Tour De Pain--Jacksonville

Tomorrow begins the "Tour De Pain", a series of three races in 24 hours. Bob and I have the 5-miler on the beach tomorrow evening, a 5k early Saturday, and a one-miler in the late afternoon later that day. I am dreading it. My "get up" has been lacking lately, and my speed is...well...shall I even call it speed? My history of beach runs being my most injury prone endeavors, I have decided to play it safe for the 4-miler, run strong but not competitive for the 5k, and give it all I got for the mile. Bob's goal is for an overall collective time of under a hour. I have total faith that he will achieve this. My mission is to finish uninjured and "un" miserable.

I need to get a solid weight-training schedule down and stick to it. The marathon training is the same old grind, and I will get through it.

We are taking the kiddos to the beach tomorrow. The temps here have been wicked, flirting the 100 degree mark. The weather is supposed to lighten up a little in that department, with thunderstorms expected at race time (early evening). I guess I will be running for my life, lol!
I am happiest and most content on the beach. Always have been.

Well, my first race report since my 5k age division win will be coming up. Don't try to keep a straight face, I will be laughing along with you.

In Loving Memory

This morning, our 5-year-old guinea pig brothers, Tony and Guido, passed away together of natural causes. Guinea pig life expectancy is usually 4-7 years, 5 being average. They looked older to me, and had lately developed liver spots on the skin underneath their fur. The wonderful thing about them is that usually two male guinea pigs (boars), usually do not fare well in the same cage. They can be confrontational and aggressive. Tony and Guido were brothers and friends to the end. They would cuddle and sleep together--and that is how they were found this morning. They also represent a painful time in my childrens' lives; we having acquired them shortly after Danny's death. I thought they would be a good diversion. Samantha was hit the hardest. She was charged with their daily water and food provisions.

Sam wrote a beautiful eulogy, and they were buried together in a shoebox within the pink camellia bushes. So strange I had been thinking of Danny lately, and then the piggies passed away. Another moment in time. Another good-bye. Another transition.

Funny how two elderly guinea pigs elicit such deep emotion, but I suppose it is the history behind it. This helps me to understand others when they grieve or suffer for something that I may deem as ordinary. It also teaches me not to be so judgemental of what is important to others.

Tony and Guido. Guinea pigs. RIP.

Intervals, No News and Ghosts

So this morning, bright and early at 5:15 AM, nine 200x200 with 200 recovery jog. Probably attained a high 6ish/low 7 for the fast 200s. I still don't feel quite up to par, considering I am training with true winners in the group runs. At least I wasn't the slowest today. I think there was one person behind me, lol! Bob kicked major ass and motored through the workout, passing me up three or four times. He felt good, he looked good, and he is totally prepping for the Tour De Pain this weekend. Why am I doing this again? Three races in 24 hours--a 4-mile on the beach Friday evening, a 5k in Mandarin Saturday morning, and a one-mile sizzler downtown at four in the afternoon. OBVIOUSLY, no one cares that a whole bunch of whacked-out running fools are frying like eggs on a sidewalk in JACKSONVILLE in AUGUST. See why I hate this series? And the worst part for me is the beach race--sand running always strains my knees.

I have to retract the news. I was misinformed and it will have to sit for quite awhile longer. Let us just say it is all part of seeking out Bob's biological family. Hurry up and wait.

RANDOM--remembering a yard sale we had a couple years ago. I sold a lot of Danny's things, and I felt so guilty about it. Bob's friend, Gene, tried to console me about selling his things, "He doesn't need them anymore." That phrase repeats in my head so often lately, as I have been dreaming of Danny lately. I hope he knows his girls are loved and happy. I want to believe that. We took the money from the yard sale and gave it to the girls so they could fix their rooms the way they wanted to, Danny would have loved that. After all, he has no use for worldly objects anymore, right? Over four years gone, and I still can't watch him on video. I can't do it. I treasure how he sits in animation in my memory.

I don't want to cry. And I have to plan S3 class tomorrow.

Waste of A Day

The man and I went to a "Guitar Hero" party last night. It was GH II--and we have never played it before. We are so used to the newer versions. It was a turn-on to play "strange", and I got schnockered on vodka. I couldn't even conquer the Butthole Surfers. Oh well. Good times with good folks, and I have been nursing a hangover all day. Thank goodness for rest day. We missed the group's 5k, which sounded like a fantastic super time, but we needed an adult break with adults. We ate, drank, played GH and that was all she wrote.

Tomorrow for a moderate run. I will see how I feel. It is so hard running in NE Florida this time of year.

There is news brewing, can't talk about it yet. Stay tuned.

