After over two weeks without hitting the road, I finally got back it tonight. Ran a trail in Columbus, GA around Lake Heath. A nice little 2.14 mile path mostly tree lined. It's hard to believe that 2 months ago I ran a marathon, and tonight I struggled to complete 2.5 miles. I know I've got a long way back, but slow and steady is the plan.
Last year I was doing great until August when I hit a hot, humid day on a 12 miler and my training suffered for two and a half months. This year I'll build slowly and hope to peak for the Spinx Runfest or Kiawah in December. Build slowly, stay positive and injury free.
The long road begins again...
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Time to stop slacking
It's been almost two weeks since I last wrote a blog. It's been over two weeks since I last ran. I'm beginning to feel it. Weight up slightly, old bad habits starting to kick back in. It's time to re-commit.
Commit to running 3-4 times a week. Commit to watching what I'm eating, and tracking food in Spark People. Commit to drinking 80+ ounces of water a day. Commit to finally starting the 100 Push Up Challenge. Commit to some Ab exercises.
I've worked far to hard in the past year and half to get my weight down and improve my overall fitness level. Hell, I ran a freaking marathon just two months ago.
Three months until Spinx Runfest Half Marathon. My goal is sub 2:00. I know I can do it, and now it's time to get back on track and stop procrastinating. I can, I have, I will.
Commit to running 3-4 times a week. Commit to watching what I'm eating, and tracking food in Spark People. Commit to drinking 80+ ounces of water a day. Commit to finally starting the 100 Push Up Challenge. Commit to some Ab exercises.
I've worked far to hard in the past year and half to get my weight down and improve my overall fitness level. Hell, I ran a freaking marathon just two months ago.
Three months until Spinx Runfest Half Marathon. My goal is sub 2:00. I know I can do it, and now it's time to get back on track and stop procrastinating. I can, I have, I will.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Mid Week in Macon
Another week on the road, and I haven't taken the time to do some blogging. I guess a quick recap is in order.
Had another great weekend at home with Gerri. After church on Sunday we grabbed lunch at Barley's, then went bowling. We haven't bowled in years, probably 3 or 4 years. Much like golf, I generally have good results after a long layoff and Sunday was no exception. We rolled two games and I was pretty consistent with a 184 and 202. Both games should have been 10-15 pins higher if I hadn't missed a couple of single pin spares in both games. Oh well, can't complain about a 193 average, but I can complain about the price. Gone are the days of bowling being an affordable family entertainment option. $4.25 for shoe rental and $4.50 per game. Are you kidding me?
Monday morning I had one of my worst runs EVER. The plan was an easy five miler in Westchester. The first mile felt okay, but then some lower leg pain discomfort. I stopped at 1.5 miles to stretch and walk, started again, stopped at 2 miles, started again, and threw in the towel at 2.5 miles. As I was walking back to the car I told myself that I had to at least get 3 miles. In a year and a half of running, I have rarely if ever quit a run short. I struggled to get to 3 and the entire time I was very uncomfortable. I felt like I was bouncing, and just dragging my left foot along. Hopefully a fluke, but I'm going to take it easy this week to see if I can head this thing off.
I drove to Warner Robins, GA on Monday afternoon/evening, spending the time listening to some of my favorite running podcasts as well as Dave Ramsey. I worked in Perry on Tuesday, then drove to Macon, where I spent the night and worked today and again tomorrow. I get to head back home in the afternoon and will stop to pick up my 14 year old daughter Heather.
I may try a short, easy run on Friday before taking Heather out to lunch as we meet our friend Ryan. Hopefully we can have a fun Friday, and then enjoy the weekend before she leaves for The Gauntlet, NewSpring Church Camp, on Sunday evening.
Now it's time to kick back on the bed at this Sleep Inn, watch my beloved St. Louis Cardinals play the Phillies, and get back to reading Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters before it has to get back to the library.
Had another great weekend at home with Gerri. After church on Sunday we grabbed lunch at Barley's, then went bowling. We haven't bowled in years, probably 3 or 4 years. Much like golf, I generally have good results after a long layoff and Sunday was no exception. We rolled two games and I was pretty consistent with a 184 and 202. Both games should have been 10-15 pins higher if I hadn't missed a couple of single pin spares in both games. Oh well, can't complain about a 193 average, but I can complain about the price. Gone are the days of bowling being an affordable family entertainment option. $4.25 for shoe rental and $4.50 per game. Are you kidding me?
