The Facebook

Once upon a time, I used to mull my blog posts for days. During my runs, I would compose and re-write them in my head. Sometimes, I'd even write them up and then delete them because they were too whiney or too political or too drunk or too bossy.

Now, not so much.

When I have free time now (which is way less time that I used to have), I check my peeps on the Facebook. This morning, I looked at Jason's photos of his new baby, watched Yvonne's proposal video, and took a movie quiz. All good things, but I found myself wishing I'd heard Jason's story of the 24 hours his amazing wife spent in labor and seen the smile on Yvonne's face and how her eyes crinkle at the edges as she recounted the surprise video that her fiance sneaked into her "Triplets of Belleville" movie. I like the knowledge of the good stuff going on in everyone's lives - but it's a thin substitute for the real thing.

And, have you noticed that a lot of the bloggers don't blog anymore (me included)?

We are too busy listing our top 5 beers, taking 1980s movie quizes, doling out flair or plants or rising up the Wordchallenge ladder or poking each other.

I miss Colin's long discussions of his bike and his diatribes against George W. Bush's administration.

Do you remember when people used to write letters and send cards? Going out to the mailbox was a treat because there might be a surprise note lurking in there. I used to write letters by the dozens, at least one every few days. And, I wrote little notes to friends that I saw in the paper or met at a luncheon or business associates after a closing.

Not anymore. The mailbox has only ads and bills and the occasional note from my Grammy.

I think I'm finally old enough to miss the good 'ol days.

Excuse me while I get back to see who Brian's top 5 is.

ING Marathon Race Escort Report

Race escorting was a completely humbling experience.


I had prepared for the event by mapping the course on the computer and driving it. Then, armed with my cue sheet I rode 2 loops on my bike, only to find that I had a few of the streets wrong. Later, I did two more loops on the bike armed with a pen to correct the cue sheet. However, I didn't get to do the practice rides with actual wheelers so I was flying blind.


On Saturday night, I called my friend Curtis (a veteran race escorter and knower of all things bike) to get the inside skinny on my last-minute questions. Are there code words? Do I ride next to or in front of the racer? Should I yell encouragement or only identify hazards?


Curtis's number one piece of advice: If my wheeler was a man, I should wear a bikini. Yeah, I think he might have been doing some 16oz bicep repeats on Saturday night. : ) Seriously, though, he gave me some good answers to my questions and I calmed down. A little. Then I had to fold 4 loads of laundry to relax enough to sleep.

So we showed up at Centennial Olympic Park at 5:45 am on Sunday morning. I dropped Doug at the Omni hotel and went into the park with my newly-shod and washed bike, McGyver-ed light setup and ghetto cue sheet taped to my bars but completely lost as the to the actual plan. I avoided speaking to anyone because I was so scared. The wheelers started arriving pushing their race chairs in front of them like jog-strollers. They were very sinew-y and fast-looking. Whew, very intimidating. Luckily, the group of escorts was very nice and welcoming. No one said a word about my tri-bike after the zillion "which bike are you using?" questions from my friends. I rode THE bike. It's a yellow tri-bike with aerobars and red flowers. Not very professional-looking.


We posed for a photo. You can tell I'm freaking out. I do have ING orange and blue dealies in my braids. Check out the GU socks and Moving Comfort running top. Gotta support the peeps!




This is Jett's photo. Link over to his blog and read his race report here. He was a pro at the escorting. The fast guys wanted him to be their escort.



After a short meeting at the State Bar of Georgia headquarters, the escorts lined up and we were counted off like in gym class. I doled out Gus to the people around me - share the Gu love, baby. The national anthem played and suddenly, there was a mad "HERE THEY COME" and big gust of wind whooshed by, preceding a big group of wheelers who flew by us. There was a lot of yelling and noise and confusion and suddenly Leslie was on #20. I had seeded myself towards the back (#25) because I'm not fast, thinking that I'd be a sweeper at the rear. Wrong - a clump of wheelers came by and she got through 26.

Holy Crap! What next?


I got a little in front of who I thought my wheeler was and promptly forgot whether the guy in the blue shirt or the yellow shirt was mine. We went down Marietta Street. The guy next to me (Paul, maybe?) had the other guy. Paul(?) told me which one was his and I promptly forgot again. I stayed with the guy I thought was mine. Then, as we turned left and went down Piedmont I noticed that Paul and I had only guy between us. Crap! I listened to him tell Paul about how this was his first race and how he has only been in his chair for 10 months.

I started to slow down to look for the other guy when Leslie rode up and asked me to stay a little closer to my guy. "OK," I gulped, with tears in my eyes. Jeez, we haven't even been a mile and I've lost my guy. I SUCK! I'm totally ruining his race!

I found my guy (turquoise blue chair, yellow jersey). You can see a photo of him here (enter photo number 36339 and he is the 4th from the left on the top row). I explained that I was confused about which guy was mine and apologized profusely. He grunted. We were going uphill so that wasn't rude - he was working hard. When wheelers go uphill, you can see how gravity is making their wheels want to reverse and go back down. Then, we got to Publix and the turn onto North Ave was upon us and I had to tell him about the turn and how there is a really sharp right onto the next street at the bottom of the hill (danger spot #1) so there was no chit chat. I told him about the next hills - not steep but long and he grunted. I thought that he hated me. The racers had spread out a lot by this point in the race as we get closer to Sweet Auburn. I pointed out the road construction on the right on the way down Jackson. As we motored up that hill, I told my racer about Curtis's advice, thinking that I'd break the ice. "Not today," I quipped "too cold. Maybe next year." Big grunt. Maybe a laugh? We went past the King Center and I notice all of the homeowners sitting on their porches with their coffee and dogs. It was really neat and the sun looked so pretty as it rose over the houses. I wanted to point this out to my racer, but it was an uphill so he didn't look like he wanted any crap about coffee and sunrises.

We turned right on Randolph and left onto Edgewood. Then, sirens. Not blaring, just honking like when they want you to pull over. The first marathoner was coming through.

Let me just tell you that runners and wheelers do not go the same speed. Wheelers FLY down the hills but going uphill is an inch-by-inch struggle. Runners seem to step along at mostly the same rate at all times - their strides get shorter on hills but they are still turning over at the same pace.

