Hard to teach old dog new tricks

Another aha! day. Sally called at 5 am to announce that it was still raining and we would not meet at 6 to run. I was pretty awake but managed to doze back off. Finally got up and had to force myself to go run in my neighborhood by myself. Three miles alone seems more like six! We usually do a little over 4 miles and it doesn't seem to be nearly as much as a mental and physical struggle as I had with myself today. And then . . . . I decided to do a trial run on my bike. Now, I love riding a bike--the wind in your face deal. I have a hybrid bike and someday want to graduate to a road bike but I'm scared of them. So, about a month ago, I bought bike shoes and had the clip-on pedals put on my trusty old bike. I sneaked into the spinning room at the gym and practiced clipping in and out on one of their bikes but the shoes click in much tighter on my bike. But, I decided to try to get started today. Why am I so afraid of this???? I managed to get my right foot clicked in, moved a few feet, and stopped without falling. Braver still, clicked in my left foot, went a few feet and fell down right in my driveway. Look like a third grader with skinned up elbow and knee. Rolled the bike back into the garage and then made myself try again--back out in the driveway. This time I clicked in with one foot and actually rode for a second or two but never got the second foot clicked in. Now, I need to go buy knee and elbow pads, and I'll be in business. And maybe some chain lube to put on the pedals to make it easier to disengage from the pedals. Makes running seem like such a simple sport--just have some shoes and socks and you're in business!!!!

I'm there in spirit if not in body!

I've been absent so far this year but am reading all you guys' blogs and with you in spirit, any way! Got some laughs thinking about poor Mark trying to teach not one but two little girls to drive at the same time--brought back memories for me having to ride in the driver's seat and teach my daughter who had even been afraid of the bumper cars at the fair! Her dad taught the boys but she was stuck with me but has done well ever since, thank goodness. And remembered the age lineup maneuver from two years ago when only one person was in front of me, the nice Preacher Man, but I was proud to be healthy enough to attempt to run any distance much less 26 miles! I did run yesterday--6 miles which was the first time I've gone that far since October 22 in Chicago in the cold drizzle. I felt fine while I did it but exhausted when I finished but am restored to vigor today after a "good" night's sleep. I say "good" because I had to get up five times with my three beloved, adorable, precious doggies. Good thing I love them because I noticed during the night that they had made a BIG mess on my screened in porch with a pretty pot and plant. Then, this morning, I saw one of them on the porch and wondered how in the world she got in there--ahah, she and her partner in crime have torn a sizeable hole in the screen and now have free access to plunder in a new area. Digging holes to China in the back yard has evidently gotten boring for them and all the outdoor pots are now scattered and emptied of their dirt so I should have known they needed a new venue. Dog toys and bones don't seem to hold too much interest for them--sort of like kids preferring pots and pans and boxes and wrapping paper to the "real" gifts and toys we used to abundantly provide for them, huh?

Is there an easier way?

Mark spoiled us in the past, or maybe it was Matt. Is there an easier way to get all the MM blogs onto the reader without doing them one by one? I did a few but am getting weary of doing them one by one!

48 degrees is my favorite, I think!!!!

Sally and I wogged twice last week and this week and at least once the couple of weeks before and it was cold! It was tolerable with enough layers on but provoked a sort of sense of dread the night before thinking about it! So, when I read last night that it was going to be 48 this morning, I was delighted. And was comfortable and appreciative while out in this near heat wave compared to the past few weeks! I feel so much better about myself on the days that I get up and run or exercise--yesterday I just couldn't drag myself out of bed and used the need to work excuse to avoid going to the gym. I have been working a lot--my regular job and then weekend babysitting jobs so my body probably did deserve a break but I also had an exercise break all weekend! Oh, well, I'll get back on track soon! Hope to get to Clinton this weekend to meet all you guys.

I'm trying to figure out a way to exercise and take cholesterol medication. I started a new one and felt some muscle pain so took a two week holiday as suggested by my doctor. Started back on a dose on Saturday and decided this morning to try taking it just after each of my runs. So maybe it will be worn off before the next run. We shall see. It brings my cholesterol down so nicely--and it was at heart attack level last September when I was exercising like a fiend so I know I need to take something so I can keep marathoning into my 80's!!!!

Feel free to meet us at the Rez at 6 am on Tuesdays and Thursdays if you'd like. There also are probably some 5 am runners meeting on these days, too, if you need a partner to pull you out of bed like I do.

Carol

On the road again

Sorry I couldn't make the meeting last Saturday but I had to go to a Bar Mitzvah so I had a good excuse. Sally and I met this morning for our (currently) weekly run at the Rez, and it wasn't as cold as I had thought it would be so I almost suffocated in my multiple layers, coats, scarves, turtleneck, etc but it felt good to get out there and wog along even though we were out of breath and almost killed ourselves trying to go too fast. 'Since the marathon in October, I've recovered from a stress fracture in my left foot, a broken toe in my right foot (due to being a clutz in my own house), and tonight I almost continued the foot injury saga. I drove to Leakesville to see what turned out to be my daughter's last ever high school soccer game. I decided to move into the stands during halftime and my foot got caught between a loose metal plank and one that wasn't. I don't know the fans very well of this team so I couldn't exactly call for help. I was able to sit down and use my hand to push on the loose board to finally get the front of my foot out of the painful vise it was in. And, I think it is just barely bruised so the recovery will be minor compared to the last two. I did watch a show on tv about the morbidly obese last night though and realized that I have done better than I give myself credit for in keeping my weight in a semi-normal range despite strong tendencies to want to binge eat--these people were in excess of 600# and some were nearly bed bound. And ate like 30,000 calories a day! So, marathon training is a GOOD thing and it keeps you exercising 6 days a week which I like!!!!!!