Monday morning I had one of my worst runs EVER. The plan was an easy five miler in Westchester. The first mile felt okay, but then some lower leg pain discomfort. I stopped at 1.5 miles to stretch and walk, started again, stopped at 2 miles, started again, and threw in the towel at 2.5 miles. As I was walking back to the car I told myself that I had to at least get 3 miles. In a year and a half of running, I have rarely if ever quit a run short. I struggled to get to 3 and the entire time I was very uncomfortable. I felt like I was bouncing, and just dragging my left foot along. Hopefully a fluke, but I'm going to take it easy this week to see if I can head this thing off.
I drove to Warner Robins, GA on Monday afternoon/evening, spending the time listening to some of my favorite running podcasts as well as Dave Ramsey. I worked in Perry on Tuesday, then drove to Macon, where I spent the night and worked today and again tomorrow. I get to head back home in the afternoon and will stop to pick up my 14 year old daughter Heather.
I may try a short, easy run on Friday before taking Heather out to lunch as we meet our friend Ryan. Hopefully we can have a fun Friday, and then enjoy the weekend before she leaves for The Gauntlet, NewSpring Church Camp, on Sunday evening.
Now it's time to kick back on the bed at this Sleep Inn, watch my beloved St. Louis Cardinals play the Phillies, and get back to reading Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters before it has to get back to the library.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Peachtree and the 4th
Yesterday was the 4th, a celebration of all things good in America. This is normally a kick back holiday for me, but not this year. Gerri and I were in Atlanta with thousands of other runners, 55,000 to be exact for the 39th annual Peachtree 10K Road Race. This is the largest road race in the country. Waking up at 5:30 is not exactly sleeping in, but we knew getting to our starting corral may be a challenge even though we were staying only a few blocks from the starting line.
As soon as we stepped outside of the Courtyard Marriott, the humidity smacked you in the face. The temp was already about 70 and would climb to near 80 by the time our wave would start. This is far and away the most organized race that we have ever participated in. Every little detail, I mean EVERY detail is considered and an effective plan in place by the organizing team.
We turned north on Peachtree Road, walked on the sidewalk for a few blocks before crossing over to Lexox Square Mall. As Gerri said, thousands of lemmings just moving along, follow those in front of them. As we were walking thru the mall parking lot, the wheelchair racers went off in four waves. We continued on our march, following the sign to the starting corrals (we were starting group #5) and being stopped by event photographers three or four time to have our picture taken. We got to our corral, and joined the rest of the herd. It was about 6:45 and we had 45 minutes to wait until the official start of the race. Above us hovered 4 helicopters, local news and police. Around us "outside the fenced corrals" were runners moving to their starting groups or waiting in lines for the hundreds, maybe thousand port-a-potties.
The speakers, strategically placed throughout, blared some great music on non-stop instructions. The National Anthem was sung by a local singer and a C-130 flyover took place. As 7:30 approached the corral started to fill up, about 5,200 runners in our group, and slowly the group begin to slide forward. At exactly, the elite runners were off. The winner would cross the finish line after 10K's in 28 minutes, well before we would even start. As one group would start, the corrals would move up into position for their wave to begin. All in a very orderly fashion, and each time with excitement and cheering from the group. Groups 2, 3 and 4 moved into position and began the trek down Peachtree.
At about 8:00 they removed the barricade fencing between our corral and the starting line. A few minutes later, the large STOP signs being held in front of the group turned around and read WALK. Time for us to start the 1/4 mile walk to the starting line. As we got closer to the large red, white and blue flag of the U.S., it was 8:10 and time for our group. Forty minutes after the elite runners had started and twelve minutes after they had finished, it was our turn on Peachtree.
Gerri and I had decided that this would be a casual run. We wanted to enjoy the first time experience, so no racing for time but purely the enjoyment and energy of running. Good thing because things were slow going. There were many more walkers than I anticipated, so even at a slow pace the race was spent dodging walkers or runners that would stop to walk directly in front of you without warning.
The first 1/2 mile or so had virtually no spectators. This area had hurricane fencing in place to control the runners pre-race. After this section, there were spectators lining the route throughout the rest of the race. They were vocal and enjoying themselves. Many held signs, cheered and were dressed festive to celebrate the holidays. Outside of the hospitals or senior facilities, many were wheelchair bound. One inspiring gentlemen in a wheelchair held up a large sign that said, "Run, Run. Run." He high fived everyone that would come close enough. His legs were missing, and you knew deep down inside that he would give anything to be out there running with us, but his smile and enthusiasm motivated everyone that saw or came in contact with him.
