Triathlon...Success!!

I finished my first triathlon in three years, last Sunday. In some ways, it was more than just a race. It was to me a personnel triumph. I thought those days, had long passed me by..... However, this summer I have found myself with a little more time on my hands and decided to train...I mean..in reality what did I have to lose? My pride, my vanity...ha..ha..those were gone a long time ago. For those of you who may not know, triathlon consists of three sports. They are swimming, usually in open water (which is a story in and of itself), cycling and running. Of the three sports, I had two personnel records. I did the 20 mile bike course at 18.5 mph and the 4.0 mile run at 8:22 mph pace. The swimming was another story, I did swim the entire course...but let's just say there is work to be done. It will be master's swim for me on Sunday morning, styling with my new red fins..lol.

So far, it's been a good summer. While I am not in the best shape of my life....it's a whole lot better than a few months ago.

The Walk of a Broken Heart

There are things in life I just don't understand. My relationship of two years officially ended back in May. The relationship had not been going well for a long time, so it did not come as a surprise to either one of us. I really did love this man. It's just that the physical chemistry was not there for us. Also, in some respects we had very different ways of looking at life. I'll always love Mike and I hope we will always be friends. He is wonderful man in so many ways....

So here I am today, single again. I took one very small step into the dating scene and well to say it went badly was an under statement. Don't get me wrong, I made a bad decision....a really bad decision. Luckily I came to my senses, before anything happened. You see, I figured out he was already in a relationship. I don't know what makes someone do the things they do. I will never understand why someone could be so heartless to the one they supposedly love. Luckily....I escaped that mess. But it has made me stop to wonder about my own ability to make good decisions right now.

I am 46 years old. I've been married twice, once for 7 years and once for 14 months. I used to think having "two strikes" against me was a terrible thing. Then one day, a friend sort of put it into perspective for me. It's not that I have had anymore relationships than most people...I just wanted to be in a secure and loving marriage so badly....I took the chance and said "I do". Unfortunately, it didn't work out. At least, I took the chance and tried.

So where does one go from here? Back to the dating scene....Lord help me! I have decided to spend my summer training for a triathlon, then running a marathon in the fall. Basically, taking a break from relationships for awhile. I think it will do me a world of good to stay focused on my mind and body and heal alittle from years of having my heart broken. Hey...it could be worse. I have my health, good friends, a job that I love, etc. Some today I'll try again. But not now...

Behind the eight ball...

I saw something very similar on another blogger's page and decided to try it myself...here it goes.

My life in eighths.....

8 Places I Have Visited:
1- Hawaii (twice)
2 – Canada
3 – Mexico (twice)
4 – Yellowstone National Park
5 – Glacier National Park
6 – Olympic National Park
7 – Seattle
8 – Florida

8 Things In My Closet:
1 – Souvenir post of the Chicago marathon
2 – A laundry basket full of old running shoes
3 – More workout clothes than work clothes
4 – High heel shoes, I rarely wear
5 – Pillows ( you can never have too many)
6 – Spare bike trainer
7 – Pictures that will never be hung on the walls.
8 – NO skeletons

8 Dates I Remember:
1 – December 15th (my birthday )
2 – January 26 (mom's birthday)
3 – July 27th (dad's birthday)
4 – April 21 (the day my mom passed away)
5 – June 2nd (the day my dad passed away)
6 – October 15 (day of my first marathon)
7 – September 15 (my first and last half iron man)
8 – March 1st (the day I adopted my Boston Terrier at three weeks old)

8 People I’ve Talked to This Week:
1 – Julie (nearly every day)
2 – Mike (too much)
3 - My puppies
4 – Jen (running partner)
5 – Jeanne (coworker and friend)
6 – Lady in black shorts, I see every week on the Katy Trail
7 - Myself (go ahead and admit it...you do too).
8 - Kevin for the last time.