Four motorcycle cops came by on Edgewood and took up the whole road. I had to whistle them. I was very hesitant to whistle at them at first, because they were the police, but they wouldn't get out of the way. My guy was about to go downhill and they were in the way. And then there was the pace car (SUV). So, 4 cops, an SUV, me, my guy, the woman escort with the glasses, her female wheeler (if you looked at the photos, she is the racer to the right of my guy), and the first marathoner all riding together at different speeds. What a cluster $%^$#. Finally, I strapped on my big girl panties and got more insistent with my whistling (copying glasses woman) and the cops pulled away as we got to the place where Euclid veers off and there was sea of cones - it was very confusing. I was worried about what the cones meant. Maybe they changed the course? Which way to go? I knew we needed to stay straight, so I sucked it up and told my guy to go straight and follow me. That darn SUV stuck, though. I just tried to be a buffer between my wheeler and the car because I didn't know if they could see him. I whistled them several times. They were mad. The marathoner passed us on Euclid - he looked free and easy loping away and whew - the pace car was gone too.

We turned onto Moreland and had new smooth pavement down to the turn onto Freedom Parkway. I told my racer and he grunted. Whee! We sped down the hill, turned and hit the hills. As he motored up the hills, I told my racer about the downhill past the Carter Center and the bad right turn there. 4 wheelers crashed there last year because it was wet. I did NOT mention this to him. The glasses woman escorting the female wheeler was a non-stop encouragement machine. They were close to us on that hill. The woman (whose name I've forgotten) was all "whoo" "you look awesome" "way to go" "keep it steady". Was I supposed to yell like that? If my racer was like Doug, he would have wanted to strangle me. I told my racer that I was going to yell, but that he could tell me to shut up. Grunt. Again, we were going uphill because you have to talk in the uphills because there is too much other stuff to worry about in the downhills. Then it occurred to me that maybe English was not his language. Aha!

Then, the downhill and turn. I kept yelling about it and hoped my guy heard me. I cleared the turn and waited around the bend. It was wet, but he made it through just fine. Whew.

We turned right again onto North Ave and then went up a looooong hill to turn left on Highland. I think I told my racer that this was the worst hill in the course. If not, I should have because it was the steepest. We turned and zipped down Highland. I whistled a lot of runners here "wheeler coming through" - we were near the front of the half-marathon pack. One guy in light blue clothes would not move. I was a little hesitant in my whistling and talking, though, and may have confused him by being on the right. I should have been more forceful and gone by on the left to lead my racer - people respond better to the "take charge" directions than "hey I'm going by on the right but my wheeler is coming on your left so move" discussion. I had to apologize to my racer for that too.

We turned left on Virginia Ave and then went down the hill past Inman MS. Sharp right turn here. Then a lovely stretch on Park Drive. We went really fast here and didn't have to slow down for anything. After crossing Monroe, there are four speed humps. I called them out to my racer and the big bump going onto the bridge. Then a hard left into Piedmont Park. It was so beautiful in there. We had smooth sailing in the park and I took that time to prep my racer for the hard right turn and long uphill out of the park on 10th.

It was getting cold as we turned onto Juniper. I told my wheeler that this section wasn't steep, but very long. Then as he motored up the hill, I warned him about the tight and bumpy turn onto 5th Street. That turn always feels like the beginning of the home stretch to me. We labored up the hill to Peachtree and all of the police started yelling for my guy - cheering him on with every stroke. I wanted to hug them all. My racer grunted really loud for them. : )

We took the right onto Peachtree and then the fast left back onto 5th and then we were in GA Tech. I warned my wheeler about the downhill turn onto Techwood and then we started the long climb back up to the finish. We turned onto North Avenue and lots of people were there to cheer for us going up the hill. We did the Tech Parkway section, the quick left onto Means Street and then Marietta Street was upon us. I yelled out whenever there were holes in the street and when to go into the other lane and yelled encouragement in between. Marietta isn't a steep hill, but it grinds on you. The female wheeler and glasses woman passed us here - that woman was tough. She did awesome! And then it was the last three lights and I told my racer we were almost there and directed him into the finishing chute. Escorts can't cross the finish line, so turned wide and exited thru a hastily opened gap in the fencing, stage-right.

And it was done. Whew. Glasses-woman and I held each other's bikes for a potty break and then I defied the access nazi to cross the road that the kids would be crossing, lifting my bike and hopping two fences to get out of the park. In the confusion, I forgot to get my shoes from the wheelers' tent. After making it out and back around the park to put my bike in the car, I realized my mistake and had to walk the half-mile back to the tent in my bike shoes. Oops. Had I gone to the bike tent (only 1 fence-hop required), I would have gotten to meet my racer, Muhammad, from the Dominican Republic. He was pleased with his race and had his girl friend there to help translate for him. : ) Go Muhammad, you rock!

If I can run again by next year, it will be a really hard choice between running this race and escorting. It was the best. I loved every moment of it.

Who Rocks the Atl?

I do!



So, you know how I volunteered to be a bike escort for the ING 1/2 Marathon? Well, the group is doing two fun rides to get escorts used to the course and allow the racers to practice on the course. These fun rides are Sunday, March 15 and Sunday, March 22 at 7:00am. The actual race is Sunday, March 29.



Do you see a problem here? I take Grammy to church on Sundays. Attendance at these fun runs would require 3 weeks in a row of rescheduling for Grammy. Not very fair. So, I emailed the escort coordinator and he said that I can still escort if I go down and ride the course at least 2 times. OK!


So, the plan was to go do the first lap last Friday. Annika was home sick, so we rode the course in the car. It was painless and except for the gas wastage, I think we did a good job. I was able to pull over several times and make notes on the course so that I would be prepared on my bike.


Then, Sunday came along. Time to try it on the bike after I took Grammy to church (minus Annika because she was still sick).

I parked at Centennial Olympic Park. It cost $10. Don't park at Centennial Olympic Park on a Thrashers Game Day. Park at Georgia Tech or Marietta Street instead. I took a picture so Doug would know I made it.

