The Dream Day at Disney

aka The Best Day Ever.

If you know the Spongebob song, then you know the chorus the boys and I were singing the entire day at Disneyland. If you don't know the song, you can listen to it here (I recommend it so you get the full affect).


Me, Joshua and Elijah in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle


So Jesse is a musician, and he got us these special tickets to Disneyland. The five us went (me, E, J, Dawn, and Jesse), and met Eric, Dawn and Jesse's friend, there. We had valet parking right at the hotel which literally is adjacent to Disneyland. We had our own Escort, Kelly. Kelly walked us around the entire park, so there was really no need for a map. However, we got a map because Elijah does love maps so.

Sounds good so far, right? Well, going around the park with an Escort means you go to the front of every single line, regardless of the ride, the wait, etc. It felt slightly absurd at first, but we soon fell into the routine. We didn't shove people aside; rather we entered the rides from the exits. So most people didn't realize we were going directly to the front of each line.

I must say that not waiting in any lines is the absolutely BEST way to experience Disneyland. I have never been before, but I'm sure I would agree to that statement even if I had been before (I've been to Disneyworld and of course other amusement parks so I can attest that the no-wait rocks).

I'm so proud of my boys. They rode rides I never would have imagined such as Indiana Jones (helps that they didn't know what they were getting into on that one), the Materhorn, Space Mountain, and Joshua even rode Tower of Terror. They were well-behaved and didn't complain about anything. Again, not waiting in lines on a hot day surely helps that.

Jesse was beyond generous. He paid for everything except my kids' pirate chest full of toys which they chose as their souvenirs. This includes a snack, lunch, dinner, lots of water, and sillouettes.

I feel so happy just remembering that day. I have always wanted to see Sleeping Beauty's castle. I was almost 29 years old when I first went to Disneyworld. I was practically running to the castle as David pushed Elijah in the stroller and tried to keep up. I was so disappointed when I arrived to find not only is it a big shop but they did not sell Sleeping Beauty stuff at Disneyworld. I stood there, a 29-year-old kid, feeling ripped off and that my dream of the castle was a big fake-out.

Well, Sleeping Beauty's castle is also a big store full of stuff...Sleeping Beauty stuff. I ooohed and ahhhed as we walked through. I didn't stop or even want to stop and buy any of it. It would have ruined the experience for me.

To save you from a play-by-play of our day, I'll just list the rides we in sort of the order we rode them. I can say that we skipped a 2-hour line at the Nemo Submarine ride. The Indiana Jones line was fairly long, too.

Jungle Cruise, Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Carribean, Haunted Mansion, Sailing Ship Columbia, Peter Pan, Pinnochio, Dumbo, Teacups (blech, not me), Story Book Land Canal Boats, It's a Small World, Roger Rabbit, Matterhorn, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, Star Tours, Space Mountain, Souring over California (California Adventure Park), and Tower of Terror (Cali Adeventure Park).

We ate dinner at Blue Bayou, which was really yummy.

It's taken me days to get this blog written, so this is it. I can't express really what a fantastic day it was. Just think of those rare days when everything goes just right. No one is sad or mad or sick or fussy. The weather is lovely. The company is lovely. The food is good. It was one of those days.

Elijah and Dawn on the Matterhorn.



Jesse, Joshua and Dawn on Dumbo.



Joshua and Jessica at dinner at Blue Bayou



Jessica, Elijah, Jesse, Dawn, Eric, and Joshua in front on the Golden Gate Bridge in California Adventure Park.

Wednesday Fartlek

Shortest blog post ever:

I ran.

Why did I have to get up so early today?

First day of school. All went well for the boys (Joshua in Kindergarten and Elijah in 2nd grade). It was also my first day of school at the preschool and all went well there. Hopin' the goodness lasts.

Today was Spring Creek, aka, Secret Hill. I didn't warm up from Runtex because I needed to be home earlier than that allows. I met Yvette a smidge early and we ran down to the 3/4 mile marker and back to add some extra warm up. My legs were already tired just from that short warm up. The rest of the jog up to Spring Creek was fine with all the good company.

We did 5 ladder versions of the hill, and it was really hard. I'm sure the heat has a lot to do with it as everyone was feeling it. We did 3 backwards with the first going all the way to the stop sign. Ouch.

Gayatri and I soaked our legs in the Springs after the cool down. Ah, that feels so good. We really want all work outs to start from Barton Springs so we can do that every single workout. Now I know why dv loves starting and ending from there on Gazelle workout mornings.

Tired legs. Tired mind. Tired body. Familyvance will get the school routine down soon and hopefully have more energy. T-ball practice starts this week. Piano is ever-present. Soccer starts next week. I start school tomorrow (I'm taking a class at ACC - my first college course since getting my Master's...that was 11 years ago). Maybe I'll take a "first day of school" photo, too. ;o)

Fyi, Elijah takes piano and is in Cub Scouts. Joshua is doing soccer and t-ball. That's info for those that wonder why we have so many activities going on. Oh, and dv is the Asst Coach for t-ball. He got strong-armed into that one.

My goal is to have a strong arm when someone (everyone) wants me to volunteer this year. Just say no!

