I know all of you people are jealous of my job. Let me just rub it in a bit more as I tell you some of the, ahem, projects I have worked on over the past say 2 days…
I have worn out 3 glue sticks attaching pieces of fabric to little cards. I have spent the good part of an hour ironing a button down shirt trying to get it to look just like it does in a store. I have made one cotton boll into an entire field using nothing but my bare hands…well and photoshop. I have gotten to know all there is to know about wooden plaques. I have taken pictures of water drops. I have cut out and punched holes in homemade hang tags. I have called Canada in search of a pair of jeans.
Yes, sometimes it is a bit like kindergarten, and most times it is always like high school. (i.e. DRAMA).
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Ain’t no thing but a chicken wing.
I have been waiting months for this. Wait…. let me check…yep months! So I’ll go ahead and say it because any build up I try to generate will blow my cover. I had a PR in the pool this morning. One that I repeated several times. So I can now call it a true PR. I swam 1.21 100s. For me that is spectacular. Some other fishes out there will say phsih….. I do that all day long. But me. Nope! NEVER. That (A) beats my old record by 2 seconds and (B) I never even did that several times in a row. So there stupid head of mine saying that I can’t swim. AND I owe it all to the man who told me to make like a chicken, crazy right. not really, he explained how to make that shape with your elbow and (ahem) armpit during the pull, and it clicked. Guess all it took was a fowl farm reference to get me back in the game. Nice. So this called for a celebration and what better place to mark a mile stone than starbucks. Truly. So even though at 5 am when I was cursing – yet again- going to masters, it (ok yet again) turned out to be a good thing.
Jesus!!!! JH would you stop being right all the time! It’s really starting to get old! Ha.
And – thanks steph for making me part of your wedding! You were gorgeous!! Congrats :)
one final note.. i have been reduced to cheering for PITT in the madness. its the only team i have even a remote connection to. (thanks to my little bro's collegiate years...) they do make for an intersting game though.. sludging thru the first half and only coming alive in the last, oh 8 minutes or so to pull out a win. nice.
Jesus!!!! JH would you stop being right all the time! It’s really starting to get old! Ha.
And – thanks steph for making me part of your wedding! You were gorgeous!! Congrats :)
one final note.. i have been reduced to cheering for PITT in the madness. its the only team i have even a remote connection to. (thanks to my little bro's collegiate years...) they do make for an intersting game though.. sludging thru the first half and only coming alive in the last, oh 8 minutes or so to pull out a win. nice.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
chasing time
Procrastinator is such an ugly word. I prefer dilly-dally-er or maybe day dreamer. But it’s starting to catch up to me... and to some it’s not even endearing anymore, (gasp!) and that includes me. When I realized at 930 pm on Thursday night that I had yet to a- eat dinner, b- pack for my weekend at the beach or c-have any clean clothes to pack for my weekend at the beach, I knew I was in trouble. But see, trouble always finds me, we’re old friends and most times we find our way out. So despite having to get up at 6 to get a du brick in before the ride to the beach, I proceeded to go and get on my email figuring I would make a mental packing list while on the bike, on Friday, without pen and paper, leaving mere minutes to actually collect and pack those things. But no worries, I had friends to catch up with and blogs to read. But yet again I digress…..
Friday am I had a really good brick workout - 4 hours of bliss. really. i mean that. i love du's. ever since jen called me on sand bagging my runs have had a new purpose and i am feeling stronger, better, faster (to borrow from kanye) Getting excited for the next 2 races since they don’t involve any swimming. Sweet! after finishing my second run, I had approximately 45 minutes to recover, shower, pack and get myself and 2 dogs in the car and head east… phew. Did it! even had time to make a smoothie!! (ps i love smoothies. they are my newest best favorite thing. and the fact that there is a banana in there. come on! talk about bonus points! ha. though i will admit there needs to be a chocolate portion, usually protein powder, but of course we were out.. so i substituted the only thing i could find.. brownie mix.. ! ha. was fantastic.) and off I went, with a pile of CDs ready to keep me company. Now normally I would call everyone I know when alone in a car for 3 hours, but since it was the middle of the work day, after leaving a few VMs I gave up. Ugh. So I just sang along to a little jack. ok a lot of jack...