Here is my very fancy cue-sheet holding device. You can't read it, but I have every turn listed on this piece of paper. You can even flip it down to see the other side of the ride. Pretty snazzy, huh?

I emailed Doug after lap 1 so he'd have an ETA. Then I saw these guys. They offered me a job. It sounded good until I saw the two very large ladies that the guy had to take all the way to the World of Coke. On a recumbent. Whew!

I took a finishing photo before heading home so Doug would know I wasn't dead.

Mission accomplished, sort of.

I corrected my cue sheet and emailed it to the coordinator who sent me last year's cue sheet.

Not the same. The differences are not major but it will be interesting to see which is the correct route. At race speed, no less.

So, today is my last Wednesday off before I go back full-time at work so I drove downtown again (parked on Marietta St this time - only $5) and did another two laps with what I think is the correct route. My phone apparently keeps only 4 emails at the time so I couldn't look at the one the coordinator sent. I spent 10 mins in my car trying to figure it out with a map, but no dice.

I have to report several things from my downtown riding experiences:

1. Downtown/Midtown/Little 5 Pts/Ga Tech/Va Highlands/Piedmont Park is way more bike-friendly than Roswell.
2. I only got honked at once during the two rides and that guy was from out of state. I think he did it just to let me know he was there because he didn't look angry and had plenty of room to pass me.
3. No one yelled at me on either ride. No yelling at ALL. One guy gave me the "hey baby" once over, but that was kind of nice. No one ever gives me the "hey baby".
4. In-town riding is easier because the cars treat you like a car (which is the law, people). Some of this may because the traffic moves slower so I'm about the same speed as the cars, even from a dead stop.
5. Once you start acting like a car, it's not so scary.
6. There are some beautiful areas of town that I never get to see.
7. I really want to run the whole ING marathon just so I can see that much more of the city from the ground.

That is all. Huge biking victory for me. : )

You, Yes YOU!

Cyclists, you need to follow the laws of the road.

We had a family birthday party last night and two different non-cyclists illuminated the car driver's point of view on cyclists for me:

1. They HATE cyclists.
2. Cyclists don't follow the rules.

Legal or not, if a car is scared to pass you and finally they have gotten by and are breathing a sigh of relief because they didn't run you over, how do you think they feel when you blithely right up past them at a stoplight so that they must try to pass you again?

Or, how about when a driver cannot pass because you are riding in the middle of the road talking to your bud Susie about what kind of nachos to get at the Taco Mac on the way home? Can you drive two abreast in a car and talk while you drive? Don't you honk at people who do that in your neighborhood?

Same thing with buzzing through stop signs. If the car must stop at a stop sign, so can you. I've done the Roswell Ride both ways and the "come-to-a-full-stop-and-put-one-foot-down" method was only 2 minutes slower than the "roll-through" method over 40 miles. That is nothing. Think of stop signs as a part of your interval training.

Share Schmare

Doug thinks the whole "Share the Road" idea is part of the problem. He thinks it gives car drivers the idea that they are doing cyclists a favor by letting them use the car drivers' road. One of the family members above said as much to me last night and also pointed out that bicycles are not licensed and therefore don't pay taxes to maintain the roads. Extemporaneous speaking is not my strong suit, so I was stumped for a witty comeback to that ridiculous argument like "You mean the taxes that I already pay on my car?" Jeez.

But the hatred was palpable.

The one lady, who is admittedly not the best driver, wanted to know what she is supposed to do upon encountering a cyclist. She doesn't want to endanger herself by crossing the yellow line to pass and resents a cyclist "forcing" her to do it. When I pointed out that she could just slow down for a little while, she said "to 20 miles an hour?!?!??" like it was unthinkable.

That is the problem.

It is unthinkable for car drivers to slow down to the speed of a cyclist for any length of time.

That is why I'd like to live in Colorado, where it is not a weird thing to ride your bike and you aren't taking your life in your hands every time you do it.

I'm going to ride the ING half-marathon course today to get familiar with the course so I can be a wheelchair athlete escort on race day. Please nobody run over me.

Sometimes it Snows in March

I know the song says "April," but cut us a little slack. It's pouring snow here. Two days before the Ride to the Capitol. Wow, I hope it warms up fast.

As you can see, the poll for the 5K group is up at the top. Group - don't forget to vote! There has been good news from all of the 5K folks. I'm so proud of their progress!

In other news, my MRI was done on Thursday. We hope to have the results for discussion on Monday. It's really hard to keep still in the machine. I told myself that I was tough and it would be easy, but no. I had to sing songs and ABCs to keep from twitching even though they tied my foot down. The CIA should think about using that machine to help convince recalcitrant terrorists to reveal their secrets. I think it would work. Seriously. Then again, those guys are probably a good bit tougher than I am. Worth a shot, though.

She Rides

She flies, she flies, oh baby when she rides, she rides.


Annika decided a few weeks ago that it was time to ride without training wheels on her bike. We've had several "learning" sessions which consisted mainly of me pushing her down the hill in our side yard and her coasting until she fell over.



Until last week.



Doug took her out onto the golf course because there is a flat path there. In 30 minutes flat, Annika was riding solo. She can even start off by herself now and come to a stop without falling over. It's amazing.

Here is a side view.




And a view from the back as she pedals up the hill. She goes a little further each time and can make it within about 20 yds from the top now.

Here are Annika and Sarah Anne on their bike date. Aunt Katie chased them up and down the road and sent me this photo.

Now, if I can train her to stop and look both ways before leaving the driveway, we will be in good shape.

In other news, I walked up and down the biking road with Annika 3x today. That's about 0.7 miles. The foot is a little sore but not bad. Just in time for my MRI tomorrow. Still, 0.7 miles is way better than zero. Way better.

At this rate, I'll get to wear my new running shoes (Brooks Adrenaline 8s that I bought in September) before summer!

It's All About the Races, Baby

Nearly a full month after I started this post, here is a list of the choices for the 5K race for the couch-to-5K team. It is not an exhaustive list so if you know of a race I forgot that folks might want to do, please say so in the comments.

