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.

Sept 20, 2012

An Update!

Life has been wonderfully busy. The Captain upgrade/Instructor training for work is almost over with only one more day.. It has been a long haul and many, many hours studying but has been well worth the efforts. After a checkride on Friday, the 21st, work will take on a bit of an easier role, but yet still require quite a bit of "book work."

As for running: It is going very well. The mileage has hung in there and the yearly mileage should be around 2200, which is only about 75 miles behind this time last year. The longest run has been 22 miles and the track workouts have been continued. Weight lifting has been reduced but not completely lost.
Racing goals have changed. The 50 miler in October is definitely off the list, if for no other reason than I am working that day! At the moment, there is the 40 miler in December and the goal of running two 100 mile weeks before the end of the year.

I miss my running buddies in Colorado (Lori, Lynn, Dee) as well as other close friends. The mountains are always missed but life in Atlanta is great. The summer was not too bad in terms of heat/humidity and now we are into the cooler days of September. Mornings are in the 60s and the afternoons are in the 80s. With plenty of rain over the summer, everything is still green but yet showing signs of fall. I envision plowing through mounds of fallen leaves along the running trails in Peachtree City.

Over the last couple of months I have become involved/associated with a wonderful group of women. Started by our own Pam Burrus, MomsRunThisTown is now becoming a nation wide organization with over 160 chapters across the US.  We are dedicated to supporting all those women known as Mom in their efforts to live a healthy lifestyle, keep an exercise routine going and yet still juggle everyday life.  In our Peachtree City/Newnan/Fayetteville chapter, we have about 100  members and several groups/friendships have formed  in the two years the organization has existed. As for my own involvement, many new friends have logged numerous miles with me  all over the trails of Peachtree  City. We have pushed each other, provided support, direction, and even provided some needed grief at times. Many of these Moms of two legged kids are training for marathons and triathlons. No excuses here; these are tough gals and get the job done.

Taking a Break from the Blog

Hello All,

With some work changes upcoming and the associated time consuming efforts, the posting on gon4run will be very limited.
Running will continue as usual but plans for an October 50 miler have been squashed. September will be spent in the training for work and getting the key long runs in will be impossible.
We sometimes need a reminder that our lives do not actually revolve around running! And that we are very fortunate to have jobs that force us to be responsible.
Miles for July 30 to Aug 5: 30.0
Miles for 2012: 1753.0

July 23 to July 29

With quite a few work days this week, running will be done on the fly! Oooppss...bad pun!

Monday; July 23: Flying all day and in need of the day off.

Tuesday; July 24:  A good 10 miler in the steamy morning. Traysen made it for the usual 7 miles.

Wednesday; July 25:  Just call us the early birds! To the gym for shoulders, chest, and abs. Traysen then dragged ole Mom out for a good 10 miler. Oh No.....he only made the usual 7 or so but then kicked me back out the door.

Thursday: July 26: With a 630am report time for work, running was an afternoon outing. (Whoever came up with being at work that early should be popped right up side the head!!!)  As expected in the heat and with fatigue, the effort was fairly simple with some walking, some "dog stops" for Traysen, and some slow trotting; a total of 6 miles.

Friday; July 27:  An awesome 19 miler! Don't ya just love those runs that go smoothly? Almost no effort required? Just a cruiser where the miles go easy. And the recovery is equally as smooth.

Saturday; July 28: A quick 7 miler was in order with a day of work ahead.

Sunday; July 29: Slept in til 515am and with a day off, a nice 9 miler ensued. The morning seemed a bit cooler which was a good thing since today was a tempo run day. Oddly enough Traysen and I were both very toasty and worn out after this run. Running hard in this heat takes some pushing and prodding to keep it going when the body is overheated. It is always a fine line between pushing hard enough but not too much so that you have heat related issues. Not sure how others handle the heat but I always know if the pace is being pushed too hard...it starts with a headache that only gets worse as the run continues.
A good session in the gym with abs, biceps and triceps rounded out the day.