Friday night we had the rehearsal dinner for my sister in laws wedding. She was getting married on the beach in ocean isle. Great to see some people that I haven’t seen in a while. catch up on lives. And a gorgeous sunset over the ocean. There is something about the beach that I love. Its so beautiful and so calming and just seems to put things in perspective.
Saturday I woke up and decided to do my long run. It was pretty nippy out and I had only brought shorts so I ran in my new (and highly coveted) pink recovery socks. Now I’m not sure if it was the fact that they were keeping me warm, or my calves were just happy to be encased in compression for 2 hours, but that run was pleasantly good, well except for my decision to do the tempo portion into the wind gale... that perhaps was not a bright idea seeing that no matter how fast I tried to turn over, I could make no forward progress. i was telling myself "you are a hot knife thru butter. you are slicing thru the wind. you are so aero. wind - what wind.... " but you can only trick yourself but so much....
The wedding Saturday afternoon was gorgeous. Steph looked fantastic and happier than I have ever seen her. The ceremony on the beach was probably only made better when she reached down to greet her dog after coming down the aisle. We all have a soft spot there! We spent the rest of the day hanging out, eating, drinking, chatting, later dancing. Really fun day. Even though I was freezing…. Note to self – cute dress may need to be over-ruled for cool temperatures!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
hmmmmm
did you know that if you drop a strawberry that has been cut in half on to your pants it makes a perfectly shaped red heart? yep, now everyone who sees me today will know that too. excellent.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Doing it in the desert.
Trying to sum up four days of training in Tucson with amazing athletes and great coaches is one mt lemmon sized task. A huge thank you to Jen, Jerome and Spencer for putting on a great camp, keeping us safe and motivated, and most importantly, laughing! This is all I could remember right now. I’m tired, tired from a long plane ride and little sleep. but happy tired.
We climbed mt lemmon on the first day. Now I had heard snippets about mt lemmon (about the pros training on it, about the constant grind, about the VERY fast decent, about the snow at the top) but still didn’t really know what it would be like to actually climb for 26 miles over an 8000+ ft elevation gain. It’s not something I have ever done before. Lemmon is not a super steep climb, just relentless, and it just keeps asking and asking of you. With winds whipping and some sketchy guard rails along the way. But it was gorgeous I must say. And while we grinded the gears up and up and up, it gave us a lot of time to think, about 2.5 hours worth! I took that time to remember why I was out there, and what I want to accomplish this year, and that these kinds of days are what is going to get me there. There were times on that climb when I felt so good and was really churning, feeling like I was charging up the hill, and there were times when I was clicking over--- asking myself are you sure you’re geared out.. really? Are you sure?? But seeing strong riders like marit and ben ahead of me helped to give me the drive to follow them up there. And the top was cold. Really cold. Snow on the ground, shivering can’t hold my handlebars cold. The descent for me was the toughest part. I would climb all day to not have to go back down. It’s something that kills me in races as I work hard to pass up the hill but then people blow by me on the descent. I think I have gotten (a smidgeon) better, but here, where there was no end to the hill and twists and turns and wind, it was not easy for me. Spencer rode down most of the way with me which was awesome. Then he says.. so you fancy a run when we get back? Umm ok sure. Bad idea. Well good idea, but bad to A. not wear a watch and B let spencer pick the pace and the turn-around point. Not once, not twice but three times he was like, “op yep, only up to that sign up there. No that white one, no that red writing”. Had it not been for the British accent I may have decked him!
Oh and I put my bike together all by myself for the first time. And I was pretty darn proud of that.