In the 5K group, everyone is doing awesome and a lot of folks are exceeding the plan minutes by a huge margin. Way to go, runners! Racers, please comment back with your top 3 races and I'll make the next post a poll so we can vote on them. There were just too many races to vote from this huge list.

Saturday, April 18

Gwinnett Ecological Heritage Center 5K. This race appears to be a trail run at the Gwinnett Ecological Heritage Center in Buford near the Mall of Georgia and starts at 9:30 am. There is no info on the website yet.

Granite Grinder 5K. This is a 5K trail race at the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers and it starts at 8am. It is done in conjunction with a half-marathon distance trail run. I could easily talk Doug into the trail run.

Eye Run - Chart the Course 5K. This is a 5K in McDonough (just south of metro Atlanta) that starts at 8:15am. Early registration is $15 and the proceeds benefit http://www.onesight.org/.

Covington YMCA Cheerios Challenge 5K. This race benefits the Covington YMCA and is part of the Healthy Kids Day Celebration. It appears to be a family-oriented event and General Mills is one of the sponsors so that means free cereal. There is a 5K, a 10K and a fun run. The 5K starts at 9:30am.

Phinizy Swamp Stomp 5K. This race is in Augusta and benefits the Southeastern Natural Sciences Academy. They have not listed the race on their website yet, but the start time is supposed to be 9:15am.

Sweetwater 420 Fest 5K - This is the 5K race associated with the Sweetwater 420 Fest in Candler Park. It starts at 11am on Saturday, April 18. The Candler Park location is a draw, but it may be difficult for everyone to park because the festival is going on at the same time.

Terrapin Beer 5K plus One More Mile. This race is actually 4.1 miles. Get it? 5K plus One More Mile. The registration fee includes a brewery tour and free samples. The race starts at the brewery in Athens at 4pm. Mmm, beer. I love Terrapin's Rye Pale Ale.

Water for the World 5K. This race starts at 7:30am and is located in the Johns Creek Area. It benefits Mt. Pisgah United Methodist Church (the big one on Old Alabama Road) and clean water projects. There is a 5K, 10K, 1mile fun run and a tot trot.

Sunday, April 19

Radiant Systems Sprint for Cancer 5K - This race is at Atlantic Station at 8:00am on Sunday, April 19, which means that there are lots of food options for after the race. They also have a 5K and 10K at the same time.

Chickamauga Chase 5K. This is a 5K race done in conjunction with the half-marathon race at the Chickamauga National Battlefield outside of Chattanooga. It starts at 8:30am.

Stray Pet Strut 5K. This race is in Gainesville and benefits the Humane Society of Hall County. It starts at 2:30pm.

Saturday, April 25

Arbor Day 5K. This race is in Augusta, GA and starts at 9:15 am. There is no web info yet.

Fig Leaf 5K. This race is at the Paradise Valley Resort in Dawsonville and is clothing optional. It starts at 10am. I'm not running naked and am not taking my kids. No offense to any nudists, but my kids are a little too grabby to be around a bunch of naked people.

Grayson Day 5K. This race is a part of the Grayson Day festival in Grayson (north of Lilburn). The race director was my middle school algebra teacher. His daughter goes to Grayson High School, which is putting on the race to fund a trip for their cross-country team in the fall. The race starts at 8am and there is a fun run.

Jay Cullen Share the Roads 5K. This race is in Cumming and benefits the First Baptist Church of Cumming. It is done in memory of Jay Cullen, a cyclist who was killed while out for a ride. It starts at 8:30am.

Race for Riley 5K. This race benefits the Joseph Sams school and is in Palmetto. It starts at 8:30am.

Run the River 5K - This is the 8th Annual Homestretch Challenge race by the river at St. Andrew Catholic Church in Roswell. It's a good race, very flat and fast. They have a 5K (7:30am), a 10K (8:00am) and a fun run (8:30am) all on the same morning. Because there is a 10K race, the faster folks tend to do that one and it's easy to place in the 5K.

Pebblebrook Junior Falcons 5K - This race is a fundraiser to benefit the Pebblebrook Jr. Falcons athletic association on Saturday, April 25 at 7:00am. I've never done this race, but it is located in Mableton, which is near Smyrna.

Athens Twilight 5K Run - This is the 5K race associated with the Twilight Criterium race in Athens. It is on April 25 at 8:30am in Athens, Georgia. The Gambler bike race/ride (50 or 100k options) is also scheduled for this morning at 10am.

Sunday, April 26

Run for a Reason 5K. This race is in Cumming and benefits college scholarships for Cumming high school students. The race is at Cumming City Park on Pilgrim Milll Road and starts at 8am.

Out of Practice

Doug went out of town for a funeral yesterday. He will be home tomorrow. He was all worried about how I would fare without him. "I did OK when both kids got the throw-up virus the last time," I said, in reference to a trip he took a few years ago. "What could be worse than that?"

Maybe I'm just out of practice, but it is really hard to take care of the kiddos and go to work. Sure, I cleaned the stove and got caught up on the laundry, but I stayed up too late watching TV and doing my physical therapy (and facebook) last night. Then, this morning, I got up early, made Annika's lunch, got the Valentines packed and the grapes cut for Dagny's party, but we missed Annika's bus because I lost track of time while on the phone getting work advice from my friend, Steph. I must mention that I was also curling my hair and applying make-up at the same time as I was on the phone, lest you think that I can't multi-task. I also think I dropped the f-bomb when I realized what had happened. It was not my finest moment.

Then, while Steph and I were on the way to a post-meeting lunch, Dagny's school called. Dagny was coughing and feeling badly so we picked her up and took her to lunch at Moe's with us. She had 1 chip and a cookie. We dropped Steph back off at the office, picked up my computer and work and headed home. Dagny took a long nap, but we will be going to the store now for some medicine. That party we are all supposed to attend tomorrow is looking iffy. Poor old Dagny.

In other news, my foot is worse after all of the activity on Sunday. I'm sucking it up and still walking from my regular parking space this week because I'm done being a close-parker. I refuse to do it any longer. I did make another appointment to see my dear orthopaedist on Tuesday, so maybe he will have the magic bullet for me.