There was music, and lots of it. Speaker systems blaring out the theme from Rocky or some 80's Pop classic tune. And there were bands, the good, the bad and the ugly. They all were a part of the experience and appreciated by the runners.
Official water stations were every mile, tables stacked high with cups to handle the large crowd of thirsty runners. And their were plenty of non-official water stations. I saw one young boy handing out Freezer Pops. I wish I had grabbed one of them, a cherry or grape flavored maybe. We didn't stop at any water stations until Mile 5, because we carried water bottles. It wasn't planned, but on the way to our corral some group was handing out bottled water and we each took one. We sipped on it as we waited, but then realized it would be unsafe to discard it and risk someone tripping. So we carried the water bottles and skipped most of the water stops.
I really don't remember much about the course, probably because I was always concerned with dodging runners/walkers and keeping Gerri close by. I know I scanned the crowds and drew much energy from their support. I remember some hills. One long downhill early in the race and maybe four hills that were long but the grade was not horrible. One hill is known as Cardiac Hill and crests near a hospital. I suppose if you are running for a PR the hills would be viewed differently, but for today they were just a way to see the large crowds in front of you.
There were many sprinklers. misting machines on the course to try to keep the runners cooled off. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke is a major concern at this race due to the temp, humidity and large crowds. My favorite sprinkler was towards the end of mile 2. One the right hand side was The Cathedral of St. Philip. Standing next to the road was a priest sprinkling "holy water" on runners that could get close enough. I took a major right turn once I saw it figuring that I needed it as much as the next guy, even if I'm not Catholic.
Due to the drought in the southeast, they had to alter the finish slightly this year. Instead of having the post race festivities in Piedmont Park, they were to be held in the Civic Center. Just like the rest of the race, the finish is extremely well managed. After crossing the finish line, you keep moving for almost a half mile. During this time you get a bottle of water, get you chip removed (if you had a seeded qualifying time only) and then move through the T-Shirt area. The Peachtree t-shirt is only given to finishers, so it is a prized commodity in this area. The final design is always kept a secret until race day, but I'm happy to say that the final design is the one that we liked best from the finalists selected.
We decided to skip the post race activities, opting instead to take MARTA back to the hotel. It was an experience, crowded and sweaty, but we made it. After showers we stopped on the way home and had a nice lunch at Sweet Tomatoes. We eventually made it home in the afternoon. Last night we headed out to Heritage Park to listen to the Greenville Symphony and watch the fireworks. An estimated crowd of 8,000 joined us. The symphony was great as usual, but instead of the 1,500 or so adults that we have come accustomed to in previous years downtown, this year we had to put up with the families. The enjoyment can be taken out of listening to the symphony when you have kids running around screaming and teens talking non-stop. I missed the intimacy of the downtown performance, but still get chills hearing the 1812 Overture and with 11 real cannons to boot. For me, that still makes the evening worthwhile.
The fireworks were good, the traffic control leaving the park was not.
It was a good 4th of July, one that I will remember the rest of my life.
As soon as we stepped outside of the Courtyard Marriott, the humidity smacked you in the face. The temp was already about 70 and would climb to near 80 by the time our wave would start. This is far and away the most organized race that we have ever participated in. Every little detail, I mean EVERY detail is considered and an effective plan in place by the organizing team.
We turned north on Peachtree Road, walked on the sidewalk for a few blocks before crossing over to Lexox Square Mall. As Gerri said, thousands of lemmings just moving along, follow those in front of them. As we were walking thru the mall parking lot, the wheelchair racers went off in four waves. We continued on our march, following the sign to the starting corrals (we were starting group #5) and being stopped by event photographers three or four time to have our picture taken. We got to our corral, and joined the rest of the herd. It was about 6:45 and we had 45 minutes to wait until the official start of the race. Above us hovered 4 helicopters, local news and police. Around us "outside the fenced corrals" were runners moving to their starting groups or waiting in lines for the hundreds, maybe thousand port-a-potties.