I realized about mid-day two that I did not have enough REAL food with me. After hours training and eating nothing but gels and bars and drinks, I was so ready for some solids but had zilch with me. Marit was a life saver and drove Kellye and I to subway on Friday afternoon for a much needed 6 inch, but most nights dinner was more resembling horses at a trough than anything else.
Day two brought a morning swim, outside of course. Which was actually pretty cool, since unless you count my neighborhood pool, I’ve never really done laps outside. We had a good swim, some tough bits, but I had awesome lane mates and we all got thru the sets. And of course why not end the day with all out sprints, everyone racing, and I swear jen kept creeping out farther and farther every time. Though then again, her beating me by a full body length (or 2) is not far-fetched! Ha. I’ve defiantly got my work cut out here. Swimming has definitely gotten better for me, as she said “you’re not as bad as I thought you would be”…nice... but I have a long way to go. The swim was followed up by a strength session, in which I heard one too many times “stop looking at my butt” and many giggles as we all tried to get thru a routine with multiple balls that seemed to roll out of control at all the wrong times. Some wore the wrong kind of attire, as sitting on a ball tends to make material ..umm..creep up..ha
That afternoon we also did a 2 hr run thru sabino canyon. It was gorgeous. And I actually did glance around every once in a while to try to enjoy it, but honestly I was determined to stay on Spencer and Ben’s heels the whole time so the scenery kind of got by me that day. But I had a great run. Felt really good, strong and in control, well until I ate a gel with about 30 min to go. Never do that again. I don’t normally eat on a run, but I thought I would see... and well now I know why I don’t eat on a run.
Jen is great. She gives you the right amount of encouragement, not to much that its fake, but it’s always there when you need it. She is always positive (and annoyingly UN-grumpy in the morning) but I feel like you have to earn her accolades. And I LIKE that. I like that she truly recognizes when you give a good effort and is not afraid to tell you that you sand bagged something.
By day three we got smart and realized that on your T run you do not under any circumstances give spencer your water bottle. He would run up ahead of you and make you catch him in order to get a sip. I swear some of us probably would have chosen to be parched rather than run him down!
The hotel had a cold pool, a very unexpected but much appreciated treat. In fact at one point on the long Friday run, as each foot hit the ground, left-right, left-right I was chanting cold-pool, cold-pool in my head to get thru it.
Wildlife. Yes the desert is full of it and each day someone mentioned a new beast that was out there waiting to either gobble us up, inject us with poison or just scare the crap out of us. Thankfully the closest I got to anything that belongs behind a fence or enclosed in glass was a roadrunner sighting. Though I do have to say after watching cartoons for much of my youth it was mildly disappointing.. he didn’t make the MEEP MEEP sound nor was he being chased by a wiley coyote..
Kind of on that same track.. marit and I were running up the phone line trail Sunday am as our last hurrah, and at one point were following spencer (at his “slow” pace..). when he dropped back to catch up some other runners and we proceeded to debate whether we would rather be run down by a mountain lion or spencer. We decided on the lion, sighting a 50/50 survival rate…..with spencer we knew we were both toast…
The Saturday ride. this one I was nervous about. 80 miles. Rolling. Fast. Jen took the b group out early and we followed about 15 minutes later. I knew from the get go it was going to be a day to just hang on. With strong riders again out front, including mary, ben, marit and of course Jerome and spencer – holy cow! Some ups and downs for me that day. Feeling good leading at times and then having to work my ass off to just get back on someone’s wheel, and at one point thanking god for Jerome to pull me back to the pack –I was so toasted and needed that wheel more than anything… the second half we had the option to add in an extra 10 mile loop, so I took that right turn and held on. When I saw that we had a 2 mile down hill ahead I was stoked.. well until I felt the monster head wind that kind of killed that idea of coasting for a while.. but we all made it home, stronger – both in the legs and in the head (at least for me) and headed out for a T run. This was really a breakthrough kind of day for me. I really took stock in the training I have been doing and what kind of work I need to do going forward. “learn how to suffer” jen says. And you would think it would be easy, but honestly it’s a tough line to cross, willingly, but I’ve got to get there. And I’ve got to get the belief. The confidence in yourself that you can go there and stay there, get thru it and come out better on the other side.
