Beautiful day for a ride...

Friday: I did nothing...unless you count dancing to "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough" around the house. :P
Saturday: I did a walk/jog thing in the woods on base for 5 miles with Terri J., pilates class, & about 40 mins on the elliptical.
Sunday: 1 hr elliptical & crunches
Today: 24.24 miles out to UTSI & back on Estill Springs Rd...it wasn't planned that way...I had intended to do somewhere between 25-30 but ran out of time. Yeah, I know I did 15.15 last Wednesday but that's just what the garmin said when I shut it off before jumping off the bike. I'm having one heck of a time trying to get on the BIG ring. Getting off it is a breeze but getting the chain back on it is impossible for me. I drop it everytime. Friday evening, I had the bike on the trainer & I practiced. Terri tried it too. She thinks I need to take it back to the shop & make them show me how to do it. I just might do that but oh what a pain in the a$$. I just want to ride the dang thing. I will tell you one thing, though...starting out in the big ring flat allows me to fly like a bat out of hell.

Sat night we went to the Drive-In (of course) & saw "The Proposal". It was ok. I'd rent it if you feel the need to see it. I like Sandra Bullock but she's done better stuff. Terri went with us & we sat in our lawn chairs. Doesn't that sound like such a "hometown" thing to do? ha!

Sunday, we had a little cook out in Lynchburg at Elaine's cabin. We floated in her pool for a couple of hours. It was nice just being lazy but the sun sort of drained my energy. It was all I could do to get my butt to the gym later that evening.

I hope everyone had a nice weekend.
I'm outta here in a few hours & on a plane tomorrow with Joe & the kids for the Lake Orion/Waterford/Clarkston/Frankenmuth areas of Michigan. Yee Haa! Happy 4th of July!

Organizing, planning, repacking, etc...

I only rode once this week but I plan to ride Monday morning. I'm off & I don't have to be in Nashville until about 2-3pm, thank God. My morning will definitely include a bike ride.

Thursday, I got up for spin class in the am & did weights/abs in the evening at Harvey's. The place was buzzing as you might imagine. Cousin Patti's right, most of us will always remember this much like our parents remember where they were when they heard Elvis died. I can't wait to see her next week, btw. She's got us some cheap concert tickets for Wed evening & we'll probably have dinner with the other cousins. Joe & I are going to do the Frankenmuth 5k . I'll wear my Nashville Striders singlet & slog through it. We're going to have so much fun!! It just looks like a damn cool race in a very neat place.
Speaking of "cool" this is what was cool in 1983.
Shut up, stand up, & dance!

I believe a part of my "youth" died.

Our close knit office family talked about Farrah much of the day. BB put the famous poster on his desktop & admitted he had one when he was a kid. I searched for the "Charlie's Angels Hideaway House" on the net just for kicks. In the 4th grade I nearly burned my hair off with a curling iron trying to look like Farrah. At Christmas, I asked for the Farrah doll, all 3 "Angels" dolls, & the Hideaway house. I was so happy! My friends & I had collected all the trading cards, too. For probably 2 yrs, this little obsession went on & I'm sure if I were to look hard enough, I'd find the hairless, naked dolls in my mother's attic. Good Times...
I had watched the special on Farrah Fawcett a month or so ago so I knew how sick she was...depressing but what a fighter! Of course most of my memories of Ed McMahon are from my grandparents staying up after the news to watch "Johnny". He'd been sick a good while so that really wasn't a big surprise a few days ago.
What made me shed a tear today was the shocker...Michael Jackson. As I sit here writing this I have "Rock with you" blasting. I loved that song on the "Off the Wall" album. It was one of the first albums I ever bought with babysitting money, of course. It's somewhere around here with my "Grease" album I'm sure... I've got "Thriller" too. My youth was filled with listening to the "young" Madonna, Duran Duran, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, etc... Ahh, the gas that cousin Pam & I burned up on Jackson Street with that music cranked up as loud as we could stand it. It was the mid to late 80's & we had no sense at all. ha! Again...good times! This is the Michael Jackson that I choose to remember..ya know the one that moon walked across the stage at the awards ceremonies. The one we all tried to dance like, dress like, sing like.... ahh, the red sparkly jackets, one gloved hands, penny loafers, short pants....