The speakers, strategically placed throughout, blared some great music on non-stop instructions. The National Anthem was sung by a local singer and a C-130 flyover took place. As 7:30 approached the corral started to fill up, about 5,200 runners in our group, and slowly the group begin to slide forward. At exactly, the elite runners were off. The winner would cross the finish line after 10K's in 28 minutes, well before we would even start. As one group would start, the corrals would move up into position for their wave to begin. All in a very orderly fashion, and each time with excitement and cheering from the group. Groups 2, 3 and 4 moved into position and began the trek down Peachtree.
At about 8:00 they removed the barricade fencing between our corral and the starting line. A few minutes later, the large STOP signs being held in front of the group turned around and read WALK. Time for us to start the 1/4 mile walk to the starting line. As we got closer to the large red, white and blue flag of the U.S., it was 8:10 and time for our group. Forty minutes after the elite runners had started and twelve minutes after they had finished, it was our turn on Peachtree.
Gerri and I had decided that this would be a casual run. We wanted to enjoy the first time experience, so no racing for time but purely the enjoyment and energy of running. Good thing because things were slow going. There were many more walkers than I anticipated, so even at a slow pace the race was spent dodging walkers or runners that would stop to walk directly in front of you without warning.
The first 1/2 mile or so had virtually no spectators. This area had hurricane fencing in place to control the runners pre-race. After this section, there were spectators lining the route throughout the rest of the race. They were vocal and enjoying themselves. Many held signs, cheered and were dressed festive to celebrate the holidays. Outside of the hospitals or senior facilities, many were wheelchair bound. One inspiring gentlemen in a wheelchair held up a large sign that said, "Run, Run. Run." He high fived everyone that would come close enough. His legs were missing, and you knew deep down inside that he would give anything to be out there running with us, but his smile and enthusiasm motivated everyone that saw or came in contact with him.
There was music, and lots of it. Speaker systems blaring out the theme from Rocky or some 80's Pop classic tune. And there were bands, the good, the bad and the ugly. They all were a part of the experience and appreciated by the runners.
Official water stations were every mile, tables stacked high with cups to handle the large crowd of thirsty runners. And their were plenty of non-official water stations. I saw one young boy handing out Freezer Pops. I wish I had grabbed one of them, a cherry or grape flavored maybe. We didn't stop at any water stations until Mile 5, because we carried water bottles. It wasn't planned, but on the way to our corral some group was handing out bottled water and we each took one. We sipped on it as we waited, but then realized it would be unsafe to discard it and risk someone tripping. So we carried the water bottles and skipped most of the water stops.
I really don't remember much about the course, probably because I was always concerned with dodging runners/walkers and keeping Gerri close by. I know I scanned the crowds and drew much energy from their support. I remember some hills. One long downhill early in the race and maybe four hills that were long but the grade was not horrible. One hill is known as Cardiac Hill and crests near a hospital. I suppose if you are running for a PR the hills would be viewed differently, but for today they were just a way to see the large crowds in front of you.
There were many sprinklers. misting machines on the course to try to keep the runners cooled off. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke is a major concern at this race due to the temp, humidity and large crowds. My favorite sprinkler was towards the end of mile 2. One the right hand side was The Cathedral of St. Philip. Standing next to the road was a priest sprinkling "holy water" on runners that could get close enough. I took a major right turn once I saw it figuring that I needed it as much as the next guy, even if I'm not Catholic.
Due to the drought in the southeast, they had to alter the finish slightly this year. Instead of having the post race festivities in Piedmont Park, they were to be held in the Civic Center. Just like the rest of the race, the finish is extremely well managed. After crossing the finish line, you keep moving for almost a half mile. During this time you get a bottle of water, get you chip removed (if you had a seeded qualifying time only) and then move through the T-Shirt area. The Peachtree t-shirt is only given to finishers, so it is a prized commodity in this area. The final design is always kept a secret until race day, but I'm happy to say that the final design is the one that we liked best from the finalists selected.
We decided to skip the post race activities, opting instead to take MARTA back to the hotel. It was an experience, crowded and sweaty, but we made it. After showers we stopped on the way home and had a nice lunch at Sweet Tomatoes. We eventually made it home in the afternoon. Last night we headed out to Heritage Park to listen to the Greenville Symphony and watch the fireworks. An estimated crowd of 8,000 joined us. The symphony was great as usual, but instead of the 1,500 or so adults that we have come accustomed to in previous years downtown, this year we had to put up with the families. The enjoyment can be taken out of listening to the symphony when you have kids running around screaming and teens talking non-stop. I missed the intimacy of the downtown performance, but still get chills hearing the 1812 Overture and with 11 real cannons to boot. For me, that still makes the evening worthwhile.