8 Life Changing Events:
1 – Getting married
2- Getting divorced
3 – Graduating from Murray State University
4– Hiking through Glacier National Park.
5 – Moving to the St. Louis, for my first job.
6 – Getting a job promotion
7– Completing my first open water swim
8 – Having surgery


8 Words To Describe Me:
1 – Curious
2 – Quirky funny
3 – Aloof (at times)
4 – Searching
5 – Driven
6 – Unpredictable
7 – Intuitive
8 – Generally happy

8 Songs That Are Currently The Soundtrack of My Life:
1 – Crazy Train - Ozzy Osborne
2 - Free- Zac Brown
3 - Far Away-Nickelback
4 – Free Falling - Tom Petty
5 – Roll with the Changes -REO Speedwagon
6 – Twin Bed-Death Cab for Cutie
7 – High Speed-Coldplay
8 – Slow Down- Third Day

8 Things I Will Do This Weekend:
1 - Ride 50 miles on Saturday
2 - Run 10 miles on Sunday
3 - Eat strawberries
4 - Plant in the backyard - finally!
5 - Household chords
6 - Drink COFFEE
7 - Work...just a little though
8 - Go to a movie

8 Things You Should Do Today:
1 – Coffee
2 – Go for a walk
3 – Pet your dog
4 – Hug your spouse or significant other
5 – Say something good about yourself
6 – Close your eyes for 5 minutes during the day
7 – Eat something green
8 – Get back to work

Prayers for Natalie

My sweet adorable, six year old niece will undergo a bone marrow biopsy this morning. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

Into the great wide open.......

2 I just can't help myself. I have my blog set to display the astronomy picture of the day. I think this picture of the Hubble Space Telescope is amazing. Did you know there is a website, dedicated to the telescope? No matter what, in good times and bad times...this is an incrediable country we live it!

What is that astronaut doing? Fixing the Hubble Space Telescope. During the fourth servicing mission to upgrade and fix Hubble, astronaut Michael Good can be seen attached to the shuttle's robotic arm, working in an open panel of Hubble. Far below, the terminator between day and night can be seen across planet Earth. Since Hubble was captured by the space shuttle Atlantis last Wednesday, five long space-walks have been used to fix and upgrade the aging telescope. One of the more ambitious orbital missions yet taken, the toiling astronauts have upgraded the Wide Field Camera, fixed the Advanced Camera for Surveys, repaired the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph, and replaced COSTAR with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph. Numerous other general repairs included replacing batteries, gyroscopic sensors, and insulation panels. Hubble will now undergo testing as Atlantis prepares to return to Earth later this week

Runs and Cold Medicine

I have a cold. Yes, that achy, sneezy, scratchy, yucky feeling. I spent most of the morning in the house, trying to rest and take it easy. Around 10:00, I decided to take some medicine-Dayquil Sinus tablets, phenylephrine and acetaminophen ("that should do it"). After about 45 minutes, I was feeling better. I proceeded with my weekly household chores; laundry, vacuuming, dishes, etc...mmm still feeling pretty good. So around 1:00pm, I decided "Well, I'm feeling much better, no more excuses....go for a run". So I did. I got dressed, drove to the Katy Trail (once a railroad), parked my car and proceeded, just as I always do on Saturday.

I set out on a 12 mile run. I have been trying to increase my distances, each week. I still have hope that I can complete another marathon someday soon. So I try to maintain a long run base of between 8-12 miles. The first part of the run, went as usually, the first mile or so I am always a little tight and so I take it easy. Light jog, settle in, get the iPod set, etc... everything proceeding as normal.

And so, I proceeded 1 mile, 4 miles, 6 miles than turnaround. Prior to starting back, I opened my gel pack, Hammer gel espresso, one of my favorites..yummy. Good to go....stash the used gel pack in my water belt and I'm off.....

I ran for another mile and then it hit me. "What? Huh? Ugh? "My head, throat, neck all burning in pain. What could this be? Then it hit me...the Dayquil....must have worn off. With a vengeance...the cold is back. My old friend, ACTM has long since left me there on the trail alone to do battle with a virus. It feels like my cold has parked its big fat ass, right on my chest! But I keep running, I will not be denied. I am tougher than a this! "Bring it on...you crabby old " _ _ _"!