The sounds of the "Man in the Mirror"..."Smooth Criminal"..."Billy Jean"..."Beat It"...his music carried us into the 90's. I LOVED THEM ALL. I especially loved the videos. Back when MTV actually played videos most of the time, we'd run to the TV when we heard them.

All controversies aside, nobody can deny the fact that he's the "King of Pop". He gave us his gift & I'll always remember where I was & what I was doing when I heard he left this earth. "The way you make me feel"...you knocked me off my feet, baby!

slug jog & slug ride

I managed a flat 3.35 miles at a 9:41 pace this morning. I hit the 5k mark at 29:50. blah!
Now let's hope the bike tires survive the hot car in the parking lot today.
(13.1 mph for 15.15 mi...my legs were a little stiff from this morning. Now that is sad!!!)

More pics...

Monday: I did the 45 min spin class, some ab work, & 10 short minutes on the elliptical.

Tuesday: 1 hr spin class, free weights, weight machines, & crunches
(My next X ray on the shin will be the 30th in the am & I will get them to X ray the ankle, too, just to be certain it's healing correctly.)

Wednesday: I hope to get up for a few EARLY miles & take the bike out after work.

More pics below from our Disney trip.
Blizzard beach was pretty awesome but not a place to carry around a camera. We had your typical Florida thunderstorm blow through while there but when it finally ended about 90% of the park had emptied out. We had the rides mostly to ourselves for the last 1.5 hrs.
One exhausted little safari boy. Epcot is so interesting...makes me want to REALLY travel a lot! Piano guys at the conference dinner. Yes, that guy is on stilts. Pretty wild!

random Disney pics...

Magic Kingdom parade.

More...Magic Kingdom parade.

Watching Epcot laser show & fireworks after melting in the sun.

ahhh, Germany at Epcot! :)

This pic says it all about Disney! Too cute!

Jessica watching "Stitch" as Elvis.

Jess & Joey in front of T-Rex.

I "heart" the castle.

I don't do the tea cups but they had fun.

Minnie's refrigerator has more food in it than mine does right now.

T-Rex Cafe. Pretty cool place! Thanks Joe!

another blurry, busy, week...

...& I'm back to work tomorrow for 5 days then off for another week...

Monday: I did the 45 min spin class & spent 30 mins on the elliptical.
Tuesday: Flew to Orlando with Joe, Jess, & Joey (no calories burned unless you consider sweating by a pool that afternoon at the Contemporary resort exercise. We did do some walking at downtown Disney, though...)
Wednesday: Walked my legs off all over the Magic Kingdom.
Thursday: Spent the day at Blizzard Beach.
Friday: Joe's conference & my whole eating pattern went out the window.
Saturday: Too much eating but I think I did sweat & walk enough around Epcot.

I'd load some pics but I just downloaded them & don't know what I have & don't have...maybe I'll put a few up here n' there this week. Disney's always fun! It brings out the little girl in me. This was my 4th visit & the excitement is still there. We didn't do everything but what we did do was pretty cool. My favorite ride at Magic Kingdom is & has always been "Splash Mountain". My favorite ride at Epcot is still "Spaceship Earth". They've updated it since '98. My new experience at "Blizzard Beach" was fun. My favorite area was the red zone in the "Run off Rapids". Joey rode with me there quite a few times & we screamed our heads off. The child knows no fear. He even did the "Summit Plummet" with his dad. YIKES!!!
We got back today & I got home around 2:30pm, unpacked, did laundry, & crashed. My yard is calling my name...
I hope everyone had a great week/weekend. I will rest tomorrow at my desk. :)

My week in a blurr...

I'll break it down in this way...

Work:

I was so busy this past week that I would forget to finish off my water bottles. That's bad when you have water right on your desk but you're so focused that you don't drink it. I'm not complaining, I LOVE being busy at work. The days fly but I paid for it by friday when I realized I was a bit dehydrated.