The fireworks were good, the traffic control leaving the park was not.
It was a good 4th of July, one that I will remember the rest of my life.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
The Day Before Peachtree
It's Thursday morning, the day before our first Peachtree 10K Road Race. I thought running Cooper River Bridge with 30,000 - 40,000 people was crazy, but Peachtree has 55,000 runners. In Atlanta, on the 4th of July, in the heat and humidity. The race starts at 7:30 but we will probably not get across the start line for about an hour. Given the crowds and weather conditions, I've decided to just run this for fun along with Gerri. I would expect a finishing time around 1:10, well below my PR of 57:04.
We'll be driving down tonight and staying at the Marriott Courtyard - Buckhead, which is very close to the starting line. Post race we'll have to travel back to the hotel via Marta or a cab.
After a shower and lunch, Sweet Tomatoes maybe, we'll travel back to Greenville. Tomorrow night we continue our tradition of watching the Greenville Symphony and fireworks, only this time it will be in Simpsonville in Heritage Park instead of downtown behind the Peace Center on the Reedy River. I suppose it will be much less crowded, but I'm going to miss the intimate feeling that we had the past few years. At least the weather appears to be good.
Gerri is anxiously awaiting her LSAT score. It's possible that she may burst into a million pieces if she has to wait until Monday. If she does, I'll do my best to put her back together again.
I found out that the levee run in Chattanooga can actually be a 10 mile out and back if run all the way to Shallowford Rd. Include the 2 mile loop in the Park and this will make for a really good long run, if I carry fluids with me. I finally downloaded the data from my Garmin from the 6 mile run and was pleasantly surprised by the total negative splits.
Mile 1 - 11:01
Mile 2 - 10:39
Mile 3 - 10:18
Mile 4 - 10:12
Mile 5 - 9:52
Mile 6 - 9:17
Now that is how you run negative splits!
Went out for a nice 3.5 mile walk through Westchester last night with Gerri. It felt good to stretch the legs and also to have that one on one time with her with distractions. We used to walk regularly and I really miss it. Hoping that maybe we can do more walks when we aren't running.
After the walk we went to Bellacino's to grab some dinner and ran into one of our friends, Missy. We had not seen Missy in a long time and it was nice to be able to sit there and enjoy her company as we ate dinner.
Time to run some errands. Poor Shadow, our cat, has been out of treats all week and has been giving me the sad eye look each day. I need to rectify that situation and pick up some drain cleaner from Lowe's. I also need to trim the bushes outside before the sun gets too hot.
We'll be driving down tonight and staying at the Marriott Courtyard - Buckhead, which is very close to the starting line. Post race we'll have to travel back to the hotel via Marta or a cab.
After a shower and lunch, Sweet Tomatoes maybe, we'll travel back to Greenville. Tomorrow night we continue our tradition of watching the Greenville Symphony and fireworks, only this time it will be in Simpsonville in Heritage Park instead of downtown behind the Peace Center on the Reedy River. I suppose it will be much less crowded, but I'm going to miss the intimate feeling that we had the past few years. At least the weather appears to be good.
Gerri is anxiously awaiting her LSAT score. It's possible that she may burst into a million pieces if she has to wait until Monday. If she does, I'll do my best to put her back together again.
I found out that the levee run in Chattanooga can actually be a 10 mile out and back if run all the way to Shallowford Rd. Include the 2 mile loop in the Park and this will make for a really good long run, if I carry fluids with me. I finally downloaded the data from my Garmin from the 6 mile run and was pleasantly surprised by the total negative splits.
Mile 1 - 11:01
Mile 2 - 10:39
Mile 3 - 10:18
Mile 4 - 10:12
Mile 5 - 9:52
Mile 6 - 9:17
Now that is how you run negative splits!
Went out for a nice 3.5 mile walk through Westchester last night with Gerri. It felt good to stretch the legs and also to have that one on one time with her with distractions. We used to walk regularly and I really miss it. Hoping that maybe we can do more walks when we aren't running.
After the walk we went to Bellacino's to grab some dinner and ran into one of our friends, Missy. We had not seen Missy in a long time and it was nice to be able to sit there and enjoy her company as we ate dinner.