Surfin' and Runnin' Cali-style

8/27 Update: Added photos. :o)

Friday was a fun day in California for my boys. The boys and I rented bikes and biked along the beach between Venice Beach and Santa Monica Pier. We had planned to stay at Venice beach to swim and hang out, but Dawn wanted to take us to another beach where she knew her surfing friend would be.

So we head out to that beach, which really was just down the way from Venice Beach. In fact, it might be considered part of Venice Beach. We spread the blanket out, and Dawn goes looking for her friend. Two minutes later, Newt is swinging Dawn around in his arms so happy to see her. Newt is dressed in a short wetsuit unzipped so the torso part is hanging. He's tanned to the max. His hair is shoulder-length golden from the sun. His eyes are sparkling green-blue with red from the salt water.

Dawn's other friend, Crash, is there also. He is just as thrilled to see Dawn. He has long bleach-blond hair and a tan that almost rivals Newt's. Dawn points out her two little cousins, Elijah and Joshua.

Newt and Crash work as surfing teachers. People generally pay for lessons from them, and I have no idea what the going rate is because we didn't pay. Dawn is definitely The Maker of Dreams Come True. It seems as though my boys just need ask, and Dawn made it happen (she has some really good connections).

So, my boys get a few minutes of lessons on the sand to practice the "Pop Up," and then it's into the water. My original plan was to run while they swam in the surf, but now they are the surf. I couldn't let this happen without me there and without photos. Joshua is the first to ride his board...stays on his belly. Elijah goes next on his belly. They both seems to enjoy it.

Elijah is a good student. He will do just what his instructor tells him to do. So on his very next attempt, Crash tells Elijah to stand up. So what does Elijah do? He pops ups and "surfs" for about 2 seconds before crashing into the wave. He gets choked up and looks fairly scared as he spits water out. He doesn't want to surf anymore. He's done it. He stood up. There is no need for him to go again.







Joshua spends the next 20-30 minutes with Newt in the water. He stands on his board many times and crashes many times. Newt was a great teacher - very patient and understanding. Turns out he learned to surf just a few months ago as he is a recent LA transplant from Nashville. I never would have known if Dawn hadn't told me.















After watching them surf, it's run time for me. I ran south along the boardwalk. It was 3:00pm, and the weather was so pleasant. I felt really strong running, and I am sure that is due to the Texas-spring-like temps and low humidity. It might also be due to the lovely scenery. It's not often one runs along the Pacific Ocean. I don't know how far I ran. I just ran 15 minutes down and turned back, but I ran faster coming back. I tried to slow down near the end to make sure I did at least 30 minutes. I think my final time was 29 and change.

That evening, we headed back to Jesse's house to find him waiting for us. He'd arrived from NYC while we were at the beach. Jesse and Dawn went to pick up our delicious dinner of grilled chicken, grilled veggies, and salad. Jesse entertained my kids by teaching both of them (but mostly Joshua) to skateboard. He kindly listen to Elijah play a song on the piano. He patiently listened to both of them play the singing bowls. It's not hard to understand why my boys think Jesse is "awesome" and "really nice."

Dawn had been wanting us to hike where she hikes at least 3 times/week - Runyon Canyon. We packed up the car (the boys, dawn, and I were staying at her apartment the rest of the trip). We head out (sans Jesse) to the canyon and hit tons of traffic. Elijah and Joshua fall asleep. We realize there is no hope of hiking as the sun is setting. We never did get to see her canyon or hike on this trip. It will be something we do next time, I'm sure.

Stay tuned for Saturday...The Best Disney Day Ever. This really was a trip of "ask and ye shall receive." My boys and I wanted Disneyland, and Dawn delivered. She won't take the credit because Jesse rightfully does deserve the Disneyland credit. However, if Dawn didn't take us to California in the first place...

"You're not the boss of me!"

Saturday's long run was really enjoyable. I was concerned that I'd wake up dizzy and have to call Gayatri to back out of the run. Lucky for me, I wasn't dizzy.

It was an experimental morning though as we had our 11.5 year old niece, Lindsay, over to act as babysitter. David met up with his group at 5:30am. I left at 7am. David would be back home between 8am and 9am, so the kids would have 1-2 hours alone. We figured most of that would be sleeping time, and thus Lindsay spent the night and would be in charge in the morning. Elijah was up around 8:30am and watching HGTV. David was home at 9am, and he woke Joshua up at 9:30am. Lindsay woke up at 10am. So I guess, in reality, Elijah was in charge in the morning. :o)

Back to my run. I pulled into the parking lot at Robert E. Lee and saw Kerri, Guy, Curtis and Curtis' girlfriend. While waiting for Gayatri, I tried to talk Kerri into running with us. Gayatri pulls up, and we start out. Before we get 10 feet, Yvette pulls in, and now we are all set.

We planned to run to Hula Hut and back to give us 6 miles. I was happy with that distance considering my lack of long runs the past few weeks. When I have done a long run, it's been at home around the 'hood for a set amount of time rather than distance.

I had poured myself and David a thick, creamy, store-bought chocolate milk recovery drink and packed it for after our runs. So the first part of our run, I was looking for him returning from his run. We saw him near the 1.5 mile marker. He was running full speed, as he does at the end of his long runs. I waved my key at him to give him a warning. The key-switch could only have slowed him down maybe 2 seconds, as I ran my fastest with him to swap. Later I learned he was not worried about his time but his legs. He said they were feeling leadish and any slow down made the run harder.