My new friends I met at camp who I have the utmost respect for. Who each have their own story and their own goals and their own special way of doing things. You are all fantastic people and athletes and I’m so glad I had 4 days to train alongside you and learn from you and about your life and your goals and well a lot of other random things along the way. You guys came here to work and I admire that so much. But what is work without a little fun….
Things I learned:
A little encouragement goes a long way… both ways.
Pink is a fierce color.
That I will never eat a plain GU again, at least not without thinking dirty thoughts.
Everyone has good and bad days, and everyone has good and bad moments in those days.
Eating and drinking on the ride is paramount. Repeat paramount!
This statement is true- pain is temporary, pride is forever. I need to tattoo that on my hand.
That there is such a thing as ostrich, wild boar, alligator, and buffalo jerkey.
Nothing tastes better than baked goods after a long training day.
Cacti don’t get their arms till they are at least 50 years old.
Recovery socks can cause a riot.
“you don’t have to love it you just have to do it.”
I am blessed with a good life. To do these kinds of things and meet great people. I’m thankful.
We climbed mt lemmon on the first day. Now I had heard snippets about mt lemmon (about the pros training on it, about the constant grind, about the VERY fast decent, about the snow at the top) but still didn’t really know what it would be like to actually climb for 26 miles over an 8000+ ft elevation gain. It’s not something I have ever done before. Lemmon is not a super steep climb, just relentless, and it just keeps asking and asking of you. With winds whipping and some sketchy guard rails along the way. But it was gorgeous I must say. And while we grinded the gears up and up and up, it gave us a lot of time to think, about 2.5 hours worth! I took that time to remember why I was out there, and what I want to accomplish this year, and that these kinds of days are what is going to get me there. There were times on that climb when I felt so good and was really churning, feeling like I was charging up the hill, and there were times when I was clicking over--- asking myself are you sure you’re geared out.. really? Are you sure?? But seeing strong riders like marit and ben ahead of me helped to give me the drive to follow them up there. And the top was cold. Really cold. Snow on the ground, shivering can’t hold my handlebars cold. The descent for me was the toughest part. I would climb all day to not have to go back down. It’s something that kills me in races as I work hard to pass up the hill but then people blow by me on the descent. I think I have gotten (a smidgeon) better, but here, where there was no end to the hill and twists and turns and wind, it was not easy for me. Spencer rode down most of the way with me which was awesome. Then he says.. so you fancy a run when we get back? Umm ok sure. Bad idea. Well good idea, but bad to A. not wear a watch and B let spencer pick the pace and the turn-around point. Not once, not twice but three times he was like, “op yep, only up to that sign up there. No that white one, no that red writing”. Had it not been for the British accent I may have decked him!
Oh and I put my bike together all by myself for the first time. And I was pretty darn proud of that.
I realized about mid-day two that I did not have enough REAL food with me. After hours training and eating nothing but gels and bars and drinks, I was so ready for some solids but had zilch with me. Marit was a life saver and drove Kellye and I to subway on Friday afternoon for a much needed 6 inch, but most nights dinner was more resembling horses at a trough than anything else.