Time to run some errands. Poor Shadow, our cat, has been out of treats all week and has been giving me the sad eye look each day. I need to rectify that situation and pick up some drain cleaner from Lowe's. I also need to trim the bushes outside before the sun gets too hot.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Chattanooga, TN
I headed to Chattanooga on Monday for our quarterly KBE team meeting. The trip is about four hours, traveling over the mountains or through Atlanta. Of course traveling through Atlanta is not as pretty and can become much longer depending upon traffic. I generally opt for the mountain pass and with a beautiful day it was a no brainer.
The drive is beautiful, especially once you get past Seneca and Westminister. You cross the Chattooga River and are suddenly in Georgia. The town of Clayton is next, then past two beautiful lakes (Lake Burton and Lake Chatuge). The Appalachian Trail crosses between these two mountain lakes. The scenic drive continues as you spend about 30 minutes driving along the rugged Ocoee River. You eventually get off the back roads and on the I-75 near Cleveland, TN.
I met my friend and teammate Prince at Eagle Bluff Golf Course. We had never played the course before and will definitely go back. Almost nobody on the course, fantastic views and some challenging holes and only $30 fees including cart!
We headed to dinner after our round, settling on Carrabba's, before heading to the hotel for the night. I was pleasantly surprised to see my beloved St. Louis Cardinals taking on the New York Mets on ESPN. A solid Cards victory made this one sweet day!
Tuesday morning I woke at 6:30, dressed and headed over to Camp Jordan Park for a run. The park is about 10 miles outside of Chattanooga. There is a gravel 2 mile loop around the park and a side trail that travels along a levee for an unknown distance. The temp was low 60's and I decided 6 miles sounded good. I started with the 2 mile loop, reversed directions until I took the spur, crossing the river on a paved pathway through the woods. You cross under I-75 and then run across what I believe is a levee. I stayed on the levee for about a mile, turned around and headed back and then eventually finished up the remaining portion of the loop. A nice 6 mile run in just over an hour and my longest run since the Vermont Marathon 5 weeks ago.
Back to the hotel, breakfast, showered and ready for the meeting. The two day meeting was cut back to one day, so about 4:00 I'm back on the road to South Carolina. The river, lakes and mountains were absolutely amazing in the late afternoon sunshine. Four hours in the car each way also gave me plenty of time to begin catching up on my podcasts.
I met Gerri for a nice dinner at Copper River Grill and the came home and relaxed. Something I'm looking forward to during the rest of this holiday week.
The drive is beautiful, especially once you get past Seneca and Westminister. You cross the Chattooga River and are suddenly in Georgia. The town of Clayton is next, then past two beautiful lakes (Lake Burton and Lake Chatuge). The Appalachian Trail crosses between these two mountain lakes. The scenic drive continues as you spend about 30 minutes driving along the rugged Ocoee River. You eventually get off the back roads and on the I-75 near Cleveland, TN.
I met my friend and teammate Prince at Eagle Bluff Golf Course. We had never played the course before and will definitely go back. Almost nobody on the course, fantastic views and some challenging holes and only $30 fees including cart!
We headed to dinner after our round, settling on Carrabba's, before heading to the hotel for the night. I was pleasantly surprised to see my beloved St. Louis Cardinals taking on the New York Mets on ESPN. A solid Cards victory made this one sweet day!
Tuesday morning I woke at 6:30, dressed and headed over to Camp Jordan Park for a run. The park is about 10 miles outside of Chattanooga. There is a gravel 2 mile loop around the park and a side trail that travels along a levee for an unknown distance. The temp was low 60's and I decided 6 miles sounded good. I started with the 2 mile loop, reversed directions until I took the spur, crossing the river on a paved pathway through the woods. You cross under I-75 and then run across what I believe is a levee. I stayed on the levee for about a mile, turned around and headed back and then eventually finished up the remaining portion of the loop. A nice 6 mile run in just over an hour and my longest run since the Vermont Marathon 5 weeks ago.
Back to the hotel, breakfast, showered and ready for the meeting. The two day meeting was cut back to one day, so about 4:00 I'm back on the road to South Carolina. The river, lakes and mountains were absolutely amazing in the late afternoon sunshine. Four hours in the car each way also gave me plenty of time to begin catching up on my podcasts.
