Another Wednesday 10 miler!

My long runs have been on wednesdays the last few weeks. It's been nice. I haven't had work on wednesdays, so I've been going out early and getting my run done in the morning. I usually start at 6:30 am, and run until I'm done. Just to let you know, it had been a pretty toasty week. In fact on Tuesday 7/12, the heat index was 110 in the heat of the day, it was 101 at 7 pm. It didn't cool down much between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

Jess met me at the half way point again. I a little bit before our meet up spot is a McDonalds which I usually stop at to use the facilities and fill up my water bottles with cold water. I'm so THANKFUL that they let me do that there. We had a pretty enjoyable run back, but it was so DANG HOT, and we ended up taking more walk breaks. It took longer than I wanted, but it got done. Next week will be 11 miles (wish me luck). At the end we remembered to get a pic of the both of us together. YAY! I also took some pics of my sweaty gross legs at the end of the run! I tend to pick up a bunch of debris by the end of the run! It was another run where my shoes were wet from the sweat rolling down my legs! YAY!!

Jess and I at the end of the run!

What my legs look like at the end of the run!

The Duke Multiple Myeloma Ride

My Back and # for the ride.

It was another Great Year for the Duke Multiple Myeloma Ride. I've done this ride every year since the beginning! (this is year 4) I did the 50 K this year....that's about 33 miles. The 50 K route is all the hills, but minus the middle 50 K of countryside that the 100 K has. After my bike ride I ran 20 minutes, as I am still training for my Half Ironman!

I got to the bone marrow center a little early to pick up my packet. I met up with one of the doctors who helps put on this ride...Dr G, she is awesome and super sweet. We talked for a minute and I broke down into tears (as happens when I get to close to the subject of my Mom's cancer). After I composed myself I hung out with a few of my friends Jenn and Nancy who were riding the 100K, and waited for my friend Bill who was riding the 50 K "with me". One of my TNT Augusta teammates also came and did this ride (Kim), and I also saw a few of my TNT Alumni pals (Rob and Cathy), ohh and my neighbor and dog walk friend was there as well.

The actual ride was tough, but really good! The hills were hard and long. The company was GREAT! I had a fantastic ride with a pretty good pace of 17.2 mph on those hills. Of course I was thinking about all the patients who were going through so much more than what I was going through on those hills....so it made it seem "easy".

After the ride I brought Dr. G a Multiple Myeloma bracelet (Angel of Grace), because I think she is AWESOME! She then bought a couple of more bracelets from me, and a couple of the other ladies (doctor's wives and nurses) also bought some bracelets. So I made some fundraising dollars at the ride. The after event is very nice for this ride....there is watermelon (I'm allergic, but most people really love it), burgers, hot dogs, chips, cookies, sodas, water, oranges....everything yummy!

Kim and I hanging out afterwards

I hung out after my ride and run, and waited for my friends Jenn and Nancy. They had a hard ride, Jenn doesn't really love hills, and it was a hard ride for her especially. While waiting I hung out with Bill, and Kim. I got stretched out by Dr Ahart which was nice. I ate. I rested. It was a beautiful day.

Jenn after her 100 K

Nancy enjoying the watermelon!

Lip Gloss Fundraiser.

So something new...I'm selling this cool lip gloss that comes in 3 colors (nude, pink, or red). The tube has a mirror and a light (which is perfect when you are trying to apply on your way to somewhere special at night....low light). I'll be selling them for a minimum donation of $15. Let me know if you are interested, or would like to see in person!

You better check yourself...