We left Kerri at the The Rock water as she decided to run on the trail. So Yvette, Gayatri, and I headed out to Lake Austin Blvd and Hula Hut. The run was fine. I felt fine and was happy to go slow. I forgot my watch so had know idea how long we'd been running. Yvette had said our first mile was a 10.40 pace, which surprised me b/c I thought we were going so slow. I know I slowed down the rest of the run b/c Yvette kept pulling away from me and Gayatri.

We said hello to all sorts of Gazelles along the way. We got the Gazelle water (which tasted like mildewy water hose or funky ice, btw), and then we started back. It didn't seem like it had been 3 miles, so I knew the run would be pleasant.

The last mile, Gayatri's shoulders were really bothering her. She'd done a really intense yoga workout Friday, and her shoulders were telling her all about it. I have a saying that I've said for years and years: "You're not the boss of me!" You have to say it in a certain voice, so we started joking around with it. "Shoulders, you're not the boss of me!" Really emphasize the "Sh" in shoulders. It made us laugh and got Gayatri distracted from the annoying shoulder aches. We talked about how frustrating it is to have your legs and breathing feel great but have some other painful ailment that just won't stop and makes you want to stop running. Now we have another tool to get through..."Shoulders! You're not the boss of me! Shoulders!" Grit your teeth a little at the end of "shoulders" and drag the last syallable out. It's fun. I promise.

I drank my chocolate milk, and it was yummo. Learned later that David wanted to hurl when he drank his. Must be something about running at lightning speed. Yvette had to leave, so it was just me and Gayatri soaking in Barton Springs. I had a white shirt and white bra on and didn't intend to get totally wet, but the current pulled up to my Shoulders! Gayatri assured me though that my shirt would dry fast and that no, I did not look like I was in a wet t-shirt contest. We agreed that from now on we'd wear black bras under white shirts. Any woman knows that it always rains on the day you wear your white running shirt, and I don't mean a little sprinkle. I mean torrential downpoar soaking your shirt. I have gotten used to running with "headlights" and don't even care anymore when I catch people looking (I did breastfeed 2 kids and breastfeeding moms don't need an explanation of perpetual headlights). But I'm not comfortable with see-through shirts and bras, and if Gayatri had said she could see-through my shirt, I would not have gone to stretching. I hope she didn't tell me a fib.

We got to stretching late, but we did do some good stretches on our own and some with the group. I headed home to find fresh pancakes waiting for me.

On our run, I saw one and only one hot guy running. He took my breath away. Of course it's my husband, and of course I'm biased. But he's lovely. Have you seen him? I wonder if I think he's so amazing b/c I love him. Or b/c I know he's mine. Would I think he's so beautiful if I wasn't married to him? I have to say I would.

A safe ladder for vertigo sufferers

I found out that I could have one of four ailments making me dizzy. I could have Meniere's Disease (great, a disease!), Benign Vertigo (I need to google that one), a virus called something that starts with an L, or some migraine side-effect possible caused by allergies. So very helpful, right? I got a prescription for a drug I don't plan to take as it causes one to be very sleepy. I don't know about you, but I can't just decide to fall asleep in the middle of the day. I suppose the "good" news is that all of those generally clear up in 1-2 weeks. Let's hope my symptoms clear up in a week, which would be tomorrow. I had hopes of that Thursday, but this morning I was dizzy all over again for a couple of hours after waking up.

Wednesday I did not warm up from Runtex due to the dizziness and general not-feeling-well-feeling. I did, however, meet Sarah & Gayatri at Austin High and do a good mile or so warm-up on the trail. We did the ladder workout of a 600m, 400m, 200m. I like this workout, and I can't explain why. I guess, like 400's, I am able to stay at a steady pace and not slow down. We haven't done 800s in so long, so I don't know anymore how I am on those. I like these shorter track workouts b/c I actually feel fast. No snickering allowed.

I perplexed Gilbert when I told him I hoped I had an ear infection, which would explain the dizziness. He has never heard of adults with ear infections. He was kind though and put me with the 2 set group instead of the 3-set group as he intended. I also want to say that running made me feel so much better. I never would have gone if I had actually felt dizzy at the time, so I'm glad the dizziness has mostly been a morning and late night/middle of the night thing.

The first set was fine. I think my times were 3:29, 2:20, and 58? I thought that was decent considering my health and general tiredness from our trip. I also was following instructions to stay at the same pace for all 3 lengths...give or take some seconds. We could see a rain storm coming the entire set, and on the 600m of the second set, it hit. It was a hard rain, and I honestly think there were some tiny hail pieces pelting me. Everyone finished up nicely though, despite being soaked to the bone. Sarah and I even did a cool down jog at the track before leaving.

I'll post the rest of the Cali trip this weekend. We have surfing and Disneyland to come. You won't want to miss the Dream Disneyland Day.

Cali trip days 3 and 4

I'm so dizzy...my head is spinning. I've been getting vertigo or dizzy spells or whatever you'd like to call them. I'm going to the doctor this morning to see what's up. My hope is an ear infection, but I'd take some virus going around that I've heard about which includes dizziness. I do not want to hear vertigo or some other scary ailment. Cross you fingers for me!