I met Gerri for a nice dinner at Copper River Grill and the came home and relaxed. Something I'm looking forward to during the rest of this holiday week.
Time Flies
My personal goal of blogging every day or two needs some work. My intentions are good, but something else seems to always get in the way. It's something I'm going to work on. Instead of leaving "holes" in my blog, here is another quick recap since my last blog.
The weekend went by entirely too fast and was enjoyable as usual. Friday night we met friends for dinner at Doc Chey's and then off to Cafe and Then Some for a show. The dinner was much better than the show, but the best part was spending time with Eric & Robin, Wayne & Vicki and of course my lovely wife Gerri.
Our weekends are generally busy and Saturday was no exception. We planned on a 10K run at Hollingsworth Park, a brand new subdivision with a beautiful park and virtually no traffic. We decided to start later, duplicating the time/temp of our upcoming Peachtree Road Race. The 1st few miles were very enjoyable, but the rising sun and heat made each passing stride harder and harder. We ended up cutting our run short at 5 miles. A few large teas at McAlister's Deli helped cool us off and start the re-hydration process.
We picked up Heather, then hit the stores. Heather is going the The Gauntlet, our church camp, in two weeks and we wanted to make sure she had everything she needed. This was mostly clothing plus two one piece bathing suits. Luckily we were able to take care of everything in only two stores (three stops) and found most items on sale. I normally do not like shopping, but enjoyed seeing the interaction between Heather and Gerri and the way her face lit up when she came out of the dressing room wearing something she really liked.
A quick stop by the grocery store, showers and then off to Live Free, Live Loud. This was an outdoor concert including fireworks that was put on by our church, New Spring. It was a pleasant evening, the crowd was large and enthusiastic and we raised almost $40,000 for charity. The band did a great job, especially Lee McDerment. Lee played numerous songs from his recently released CD, A Matchlight in the Dark. As the band played we enjoyed goodies from our picnic basket, and just being together. An outstanding fireworks display took place following the concert.
Sunday's just fly by. Church at 11:15, lunch at Wild Wing Cafe, some time relaxing at home and then the 80 mile round trip drive to take Heather back home.
Monday morning Gerri and I woke up early to get in a 3 mile run. Unfortunately my GI issues caused me to delay, so we ended up running separately. We both had good runs as the cooler temps really helped out. A quick shower, packing and I was off to Chattanooga.
The weekend went by entirely too fast and was enjoyable as usual. Friday night we met friends for dinner at Doc Chey's and then off to Cafe and Then Some for a show. The dinner was much better than the show, but the best part was spending time with Eric & Robin, Wayne & Vicki and of course my lovely wife Gerri.
Our weekends are generally busy and Saturday was no exception. We planned on a 10K run at Hollingsworth Park, a brand new subdivision with a beautiful park and virtually no traffic. We decided to start later, duplicating the time/temp of our upcoming Peachtree Road Race. The 1st few miles were very enjoyable, but the rising sun and heat made each passing stride harder and harder. We ended up cutting our run short at 5 miles. A few large teas at McAlister's Deli helped cool us off and start the re-hydration process.
We picked up Heather, then hit the stores. Heather is going the The Gauntlet, our church camp, in two weeks and we wanted to make sure she had everything she needed. This was mostly clothing plus two one piece bathing suits. Luckily we were able to take care of everything in only two stores (three stops) and found most items on sale. I normally do not like shopping, but enjoyed seeing the interaction between Heather and Gerri and the way her face lit up when she came out of the dressing room wearing something she really liked.
A quick stop by the grocery store, showers and then off to Live Free, Live Loud. This was an outdoor concert including fireworks that was put on by our church, New Spring. It was a pleasant evening, the crowd was large and enthusiastic and we raised almost $40,000 for charity. The band did a great job, especially Lee McDerment. Lee played numerous songs from his recently released CD, A Matchlight in the Dark. As the band played we enjoyed goodies from our picnic basket, and just being together. An outstanding fireworks display took place following the concert.
Sunday's just fly by. Church at 11:15, lunch at Wild Wing Cafe, some time relaxing at home and then the 80 mile round trip drive to take Heather back home.
Monday morning Gerri and I woke up early to get in a 3 mile run. Unfortunately my GI issues caused me to delay, so we ended up running separately. We both had good runs as the cooler temps really helped out. A quick shower, packing and I was off to Chattanooga.
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