Also, I'm really enjoying the Brooks ID group. I'm living vicariously through all of the neat races the other members are doing and the discussions of all of the shoe models. Couch-to-5K folks, the Track Club still does not have their April race list up, so that is why I've not posted the poll for your race yet. Maybe over the weekend it will appear. I have a prelminary list, but want to be sure we don't miss a fun race because I posted too early.

One Man Down

Annika is with Grammie and Grampa at the GymDogs meet this weekend. Dagny, who falls out at 7pm (which is right about the time the meets usually start) was not invited. So Dagny and I have had a lovely day on our own. We watched some shows, we had Dagny's favorite breakfast (cereal) and a picnic lunch at the park before playing on "all of the playgrounds" as requested. The queen is currently napping off all of the activity.

Doug and I have been invited to not one, but three (three!) adults-only events this evening. Doug is going to our friends' child's wedding, and we had to beg off of both the 30th birthday party and my cousin's girls-dinner. Dagny and I will have some spaghettios or other similarly simple dinner before reading books until bedtime. We might even shower. Or not. There is always tomorrow for a shower.

It's strange how much easier it is with just one kid. We didn't have to negotiate anything today - we just did what Dagny wanted to do, which is very similar to what I wanted to do. Except that she gets to nap while I go downstairs to pay the bills.

In other news, all of the couch-to-5K peeps are doing great. It's really cool to see everyone's minutes total growing each week. The April races are STILL not up on the Atlanta Track Club website, so I haven't posted the race-picking poll yet. Maybe next week.

In still other news, here is the link to the Georgia Bike Ride to the Capitol on March 3. Any of you readers who ae also bike-riders, get out there and ride with us.

Miss Independent

Dagny wears underpants at night now. My Grammy can't understand why we didn't take the pull-ups away sooner, but Grammy isn't the one who has been changing and washing Annika's sheets 2-3 times per week for the last two years.

Anyway, Dagny told us last week that she was ready to wear underpants at night. Since she has been getting up to use the potty at night and taking her pull-up off anyway, and we were out of pull-ups, it seemed like as good a time as any. And so far it has worked well. She wakes up in the middle of the night, takes herself to the potty, and gets back in bed.

Awesome, right?

Unless she has a bad poop or runs out of toilet paper.

This morning she came downstairs and confessed to having dropped a washcloth in the potty.

"I'm sorry I dropped the washcloth in the potty, Mommy."

"Did you flush it?" [Eyes widening in alarm]

"No, I put it in the sink"

"After it was wet from being in the potty?"

"Yes." [thinking: where else would you put it?]

SIGH.

Yes, she peed and pooped in the potty, wiped herself with at least one and what looked like several washcloths, dropped one in the potty, carried it over to the sink and then went right back to bed. I disinfected the whole room. Ugh. I'm ignoring for now the idea that she brushed her teeth this morning in the sink where the potty washcloth was.

Just Like Honey

Last week there was a thread on the BT board about Accelerade powder and whether folks liked to drink it during their longer workouts. Many people posted that they couldn't stand the taste or that they couldn't handle the lumpy texture or the protein in it. Doug and I discussed this at length and agreed that folks who have GI issues aside, the folks who couldn't stand the taste were just not working hard enough when they tried it.

Because on my bike ride today, that orange Accelerade was HEAVEN. Just like honey. And I've had rides where the lemon tasted like my Grammy's lemon bars. I am not kidding.

I was a trifle under-fueled today from what I would ordinarily take on a bike ride (1 bottle of Accelerade + 1 Gu per hour), but I'm a little over-fueled internally so I figured it was OK. I'm a little loopy now but not bonky so I think it was a good decision.

Further evidence of how good a decision was the uncomfortable moment when I saw what the elastic in my bike shorts was doing to my mid-section when I stopped for a potty break. Sigh. All that work from last year is gone . . . gone . . . gone.

Anyway, big thanks to Doug for changing the tire on my bike while I was at church with Grammy. I REALLY needed the endorphins of a ride today. It was yucky-looking when I started but the sun came out on my way home and more than made up for the fact that I couldn't go up the good hills. I got to wave to lots of nice bikers and told one cute young man (you know you are old when you think of cute boys as "young man") that his shoelace was untied so he wouldn't fall. What a difference a ride makes.

Last weekend I was so angry that I wanted to punch all of the walls and kick stuff. And there was no possibility of a run to even me out. And it was too cold to go outside. It got worse all week. By Friday, I was just foul.

But now I've had my ride and I'm doing better. Thanks Doug.

The update on my awesome 5K group is in the previous post. Still trying to think of a way to show everyone's progress and making a list of possible races.

Here I Go Again

Overcommitted, swamped, busy. Wah, wah, wah. I'm just slack and haven't posted the chart about the progress of the fabulous couch to 5K group.

I've been having a hard time coming up with a good chart that will accurately highlight the achievement of each athlete. The group is all over the map on their activity levels so while it's a HUGE accomplishment for some of us to finish the plan minutes, others were doing more than that before the plan began so their minutes make the first person's minutes feel bad. You see my problem?

Charts aside, everyone in the group is kicking ass. I'm so proud of you guys! You rock!

Here is an update on the crew:

• Aimee and Steve are probably going to Ethiopia next month to get their adopted daughter and Steve's foot is still sore from his surgery so their running has not been as frequent as they would like but that is OK! Babies are more important. Keep your fingers crossed for their court date!
• Barbara keeps forgetting to send her run minutes but I know from Jen that she is doing great. : )
• Elena is making a huge comeback to running after her year off last year.
• Jen was sidelined with the flu and her oldest daughter had the throw-up virus so she had a bad week last week. However, Jen is going to run at the park with Julia in the stroller tomorrow while Sophie plays with Annika, Dagny and I at the playground. Or maybe I'll have all 4 kids and beer after!
• Joe is still working up to running, but he is doing awesome on his 30 mins of walking and his healthier diet.
• Lauren has made her 30 minutes of run/walking a habit and is frequently exceeding her goal minutes.
• Lynn started late with the group, but has made a great start so far. She is a new runner like Jen so give them both some love!
• Michele ran 24 minutes yesterday and her brother was able to come home from the hospital so it's all good news from her.
• Ryan from my office is still thinking about whether he wants to join the group. C'monRyan!
• Steph F. has been traveling a lot but I think she went to the gym a lot too. I keep forgetting to ask about her minutes but will do it on Monday.
• Trish is exceeding her goal run minutes every week by a lot already, so she is going to be superfast by the time we get to race.
• Me. I'm still not even walking for 30 minutes, so until my foot gets better I'll just make everyone look good.
• I've not heard from Cindy, Charlie and Sara this week, but I'm going to predict that Cindy and Sara got all of their run minutes done even with the cold temps and that Charlie has surpassed 30 minutes per day of running already.

