

this is the last weekend before the Army 10 Miler so i went out and ran and ran for 2 hours along the trails. with cooler temps and lower humidity i was in heaven. i'm not sure how far i technically went, but if i did a paltry 15 minute mile then i probably managed about 8.6 miles. if i kept up my average pace of around a 12 minute mile, then i managed about 10.75. hmmm. i don't think i went that far, so, i'm guessing my distance fell in between somewhere. i wanted to cover 8 miles today, so i'm satisfied with that.

supper tonight - mr. wonderful took me out to the local chinese restaurant. yeah, baby. no cooking! good food! and now....football.

have a great one.

summer's last hurrah

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" quickly faded about half way through when i felt like i had wrapped myself up in "Glad Wrap" and i was pouring sweat and my breathing was labored. i am definitely not used to this, even though i've been struggling all summer long to run in it as much as i could. so, anyways, not wanting you to read my obituary instead of my blog, i broke down and walked....and walked quite a few more times when i felt like i needed to. sigh. i was able to "kick it in" the last 100 meters, and that was fun and i crossed the finish line "in style!" ha. my time? well...36:30. slower than the last two 5Ks i did. sigh. i was 13th out of 18 in my age group. sigh. and i was 101st out of 158 women. my consulation is i wasn't last, and a year ago, i wouldn't have been able to do this at all! and yeah... i got a free t-shirt.

rare dinosaur sighting!

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 somehow it felt marginally better than the 5 miles i did the week before when the weather was actually cooler.

i am SO ready for fall weather!!!

our house is unpacked. almost all of the pictures have been hung and most of the clutter has either been sent on to the salvation army, or dealt with. nina is happy because both of "her kids" are at home.

i'm sipping coffee now ....trying to battle the demons in my head who say DON'T RUN TODAY!! it's only 74 degrees but it's 91% humidity. yuk. oh well

indulgence

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

God Bless America.

it's going around

hack

sore throat

headache

hack

ugh

i 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 (watch out nina!!) in the back yard.

today Mr. Wonderful mowed the grass...and 'found' the nest of stinging wasps buried in the ground. YIKES!! one managed to pop him on top of his little bald head before he truly mowed up the nest for real. if he had plowed it over with the mower ...i shudder to think.

hope you're having a great day!

where does it all go?

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 lived through the move. now...let's get busy!! i have a 5K coming up in DC in september to look forward to.

hope you're having a good day!

pass the calamine

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 all gets even worse.

anyways...my yard looks better. i do not.

scratch

scratch

momma needs new shoes

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 more in the last few weeks than i have in the last 7 years. omg. people do NOT obey traffic laws in northern virginia. is it just me?

i also forgot that people in northern virginia, especially close to D.C. do NOT speak to strangers nor do they establish eye contact. say hello or good morning to someone and you're going to get the hairy eyeball unless they are from somewhere else, y'all. kinda funny.

and...don't even get me started on going into the D.M.V. now that was stressful. wow.

so....
if you're still with me...
i need to get some new running shoes. can anyone in my area who stumbles upon my blog recommend a running shoe store? or a running shoe? i'm on the last legs of my adidas supernovas that i bought in bern, and my right achilles tendon and heel are starting to hurt again.

in other news, our house is being re-painted and re-carpeted as i write. we should be able to abandon the hotel-life and move in by mid august. think of me when i'm unpacking all my *stuff*. in fact, i'll probably have a really groovey garage sale before too long to unload some of my treasures from mexico, venezuela, colombia, panamá, france and switzerland.

i'm making an concerted effort to keep running. i had to run in "tyson's corner" this morning. it sounds like quaint farm land, when in actuality it is URBAN SQUALOR. i've stuck to a 1.22 mile loop around the several blocks by our hotel which keep me from crossing any major intersections. not too bad if you don't mind feeling like you were sucking on a tailpipe by the time you're done.

today i did a little over 3 miles on my loopy-loop at about 9:30 a.m. it was soooooo humid out there i felt like a biology experiment by the end. interesting things happen when the humidity is higher than the air temperature. you just keep getting hotter, and hotter and hotter...and sweatier and sweatier and sweatier. ahhhhhh. the dog-days. i can't wait until summer is over so i can run in cooler weather again.

hope you've had a good run today!