So, what day are we on for the Cali trip recap? Oh, right...I had taken you up to arriving in LA. We stayed at my cousin Dawn's boyfriend's house (Jesse for future reference). We slept in on Wednesday (8/15), hung around the house playing Jesse's Singing Bowls and piano, and then finally walked to a nearby park. The weather was fabulous, and we walked on the Culver City Interpretive Nature Walk. Joshua got a blister, so I carried him back to the house, which I will now count as a workout b/c it involved hills and at least a mile walk.

We had PBH (honey) sandwiches, and soon after Dawn arrived. We packed up for the beach and went to Santa Monica. This was the first time my kids have seen the Pacific Ocean. For Elijah, that is a huge deal as he is so into maps and directions and geography. The water was cold, the sand was hot, but we had a great time. Highlights for me were watching the boys jump the waves, and eating the most delicious mango bought from a man selling "fruta" along the beach. Yum.





We ate dinner at Buca di Beppo and planned to ride bikes along the beach as the sun set. The bike rental was closed, so we walked along the pier and rode the most over-priced ferris wheel ever. The boys had fun on a couple other rides as well, and then it was time to head home for some much needed sleep. And that ends day 3.









Day 4: The Grove Shopping Mall and Griffith Observatory.

We woke up late, and that is really late considering we were waking up around 8am or after pacific time. We went with Dawn and her friend, Ferraby to the Grove for lunch and a little shopping. I really wanted internet access at this point, so we went to the Apple store. Elijah got to get his Webkinz fix, and Joshua got to play some games. I didn't feel comfy checking my email there. It was so public. So packed. And the monitors were "gigunda" (joshism). I bought a bra (exciting!) while everyone else rode the trolly and ate ice cream.

We headed back to Dawn's apartment to get ready for the observatory. I quickly changed into my running clothes b/c my reputation is on the line. I said I was going to run at least twice, and I hadn't run at all. Dawn lives in the Hollywood Hills, so she drew the tiniest of maps and sent me off in search of 149 granite stairs that I could run up and down to my heart's content.

I took a wrong turn and wound up Belden Dr. looking for the stairs. It was pretty much a long hill climb. I passed some concrete stairs (at this point, I didn't know the stairs I was looking for were granite, so I thought I found the stairs). I kept running though until Belden hit another road. I turned around at Ledgewood Dr. and headed back to the stairs. I ran down them and back up them, counting 124 stairs. Oops, that wasn't 149 stairs. Back down Belden I run and then over to Beachwood. I notice tourists posing with the Hollywood sign in back. I hadn't even noticed it running up Beachwood (up literally as it's an incline). Once I get back, I ask Dawn to take my picture in front of the Hollywood sign to prove I ran there. I know, I'm a dork.

So we have 3 minutes to get in the car to get to the Griffith Observatory on time. Somehow we make it. We park and take a shuttle, which is the longest shuttle ride, I think. I was fine until I noticed we were winding along a cliff. I wish I hadn't looked. We made it there fine though. Elijah, Dawn and I are so excited. Dawn knows Elijah loves space. I love space, too. This is the main reason she wanted us to come visit her in LA.

It was really enjoyable. I lost Joshua and panicked. He was a champ and found workers. When I was reunited with him, he had his tough face on. I could tell he was scared and wanted to cry, but he wouldn't. He did at least run into my arms. We saw an awesome show, looked at really cool space stuff. The best thing for Joshua was designing your own meteor/asteroid. He loved making his so big and dense that when it hit the planet of your choice, it was total annihilation. Should I worry about that?

We went outside and saw Jupiter and some moons through a telescope. The moon had set, so that telescope was out (the woman there hadn't found another target as she was talking with people). We saw some other thing, too...maybe a nebula or patch of stars. I can't remember what she said, but I do remember thinking there were so many other choices to point the telescope at. We could barely see the fuzzy patch, and honestly, it could have been a smudge on the lens. Oh well, it was still awesome.

We take the long bus ride back to the car. Then we take the long car ride back to Dawn's. It's late now...10pm? Ferraby makes us all grilled cheese sandwiches, and I check my email on his laptop. Woo hoo! Finally at almost midnight, Dawn, the boys and I head to Jesse's to sleep. Dawn stays with us, so we can get an earlier start the next morning...another trip to the beach!

I'll write about the rest of the trip later. I need to also write about our ladder workout yesterday at Austin High, but my doctor visit calls.

Spring Creek & Driving to Cali

I forgot to write last night about my Monday workout. We did Spring Creek. I was very exhausted from traveling and the time difference and staying up late in Cali (which is ridiculously late in Texas), so I'm happy that I even went to class. I would normally warm up from Runtex, but "Not today, Zurg."

I was a little late due to chatting (no!?) with Elijah's piano teacher. I honked and got Guy and Kerri's attention, so I warmed up with them. If you ever want delicious scones or coffee or cinnamon rolls, ask Guy and Kerri to bring you some from Coffee Dog (that's their Coffee shop in Bastrop).