So...I had a great weekend. Lot's to talk about....but first a little story from my trip to the frozen yogurt place. I LOVE frozen yogurt, and am so HAPPY that it's made a come back. My favorite place in the triangle is Yogurt Mountain (on Creedmoor Rd). Their froyo is the bomb-diggity! So I met my friend at Yogurt Mountain and had an enjoyable time eating our yogurt (we ate outside because we are fools and enjoy the crazy hot weather...I guess), even though it melted fairly quickly. After eating I had some items in the car for my friend and we went over to get them for her. We then stood around in the hot beating sun chit chatting for a little bit. Now we are in a parking lot where you can see the cars from the froyo shop and the burger place next store. So we are standing there between my car and the SUV beside me, and the SUV beeps like 5 times....so we look around to see where the people are. There are no people coming. We laugh a little, and joke with each other that maybe we are standing to close to their SUV (I mean, it's a parking lot). So after a few more minutes a couple comes out of the froyo store and comes bursting towards us. The girl/women has a sour look on her face and blurts out "Excuse me" in a rough get out of my way voice. Of course, we are actually closer to my car, but move over a little more. She stares at us (I mouth *witch* to my friend), and they pull out of the parking spot with the girl/woman still scowling at us. I scowled/funny faced her back....I mean...for real...is your life that bad that you are upset that people are talking near your car? HA!! I should told her to check herself....life is too good to be in such a bad mood. I just got a chuckle out of it.

4th of July

We had a great time celebrating the 4th of July in Virginia with Family!

Scout loved being the center of attention for a bit.

Scout has his buddy McKenzie to keep him company

I love this pic!

Danielle made an AWESOME dessert for us to eat! YUM!!

It's been a fun trip so far...but no rest for the weary.

We made it to Virginia with no problems. I drove up (standard deal I drive up and J drives back). We saw 5 police officers on the way up (it's my new game to see how many are on the road), last visit was 12. There was a truck on the way up that I thought was funny...and I made J take a picture of it.

(Senior Moving Service and Estate Shoppe...hmmm does that mean they take the moving stuff and put it in their shoppe??)

We've had a pretty laid back visit so far, with most of my training fit in. It works better when it's laid back to fit training in. We had planned on hiking a little bit, but the heat is to much for some folks around here (gives J the look of "come on, please"). I did get my brick done on Saturday (it was a little short, but I was riding with J and let him make the bike route). I told him when we he said he was going to make the route that it needed to be about 30-35 miles....but he made it out for 24 miles because google maps told him it would take 2:15 min to complete. Ummm so 1:21 minutes later I was done with the bike and got going on my run. After I got back and took a shower we headed over to Roanoke to go visit J's brother and sister in law. We had a great trip exploring and hanging out. We got to see the house they bought and remodeled, and I can say...We Approve! They did a great job! Ohh and of course when we got back (I drove to and from Roanoke...4 police officers), we got some Willy's!! This girl was HAPPY!!

(Perfect temps....a little high on the humidity!)

(Bedazled Car...yep we saw that...in Roanoke)

(the HUGE stuffed animal (bear) at a shop in Roanoke)

(the line at Willy's)

(the reward from Willy's)

Sunday was a swim, and I wasn't feeling it but I did it anyways. I rode out to the Augusta Health Lifetime Center with my father in law so we could both workout. It cost $12 for me to go in as a guest! Geeesh!! That won't happen again. The pool was a salt/chlorine pool and a little sluggish. It got crowded after I started swimming, and for reals people learn how to share a lane. So this older gentleman had pulled up a chair to wait for a lane, and I offered to split the lane with him. That worked out fine. People are a little crazy. So the swim wasn't great partly because of the pool, and mostly because my neck and shoulders are tight, probably from driving and doing hills on my tri bike. We had a fab dinner of steak, corn on the cobb, salad, and then dessert of WILLY'S!!

(Sunrise in the 'boro)

(pretty flowers on the morning walk with Scout)

(Scout loves laying in the grass....don't make me come in...please!!)

Monday (today) I got up and did my 45 min run....the directions were to run out of my comfort zone, and I did good for the first 3 laps (.86 mile per loop), then I started to get a bit tired. It was a hilly route...up and down, but then running around here is always like this! I was sweaty by the end, mostly because it was HUMID out again. Now we are just hanging out and waiting for family to come over to do a cookout! Afterwards, we'll probably be heading home.