Summary: Another nice week of running is complete. Next week is a full week of work and luckily enough it is time for a sloppy week of reduced miles.
With the Summer Olympics in full swing now, another source of human inspiration has come to mind. When we consider the dedication, sacrifice, and love of their sport these athletes endure for many years, how can we not be inspired? Additionally, most to many of these athletes have an extensive support crew that keeps the rest of their lives going. These are the folks behind the scenes who make sure the athlete gets to practice when he/she cannot yet drive, they make sure the best coaches are obtained, they provide encouragement when times are tough. Often, they ensure the athlete has a dinner ready after training or there are clean clothes available when needed. Even as a "normal, everyday" athlete who loves her sport, I have my own form of support crew. The husband, Jim, has given me much of his time and energy over the years of running. There have been many a 4-6 hour run where Jim has taken care of dogs; many times where he has tiptoed around the house when the tired Badass Psycho Bunny needed the daily nap; and many times where he listened to the woes of training or where he watched some tired, sore legs wobble around the house. I am very grateful for all he has given in an effort to allow me to run many miles over the years.

Total miles for the week: 60.0  
Total miles for 2012: 1722.0

July 17 to July 22

Here we go with another high mileage week...well, considering this is the "off" season, 60 miles is high mileage! Work and studying for the upcoming training will put challenges into the running time, but persistence and a commitment to git 'er done will make the miles happen!

Monday; July 17: Time for a day off.

Tuesday; July 18:  Started the day with a nice 8.5 miler with Traysen. Being a Tuesday, the afternoon track session was scheduled; however, Mother Nature decided to present several thunderstorms complete with plenty of lightening, thunder and rain. So, no extra miles today.

Wednesday; July 19: Traysen made it out for the first 7 miles and then wandered back to his pillow. Mom here took off for another 4 miles through the woods, over the hills and in the mud! A weight lifting session of abs, back and chest was also included.

Thursday; July 20:  With an early morning departure, running was an afternoon event.  The delayed track session was scheduled at 6pm and somehow, someway, the ole bones made it. Despite the 90+ heat, it was a decent effort of 1.5 mile warm up; then a few intervals, followed by a 2.5 mile cool down. A total of 6 miles.

Friday; July 21:  Out the door for a nice 12 miler and then off to work.

Saturday; July 22:  With a very late arrival from work, the lazy girl here slept in.....til 745am!!!! Unfortunately, not being the quickly moving spring chicken, I missed the 8am run with the running club. After chores, dogs, etc, I finally just went to the gym and jumped on the elliptical for an 8 miler. Sometimes you just have find a way, mentally and physically, to the job done. With heat, humidity, fatigue, timing, pressure to get to studying, the elliptical was the way to go today.

Sunday; July 23:  After a good night's sleep, Traysen and I buzzed out the door for the start of a long run. He lasted the usual hour or so and then wandered back to his pillow and Mom took off for another couple of hours. At the end, 18 miles had been covered, with minimal effort and an equally nice recovery.

Summary: A good week of combining running and work. Weight lifting was down but that happens as the work volume increases.
Question: Where do you find your inspiration? Many of us have internal inspiration. Personal health..mental and physical...keep us exercising. A pure love of the sport...(running, biking, swimming, team sports) often inspires others to continue their efforts. But what about external inspiration? What/who inspires  you to exercise? Personally, here are some of my own inspirations:
*Mental health....cheaper and better than a therapist
*Physical health...size 4 jeans! and a 42bmp resting heart rate
*Bob and Nora....who introduced me to running many years ago and continue to lead a healthy lifestyle
*Lori, Lynne, Dee...who combine work, family and running and do all with much grace
*Bridget ...who continues to run despite health issues
*Running heroes...Tony Krupicka, Matt Carpentar, both of whom are running icons

*And lately some new inspirations have come to light:  living in the southeast in the heat/humidity of summer, I have realized that folks here just keep going despite the outdoor conditions. Everyday there are numerous runners/walkers/bikers all over the Peachtree City trails at all hours of the day! There are people training for fall marathons...Bob, Don, and Warren...all determined to train hard and improve. Then there are all those kids at the Summer Track Series...Kerry, the 8 year old who runs the 800, 400 and the mile! And Megan who runs a 7 minute mile and she is only 10 years old! Not forgetting my little buddy with the pigtails who kicks my butt in the relay!
All of these folks inspire this ole girl to get her sorry butt out the door and just run ...never mind the heat and humidity....just go git 'er done!!!!
So...what inspires you?
Total miles for the week: 63.0
Total miles for 2012: 1662.0

July 9 to July 15

Finally a few days at home with no work! While the money is good, the ole brain cell could use the break; although studying is in full swing in light of the upcoming training for the new position.

Monday; July 9: In need of a day off but not today. A quick 6 miler was on the agenda.

