Dec. 17 to Dec. 23rd

Finally getting the act together and returning to the blog. Really appreciate all of you supporters inspiring the writing to begin again.

As this week starts, it looks to be a simple week at home in Atlanta and that should equal some good running! Where is the Christmas hustle and bustle some of you are asking? Many folks know this ole girl (and associate family) does not get too involved in the shopping mayheim, baking, decorating, wrapping, cards, etc. We tend to keep it simple and this year, it is especially simple. (The Christmas decorations are still in their boxes in the house in Colorado....maybe next year they will have migrated to Atlanta.)

Monday; Dec: 17th: With today being Jim's 48th birthday, it was an early start to ensure talking with him before his work day starts. (Oh no, he does not get the day off from American Airlines.....he can't even get Christmas off!) Today was a day off. Gotta have one of those a week and after yesterday's 24 miler in the north GA mountains with some good friends, it was much needed.

Tuesday; Dec 18th:  Out the door early with Traysen for a nice 8.5 miler. Legs still a bit tired from the trail outing but the cooler weather makes for some easy miles.

Wednesday; Dec 19th:  Wooo Hooo.....feeling good after sleeping in til 5am! Off we went for a great 9.0 miler, most of which was in the dirt. I seem to have perfected the art of running on the side of the paved paths in Peachtree City. With very limited trails, we have to get creative to get the dirt running accomplished.

Thursday; Dec 20th: Finally got the little butt to the gym! Oddly enough, even with reduced running miles, the ole bones are struggling to get to the gym. The head wants to go, but getting the rest of the body there is proving to be challenging! Nevertheless, after abs, legs, and triceps, Traysen and I headed for an easy 8 miler. Nothing special, but yet a good outing on the trails in Peachtree City. In particular, we cruised along the Stinky Trail for a few miles. Honestly, it doesn't stink! It is really very beautiful, quite technical and includes enough mud and hills to keep it interesting.



This is why I don't mountain bike ride! This ole girl can end up face down in the dirt without getting tangled in a bike!
The Stinky trail is full of ditches, tree roots and rocks! My kind of terrain!

Friday; Dec. 21st: Your basic 6 miler. Nothing special except Traysen the doberman.

Saturday; Dec 22nd: Getting the butt out the door at 630am was an effort. At least the motivation was easy.....met up with several (as in about 11) other gals from our Moms Run This Town group. Starting at the Fred, we ventured towards the south end of Peachtree City and found a new 10 mile route with some good hills! Somewhere along the run, I joined up with Kathy who is a bit faster than short legs here! She was able to push this ole girl to a nice finish; then it was a slog fest to get the bones back home!!! Thanks Kathy!
A good 15 mile run in the cool air.

Sunday; Dec. 23rd: A chilly start to a hilly/trail run. Out the door at barely daylight, it was a quick trot towards Planterra and the Line Creek Nature Area. The first few miles of this run are noted for the hills along   Hip Pocket, Terrane Ridge and down to the Nature Area. Luckily, I have been able to find ways of staying off the pavement on this portion so it serves as a non technical dirt run. Once in the Nature Area it is all single track with lots of tree roots, some rocks and the occasional muddy slop. A favorite section of this trail is the Mule Rock Trail as it meanders along Line Creek. This morning the creek  had a few ducks braving the cold water! A good outing of 10 miles.

Line Creek Nature Area

Summary: A nice week of running but the weight lifting is still lacking. Sometimes even when our heads are in the game our time/bodies/life/schedule just can't seem to get it together to get the job done. That's where the weight lifting is at the moment. When these times surface all we can do is analyze where the challenge lies: is it our schedule, is it a matter of excuses, fatigue, or some other issue? Once we find the problem, then it is a matter of putting the weight lifting (or whatever is slacking) higher on the priority list and then apply the effort. It's all about what's more important. 

Total miles of running for the week: 56.5

Total miles for 2012: 2975.5

Yes, I will easily make 3000 miles for 2012!!!! 

A return to the blog.

Well, there have been request to return to the blog. It appears some folks enjoy the humor, the antics, and hopefully find inspiration in this publication....Thanks for all  of the supporters.

Since September, life has been busy but yet somewhat simple. Work is in full swing with the Airbus 320 training department and finally in December some actually flying. The dogs are still doing great and enjoying living in the warm temps of the southeast. Savanna, the dachshund tart, finished her AKC champion title and has begun obedience training. (We have a long way to go before she is "obedient.") Traysen continues to take very good care of his mom and joins on most runs. He is retired from showing and prefers to play stick and stay with Mom. Jordan and Katy live with Grandma full time. They enjoy being spoiled!!!

As for running, it could not be better! Even with a very busy work schedule, the high mileage has continued and I should have 3000 miles for 2012! (And I thought this would be the year to cut back on the miles!?) The quality of the running has been excellent with hill repeats, track work, tempo runs and of course, the favorite of long 20+ milers.
On November 24th, I ran a trail marathon in Macon, GA. It was perfect! 26.2 miles of single track, complete with rocks, tree roots, hills, creek crossings and one very crooked bridge! The concept of running 6 x 4.5 loops was, at first, a challenging thought; however, it was not even an issue. Actually, as the day continued it was enjoyable to see how the trail changed as the lighting changed.
The race itself, Thomson Trails Half/Marathon, was organized well and the RD did a great job for a first time event. Designed as a low key event with less than 100 runners, this race was right up my trail and proved to be challenging and just a purely fun day with fellow runners.
As a side note: my own race went well and I finished 2nd overall female. Taking three diggers and about 40 toe stubs, I know I need more trail running and more hill training.

As for future races, the only "item" on the agenda is the Georgia Death Race. What tha....is this? A way too hard 60 miler through the north Georgia mountains. The course starts from Vogel State Park and meanders through the woods/trails/bridges to Amicalola State Park. The RD claims it has about 30,000 feet of elevation change! A good friend asked if I had done a race this challenging. I dunno....With three Leadville, Colorado races (from 26.2 to a 50 miler) under the running shoes, this shouldn't be any different than those adventures. Right? Nevertheless, there are several of us entered in the race that are getting together for training runs on the course. The low key FatAss runs are always a hoot and provide the much needed miles/trails/hills that we all need.

Having been in Atlanta for just over six months now, many new friendships  have been made along the way. Many of those new friendships have developed through our MomsRUNthistown group. Over the last several months I have had the pleasure of watching many women in this group face running challenges, set personal goals, and in many cases, exceed their own expectations.

Here is the link to the group....a nation wide organization started by good friend, Pam Burrus...

http://momsrunthistown.com/

The Peachtree City Running Club is still going strong. This organization was started in the mid 80s by my dad, Bob and Nora Weed,  and several other hardy souls in the Peachtree City area. It has been rewarding to see many of the same faces that were involved in the club way back in the 80s! (No, none of us have aged one bit! LOL!) A concept that was started many, many years ago by dear friend Nora was the 1000 mile jacket. The theory was that if you ran a 1000 miles in one year, you earned a jacket. This year about 20+ members received their jackets!

The posts should continue as the running continues. I wake up each morning and can hardly wait to get out the door for a run. Sometimes it's alone, sometimes it's with friends, but almost always with my constant companion, Traysen the doberman.