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

hi...
just stopping by to let you know i'm still alive. ha.
still in a hotel
waiting for the house to get painted and recarpeted
living out of a suitcase
eating out every night
trying to run in the mornings
but 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 part of running for me is just getting out the bleeping door in the first place. so...
i've been a stupid girl and have come up with all kinds of excuses this last week and didn't run as i should have.
but ENOUGH of that already.
in personal news #1 son just signed on with the USMC -- he's a "pool-ee" (sp?) and is heading off to bootcamp in october. you should see his face - he's SO excited and scared S-less at the same time. (me too...but don't tell anyone.)

y'all have a great day! summer is just flying by.

it's all relative

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 third run I did on a treadmill, under a ceiling fan, in the AC at a gym. ahhhh. i know, i know. it's not the same, but i promise you i worked hard on the treadmill - was on it for 1.5 hours. i did two consecutive 30-minute hill workouts and then "ran" another 2 miles on flatness. treadmills and AC are a half way decent compromise when dealing with high humidity and heat i suppose, although i wouldn't call it running ....it's more like "bouncing." ha

Now I'm back in northern Virginia and just finished about a 3 miler through my sister's neighborhood about 7:00 am. Whew. The temps this morning sure felt awesome compared to Florida. Just thought I'd share....I've been reading about fellow runners out there in 100+ heat in places like Arizona. How do they do it?

photo: Tallahassee Canopy Road (from the interweb)

(see this Article about Tallahassee)

back in the US of A

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

une coupe de champagne

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 mal! thank you for reading and following along with me these past few months. i have appreciated your interest, and the support, and i've especially enjoyed "meeting" such friendly fellow bloggers.



i wish you all a very happy summer. i will see you again in the fall, when i will have re-entered my native culture. i've been "out" since 1989.



until then! auf weidersehen! hasta luego! au revoir! ciao!
see you again at "L'Entrée."

Oh Em Gee

oh my gaawd y'all,
i almost lost my husband today.
i thought he was a gonner.
a run-away 300 lb desk
sliding down the stairs
loose
bonka bonka bonka
he was at the bottom of the stairs
i haven't seen that man
move that fast
in 20 years
omg
gravity.
it's a killer.

Schweizer Frauenlauf Bern = check

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 the last few meters before the finish line. i wasn't "smiley." ha. i was soooooooooooo glad to cross it. this "felt" like a loooong race. i did the time i wanted - 35:35:20. i hope this time next year my 5K time will be lower.

fun times.

our victory pose

for better or for worse

...ha! just like my house.

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

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 injuring himself. goofing around wtih friends: he fell and hurt his hand. a quick trip to the doctor confirms that yes, he hurt it, but the xray didn't show any broken bone, but to come back next week if it still hurts. hmmmm. in our past experience when the doc said, "it's not broken," guess what, it was broken.

ahhhh, whatever. he still has one good hand.

today is #1 daughter's and my last training run before the Frauenlauf on sunday. i'm looking forward to it, but not with the breathless anticipation i had for the Bern Grand Prix. this is probably because there has been so much other stuff going on. i'm very happy however, that i did sign us up for this race. it has certainly been a motivator to keep me running during a busy time. after this race, and before the army 10-miler in october, i think i'll have to scope out something to do in july/august as a goal.

anyways....i'm going back to my sorting and organizing before the big pack out. see? at least i have control over this little corner of my universe. yes, i do.

hope you're having a good day, wherever you are.

the day has come

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 front of us. i am so grateful that nina came to me when i called her and didn't tear off after the poor thing. all three of us ended the run covered in mud and smiles. life is good.

McSnotty

bad

bad

bad

cold

ugh

can't

move

can't

think

can't

sleep

can't eat

can't run

but..

this too shall pass

tomorrow is to be a HAPPY DAY, and i'm starting to feel better.

jet laggity-laggin'

http://www.mccd.edu/faculty/jrmccabe/jetlag.JPG


ugh. 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 time. this usually does it for me...however this week, here in der schwiez, it is raining, raining, raining, raining. sunshine is not happenin'.


#1 daughter and i took miz nina for a run in the barenreid forrest on sunday. i was so happy to watch nina frollicking along with us. she loves to race back and forth between the two of us. (#1 daughter has gazelle legs and is always ahead!) we managed a little over 3 miles in nice cool weather. speaking of #1 daughter, her graduation at W&M was beautiful. they do it up good. She's the one in the red converse all stars.





yesterday we opted to rest ourselves, as our muscles were a little sore. i had missed the hills around here while i was in virginia. when i move back later this summer, i will make an effort to find good hilly trails.

today, i woke up with a sore throat and a snotty head. hmmm. i feel like crapola, but think i can at least manage a short run later with the girlie and the canine. we are on track for running in the swiss women's race soon.