Bike:

Apparently, leaving the bike in the car even a day in the heat can & will blow out a tube if you have a lot of air in the tires. duh?! Just hit me with the stupid stick because I deserve it AGAIN! This time the back tire was flat. So needless to say, my planned Wednesday ride after work was a complete bust. I was so mad I wanted to cry. This is why I appreciate the simplicity of running. The solution...drain some air out of the tires, make sure the sun roof & windows are cracked, & try my best to park somewhere near some shade at work. I took the Fuji in for a tune up, new tube, new chain grease, & a 2nd bottle cage on Saturday. (I also got the civic's oil changed & tires rotated so I was all about maintenance this week!) :P

Gym:

I did spin twice last week, spent a lot of time on the elliptical, & with weights. I did so many lunges & squats that the inside of my thighs hurt today so I avoided getting on the bike. So, no time on the bike at all until probably next Sunday depending on how tired I am after we fly back from Orlando. I did get out with Carla & Chris Sat morning on the base trail for 4.85 miles. I took so many walk breaks that my garmin read 51:29 when we finished. We did have a lot of shade & a little breeze at times, thank goodness! It felt good to lace up the trail shoes though. I cleaned up & headed to pilates afterwards. Today, I mowed, packed, & spent some more time at the gym.

Sounds game Sat night:

There really are only 2 tv shows I follow religiously. I mean I don't answer my phone or talk to anyone in the house when these shows are on...."Grey's Anatomy" & "Desperate Housewives".

Joe's next door neighbor, Tim Dillard, (Sounds & Brewer's pitcher) gave us free tickets to a game last night. It was a great night to just sit back & take it all in... I'm not a huge baseball fan but it's the "American" thing to do ya know...like apple pie & Chevrolet. ha!

So, how does a Sounds game & one of my Fav TV shows connect? In walks Jamie Denton (Mike Delphino-the plumber) in Greer Stadium. 107.5 the river interviews him all the time because he has roots here. I know he used to work downtown before he became an actor & according to Chuck's comment on Facebook, he went to Goodlettsville High School & played ball there. So, I wasn't that surprised to see him really. He was posing for photos with fans, talking to folks, hanging out drinking a beer, & trying to watch the game. I, of course, wasn't going let this opportunity for a pic get away. He's incredibly laid back, polite, & just a good ole boy. He said, "Hi, I'm Jamie & what's your name?" It's surreal to meet someone that you watch every single Sunday night for like....5-6 years! Joe took the pic of Arlene & me with my cell so it's a little blurry but this was an evening I'll never forget at Greer Stadium. Oh yeah.....and the Sounds won in the 10th inning... Go Neighbor, Tim!
Tomorrow......I'm loading up the suitcase, heading to work, then to spin class, then to Nashville....At approximately 9:30am Tuesday, we're flying to the happiest place on earth. Joe, Joey, Jessica, & myself in Disney World..... I hope everyone has a wonderful week. I'm already fired up for the 4th of July to hurry up & get here!!!!

A wedding, lots of laughs, mixed drinks, & a 30 mile bike ride

If I didn't say it enough already, I'm so proud of Paul S. & Jill doing their 2nd triathlons this weekend. Paul had goggle trouble but apparently pulled out a sub-17 minute swim. He swam with one eye. (Just call him Michael Phelps. :P) Just think how much you guys will improve by this time next year.

I don't know where to start with the wedding. I almost teared up when April's son, Sam, walked down with the ring. He's the cutest little 5 yr old I know! Here he is with his cousin. I think he looks just like uncle Daniel.

" Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Jackson"

This little chapel is 110 yrs old if I remember correctly. We were looking at the old doors & windows while waiting on the bus to take us to the reception at the Walking Horse Hotel. Yes, they had an air conditioned bus that drove us about 1.5-2 miles to & from the chapel. That thing was sweet. These two newly weds are throw backs from when I did the weekend theater mgr thing after my divorce. When Daniel got hired & I got to know him I knew he'd make a great husband one day for some lucky gal. He's a sweetie, great with kids, all around nice guy, & hard worker. We used to joke that if he made it to 30 & neither one of us were married, we'd marry each other. Ha! He & his sister, April, have always been very special to me & we've kept in touch over the years.

Of course, my camera went dead after a few photos at the chapel. The photos from my cell were fuzzy, too many were taken in the low lit reception hall, & hell, I was just a little tipsy anyway. :) We formed our own "former theater employee table" & had a blast. My other favorite Hannah & her hubby, Michael. Once upon a time, she was great behind the concession & he ushered. :P Above is a fuzzy photo of April. She made a gorgeous bridesmaid. Joe was building something with the glassware after dessert. :-P Below is me with Mary Belle drinking our "Cape Cods". :) So, the guilt of eating wedding cake took over today. After push mowing for an hour, I got out on my bike for 30 miles. My overall pace was 14.6, I think... All I know is that I'm actually starving now.