I was looking for my friend, Sarah, when we arrived at the hill. I didn't see her, and Gilbert asked where she was. So after a call with no answer, I ran back down to the parking lot on Robert E. Lee (the most asked location on the Gazelle forum, btw). No Sarah, so back up I go. I counted the doubled warm-up the hill as 2 Spring Creek hills. Hey, I'm recovering from vacation, so it counts.

So, at the hill I do 3 forward and 1 backward. My family had shown up, and David went off to do his pace run. Joshua loves running, so he was doing hills in his crocs. Elijah and Emma were serving water and Accelerade - so sweet. I only did 1 backward because Joshua fell pretty hard coming down the hill. I blame the crocs, but he might have fallen in running shoes as well. He's such a boy b/c he wanted to cry but didn't cry. It was a hard fall, too.

I had asked David to take the van to the parking lot, so could cool down. I knew it would just be a walk since I had the boys. Now I was wishing the van was right there still after Joshua's fall. But with a little water on the wounds, he was good to walk the half-mile to the car.

Not bad for my first day back from vacation.

Okay...part 1 of our trip: Driving.

We left Austin at 3pm Monday and drove for a long, long time. Stopped in Ft. Stockton at a Dairy Queen for a bit of dinner. We drove for as long as we could take it. The boys couldn't sleep well, and so around 1am MT, they were looking out the window for meteors from the meteor shower. I saw a couple, and the boys some some as well. Dawn was mad b/c she couldn't look out for them as she was driving.

We stopped in Lordsburg, NM at a motel (roach included for free). I think it was 3am MT? I woke at 8am, and by 10am we were on our way. We stopped in Tuscon for a very late breakfast, and drove on until finally we were in California! Celebration!

I really wanted to stop at the Joshua Tree NP, but we'd been in the car forever. I knew everyone (me included) just wanted to get to LA. But we stopped b/c it's right off I-10 (oh wait, when in Cali...THE 10). I figured we'd pull right in, find a Joshua Tree, take a picture, and get right back on 10. A 10 minute stop at most.

We drove and drove and finally came to a lodge with bathrooms and information. We drive some more, and soon it becomes absurd. We are in Joshua Tree NP and there are no Joshua trees. Now we've driven so far in that it's silly to turn around until we see a Joshua tree. We keep saying, "There's one!" but it turns out to be something else.

Finally, after 30 or more minutes of driving in the park, I actually see one. We spent a wonderful half-hour exploring and climbing rocks. It was a great diversion from the road trip. Because we we so far in the park, we just kept driving to the other side. We stopped in Joshua Tree (a town!) for a bite of supper. We drove around the park to get back to THE 10, and then it was on into LA.

We arrived at Dawn's boyfriend's house around 9pm? 10pm? It was so good to be out of the car. Coming soon...more from the trip, including cute things my kids said.

Driving photos (note that Joshua is sticking his tongue out in a "don't take my picture right now" sort of way). Elijah, Joshua and Dawn:

Name That Poem #2

So this one can be considered a poem, but it's actually not a poem. It's still really famous, and it's something I was quoting and discussing with Dawn on my Cali trip.

O, then, I see Queen Mab hath been with you.

Bonus points for anyone who can continue to recite without looking it up online (Dawn is exempt as I know she can recite it). A good answer would include who says this in addition to the author and title of the work.

Do you have a quote you want to try out on folks? Put it in a comment or email me. I love trying to guess poems. It makes me use parts of my brain that have seemingly gone into retirement.

Have fun.

'Net withdrawals

So much to type; so little time. I'm finally home from California. I finally have access to the internet. Ahhhh, it feels so good. For the bulk of our trip, I didn't have access to a computer, which seems funny in a way in this e-this and i-that day and age. I did get to check my email from two different laptops on two different days, but there wasn't enough time or privacy to do much more.

Our trip was amazing. I will post all the fun things later, but for those wondering, I did in fact run on vacation. I only managed to run twice, which was my very realistic and doable goal. Can I count walking around Disneyland as a workout?

Here's a short breakdown of the trip, and I'll post day-by-day highlights soon. Some of you probably don't care, but some of you may really want to know. Anyway, all of you should look forward to "The Best Day Anyone Has Ever Had At Disneyland" post. I kid you not on that one. You doubtfully can compete with the day we had.

Monday, 8/13 - drive, drive, drive
Tuesday, 8/14 - drive some more, more and more. Stop at The Joshua Tree National Park
Wednesday, 8/15 - Santa Monica beach and Pier
Thursday, 8/16 - The Grove shopping mall, my run in the Hollywood Hills, and Griffith Observatory
Friday, 8/17 - Venice beach bike rides, run along the beach, and surfing!
Saturday, 8/18 - Dream day at Disneyland
Sunday, 8/19 - Drive up PCH to Malibu, flight home to Austin (arrive 1am)

There was so much we wanted to do and not enough time. My cousin, Dawn, had so many great ideas that the boys would have loved. We just ran out of time for them all. But it was a wonderful trip. I'm glad to be home though. I missed my husband quite a bit. I don't think I want to take a vacation for that long without him again. I think he missed us, too. :-)

Here's a sweet picture for now.

Amusementless Park

I just came inside from watching the meteor shower with my sweet boys. I know this is supposed to be about Fiesta Texas, but it was just too sweet to be with them while they waited to see their first meteor. We saw a gorgeous one that crossed the entire sky. What a blessed first meteor to see! It actually took my breath away to see it. I fear they think they are all like that. We waited around for several more minutes and just as I was about to give up and take them in to bed, we saw another one. I couldn't ask for it to be any better as we all three saw the same meteors.