#1 son has completed all his final exams. he had over two weeks of really difficult I.B. exams and i know he's relieved that all that is behind him. his class voted him to be their speaker at their graduation on saturday. his graduating class is about 20 kids. we're really proud of him.

the one with the 200 miles

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 having a good day.

my dog ran away

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...

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 too long. next up - the Frauenlauf, June 10!

see ya!

the one with my first race

this is me in the backyard before the race

race 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, old people walking faster than i was running. that was disconcerting, but i put myself in my "bubble" and tried to just concentrate on myself, and i got through it. i even made it up most of the way on the S.A.H.!!!! i was surprised! i did have to stop and walk a little bit, but i was able to get it back together and finish the last kilometer with energy. thank goodness the last 1/2 kilometer was doooown hill. ahhhh. when i crossed the finish line, they announced MY NAME!! ahhh! i was so surprised!

my time: 36:46. yay me!

now we're cracking open a bottle of bubbly. :-)

hope you're having a good day too.

Schweizer Frauenlauf

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 miz nina before the 5K. then she and i have an appointment with the village vet. it's time to get miz nina ready to move to the U.S.A. she's originally from toulouse, france. when we first got her, she didn't speak english. she's now tri-lingual: french, english and some swiss-german. ha!

le freak, so chic

ahhhh

freak 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 to get ready for #1 daughter's college graduation. but i'll be back soon - in order to attend #1 son's high school graduation! (jet lag! what's that??)

my goal for the month of may is to run at least 16 miles a week. with all the travelling it will be a challenge to stay with it, but i'm motivated and don't want to lose momentum. there's a race in bern in june...so if sign up for it, i will have more reason to keep running, right??!! it's the schweizer frauenlauf (swiss women's race), sunday june 10. i will be packing out the week after that race...maybe i really should sign up for it. the running will keep me focused instead of freaking out about all the stuff i have to do.

i ran today in the baerenreid forrest. i took it slow and easy, but made it all the way to the top of the little mountain. that's an approximate 200 feet elevation in 2 miles. i made 2.33 miles in 21 minutos, amigos. slow and steady, just like the tortoise. my legs were feeling a little tired, especially my lower calves, but i was going slow enough, i kept my heart rate and breathing at a comfortable level. i only stopped at the very top to take a swig of water, stretch out my lower back, check on miz nina....then we headed back the way we came. it was nice and cool this morning - about 50 degrees. felt wonderful. i had to stop again just before i was finished for miz nina to take an unexpected poo. ha. so..whatever. i counted in that time too.

there's lots going on for my little family. i'll post in my blog as often as i can, but it will certainly be limited due to the travelling, moving, and setting up a new household. but! before i go, i'll write about my first 5K!

hope you're having a good day wherever you are.

her majesty the queen

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 left

we're having lots of rain here in my swiss town today. there was a brief break this afternoon, so i dashed out and got in a quick three miles in about a half hour. yay me.

we're hosting a surprise birthday party for a friend in a few minutes. shhhhh!

just another day in paradise

president bush speaks at the centcom coalition conference at macdill AFB florida
chavez 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 assault
rosie o'donnell is leaving The View (thank goodness)
dannilynn is going home with her biological father
immigration marchers take to the streets

mr. kicky is having dinner out.
#1 son is at bern library feverishly studying. his I.B. exams begin tomorrow. dun-dun-DUN (theatrical music here).
#1 daughter is hanging on by a thread. her last class is this friday. everyone send her happy thoughts. :-)

i got my run in today. and YES!! i made it up S.A.H. again today...and then managed to run another 40 meters before stopping to take a swig of water. actually when i got to the top of S.A.H. there was a young couple walking past with their stroller and they glanced at me in a slightly disgusted and worried manner...as i wheezed and plodded up the S.A.H. their expressions consequently encouraged me to at least pull it together and trot ladylike past them to the next path where i nonchallently slowed to a walk and took a drink of water.

i got my "bern grand prix racing number and entrance ticket" today.
and i ate cereal for supper..and i'm reading a really good, trashy novel. doesn't get much better.

hope you're having a good day too.

my pretty pony

you must see Matinée dance at the 2006 World Equestrian Games.

can you guess which is her favorite song?