I'll be scoping out some races for us to do in April. Any suggestions are welcome.

In other news, my 2009 race plan is shot all to heck. I was supposed to do the Red Top Rumble trail race in February and the ING half or whole marathon in March. Not to mention a defense of my second place AG finish (and chase of Natalie) at the Chattahoochee Road Runners race. Sigh. These have all turned into volunteer opportunities, though, so it's not all bad.

The Red Top Rumble race director says that they have the perfect water stop for me to cheer on the racers and still get back to the finish AND I get to use my entry fee for next year. I was so excited for this race. The GUTS group is really neat so I hope that I get to do more of their events next year.

A friend forwarded me a link to a lady soliciting bike volunteers to escort wheelchair racers at the ING Marathon, so I made my application and I'm in! How cool is that? Do you know how fast a wheelchair racer does a marathon? 1 hr 30 mins! WHOOO! So it will really still be a race for me!

I've got an email in to the Chattahoochee Road Runners too. Doug is going to do this race so I'll definitely find a job to do there.

So, it's not racing, but I still get to play outside a little. And, volunteering is way cheaper than racing.

You Say You Want a Resolution

I'm still not running. Heck, my foot hurt just walking the dog yesterday (less than 1/5 of a mile).

So, I googled and googled and googled. The best answer that I could find on the internet was from the Google Scholarly Articles database: stress fractures in a 320 person study were diagnosed in an average of 12-14 weeks and the average recovery time was 11-12 weeks. So, assuming that I am average, and I can't count any recovery time pre-Thanksgiving because I likely re-injured myself by running too early that week, I'm looking at mid-February before any kind of return to running.

Add to that the 10% rule (no increasing mileage greater than 10% in any one week), and it will be mid-April before I can go even one mile. The PT lady and I will be discussing this at my next appointment. She's tabled any discussion of running, but I need to know what my limit will be, even if it is vague and may change for the worse. I'm also interested to see how quickly I'll be able to add mileage back. Clearly the Rock-and-Roll-Man HIM in May is now looking questionable, if not impossible.

Sigh.

After much whining in my BT logs about my physical therapy and how it sucks, I realized that I just need to get over my bad self. Yeah, so what if I can't run. Or bike. And can't kick when I swim. What difference does it make?

It means I have to actually moderate my food intake. Which sucks. The whole point of exercise is to be able to eat a handful of nuts or a cookie in the afternoon or beers with dinner. It also means that I feel removed from my triathlete/runner friends (and Doug) because they are all gearing up for their 2009 race seasons and running/biking/swimming together while I'm gearing up for another 40 minutes stretching with the exercise band.

But it's not the end of the world. It just means that I'll do more race volunteering in 2009 and maybe I won't take my running for granted again.

Oh yeah, the resolution. Sing along if you know the tune:

Ac-cen-tu-ate the POSITIVE and E-lim-i-nate the NEGATIVE

POSITIVES

1. 12 buddies doing the couch to 5K plan. I'm already getting emailed progress reports.
2. Annika ran a whole mile with Doug last week
3. I'm saving a lot of money on race fees and Gu
4. Volunteering at races is a really a lot of fun
5. The economy has to turn around sometime
6. I'm getting to spend more time with the kids

Let's Get Ready to Rumble!

It's time to start the Couch to 5K plan!

Two more recruits have joined since the last post:

Lauren (the "Butterfly") Starks from Transition - Here to Fe. Lauren is my internet and BT buddy and while she is not just starting out running, she is interested in the structure of a plan.

Barbara ("Crafty") Croft. Barbara is my doctor and is one of Jen's partners at Piedmont OB/Gym. Barbara has been out of running for a while and might want to get back in. We can certainly encourage her along the way.

So that brings our total number of participants to 12! Yay! It's still not to late to join in. And, if you know of any folks that might want to start (or start back) running, please feel free to forward the blog link to them. If they don't want to be included in the public group, I'll send encouragement privately too.

This week's plan is to switch the 30 minutes of walking on our 3 days to 27 minutes of walking and 3 minutes of running. All runners are supposed to report back after the end of the week on their progress towards the 9 minutes of weekly running and I'll update the blog on Monday with this information and a new chart.

I'm still not cleared to run so the pressure is off for everyone else. You can't do any worse than me. In fact, I'm still sore from a 30 minute walk on Friday, so it's not looking good for me to even walk 3x this week. But as soon as my foot is better, I'm going to catch up!

In other news, Santa brought a Wii to our house and we are all nursing muscle soreness from our virtual sports. Doug is the champ at boxing and tennis, but I'm killing everyone at bowling. I was the worst at bowling until I copied Annika's style and now I rock! She is not getting the "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" yet.

New Recruits!

So, we've got some new recruits for the couch-to-5K plan:

Michele "LSU Runner" C. Michele is my tennis partner and swimming buddy who recently moved away to Birmingham. She is a college runner and high school track coach, but has had a recurrent ankle problem and is just starting her recovery plan.

Aimee "new Mom" W. Aimee's husband is in my triathlon club and turned me on to the "Spinervals" DVD series. In turn, I gave him "Yoga for Triathletes". I think I got the better end of that deal! Aimee and Steve are adoping a child from Ethiopia this year so keep them in your thoughts.

Cindy "Apple Queen" Z. Cindy is my aunt from Ellijay, Georgia (Ellijay is the apple capital of Georgia, in case you didn't know). and she is getting back into running after some IT band issues and a running hiatus. Uncle Mike is out with plantar fasciitus or I would have recruited him too.

Charlie "the Engine" (get it? The little engine that could?) from Running Nowhere Fast. Charlie is my internet friend who is also on the recovery train, and is hoping to get clearance from his doctor to run this week.