Tomorrow we leave for California. I was thinking of going to the 8:30am running class, but I've not done a single thing to prep for our trip. I think I'll do a run around my neighborhood instead. We are driving all night perhaps...we'll see how we feel. Dawn (my cousin) thinks we can do it, but she's never driven that far with 2 kids.

So, I wanted to share my Fiesta Texas Curse. We bought season tickets, and we first went over Spring Break. My niece, Heather, was with us, and she fainted in the ticket line (we weren't even in the park yet). After 2 hours at First Aid and a dose of Tylenol (she had a fever), she wants to go ride something. We stand in line and before we get to the ride, it starts pouring rain. We wait it out. We eat. We play a game. We give up because the rain won't. It's hard to tell kids (even those with fevers) that no one can ride any rides.

We go back 2 days later. It seems everyone else who ever wanted to go to Fiesta Texas was there, too. It was insane. I have never seen an amusement park so crowded. There should be laws against letting that many people into an amusement park. I stood in line for over 30 minutes to buy food. Fortunately, my boys won't ride the big rides, so they didn't suffer much as far as lines go. The kiddie ride lines just aren't long waits, even if the line could be considered long.

We take our 3rd trip in late June. Guess what? It rains! I knew there was a chance of rain, but I hoped it would not rain or rain later in the day. We were able to ride everything my boys wanted to ride, but we did not go to the water park.

So that takes us to last Thursday. No chance of rain. We go with my friend Jennifer and her two kids. Our plan was to go straight to the water park. We arrive and the water park is very crowded. Of course, that is not a surprise since it is really hot outside. Luckily, the kids don't seem to notice or care about the crowds. I stand in line for 30 minutes to get our huge refillable cup filled. Not a good sign, right? And again, there should be laws as to how many people they let go into that water park and pool. There were a handful of teenage lifeguards for a huge Texas-shaped pool packed like sardines with people. I'll save my teenage lifeguard rant for another day though.

We hang out at the water park for a couple of hours. We head to the Texas Tree House, and Joshua wants to sit down rather than go play. He wants to go home rather than go in that awesome water fantasy tree house. Turns out, he has a fever. I give him Tylenol (I come prepared now), and Jenn and I discuss what to do. We decide to rent a stroller for Joshua, and let the other 3 kids ride at least one ride before leaving. Jennifer had lugged the two heavy pool bags from one side of the water park to the other (up a ton of steps, too), so I got to carry them out the car, which parked at the Porky Pig #1 sign. Those bags were heavy, and I kept saying, "Where is < blank > is Porky Pig?!" I just counted it as my work out for the day though.

Joshua perked up when the Tylenol kicked in. The kids got to ride what they wanted. We ate delicious Whataburger, and had a peaceful drive home. I'm wondering if I should try Fiesta Texas one more time before the season passes expire in a couple of months? I was thinking a Sunday afternoon in September or October might not be too bad. I'll just have to take my good luck charm with me. :-)

Biking with no hands

I've been practicing biking with no hands. On my long run Saturday morning, I saw a woman biking with no hands. She turned a corner with no hands. I can't even go for more than 10 seconds, and that 10 seconds is pretty shaky. Anyway, I commented on this in a previous post, so I thought I'd keep you updated. I had a some luck with it last weekend at the end of my ride with Sarah. I practiced again today, so maybe soon I'll be able to actually sit fully upright for a few seconds. Simple goals are good.

Saturday I ran around my 'hood alone since David ran with the Gazelles. I waited for him as long as I could, and then decided to just go. This is a huge deal since I have two children that are actually too young to stay home alone (ages 7 and 5). I have many routes near home, and I know the distance of several blocks, including one that is almost a mile. I figured they could stay alone while I ran various loops and blocks, and I'd come home and check on them every loop.

On my second loop, David was home. I debated what route to take and how far to go. I had planned just running for 60 minutes, but with my late start and a party at 11am, I was reconsidering. I ended up just running random streets that were far enough from home that I couldn't wuss out and quit before my 60 minutes were up. I felt my IT band in my right leg the last 20 minutes. It never hurt outright, but it was tight. Guess I need to be icing it. My legs were also pretty tired, and I wasn't sure why. My only guess is standing and walking an entire day at Fiesta Texas on Thursday (see next post for more Fiesta Texas commentary).

David ran 16 miles in about 2 hours. I ran 60 minutes and maybe did 5 or 5.5 miles. Good grief. I'm so slow! He's so fast! Why do I even compare my times with his? Do you know how long it would take me to do 16 miles? You could watch Titanic while I run 16 miles. Not that I plan to run 16 miles anytime soon, if ever.

I had big plans to bike Sunday morning. I chose to sit in my pajamas and skip church instead. Then instead of biking or swimming laps, I chose to eat lunch and go shopping. And even after that, I chose to read and watch television. That's until my sister-in-law, Linda, called and invited me to the Veloway. She just got a used bike, and I'm so happy she called. It got me off my butt.