SKEERED

Because it is back to the track tomorrow for some serious intervals that equate roughly 7-7.5 miles. I did do a recovery 5k today at 9:15-20 first mile, 9:05-9:10 second mile, and 8:57 the final mile. Nowhere near what I was accomplishing in the Spring. Sometimes I can get very discouraged, but upon news of other runners in my immediate circle suffering from the same malady I am recovering from--not so bad.As far as fighting weight--I am a lean machine. But with the weight loss came an "energy" loss, and I am paying for it. So the plight before me entails marathon training (which started on Sunday) and getting back into the strength training after my STUPID right shoulder and it's problems.I want to get back to the 8:00 sprints for a nice 5k, and a general feeling of overall well-being in a longer run--instead of suffering and begging for the end. It will happen. All things in good time for good people--and as long as I am true to myself and my endeavors, it is all good.


Back in the Saddle
AGAIN! And that song was on my playlist this morning, so I had good inspiration. I got up, I got out of bed, and I ran just over seven miles this morning at a pretty steady, SLOOOOOWWWW pace (10:00/mile). I felt good, though. I felt like it is going to come back to me after slacking with this flu. So tomorrow I will cycle or run again, and do some strength training. Bob and I are going to resume the speed training at the track with the group on Tuesday.PROUD moment for mommy today. Bob and I took the 12-year-old and the 8-year-old to the store today and purchased running gear and shoes. Lindsay is an Asics girl like her mother, and Samantha preferred the Nikes. We shall see how it goes. Lindsay is going to pile cross country on top of soccer and AP classes come the beginning of the school year. They are running tomorrow. Samantha is the fast one, keeping up with me for 3 miles with no issue.

Forgive me

...and my lack of grammatical and punctuation skill as of late. This illness kicked my ass, but I am better and ready to go. So today I acquiesced and purchased a running skirt. I found the Nike version at the store, and Bob encouraged me to try it on. Envision a woman in a dressing room....jumping....jogging in place....swishing her hips back and forth. I wanted to ensure the compression shorts didn't give me the ultimate wedgie. I LOVE IT. I FEEL FREE AND UNFETTERED. I am excited of easing myself back into running Sunday with my new skirt. I am hitting the gym tomorrow for strength training, and then a 7.5 the day after. Whatever virus I had was a bitch. I almost feel as though I have deconditioned in one week. I have new apparel, I have a new "fresh legs" feeling, and I have my beloved route that puts me on a hill decline from mile 4-5.

GREAT NEWS!!! Another old friend from high school contacted me, and she is intending on attending our reunion my birthday weekend. This ought to be fun. I am so excited about meeting up with past buds; and as always, seeing my best friend for over 23 years. PLEASE don't let the DJ play worn-out eighties tunes--but I suppose I will have to expect that.

Bob and I have a laid-back weekend planned. We started off with a visit to the beach today. The skies were clear, the ocean was transparent peridot, and I harrassed a crab. A good time was had by all, and some of us are a little red.

AND SO--time to get serious. Training for the Goofy Challenge MUST commence. I am shaking off this malady. I am focused. I am also down another size (from the stomach issues).

I just need new music yet again. The quest begins.

The 7.5 on Sunday. The spinning intervals Monday. Speed training at the track on Tuesday. The year just flew by; and so I realize, marathoning is a lifestyle, a routine, an expectation.

Here we go!

SICK AGAIN

No--not the awesome song by Led Zeppelin. ME! I have been battling this flu/virus/whatever since Saturday. Had to duck out of the 8 and a half on Saturday at about mile 4.5. I just couldn't do it any longer. I spent the next couple of days in bed, watching bad television and feeling sorry for myself. Today was the first day I got up off my ass and did about 3.75 on the dreadmill at a 9:00 mile and I walked one. I tried to feign weight training, but I didn't get too far. Thank goodness the kids are self-contained for the most part. I am aching as I type this.SO! I did attend the Democratic headquarters grand opening on Friday. A good day was had by all. I was thoroughly impressed by Tim Cunha--a candidate running for congress for Florida's sixth district.http://www.timcunha.com/What a dynamic orator and politician! He seems to be well-invested in his constituents, and I will be voting for him.My Obama yard sign did not survive the weekend. I sent a mass email to my neighborhood telling them essentially to "fuck off". The response? The community's rules and bylaws prohibit the posting of political signs--NEVER MIND THAT ALL THE THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES IN THE UPCOMING ELECTION WERE OUT IN FULL FORCE. If ONE McSAME sign is erected--damn skippy my Obama will be replaced. My first amendment rights so casually overlooked--our neighborhood isn't even incorporated, so we really have no legal obligation to follow the rules or pay the yearly fees. I want my children to be proactive and who they are--not defined by the "status quo". Alison suggested I should smear dog feces around the sign, and deposit piles around the base of the sign...that way, the next thief will have an umpleasant surprise executing his cowardly act.