pleasure spiked with pain

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 along so hard i thought their teeth must have been rattling! funny but cute too. wish i had my camera with me! nina and i were out for about an hour, taking it easy.

later on, i got in a little over 8 miles on my long run. whew baby i'm really really tard (as we say in the south!). the first 5.44 were the best - i did them in the Baerenreid in the shade of the forest. the first 2 miles of the uphill portion of course is hard, but the rest was quite pleasant. i covered 5.44 in 54 minutes, then i took a ten minute walking break, had some water, and stopped to shake the pebbles and other trail debris out of my shoes. next i ran back through our little town and did a quick loop through the fields. got lots of sun today, but it wasn't hot really. i had considered going further through the fields and back through the Buchsiwald forest but realized that would pushing it too much today. i actually wanted to be able to make it back to my house!

don't know what to do with myself now. i think i'm gonna have to eat a ham sandwich and take a nap. hope you are having a good day too!

Rise and Shine

don't hate me because i'm beautiful

in 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 dry! yesterday when i came in from my run, my legs and shoes were covered in gray dust. #1 son is having a terrible time with allergies. poor kid is producing his body weight in snot. he really wants it to rain!

i did "real good" yesterday on my run. i went 34 minutes without stopping, and that includes a series of small hills. i ran from the Hornussen Club house, across the fields, down the street, across the other fields, down the paved road towards Kirchlindach, then through another field and into the little Buchsiwald forrest, and looped through. i ended by going up this last hill which i finally ran ALL THE WAY UP! i did NOT stop once. i have a special name for this hill, but it's rude, so i will only share with you it's initials: S.A.H. i conquered the SAH yesterday! mentally i was doing a victory dance, thrusting my arms in the air like Rocky, but physically i was sucking some major air. ha. not very cool. i think i scared the farmer's cows with my wheezing. once i composed myself, i walked for about two minutes, had some water, then continued my run back through the loop towards the Hornussen club house. i enjoyed myself (except for the SAH part).

today i'm thinking i will take a rest day, and just go for a long walk with miz nina. hope you enjoy your day wherever you are.

are you stuck in negativity?

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 wait for someone else to recognize i was floundering and swoop in and rescue me. believe me, other folks have their own issues to deal with. no matter how dramatically i flounced around, the only person to get me out of those messes was myself. interestingly, i usually ended up there because i wasn't paying attention to where i was going, what i was doing, or lost sight of my goals.

that being said, i must admit there have been a special few along the way who have been there for me. i'm very fortunate that i've had them and that they didn't pull me out of the mud, but would stand there with their arms crossed and say,"oh my! i can't believe you just did that!" "well, what are you going to do now?" "why don't you try it this way?" "wow. sucks to be you. when you're finished flouncing about, let me know, i'll be here." thanks, guys!

so, today, at this moment, i'm not stuck in negativity. one moment at a time, right?

i went out for my run earlier today (about 7:30 am) so i could take miz nina along with me. it's been so "warm" lately, that it has been hard on her. (highs in the mid 70s. ha!). we ran the trails through the Barenreid. i kept her off leash most of the time and she loved it. i could listen for her tags dingalinging to know she was keeping up, and she was enjoying all the sniffing and investigating along the way without me yanking on her leash.

the trail i follow in the Barenreid is mostly uphill and then downhill. it's mainly a gradual incline, but whew, that's a challenge for me! i can still only keep going uphill in ten minute spurts, and then must take a short walking break. back in january, when i was on these trails, i found it hard to even go 30 seconds uphill. so, i'll take the progress i've made. it took me 20 minutes today to go up a mile and a half. only took me 15 to go back downhill the same distance. the downhill part for me is the FUN PART!

Her Majesty

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

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.

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 pass.

son #1 is his usual mellow self. tomorrow is his last day of classes, then 2 weeks of exams - no worries, no study, no problemo. i wish him well and remind him that hotel mama is closing august 31, 2007.

i just ate half a can of pringles. why the hell did i let them into the house. ugh ugh

mr. kicky is travelling - so i get to sleep sideways in the bed. love that! ha

the one with the attack

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 ached so bad! i couldn't get comfortable. i was diagnosed with "fibromyalgia" in 2000 and actually once i had that diagnosis i've only had a few flare ups because then i started paying attention to symptoms, and not trying to always "push through the pain."

so last tuesday night, i think i had a major flare up. looking back at my activity level for the six days prior, it's no wonder. i ran every day, or i walked between 4 and 10 miles. it's normal to feel a little achy at my age after some exertion, but this was ridiculous. for me, a "fibro flare up" feels like the worst flu body aches you've ever ever had, plus i can't sleep, and i'm so stiff i can hardly make it up and down the stairs.