I really doing this? Having an argument with a virus? I could just stop and walk, so I could breathe. So I did, briefly....then I stopped, hands on thighs leaning over and coughing. Nice, such a sight, a women leaned over coughing and spitting... pretty huh?

Okay, get on with it! Run! So out of sheer determination....I ran again, all the way back to my car. Never so glad to be back. You have to wonder? What makes a runner, put themselves through these things? I have always said, I have never regretted running after finishing. But I have regret ed missing a workout. So, for today, I'll take it...better to have tried, then to not try at all.

Meanies

"Dont ever have the feeling of hatred toward the people who ill-treated you. Take it in positive way, gather your inner strength and turn the tides in your favor. Rather, be kind to them for they are the ones who inspired you to strive for even better. For they are the ones who made you realize that best in you is yet to be. Always be thankful to such people, who once looked down upon you, for they helped you in being a better person."

Interesting.....

From National Geographic.....I love this picture

Where do meteors come from? Visible meteors are typically sand-sized grains of ice and rock that once fragmented from comets. Many a meteor shower has been associated with a known comet, although some intriguing orphan showers do remain. Recently, a group of meteor enthusiasts created a network of over 100 video cameras placed at 25 well-separated locations across Japan. This unprecedented network recorded not only 240,000 optically bright meteors over two years, but almost 40,000 meteors seen by more than one station. These multiple-station events were particularly interesting because they enabled the observers to extrapolate meteor trajectories back into the Solar System. The resulting radiant map is shown above, with many well known meteor showers labelled by the first three letters of the home constellation. Besides known meteor showers, eleven new showers were identified by new radiants on the sky from which meteors appear to flow. The meteor sky is ever changing, and it may be possible that new shower radiants will appear in the future. Research like this could also potentially identify previously unknown comets or asteroids that might one day pass close to the Earth.

Observations..

I went on another bike ride yesterday in Southwestern Illinois. It was called the Tour de Stooges, the name itself sort of puts a weird spin on the whole bike ride....You see the strangest things when you are out cycling in the middle of nowhere? Here are some of my observations, thoughts, quips etc..

Observations from the route:

Lavender colored outhouses situated right in the middle of a horse stable.

An unfortunate raccoon struck by a vehicle to which someone has lovingly placed a Santa Claus on top of it's head.

Those riders who decorate their helmets with all sorts of things; feathers, shark fins, bull horns, etc.

Mailboxes made from all sorts of things; mannequin legs, drill bits, wash tubs.

The ever present farm animals. I am not sure how I did it, but I pissed off a sow yesterday. I was simply riding on the road, she took one look at me and starting running along the fences squealing. Thank goodness there was a fence! Seriously, she probably just wanted to be fed. Note to self; bring extra Cliff bar for Charlotte.

I actually observed people out walking on a Saturday morning and conversing with their neighbors.

Rural Kings rock!!!!


Some Dos and Don'ts of Cycling:

Men, please do not wear white cycling shorts. (I have nothing more to add to that).

Nobody really looks "that good" in their sixty dollars shorts and fifty dollar jersey.

Please do not speed up when another rider passes you to try and catch them. If you want to pass, wait for a safe time to do it, when you are climbing a hill ,oncoming traffic can't see you! These are the types of things that really tick a motorist off!

Be nice to the volunteers. They are because they are serving to be part of a good cause. Not to serve your sorry ass.

Talk on your cell phone...give it a rest people!!! If you have to take a call, then for goodness sakes, pull OFF of the road.

Be scared when you hear a large farm implement approaching. I was passed once by a fertilizer truck, the ground was shaking!!!!

Use the "facilities" at the rest stop. Do not urinate in some one's yard.

To any truck driver, please do not blow your air horns at cyclists. We can hear you.

Quips:

"I'm good to go!" A rider's first words to friends as they approach the rest stop.

"Are they serving the food yet?" Words from one of the last riders in and the same "A-hole" who speed up to try and pass me.