I took Elijah and Joshua with me, and I was hoping they'd bike together around the small loop. After one small loop in which we all went on, Joshua announced that he was done. Of course, I had a back-up plan. If I didn't have a back-up plan, I would not have brought them. My back-up plan was "Daddy Saves the Day." That is almost always my back-up plan for anything. We live quite close to the Veloway, so depending on which direction one chooses, one can get there within 3-4 miles.

Linda and I talked E and J into biking up to the short-cut and waiting for us on the bench until we came around. I learned from Elijah later that Joshua peed in the trees while we were waiting. Ah, to be a boy. David met up with us as we went on around to finish our loop, and if memory serves, he came cruising up besides with no hands on the bars. Grrrr.

Linda and I went alone for another loop at a decent speed...moderate for me. It was just so nice to be out biking. It was finally cooling off at this point, too. My three boys were on a bench at the start, and Elijah decided to join us for a big loop. Linda didn't think she could do another loop at the same speed. I went ahead and told them I'd go around to the short-cut and then try to catch them.

I loved that loop. I was going as fast as I could, and it felt great. I got around to the short-cut and then tried to catch them as quickly as possible. My legs were feeling that speed work. I caught up to them just before the hill, which turned out to be good timing since Linda's chain fell off on the hill. She didn't know how to fix it, and I used to have a pretty crummy hybrid bike with a finicky chain. I may not be able to change my own flat tire, but I can put a chain back on. :o)

We went slow with Elijah the rest of the way. David and Joshua saw us at the short-cut, and we all rode back together. Linda packed up. David and the boys packed up. I biked the 4 miles home. There's an incline on Escarpment that is so deceiving. It was the hardest hill on my ride last weekend, and it was hard again today. Of course, I hit that incline at the end of the ride, but I look forward to the day when that incline doesn't phase me.

So, for a last-minute bike ride, I did pretty good with 16.7 miles. Of course, a few of those were at a leisurely speed with my kids. However, I would ride with them any day over riding a faster, harder ride. I would choose them every time. I love that I can take my kids with me, even if it means that I don't get to go as fast or as far. It really won't be too long before they'll be able to go my speed and distance, and then they'll be faster and go farther. :o)

Name that Poem

I love poetry. Always have. I think more people should read poetry, and in particular, I want to get back to poetry. With that in mind, I've decide to have a regular series on this blog called "Name that Poem."

I often have snippets of poems floating around my head (some by famous poets and some by yours truly). Yesterday during my Tempo run, I had this line in my head:

In the room the women come and go
Talking of Michelangelo.

I love that poem. It is truly a brilliant poem. I'm not saying that the way actors talk about their directors and co-actors because in their world everyone in Hollywood is "brilliant." I honestly believe that poem is brilliant.

So, the rules. No rules really. You can just name it in your head to yourself (poem title and author, please). You can email me an answer. You can answer via comment. It would be nice if you didn't just google the line. It would be fun if you tried to remember it, tried to think back to those bygone days of literature class, tried to remember if it was American, English, or World literature you first read that line, tried to come up with another line of the poem. Because that line is pretty famous as far lines of poetry go...

I suppose the only rule is to have fun, and I encourage you to read the poem once you've found the title and author.

Celebration Day

Today I was reminded that summer is ending very soon. Joshua had a kindergarten playgroup open to any incoming kindergarteners at his school. We went, and I met some parents. I don't think Joshua played with any of the kindergarteners. He did end up at the basketball court. That kid is so funny. He loves playing with older boys. He was the youngest kid on the court and having the greatest time. I had to drag him off the court when it was time to go.

So my summer bubble burst when I was talking with the other parents about school starting and teachers and whatnot. I'm starting to get that twist in my gut that I got as a kid on Sunday evenings when you'd realize the weekend was over and school was the next day. School is starting soon, and lazy summer days will be but a happy memory.

So, I often get that pit in my gut on Tempo days. We just did Tempo two weeks ago, but here we are again doing Tempo. Today, I didn't get anxious hours before or worry about it at all. My friend Sarah was starting Gazelles today, so I had all along planned to run Tempo with her at her pace. I'm the one that talked her into joining and running at 5:30pm in August heat. The least I could do is run with her, right?

I knew my time wasn't going to be faster than last time because it's so much hotter this go around - maybe 15 degrees hotter. I also physically didn't feel 100%. I was late to Runtex b/c traffic was horrid on Barton Springs. Everyone was gone on the warm up, and I ran alone and missed drills. I barely had time for a bathroom break before we were lining up. I tend to talk, so I missed Gilbert's instructions to the group. Turns out he told everyone to go slower and not try to beat our times from 2 weeks ago...just too hot for that.

I tell Gilbert (and everyone else) that I plan to run with Sarah. Gilbert karate chops that idea, so I ran with Kathie and Yvette. Everyone really was going slow except Guy and the young kids. I'm sure they were going slow for them though. We ran our first mile in about 10 minutes, which felt fine for the heat. Already though, I was off my prior Tempo pace.

Kathie was really hurting due to being sick and having 2 sick kiddos and about 4 hours of sleep in the last 48 hours. She was questioning why she came to class. After the turn around, I told Yvette to go on ahead. Kathie and I ran about 50-100m behind her. I wasn't in pain, but it was really hot. I had planned the entire run to walk up the hill by the 1/2 mile marker. Why kill yourself on a hot day when you aren't going to be close to your regular time anyway? I talked Kathie into walking, and it was bliss. If I had run up that hill, I would have been hurting the rest of the way to the finish (remember, I'm not feeling 100% today either).