Tuesday; July 10:  Well, it looked like today would be the day off for the week. With a restless previous night, the ole head and body were not moving very fast at first but somehow, someway it made it to the gym for abs, legs, and shoulders. Since weight lifting had occurred without too much fatigue and pain, running was an option. With the Tuesday night track session coming, I forced myself to get there and start with a 1.5 mile warmup on the track. How hard can that be right? Well, in 90+ degree heat and humidity, it wasn't that easy! But alas, the 800, the  one mile, the 400 and then two mile intervals happened, all at a snails pace. The highlight was the 4 x 100 relay! That is once around the track with 4 runners each running 100 meters!!! Now that sounds easy right? Think again! Being the second runner on the old ladies team, I took off like a bat outta .......only to be smoked by a little pipsqueak who came up to my waist!!! She was very cute with her little pigtails...that I almost grabbed as she flew by! Sometimes it is just plain fun to blow out all the dust and run as hard as you can for a very short distance. 100 meters doesn't seem like a long way to go but when you are pushing as hard as you can, it can seem like forever! A total of 6 miles for the day.

Wednesday; July 11: Time for distance today. Traysen and I were off to a late start since running lasted to almost 815pm last night. He lasted about 7 miles and wandered back to his air conditioning. Mom here, not being the smart one, completed another 3 miles in the steamy morning.

Thursday; July 12: Back at it before the heat set in.....but not before the humidity was at full steam! Traysen, again being the smart one, opted to boycott the whole mission and lounged with his sister, Savannah, in the comfort of dry air conditioned dog pillows. But not Mom....what little clothing I had on was drenched within a few minutes of running but nevertheless, 11 miles was tallied and a nice cool shower followed.

Friday; July 13:  Oh My...It's Friday the 13th....remember that series of movies of the same name? Creepy stuff that sent young kids to sleep with their mom's for three weeks!!! But this ole kid was out the door running in the dark at 515am. Traysen joined for the first 7 sweaty miles and then was done; while the Badass Psycho Sweaty Bunny went back for 3 more....a total of 10.0 Then, off to the gym for abs, biceps, and triceps.
Late in the day the dogs and I went for a long walk on some of the trails. Here are a couple of pics as well as the new pic at the top of the blog...these trails are amazing....over 90 miles in length....most of which I can find enough shoulder/dirt/mud/rocks/tree roots to run on instead of the pavement. There are even some hills (as opposed to the Colorado mountains) and some water crossings at times with all the rain lately.

A very wooded section along the trail not too far from Flat Creek Golf Course. Despite the heat and humidity, this place is beautiful!!!

Saturday; July 14th:  whewwww....we made it through Friday, the 13th without any creepy, crawly things happening!
A late start was the order of the day since I was meeting up with the running club folks at 8am. Traysen and I took off at 645am for a quick 6 miler, after which he was done! A quick jog over to the library where about 25 other runners were gathered; with some banter/razzing, we were off for a blast of a 4 miler this morning. (usually it is a 6 miler on Sat. morning, but with the Grand Prix series today, 4 miles at full speed was the distance called for). The ole legs were churning well and for 4 miles I chased Bob....who is very fast, with very long legs, a very lean physic. Never did catch Bob, but it was a wonderful outing of 10 miles total!

It has been a homecoming returning to the Peachtree City Running Club. My dad help start this club over 30 years ago! What has been most interesting is seeing old friends that I knew when I lived here in the mid 80s and early 90s! We all have a few more gray hairs, a few more wrinkles and all of us are a bit slower but our love of running has remained! A few pics of some old friends....


Roy R.. Several Hawaii Iron Man finishes!



Lou and Martha B. Retired airline pilot (Lou) and very fast runner (Martha).



Bob D. Very fast, lean n mean runner! He kicks everyones butt!

(thanks to Normer.com for the above three pics)



And only in PTC will you see this!!!! Ain't it cute?!!!

Sunday; July 15: With work looming this morning, out the door at 450am! A buzz through 7 miles and then off to Belize! That is South right?

Summary:  A great week of running is in the bag. It is interesting to note how well the running is going in the heat and humidity of the southeast. Once I moved away from here many years ago the thought of returning to running in the heat was not pleasant; however, now that I am back and here to stay awhile, it is amazing how the mind has shifted to dealing with the heat and humidity as if the concept was there already. In light of the mind shift, one phrase comes to mind: "You can do more than you think you can." by Ken Choubler, race director of the Leadville 100. We are often only limited by our own minds and once we can past that limitation, anything is possible.
total miles for the week: 60.0
total miles for 2012: 1599.0