"Let's go, we're wasting good weather!" Words from a true optimist.

"Get on the f***ing trail!" Spoken by a motorist who was obviously lost.

"My butt hurts" Generally spoken by everyone at some point and time.

"My bike is a piece of junk" Spoken by the "excuse maker".

"Something stinks" Me at least one time on every ride...skunks, cows, pigs, etc. You get the picture. I LOVE Southern Illinois!!!! Love it, Love it, Love it.

Well enough of this...next up. The Peddler's Jamboree!!!

Small Towns

I went on a bike ride today, in Southwestern Illinois. The ride went thru several small towns. They were beautiful! There is nothing quite like a small town. They are so quaint. Each has it's own personality, yet different in many ways. There is always main street; the local favorite hangout, the local tavern, a gas station and perhaps even a flashing red light. One of the stops on the bike ride was at the local tavern, you see it was probably the only thing open on Sunday. I overheard a conversation between a mother and her small child. The child said to her mother, "Mommie, what's a tavern?" The mother replied, "It's an old time bar." I couldn't help but walk into it myself. What could possibly be going in there? I walked in and there seated at the bar were several older gentlemen in their overalls, sipping beer at 10:00, in Venedy, Illinois, population 400 people. I gave this a lot of thought the rest of the day. What could they possibly be discussing, so intently? And didn't they have anything better to do on a Sunday morning? As we rode along the back roads of Southwestern Illinois, I couldn't help but notice, that none of the fields had been planted? What's up with that? It's late April, shouldn't the corn, wheat or soybeans be planted? My guess is that the topic of conversation at the local tavern was about just this? Local farmers discussing their plight.

Sadly, I think the small town way of life is disappearing from our culture. Drive down any main street USA and you can't help but notice. There are always, abandoned buildings. Whatever happened to the local dime store? Or the hometown newspaper? Or the local barber shop? The local restaurant has been replaced by a Subway. You see, I am from a small town, Grayville Illinois, population 2,100. My graduating class consisted of a whole 28 students. I find it amusing these days, to tell people that I was third in my class, then tell them how many actual students there were. Now don't laugh, a lot of us went on to be successful . I actually went to the small high school as my grandparents, parents, brothers, niece and nephews and not my great niece and nephews. And yes, we had only one flashing red light.

Today, I live in St. Louis Missouri. There are days, that I wonder. What if, I had not grown up there? Would my life be any different? Truthfully, I wouldn't change a thing. Growing up in a small town gave me endless opportunities. Where else, can you throw hedge apples and get away with it? Or graduate from a high school, where you can still keep in touch with fifty percent of your class? I can't help but mention the annually Grayville Days Celebration. For two days out of the year, main street it closed. The streets are filled with carnival rides, pork burgers, an ice cream social. Has anyone ever been to one of these? Homemade ice cream with deserts made by the ladies at the local Christian church...awesome. Here's another one, you've probably never heard of (and probably don't want to). It's called Bessie Bingo. A field is marked off in squares, tickets sold per square and Bessie the cow let loose to do what cows do. The winner is the lucky individual who is lucky enough to have picked the square where Bessie took a crap? Don't laugh too hard, my nephew actually won the grand prized one year, a thousand bucks!

I don't get back there much these days. Both my parents have passed away. My dad about two years ago. It broke my heart the day, I handed over the keys to the new owners. It was my childhood home. The only home my parents knew for almost fifty years of marriage. The place I called home for over forty years. I miss that house, there is no place like home and now it's gone. You grow up, go to college and set out to make a life of your own. But somehow, you always return to what is familiar. I know that today, the iris and peonies are blooming in my parent's yard. I remember sitting for hours in the porch swing, just talking to my Mom and drinking ice tea. She always knew what to say, never judgemental and always encouraging.

So tonight, I am melancholy, I guess. What else would you call it, when you are homesick and home is gone?