Day two brought a morning swim, outside of course. Which was actually pretty cool, since unless you count my neighborhood pool, I’ve never really done laps outside. We had a good swim, some tough bits, but I had awesome lane mates and we all got thru the sets. And of course why not end the day with all out sprints, everyone racing, and I swear jen kept creeping out farther and farther every time. Though then again, her beating me by a full body length (or 2) is not far-fetched! Ha. I’ve defiantly got my work cut out here. Swimming has definitely gotten better for me, as she said “you’re not as bad as I thought you would be”…nice... but I have a long way to go. The swim was followed up by a strength session, in which I heard one too many times “stop looking at my butt” and many giggles as we all tried to get thru a routine with multiple balls that seemed to roll out of control at all the wrong times. Some wore the wrong kind of attire, as sitting on a ball tends to make material ..umm..creep up..ha
That afternoon we also did a 2 hr run thru sabino canyon. It was gorgeous. And I actually did glance around every once in a while to try to enjoy it, but honestly I was determined to stay on Spencer and Ben’s heels the whole time so the scenery kind of got by me that day. But I had a great run. Felt really good, strong and in control, well until I ate a gel with about 30 min to go. Never do that again. I don’t normally eat on a run, but I thought I would see... and well now I know why I don’t eat on a run.
Jen is great. She gives you the right amount of encouragement, not to much that its fake, but it’s always there when you need it. She is always positive (and annoyingly UN-grumpy in the morning) but I feel like you have to earn her accolades. And I LIKE that. I like that she truly recognizes when you give a good effort and is not afraid to tell you that you sand bagged something.
By day three we got smart and realized that on your T run you do not under any circumstances give spencer your water bottle. He would run up ahead of you and make you catch him in order to get a sip. I swear some of us probably would have chosen to be parched rather than run him down!
The hotel had a cold pool, a very unexpected but much appreciated treat. In fact at one point on the long Friday run, as each foot hit the ground, left-right, left-right I was chanting cold-pool, cold-pool in my head to get thru it.
Wildlife. Yes the desert is full of it and each day someone mentioned a new beast that was out there waiting to either gobble us up, inject us with poison or just scare the crap out of us. Thankfully the closest I got to anything that belongs behind a fence or enclosed in glass was a roadrunner sighting. Though I do have to say after watching cartoons for much of my youth it was mildly disappointing.. he didn’t make the MEEP MEEP sound nor was he being chased by a wiley coyote..
Kind of on that same track.. marit and I were running up the phone line trail Sunday am as our last hurrah, and at one point were following spencer (at his “slow” pace..). when he dropped back to catch up some other runners and we proceeded to debate whether we would rather be run down by a mountain lion or spencer. We decided on the lion, sighting a 50/50 survival rate…..with spencer we knew we were both toast…
The Saturday ride. this one I was nervous about. 80 miles. Rolling. Fast. Jen took the b group out early and we followed about 15 minutes later. I knew from the get go it was going to be a day to just hang on. With strong riders again out front, including mary, ben, marit and of course Jerome and spencer – holy cow! Some ups and downs for me that day. Feeling good leading at times and then having to work my ass off to just get back on someone’s wheel, and at one point thanking god for Jerome to pull me back to the pack –I was so toasted and needed that wheel more than anything… the second half we had the option to add in an extra 10 mile loop, so I took that right turn and held on. When I saw that we had a 2 mile down hill ahead I was stoked.. well until I felt the monster head wind that kind of killed that idea of coasting for a while.. but we all made it home, stronger – both in the legs and in the head (at least for me) and headed out for a T run. This was really a breakthrough kind of day for me. I really took stock in the training I have been doing and what kind of work I need to do going forward. “learn how to suffer” jen says. And you would think it would be easy, but honestly it’s a tough line to cross, willingly, but I’ve got to get there. And I’ve got to get the belief. The confidence in yourself that you can go there and stay there, get thru it and come out better on the other side.
My new friends I met at camp who I have the utmost respect for. Who each have their own story and their own goals and their own special way of doing things. You are all fantastic people and athletes and I’m so glad I had 4 days to train alongside you and learn from you and about your life and your goals and well a lot of other random things along the way. You guys came here to work and I admire that so much. But what is work without a little fun….
Things I learned:
A little encouragement goes a long way… both ways.
Pink is a fierce color.