note to self: remember to plan rest days carefully to avoid fibro-flare-ups. ha

so anyways, i spent a miserable night tuesday night, then took the next two days to rest up. i soaked in hot baths, i took ibuprofen, i stretched, i kept moving, doing my usual things, just didn't work out.

by today i feel just fine again and just got back in from my latest run. i'm so excited! i made it through 34 minutes without stopping. the last few minutes were actually up a hill that i find even hard to walk up. i almost made it all the way up today. i think the next time i run, i'll be able to make it to the top without stopping. this is absolutely amazing to think that i've accomplished this! just a few weeks ago, literally, i was challenging myself by running 90 seconds at a time! i've been following the couch to 5K running plan - which is supposed to only take like 8 weeks...well, it has taken me since november to reach this point, but man oh man, i'm here!

my day off

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, i'm taking a break. tomorrow though, i'm going to eat up those 25 minutes. grrrrrr

virginia tech

....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

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 -- except i have a blister of the ball of my foot. that's my only complaint.

click here for more info nordic walking

the one with the nordic walking

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 miss out on an aerobic workout. so, i went NORDIC WALKING.

it was glorious! my pedometer says i went 10.97 miles - i'll take that as an estimate. i walked 2 hours 40 minutes and covered all my running routes in one giant loop. what's nice about nordic walking is that it's more of an exertion than normal walking, but not as rough on you as running. i felt strong and powerful the entire time. let me tell you, there's an enormous difference in tackling a big hill with the poles, than running up one! i only stopped a couple of times for some water, and to change the caps/tips of my poles (rubber stoppers -- or die gummipuffers -- for the asphalt and steel tips for the trails). click here to see my route and elevations.

if you're looking for a new sport that's a great cardio workout, but gentle on the ol' bod, try nordic walking!

nordic walking pic from http://www.hostatt.ch/sitee/pix/nordic/nordic3.jpg

the one with the 100 miles

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 feet.

i had a good run today. i managed two 10-minute runs with 3 minute walking break in between. i stayed to more gently rolling hills, than steep, like yesterday. the time spent on the incline yesterday paid off. today felt easy in comparison.

venting:
aside from my running-life, i have so much going on, that it's starting to freak me out a little. it's time to get organized to pack out, got to get miz nina's shots and health papers ready, i need to travel to virginia to attend #1 daughter's college graduation, also need to organize #1 daughter's summer travel, then i need to travel back to switzerland to attend #1 son's high school graduation, then it's time to pack out the middle of june. what happens next with any luck is i'll run away to florida for a week at the end of june to attend my 30th high school reunion (florida high class 1977!!). next i'll go to virginia and take possession of our house we've rented out since 2000 and start making repairs, shop for a car, then the rest of the family and miz nina will join me, and we'll anxiously await our HHE (household effects). i think i'm going to be a little crazy until october. by then i think my life will have settled back into a groove again. oh yeah..and hopefully i'll find some employment that i'll enjoy.

throughout, i will run. with any luck
i'll stay a step ahead of the stress and my husband will think i'm a cool,
groovey chica who has her act together. (yeah right!)

p.s. happy friday the 13th!

shameless bragging

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&M
june 2 - my #1 son graduates from ISB.

hornussen

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 holding a pole that was long and bendy like a fishing pole, and he was flinging a wad of something down field. pretty darn interesting i must say! it freaked out miz nina though. i'd love to see a full game so i'll keep checking back now that the weather is better. those crazy swiss!

photo from http://www.businesslunchclub.ch/img/hornussen.jpg

i'm registered for the 5K in the Bern Grand Prix on May 12. now it's official.

in other news, my run yesterday blew. i didn't feel well but at least i went. today i'm not going. i'm a wimp. tomorrow i'll run. tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow

another sport i'm fond of -- HURLING.

i discovered that in ireland. now THAT'S a REAL GAME!!

hurling pic:

http://images.google.ch/imgres?imgurl=http://www.tipperary.com/postcard/images/hurling.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.tipperary.com/postcard/ecards.aspx&h=480&w=640&sz=72&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=GBcgrBMFIjkKhM:&tbnh=103&tbnw=137&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dhurling%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26newwindow%3D1%26safe%3Dactive%26sa%3DN

my trip was great!

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. :-)