Crossroads

Do you ever have a situation, where you just don't know what to do? In this case a situation, when no matter which choice you make someone is going to get hurt. A situation, where a decision needs to be made, but you put it off, just because? You avoid the it, ignore it, hope it will resolve itself, procrastination, is not a good thing. You see, I have one of these now. Something is just not quite right and things need to change. On one hand, I know am being too soft-hearted, because I know what I need to do, I just can't bring myself to do it? On the other hand, I know that it has to be done.....

Note to self....

"Love the Lord your God with all of your Heart,mind,body,and soul."

Calling all Tree Frogs Experts!

It's happened again. Now that spring has officially arrived in Mizz-zor-rah, so has a new crop of baby tree frogs. It happens every year, they spawn, hatch (or however baby frogs are born) right in a creek outside by bedroom window. They chatter, sing, croak ( again however baby frogs make that noise) all day and all night. Isn't there something that can be done? Those sweet little, "harmless" creatures. They sound like 10,000 maniacs, what could they possible be saying to each other? "How's the fly souffle, Fred?" It's a constant chant of "hop hop hooray, we are going to stay!" Are they telling each other jokes? "Git it, Git, it!" They are so loud, I can hear them with all of the windows closed and the radio playing. The dogs are constantly looking that way, going "what the "f _ _ _"?"

Frogs, frogs, frogs....help!

Today, I've decided to fight back! I set out on a mission, search the Internet. Mmmmm, what does one look up when they have a frog problem?

"How to make a frog shut up? " Can you talk to them in their own language? "Please Mr. Frog, move on, the Missouri river is just a few miles away."

Then this....

"In the Book of Exodus, God set forth ten plagues to the land of Egypt to convince Pharaoh to let His people go. When Moses' brother Aaron reached his staff to the waters of the Nile, millions of frogs leaped out of the water and overran the city".

"Oh Dear Lord!" What have I done? I should never have cursed, those sweet little things!"

Then this....

Frogs are relatively harmless creatures, and are helpful and beneficial to the environment. They feed on small insects found in ponds, rivers, creeks, and streams. A small group of frogs can keep down the number of mosquitoes and flies that breed and populate in bodies of water. Frogs are very important in the ecosystem because they help control insect populations, especially those that spread disease and illnesses.

OK, so now I feel like frog hating, not -so environmentally conscious, atheist. And why should I complain? They are after all keeping the insect population down? I ask you which is better, the tree frog concert or malaria?

So here's a "big croak'in shout" out to all of you amphibian lovers out there? How exactly do you learn to love a frog? I've kissed a few frogs in my day....

Answer-

For more information, visit reptileamphibian-lovers.com. (Yes, this really does exist!)

I should start my own group-

treefrogssuck.com

On Humor....

In the words of our sixteenth president; "Laughter is the joyous, beautiful, universal evergreen of life."


What would life be without laughter, humor, a good joke? How would anyone ever find a way into people's hearts or a way to connect with them? Long before scientific evidence proved that laughter can actually prevent disease and sometimes cure it.

So today, I will laugh!

Defiant

With a fist in the air and a finger in their face, I will run.

A New Day!

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense. -Ralph Waldo Emerson"

The Long Run...

I ran 9 miles today and I have say that it honestly hurt. You see, I have not been able to get in enough miles lately. My job is taking over my life. Like most companies, there have been numerous cost saving strategies put into to place as a way to strive the latest economic crisis. I'll spare you all of the details, let's just say my workload and responsibilities have increased. I'm not complaining, you see my degree is HTBE (Happy To Be Employed). Don't get me wrong, I love my job, I really do.

I have been trying to find a way, to re balance my work and personal life. By the time I get home at night, I am just too tired to go out at 8pm to run. Lately, I have been putting in 10-12 hours days. I miss my runs. I miss the quiet time and time to reflect and unwind. I think the quote below, sums up how I feel. It is by Steve Prefontaine, arguably the best long distance runner of all time.

You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down -to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement-Steve Prefontaine.

So I guess, it boils down to this. You have to maintain control of your own life. You must set goals and prioritize them. You must stand steadfast in your resolutions. As a runner, it comes down to making the sacrifices and not making excuses. It means carving out the time in your day, to run. It means doing something for yourself. It is not selfish, it is not a waste of time. It is what defines who you really are...