That I will never eat a plain GU again, at least not without thinking dirty thoughts.
Everyone has good and bad days, and everyone has good and bad moments in those days.
Eating and drinking on the ride is paramount. Repeat paramount!
This statement is true- pain is temporary, pride is forever. I need to tattoo that on my hand.
That there is such a thing as ostrich, wild boar, alligator, and buffalo jerkey.
Nothing tastes better than baked goods after a long training day.
Cacti don’t get their arms till they are at least 50 years old.
Recovery socks can cause a riot.
“you don’t have to love it you just have to do it.”
I am blessed with a good life. To do these kinds of things and meet great people. I’m thankful.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
over and out
heading off to camp now. wish me strength to climb, speed to run, and someone good to draft off in the pool.. oh and the ability to come home in one piece!
Monday, March 9, 2009
FU BF
Yes that’s ben franklin. The original perpetrator of day light savings and #1 on my sh*t list right now. I mean who needs him? We would have eventually figured out electricity (hello Doc Brown in back to the future…) and who really uses $100 bills?? Anyway yesterday was pretty much a mess, what with waking up at what I thought was a reasonable hour only to find out that NOPE I’d already passed that, but not of my own accord. So starting my run much later in the day kind of put a skew on everything else.. and today - I mean even at 7 am coming out of masters it was still dark! And you know that you are saying to yourself (and have been for the past 24 hours) that if the clock says 6, oh it really should be 5… how long does it take to shake that habit?
But it was a great weekend. A weekend that produced the first tan lines of the year. Yippie! A true sign of spring, though I will say that trying on fancy dresses with a watch tan was less than pretty. .. but they were well earned on a perfect long ride around Jordan lake saturday. Such a great ride that I didn’t want to get off my bike and may have gone slightly over my prescribed time in the saddle… but I felt so good, like I could ride forever. It was a good ride to end on before heading out west.
Yesterday we watched the Carolina/duke game with some friends. The tv was relocated to the back porch to allow for maximum enjoyment of the weather and foot ball tossing and dog playing. I even learned some new words … all stemming from the grudge Carolina fans still hold over the Hansbrough incident over 2 years ago. .. good stuff. thanks annie (for the bbq not the vocabulary!) then over to bri and marty’s to pick up a loaner bike case (thanks again!!) – they’ve got an amazing back yard, perfect for the word’s cutest Mohawk sporting dog. (and if you’re reading and you do have the cassette class – I will bring snacks.. or beer..)
So its another one of those days when I have too much to do and not enough time. (and no I’m not talking about work. who talks about work. boring!) i need to run by IOS and see if I can snag a jacket (at least if I’m warm descending mt lemmon I might freak out one degree less..) and some extra nuuns and maybe an odometer seeing as mine has stopped working, once again have forgotten to pick up food for a meeting tonight even though I have been to the grocery store each of the past 2 days, need to hit the atm and the post office – I’m wondering if I can smash that all into my lunch and still get home for a bit?? I know for most that would be a short list, but for me, who still has a gym session to get to this afternoon and has to be on the other side of town by 645, it’s a bit challenging. Typical for a Monday.
i heard on the radio today that 60% of americans have never left the state in which they were born. um WHAT? NEVER? are you kidding? unless you live in the state of bliss there is no excuse for that.
But it was a great weekend. A weekend that produced the first tan lines of the year. Yippie! A true sign of spring, though I will say that trying on fancy dresses with a watch tan was less than pretty. .. but they were well earned on a perfect long ride around Jordan lake saturday. Such a great ride that I didn’t want to get off my bike and may have gone slightly over my prescribed time in the saddle… but I felt so good, like I could ride forever. It was a good ride to end on before heading out west.