Oh & before I forget, TQ's son, Cody was eliminated by the winner yesterday. :( The good news is that the winning car will be retired & the driver will move to a different division next year! CQ will get to drive his car again next year. As TQ put it, I need to focus on the next marathon now! Overall, my weekend was good n' busy. We even found time to go to the drive-in Friday night. FYI, "The Hangover" was ok. I'd rent it if you really want to see it. Funny in parts, but just stupid in others.

Hope everyone had a good weekend!

Soapbox Derby, Mach Tenn, Soapbox Derby, Harvey's Gym, Lunch, Errands, Home...

It's been a long day so far & we're about to leave for a wedding. :)

Phone call from Coach Lester @ 9:00 am:
Lisa: "Hello"
Coach: "Where are you?!"
Lisa: "Soapbox Derby, where are you?"
Coach: "I'm at the turnaround point of the Mach Tenn Tri run. I thought you'd be helping."
Lisa: "Ok, we'll be there in 10 minutes."

So, after chatting with Terry Q. for a while we took off. Joe ended up directing traffic to proceed slowly past the runners. I shook my country music marathon cow bell & yelled like the true obnoxious idiot that I probably am... We had a nice time chatting with Lester & Sharon N. Her son has gotten so FAST!! Turns out the club donated $300 to the THS cross country team so Lester had the team out there at a water station while he manned the turnaround post of the run. Congrats to ALL the finishers. Great weather for a lot of outdoors events!

June 5th, friday...I rode 15 miles after work & believe it or not my overall speed finally got up to 14.8. ha!
Today, I did exactly 1 hour on the elliptical.

Happy Sunny Saturday!

Guess who didn't get into the NYC marathon & guess who did?

I'm denied on my 2nd try & Joe is accepted. I laughed! Of course, he's the one taking the deferment to 2010. Too funny! I was actually hoping we'd be able to jog/walk it together this year but actually running it together would be much better. So, we're going to be at the finish line in Central Park when the elite runners come though for sure. I might just watch with a martini in my hand. :P

So, here's my round up for the week.
On June 1st I finally decided to shut up or put up about my old Christmas weight, which I’ve not lost yet. After trying on some summer clothes that just didn’t look right, it was overdue. I’m 5 ft 3 inches tall & my weight is fluctuating between 130-132. (130 in the am & 132 in the pm) My body looks different too because of the “non-running” exercise. (I was 126-127 before the holidays so every little lb counts on shorties!)
Also on June 1st, I decided I would start drinking the recommended amount of water. Frankly, I’m tired of my chiropractor telling me I’m dehydrated. So far, so good on that…
I’m counting calories like a mad woman now…trying to stay somewhere around 1500 or less…sorry, I refuse to starve myself. I’m not good at this because I simply don’t have time to look up the calorie count of ¼ slice of pineapple or 1/2 medium apple so I’m guessing a lot so far on the fruit. I’m hoping that by the 16th I notice a considerable difference.

As for the shin & the twisted damn ankle…I think the shin is doing A Ok right now. Heck, I can’t run on it simply because of the fall off the porch nearly 2 weeks ago. The ankle finally showed bruising last weekend. My heel hurt for a day or so & yesterday the Achilles hurt quite a bit. So, I think it’s going through the stages of healing, who knows… I’m living for the day that I’m completely injury free!

June 1st:
45 min spin class & 28 mins on the elliptical.
June 2nd:
1 hr spin in the am, arm weights, ab work, & 1 hr on the elliptical in the evening.
June 3rd:
I rode with Kim C. & Alesia for 12.16 miles (according to the garmin). It was roughly a 55 min ride. Yes, I’m still turtle slow but getting braver with the traffic. I will, however, put the bike on the trainer this weekend & play with the left hand gears. I figure if I drop the chain, I won’t drop with it. It just has to be done & it can't be done when I keep getting injured.
June 4th:
45 min am spin, 1 hr elliptical, leg weights, & some crunches.
June 5th:
I plan to ride right after work for about an hour & a half.

The weekend will be spent at the gym, the Soapbox derby, a wedding, & mowing. Who knows…maybe the ankle will be well enough for me to do a little bit of the jog/walk thing by Sunday.

Good Luck to those doing the local tri this weekend, especially Paul S. & Jill!!