Sara "Yule" H. Sara and her husband lived across the street from us in our first house in Roswell, when Annie was just a pup and nobody had any kids. Sara has lost over 80 lbs and runs and walks a lot. She is starting to train for her first triathlon this year so she thought the running plan would be a good starting place to build to her triathlon.

I'll send out emails to the lot of you as soon as I've created a distribution list. I'm still not up to walking yet but am hopeful that I'll at least be able to do the walking portions of the training after Christmas with anyone who needs a buddy. I visit the physical therapist tomorrow and am crossing my fingers for a shorter recovery period. The internet research on the subject of stress fractures generally and calcaneal stress fractures in particular has really depressed me today.

If you or anyone else is thinking about joining in, it's not too late! Send me an email or pmail on BT or a Facebook note. Heck, it's never too late!!! I'll egg you on whenever you decide to start running.

In other news, we've cleaned our ovens today and are recovering from two pee accidents last night. And, if anyone has suggestions on how to contain/govern a three-year-old during Mass, please let me know. Dagny was horrible today - we have to leave twice for time-outs.

The Man with the Plan

Ta Daaaa! Here is the 5K plan. I figured that no one would want to start their plan before Christmas. So, our running weeks start the week after Christmas. If you are a type "A," get started now by walking for 30 minutes three times a week:




Our illustrious runners so far are:

• Elena "the Boss" from my triathlon club. Elena has been sidelined with injury this year so she is in the same boat as I am and is just starting back running.
• Jen "Doc" Williams. Jen is my younger and cuter sister, who has not run since college. She is ready to get back moving this year.
• Joe "Sailor" Elswick. Joe is my internet friend whose plans to run the Currahee Challenge were thwarted by skin cancer earlier this year. He is healed up and ready to go.
• Steph B. This is me. My December marathon plans were foiled by a calcaneal stress fracture. Boo. I'm fighting to get back on the wagon, into my pants and away from the crazy.
• Steph "Sky" F. My best buddy from law school. Steph has been running off and on for several years now, but now she would like the accountability of a plan.
• Trish "Organic Fool" Sharp. Trish has been a regular walker/sometime runner for a while but is ready to make the jump to running.

I borrowed liberally from the Beginner Triathlete couch-to-5K program and the Cool Running program of the same name to make this plan. Thank you, Beginner Triathlete and Cool Running.

And, because I'm a rules girl, here are the rules:

1. We will do our walking (and gradually our running) three times per week. They do not have to be the same days every week.
2. We are committing to thirty minutes of run/walking on these days.
3. It's best to spread your running days out throughout the week, but it's not the end of the world if you do two days in a row. Pick whatever days work best with your schedule.
4. It is up to you whether you want to do your running minutes all-in-a-row or spread them out throughout the thirty minutes. Either way, we will all come to the same place at the end, which is a conversion of the whole thirty minute block from walking to running. Because I'm too lazy to divide up the thirty minutes, I'll be doing my running all-in-a-row after a short warm-up.
5. I suggest warming up by walking for five to ten minutes before starting your run minutes each day. As we get to weeks 14-15, that might mean five extra minutes of walking for the warm-up.
6. Start slow. You should be able to talk (with a little effort) while you are running. This will get easier with time, but you can't be too slow to start.
7. If it helps you to use an ipod or walkman, do it. I know that the sound of my own breathing (gasping) makes me feel awkward and out-of-shape. If you need music or a book to pass the time or mask the gasp, that is OK. Just do it with the volume low so you can hear cars or other people/animals if you are running outside.
8. Run outside or on the treadmill. Does not matter. It's more convenient and pleasant for me to run outside, but do what you like.
9. I'm available to do runs with anybody on the weekends - Annika will join in and make us feel silly and Dagny will yell encouragement from the stroller.
10. Do not do your runs in old shoes. If you've never gone to a running store (Big Peach Running Company, Fleet Feet, Phidippides, Spikes Running Company), you need to go and have them watch you run and buy some decent shoes. This is the only required investment. If you are nervous about going to a running store, I will accompany you with two loud children to deflect any possible embarrassment. If you have decent running shoes that are newish and don't hurt your feet at all, we can put off the shopping until later. It's important to get the right shoes for you, and the running store folks will help you find these for FREE. I love my Brooks and have worn this brand for 8 years, but you have to get the right shoes for you.
11. Please update me (email, facebook, pmail on Beginner Triathlete) with your weekly mileage on or after Sunday each week. Then I can update the chart and post it for all to admire.
12. I'll post a survey to see what race (if any) we all want to do together. This is not a requirement, but I thought it would be fun. And, afterwards I'll buy the beer.
13. If you are at all interested in logging your workouts, Beginner Triathlete allows you to log them for FREE if you join up (also free). And, there are cute little charts with different colors for each activity. I love a chart.

Any new recruits are welcome. Trish, Robin, Lotzie and Katie, this means you.

Hooray! Can we run it? Yes, we can!

Lemonade, That Cool Refreshing Drink

Today I went for my x-rays with my cousin, Evander. He is an orthpaedic surgeon at Resurgens. We think that I have a stress fracture in my heel, which is not visible on the x-rays. This is what we thought before the x-rays but at least we were able to tell that there is nothing badly wrong with me. So, while we might know more about the stress fracture, if there is one, from an MRI - the recovery would be the same so I don't think we are going to bother with it. The plan is just more of the not-running. SIGH.


I did get some very comfy heel cups to wear in my regular shoes and a prescription for anti-inflammatories that I will likely not use. Ander said I might want it if the pain flares up. Also, I'm to do more stretching of the heel cords (those things that go up the back of the foot from the heel to the calf) and the hamstrings. I already do the heel stretches after every run because they feel really good but the hammies have been neglected. So, the new plan is to rest for a while (that means swimming, biking and core work only) and then start back again REALLY SLOWLY. Like only a half mile at the time.


So, I was on the phone with my sister later on and she mentioned wanted to get back on the exercise train.

AHA!

I can't run at all. Jen has not run since college. PERFECT!

