ALMOST Made it

Ok, so I have a confession.  Ever since I got the idea to train for a marathon, there has been one goal on my three plus year list that has gone by the wayside, Spartanburg's Turkey Day 8k...I had planned to get on it good and hit it in 2008, however one of my nasty ankle injuries.  Postpone by a year to 2009 when the IT band injury took me down.  While I have hit the other goals to this point, the 2010 Turkey Day 8k is still on the table (no pun intended), and last week thanks to the help of Vitamin C drops, Zinc lozenges, Hot Tea, and some Rock and Rye to boot, kicked the start of a cold.  Only sickness and injury will keep me out and I have dodged the sickness the only thing that can keep me from the goal is an injury, which brings me to this past weekend.  For whatever reason the Home Owners Association of my neighborhood decided this Saturday was the time for speedbumps to be installed.  Why is this significant?  Well in college on a run I tripped over a speedbump (and injured myself rather badly) and well have had trouble at times staying on my feet and was thinking that  this improvement is the latest in a line of set backs.  Well I guess if I watch VERY closely and run in bubble wrap I should be fine

D

Paris Mountain 11k-2010

My first trail run since the 'comeback' began in earnest in July 2009 and the longest race I have attempted...ever, I think I saw this was a 7.2 miler, up the side of Paris Mountain and back down to put it briefly, and it was a learning experience if nothing else, start at 8am with the 30 degree temps (found it odd someone would ask if the race was bumped back an hour for cold...no it wasn't).  I had heard how nasty the almost mile long hill of Sulphur Springs Trail was so I figured I would train on the area 'hills'.  Sulphur springs made them look like anthills.  Anywho, at 8 the start was ON and after running for a little while on the roads it was on to Mountain Creek trail and the fun begins and after a half mile I learned lesson 1.  Wear your glasses on the trail run so I can see where the roots are, learned after oh about the 20th near trip.  I was purposely taking it slow to gas it up the hill I knew was coming, the turn came and the cross of the parking lot to Sulphur Springs and the immenint torture to come, for a while not so bad, until passing the reservoir and the beating began, after a while the group that had collected was sucking wind (and our pride) and started walking/jogging to the top of the hill then started running again.  After a brief stay on Kanuga, it was on to downhill Sulphur Springs/Mountain Creek (with my right ankle having decided to give out) to push toward the finish and after being quick and cautious I pass the pavilion and start to push a little and prepare for the finish, heading up the small hill near the finish I had told myself to hit it at, well 100 yards from the finish...wipeout!  I pick myself up and push it in at 1:06:19, beat up and proud of my time...prouder still Sunday when I find I finished SECOND in my age group.  The race was great and fun and beat me up, but I will be back for the new date in May 2011.

Hello November!

November is here and I could not be happier!  Outside of my son's birthday on the 27th, there is not much there can be said nice about October, yes the leaves are changing and fall is in the air, but that is about all that is good about October.  We all had a stomach virus, the yearly audit falls in October where most everyone here acts like the sky is falling which gets me a small bit stressed.  Not to mention we celebrate a holiday of death at the end of the month, and encourage each other to 'dress up' as scary as possible and go beg for candy.   But now the calender has turned (thankfully) to November, where we start slowing down, taking things easier, the leaves are still falling and it is nice out side.  Also, I have the Paris Mountain 11k and the Thanksgiving 8k to look forward too, and that is just about it.  Plus my favorite holiday of Thanksgiving occurs.   So Hello November, Paris Mountain I look forward to this weekend.  Thankgiving I can't wait until the 8k and the masses of food afterward.

D