The Simple Things in Life.......

Sleeping puppies are a beautiful thing.

Thoughts

"I'm thoughtless. But I can't be thoughtless, because expressing my thought of thoughtlessness would actually mean that I am expressing a thought, and thus this whole load of text is actually a thought after all."

What if?

I was sitting at my desk today at work, slightly frustrated. Then from out of the blue, a thought came to me. If I banged my head against my computer keyboard, could a sentence be written? What are the chances of that happening? And if it did happen, what would it say? And what would say about me?

I think it would say something like.....Oh never mind!

P.S. That's not me trying to eat the keyboard.

Life is too short.....

Life is too short.
Grudges are a waste of perfect happiness.
Laugh when you can, apologize when you should, and let go of what you can't change.
Love deeply.
Forgive quickly.
Take chance, give everything and have no regrets.
Life is too short to be unhappy.
You have to take the good with the bad, smile when your are sad, appreciate what you have and always remember what you had.
Always forgive, but never forget. learn from your mistakes, but never regret.
People change and things go wrong, but always remember life goes on...

Sometimes....

Sometimes......I wonder why I work so hard. I put in way too many hours at work. Why can't I be like everyone else and just go home after eight hours? No, not me. I am not wired that way. I try to have everything done ahead or at least on time,

Sometimes......I wonder why I run. I'll never be fast and definitely not competitive? Why can't I be like everyone else and just go home? No, not me. I am not wired that way. I believe that I must always be doing something,

Sometimes...... I wonder why I have TWO dogs. Wouldn't none be easier? No, not me. I love their company,

Sometimes...I wonder whatever happened to some of the people I've known in my lifetime. People I grew up with, people I went to school with, old boyfriends, extended family members, etc,

Sometimes.... I wonder why my lawn grows so fast,

Sometimes....I wish I lived in Hawaii,

Sometimes... I wish I could talk to my mother,

Sometimes... I wish I could travel to Europe,

Sometimes....I wish my job involved travel,

Sometimes.... I want to get a pedicure,

Sometimes....my favorite color is purple,

Sometimes...my eyes look green,

Sometimes...my dog farts,

Sometimes...I forget to charge my cell phone,

Sometimes...I forget to take out the trash,

Sometimes...I forget to get gas,

Sometimes...I forget other people's mistake,

Sometimes...I forget why I walked into the kitchen,

Sometimes...I want to eat scallops,

Sometimes...I want a new trail bike,

Sometimes....I want to take back things I've said,

Sometimes...I Love Life.

Getting motivated.....

It's Sunday morning and here I sit on the couch, watching CBS this morning, drinking coffee and watching Poppy and Pax (my Boston Terriers) wrestling on the floor. It's funny how they interact. Poppy is my one year old female, Pax is my 7 month old male. I have only had Pax for about three weeks, still waiting to see who really is the more dominant. I believe it will be the female, we are just that way. But the male (let me say this as nicely as I can) is a tidbit chubby, can knock the female flat on her little skinny butt. Funny how that happens, two dogs , the same breed and almost the same age.

(President Obama is on Face the Nation. Somebody should tell him, that he can stop campaigning...he won!!!)

I usually spend my Sunday mornings running, but today it is so nasty and ugly here in St. Charles, I've decided to use my indoor bike trainer. I ran outside yesterday and got caught in a downpour..cold..cold...cold. Just as I started back from Creve Couer Park, it started. First just a fine mist, then huge cold drops and finally raining sideways, accompanied by wind. I tried to shield my face from it, by turning my hat sideways (in true Goober form), but the rain and wind was just too strong! So today, I will be a whimp and ride in the comfort of my living room. But I can't wait to get back outside. Weather permitting, I am riding Wednesday with an all women's cycling club. The weather will get better soon.

Well time to go....need to ride. Going to the movies today. Hoping to see The Reader.

Welcome!

This is my first blog. Is there anyone out there? Hello?