So, I'm working on a 3 day per week couch-to-5K plan for us, borrowing liberally from the plans I found on BT and that I know from the Cool Running site. The only question is whether to start out on a run/walk plan or to run the planned minutes all in a row. Hmm. I'll have to ask Jen's preference, but I'm leaning towards the all-in-a-row. Then I need to identify a goal race for us. Something in February. . .

Yay! All of this running talk is making me feel better already.

Anyone else want to join us? Trish? Robin? Katie? Emily? The only apparent requirement is the ability to walk for 30 minutes in a row three times per week. Then, we begin to mix the running minutes into our 30 minutes of walking. I'll track our progress with a chart that I can upload to the blog on a weekly basis. : ) Fun!

It's the Economy, Stupid

Since the economy is stagnating and no houses are selling, we have been economizing. And I, at least, have realized that there are many things that we have or do that just aren't that important. Here is a list. Feel free to add your own things if you are doing the same thing:

1. Store-bought bread for dinner. Thank goodness Trish posted about the bread she makes. She gave me the courage to finally attempt baking bread again. Some batches are better than others, but the it's really empowering to master the yeast. And it only costs about $0.50 per loaf instead of $4.50. Now, I just need to learn to make sandwich bread.
2. Friday night dinner out. We used to go to Mexican, Mellow Mushroom or Taco Mac every Friday for dinner. Mediocre food and crappy service but there was always beer. How else to celebrate the end of the week? Now, we make pizza (from scratch!) and watch a movie together in the basement.
3. House cleaners. Sigh. I was sad to see this go, but scrubbing potties is easy and I can do a better job on the floor anyway.
4. Fancy hair-dresser. After a couple of missteps, I've gotten the hang of coloring my own hair. And, when I took the girls to the Crossville Family Cuts, the lady who cut all of our hair (in 20 minutes flat!) told me that I didn't actually have any layers. Those folks at the salon had been charging me $50 to cut my hair straight across.
5. Expanded channels on the TV. We won't get to watch Top Chef (Bravo) or the Ironman series (Versus) or Ninja Warrior (G4) anymore, but with some thoughtful Tivo-ing, I think we will be OK. Last night we even saw a "Keeping Up Appearances" that we'd never seen before.
6. Grocery store produce. Doug planted a marvelous garden last spring and greens for the fall. The vegetables from there really make the other stuff seem lame.
7. Buying less stuff means less garbage. Who knew?
8. Doug is home more, so we get to hang out together. That's the best thing.

Just Can't Get Enough

Running.

Just can't get enought running.

So, you know how my foot is hurt and I'm still not running regularly yet?

I hit upon the great idea that I could run with Annika. She is learning to run and I can't go very far so we are equally matched. I told Doug about this idea over dinner and while we were discussing how we could do the 0.4 mile loop behind the house once or twice, Annika piped up.

"I need to run by myself Mommy."

"Why? Wouldn't it be fun to run together?"

"Yes, but I'm FAST, Mommy."

Ouch.

So, for the Thanksgiving marathon, Doug is doing the full marathon. I'm going to drive him to the start and then volunteer at a water stop. I'm at water stop #2 for the marathoners, at the Artlite Supply store. Then, once my time is over, I will hightail it to the finish line to watch the half-marathoners come in. I'll miss all but the over 2 hr, 30 min crowd, but will be there for all marathoners. Anyone who has a friend running or wants to volunteer, here is the link. You can pick your time commitment and location from the list and register all on the convenient form. And, there is really good schwag. I tried to get them to let me bring the kids but they said no - the race is too cold and too long for kids. Luckily, we have an excess of family in town who are more than happy to have the girls for a couple of hours.

And for the ING marathon, it looks like I'll be relegated to the half again this year. Doug thinks I have time to train for the full, but I just don't think it is possible with the current heel situation. Seriously, my long run is 1.5 miles right now. I don't want to jump into training to far too fast and risk being out for next season. Sigh.

Curses, Foiled Again

I got to run this morning, which was awesome and gave me a chance to scope out the voting line (already there at 5:45am). I wasn't fast, but that is OK. Running is so much better than not running. And exponentially better than not walking.


Meanwhile, Doug made waffles for the girls and fed them breakfast. Then, Doug went for his run while I cleaned up the kitchen, showered and got everyone dressed. While Doug showered upon his return, I went to vote. I counted myself lucky because I got a parking space and sucked it up with my audiobook for two hours. Standing around is tiring. We scrounged some lunch and headed to the movie theater to watch High School Muscial 3 with Katie and her kids. Ugh. It was terrible. They did reprise some of the better songs from the first movie, but not enough. I kept telling myself that this was no worse than Footloose or Dirty Dancing. Or any of the other crappy movies we liked as kids. On the way home, we dropped Doug and Annika off at the polling place so Doug could vote. The front parking lot was not full and when I turned the corner to see the place I'd parked, there was not a car in the lot. We turned around and went back for Doug and Annika to find exactly zero (0) people in line to vote. There was a line for check in, but that was all.

Curses. I should have voted in the afternoon too!

In keeping with the witchy theme, here are Halloween photos of my scawwy witches.

First is Annika at the Book Character Parade. Just the title of this event is reason enough to pay for private school. Sigh. If only it were that simple.

Next is Dagny, after she comandeered some kid's tractor. Note Doug chasing her around the cul-de-sac. Luckily, the parents disconnected the battery shortly after this photo.



And lastly, photos of my two friends, courtesy of Aunt Katie who remembered her camera (unlike me).

Annika was right that witches don't wear pony tails. I should have left Dagny's hair down too. Aunt Jennie couldn't believe this was Annika's real hair. Hee.

The girls had a blast at the pre-trick-or-treat party and then going around with their friends and all of the other folks we found in the neighborhood in Papa's truck. I had to put the kaibosh on the nasty halloween rhymes from the over 7 set but true to form Dagny was the big winner again this year. I think it's because she was so loud with the "thank yous" and the "Happy Halloweens" and not so quick to dash to the next house. We spread the wealth around and divided the total haul between the kids. It's open for discussion how long the candy stays, but our church is collecting any extra to deliver here, which is a really cool idea. Much better than leaving it at the office to tempt everyone.