Yesterday we watched the Carolina/duke game with some friends. The tv was relocated to the back porch to allow for maximum enjoyment of the weather and foot ball tossing and dog playing. I even learned some new words … all stemming from the grudge Carolina fans still hold over the Hansbrough incident over 2 years ago. .. good stuff. thanks annie (for the bbq not the vocabulary!) then over to bri and marty’s to pick up a loaner bike case (thanks again!!) – they’ve got an amazing back yard, perfect for the word’s cutest Mohawk sporting dog. (and if you’re reading and you do have the cassette class – I will bring snacks.. or beer..)
So its another one of those days when I have too much to do and not enough time. (and no I’m not talking about work. who talks about work. boring!) i need to run by IOS and see if I can snag a jacket (at least if I’m warm descending mt lemmon I might freak out one degree less..) and some extra nuuns and maybe an odometer seeing as mine has stopped working, once again have forgotten to pick up food for a meeting tonight even though I have been to the grocery store each of the past 2 days, need to hit the atm and the post office – I’m wondering if I can smash that all into my lunch and still get home for a bit?? I know for most that would be a short list, but for me, who still has a gym session to get to this afternoon and has to be on the other side of town by 645, it’s a bit challenging. Typical for a Monday.
i heard on the radio today that 60% of americans have never left the state in which they were born. um WHAT? NEVER? are you kidding? unless you live in the state of bliss there is no excuse for that.
Friday, March 6, 2009
my little slice
i have a very small window in my office. just enough to let me know whats going on outside without providing distraction. (thats what the internet is for) at least most days. i've seen some interesting things thru that window... snow flakes falling from a lone cloud in an otherwise blue sky, torrential rains like ones that might wash away civilization, deer grazing on the grass - surprisingly not as cute and bambi like as i thought they would be up close, mexican landscapers picking and scratching various umm areas, folks sneaking out of work early.
today all i see is gorgeous. its truly the perfect day. full on sun, light breezes. a day that you just want to be outside, need to be outside. an afternoon that should be spent on a deck with a beverage and a few friends, just taking in the moment.
a day like today, espeicially being that its a friday, reminds me of my very first real job out of college back in richmond. every friday from april till it got too cold we had happy hour out on our deck. right around 3 everyone (except a few crazies who insisted on working.. WTF?) would convene outside and consume whatever beverage the CEO felt like buying that day. sometimes corona's, sometimes bourbon. and we would sit. and we would drink. and all was good. it may not have been the best job, but for a few hours a week it was THE place to be. and in my poor post college years a free buzz was priceless! ha.
i'm really looking forward to a long bike ride tomorrow in this weather. it will be fantastic. because before you know it the humidity will be 4000% and temps will top out at 102 and carolina will be one big sizzle.
today all i see is gorgeous. its truly the perfect day. full on sun, light breezes. a day that you just want to be outside, need to be outside. an afternoon that should be spent on a deck with a beverage and a few friends, just taking in the moment.
a day like today, espeicially being that its a friday, reminds me of my very first real job out of college back in richmond. every friday from april till it got too cold we had happy hour out on our deck. right around 3 everyone (except a few crazies who insisted on working.. WTF?) would convene outside and consume whatever beverage the CEO felt like buying that day. sometimes corona's, sometimes bourbon. and we would sit. and we would drink. and all was good. it may not have been the best job, but for a few hours a week it was THE place to be. and in my poor post college years a free buzz was priceless! ha.
i'm really looking forward to a long bike ride tomorrow in this weather. it will be fantastic. because before you know it the humidity will be 4000% and temps will top out at 102 and carolina will be one big sizzle.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
I have a problem
And while it’s not of significant magnitude, it does however constitute a hardship in my life. See, I’m not a morning person. SHOCKER. So anytime I have to get up at an UNreasonable hour, my mind revolts. Not a very nice thing to do. I would be willing to make a wager of any amount to the guaranteed fact that the night before, I will wake up no less than 10 times – check the clock, remember that I had the weirdest dream just then, and not be able to fall back asleep for some time. So things like am masters practice and early morning flights are not favorable activities for the mere fact that I am categorically, undeniably unable to sleep normally the night before.