(the Big Hill at the start/finish...I would make to about half way and then walk the rest)

Getting ready for a holiday weekend!!

(Morning in the neighborhood)

So this week has been fun! Really it has been. I can't say that it's really that much different than any other week...well a few differences, but you know attitude makes all the difference. So at work the office is closed next week, so everyone was in a good mood...looking forward to some time off. Maybe some of us more than others. *smiles* I thought I had a job lined up for next week, but it fell through, so I guess I'll just be training....and probably cleaning the house! (uuggghhhh).

I did a mountain bike ride on Monday after I worked at one of my favorite fill in offices in Wake Forest, and YES I still am a terrible mountain bike riders. I get really nervous going over all the rocks and roots...it's my INSANE desire to WANT TO STAY ON MY BIKE AND NOT FALL, that makes me such a spaz! So during that ride I managed to bruise up my knee pretty good while I was (it's a little fuzzy what I was trying to do) maybe unclip. So somehow I banged my knee into the stem of my bike. It's like when you hit your funny bone in your elbow, except it was knee. Ohhhh it was crazy painful. I literally had to just stop and stand there....I thought I was going to puke, but I didn't. Luckily Pryde (the ride leader) was pretty awesome and fairly easy on me. I was the only follower on Monday night.

Tuesday I was supposed to swim, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays I always save my workouts for after work...something to look forward to or just don't want to get up any earlier than the normal 5:15 am. So after work the weather was TERRIBLE. I had planned to meet 3 friends at the Lake and do my Endurance Swim workout there. However, there was a big storm coming through and there was no swimming to be done. Should I have done something else....perhaps strength training?? Possibly, did I....NOPE.

(Scout patiently waiting for his walk in the morning)

Wednesday was a no work day....and a long run day. I got up and ran 10.25 miles before it got to hot! It was super humid out, but that's par for the course here in North Carolina. I arranged to meet my friend Jess at the halfway point and run back to the beginning together (than I drove her back to her car...it's the least I can do for someone getting up and running with me). I started at a little after 6:30, and was feeling pretty good on the first 5. I had frozen my water bottles so I would have cold water to drink along the way (I have a fuel belt that I wear on all my long runs...and some of the short ones too...that carries water and food around my waist). Coming back got a little harder as the sun started to beat down. By the end I was DRENCHED...as in I looked like I had gone for a swim....FOR REALS!!

(my very WET HAIR...after the 10 mile run)

(Jess and I after the 10 mile run)

Later on on Wednesday I met up with Jess and her husband Steve at the lake and made up my swim, even though my Awesome Coach let me know I didn't have to make it up, but I could if I wanted to. It was a beautiful swim at the lake, but the fish they were a nibbling. They only get ya if you stay still for to long. *winks* Ohh and they just tickle, but it's a weird feeling for sure. The surface of the water was crazy warm, and it made it an interesting swim! We all swam out to the rock (.5 miles) and back (another .5 miles) and got out.

(little slice of Heaven....Falls Lake)

(Jess swimming in)

(What my car told me the temp was after the swim)

Thursday (yesterday) was a timed 1000 yd swim. I went to Pullen pool...and it was HEAVEN. I mean really I haven't been cool water in so long! The pool felt GREAT! A little chilly when you first got in. I'm sure people who weren't lap swimming didn't love it, but they can go to the outdoor pools then. I did a warm up swam my 1000...or was that only 950, I guess I'll do another 50...so I either swam 950, 1000, or 1050....my time was either 15:13, or 15:57. Then I did a cool down and came home.

This morning I took the little monster to the dog park to get some energy out, before we take a road trip up to Virginia to visit the family. It's going to be a weekend of swim/bike/run/hike/dog walk/playing games/hanging out/ eating Willy's/enjoying time together GOODNESS.

(Scout at the dog park, so proud of getting the "cool" toy)

Car is almost packed...and we are about to be on our way!

(Car getting packed up)

(Bikes and pump to go on next)