My other problem? I cannot get the chlorine taste out of my mouth today. No matter what I eat or drink or chew on, it lingers. And it sucks!
But I had a decent practice this morning at masters, despite all the whining… my problem (gee there’s that word again…) is that there is too much to think about while I’m swimming… reach out, pull hard, rotate, finish stroke, BREATHE, what lap am I on, ouch (that’s from running into the lane rope), oooopps water down the hatch again, oh sh*t time to turn……. So I’m not quite there yet, because along with all of this swimming stuff my head swarms with random thoughts that have nothing to do with swimming and little to do with anything….
But the good thing about masters days is I get to come home and make a super good breakfast. Eggs, toast, oatmeal, milk, OJ.. the works. Love that. Just like I’m at Denny’s but without the toothless waitress and weird old people in the next booth. (OK I could have said Eat n Park there, but most of you would have no clue what that is.. for those who do…..go and eat a smiley cookie for me)
Looking forward to some super nice spring weather, 75 degrees!!!, perfect for a nice long ride, and run, and ride and run.....
My other problem? I cannot get the chlorine taste out of my mouth today. No matter what I eat or drink or chew on, it lingers. And it sucks!
But I had a decent practice this morning at masters, despite all the whining… my problem (gee there’s that word again…) is that there is too much to think about while I’m swimming… reach out, pull hard, rotate, finish stroke, BREATHE, what lap am I on, ouch (that’s from running into the lane rope), oooopps water down the hatch again, oh sh*t time to turn……. So I’m not quite there yet, because along with all of this swimming stuff my head swarms with random thoughts that have nothing to do with swimming and little to do with anything….
But the good thing about masters days is I get to come home and make a super good breakfast. Eggs, toast, oatmeal, milk, OJ.. the works. Love that. Just like I’m at Denny’s but without the toothless waitress and weird old people in the next booth. (OK I could have said Eat n Park there, but most of you would have no clue what that is.. for those who do…..go and eat a smiley cookie for me)
Looking forward to some super nice spring weather, 75 degrees!!!, perfect for a nice long ride, and run, and ride and run.....
Sunday, March 1, 2009
time to build the ark
i snapped this picture today to hopefully get my "non-wimp" status reinvoked .....
and i stole one from WRAL traffic cameras..
I've not seen the animals because they are smart enough to stay inside. supposedly there has been a run on milk and bread at the local teeter as any type of weather watch here in NC tends to equate to modern day catastrophe.. and some how having dairy in the house will bring you salvation...
i went a little Gene Kelly yesterday and somewhat enjoyed my T run in this monstrosity. though 30 minutes isnt really enough to make anything miserable.. but for some strange reason the idea of being wet and cold today just wasnt so appealing... so i (**wimped out*** and) chose the treadmill. and had a great 12 mile run, a much much better run that i could have had outside so in my mind it was a win + plus i got to rock out to some good tunes. now onto "coach holding grudge" prevention plan cause i truly feared she would come down here and lock me out of my house until i did that run outside... :)
and i stole one from WRAL traffic cameras..
I've not seen the animals because they are smart enough to stay inside. supposedly there has been a run on milk and bread at the local teeter as any type of weather watch here in NC tends to equate to modern day catastrophe.. and some how having dairy in the house will bring you salvation...
i went a little Gene Kelly yesterday and somewhat enjoyed my T run in this monstrosity. though 30 minutes isnt really enough to make anything miserable.. but for some strange reason the idea of being wet and cold today just wasnt so appealing... so i (**wimped out*** and) chose the treadmill. and had a great 12 mile run, a much much better run that i could have had outside so in my mind it was a win + plus i got to rock out to some good tunes. now onto "coach holding grudge" prevention plan cause i truly feared she would come down here and lock me out of my house until i did that run outside... :)
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