We ran the last part at a nice slow pace and picked it up a bit after the Stevie Statue, but nothing like a big kick finish. I tried to think about the upcoming Fila Relays and pretended I was running that. It was so barking hot last year, so it's good to practice in the heat, I suppose. (That bark was for Guy and Kerri)

After the run, we did running form strides one at a time, so Gilbert could critique us. It was a nice time waiting in line. I got to chat with Sarah, Gayatri, Yvette, Kerri, etc. I guess I'll suffer through Tempo if I get to hang out with such a fine group of folks every Monday and Wednesday afternoon. Awwww...group hug.

So, Fila Relays in a few weeks. Blech. After last year, I said I was never, ever running a road race again. And I haven't. Maybe I have learned something this year, and I can enjoy the 2007 Fila Relays. The key for me is to not start out too fast. Oh, and maybe there will be less dust this year. And we can hope that it's not 105 outside. We can hope, right?

Tomorrow I'm taking Elijah and Joshua to Fiesta Texas. Elijah's free ticket from the school reading program expires tomorrow. See, I push the envelope in some situations. ;o)

Next Monday or Tuesday we are going to Los Angeles (we being me, the boys, and my cousin, Dawn). We are driving there in a Prius. I'm a little concerned about that. It's a small car and a long drive. Luckily, we are flying home. I'm putting this out publicly in the hopes that I stick to it: I will run while I'm there. I saying at least 2 runs but hopefully more.

I've been swirling some thoughts around in my head regarding running. I am wondering what people give up or neglect in order to run (bike, swim, train)? There are so many Gazelles who run every day (or twice/day). Training for longer distance races takes up huge chunks of time. And I'm wondering what people set aside for that time. I wonder if they notice if they are neglecting anything (anything being literally anything...people, job, house, family, friends, sleep, etc.). And the big question - is it worth it? I'm curious about people's choices and reasons, and I'm curious if answers are different for men vs. women, moms vs. non-moms, moms vs. dads, dads vs. non-dads, students vs. professionals, single folk vs. together-in-whatever-way folk, etc. It just interests me. And I wonder if I had more time, would I spend it running, biking, swimming more?

That all reminds me of a funny story for those of you with kids (especially young kids). A friend of mine who has never been married and is currently single with no kids was lamenting about how little time she has for herself. She calculated how many hours per day (24 hours) that she spent sleeping, commuting, working, showering, etc. She was so annoyed and sad when she discovered that she only had 4 hours a day for the things she wanted to do. Hahahahahahahahaha...isn't that a good one? She told this to three moms: one with 2 kids under the age of 4, one with only one 5-year-old but is a single working mother, and the last with 2 gorgeous boys and a part-time preschool job. It was a knee-slapper, for sure.

Tempo Times:

1. 4:53.30
2. 5.08.55
3&4. 10:39.33

I thought I pushed the button at the marker, but I guess not. However, if memory serves, lap 3 was around 5:10 so lap 4 would be 5:29, which makes sense as we walked up the hill. Not half-bad, all things considered.

Circuit, or lack thereof

"A closed path followed or capable of being followed by an electric current."

Monday was Circuit. I do enjoy circuit, but it wasn't meant to be for me this time. My family set out together for a nice evening of exercise. We dropped Elijah off at piano and headed to Runtex. Joshua rode his bike with me for the warm-up from Runtex. David was going to get Elijah from piano and meet us at the track. Elijah and Joshua would bike with me for my cool down. It was going to be fun-family-exercise-time.

Kathie and Yvette ran with us from Runtex. We lamented about the heat. My legs were a bit tired from my Saturday bike ride, so it wasn't my most favorite warm-up run.

What's ironic about this story is that I was really looking forward to class. I was excited to come to running class, and I told David about it on the drive there. Gazelles class is an important part of my life - our life. We both enjoy it so much, and its benefits are many. It's an activity we can share together and as a family. It's a joint hobby/interest to talk about and discuss. The family that exercises together, stays together and all that jazz. Blah, blah, blah.

We arrive at the track and stand in the shade across the street. We finally decide to join the group which has begun the drills. Gilbert arrives and immediately asks me where my car is, where is David's car, do I have a way home, etc. I finally gather that our van won't start. David went on foot to get Elijah from piano. There will be no circuit for me, it seems.

Gayatri kindly takes me and Joshua to Runtex to find David. She patiently waits while we try to jump the van (Gilbert and David had tried earlier with no luck). Some Gazelles who had finished their run assist David with the battery and debate over what the problem could be (which highly amused Gayatri). Gayatri takes me and the boys back to the track.

We arrive when the group is doing the core work. We run a lap and do a half-hearted circuit. We join in on the last plank. It's all a big bust for me. Gayatri runs a few laps, while I entertain my kids and procure a ride home. We have Joshua's bike to load in Gayatri's car, and we are headed back to Runtex.

There we find David and a dead battery. Yvette kindly takes us home. David does the manly thing and goes for a new battery. I do the womanly thing and make dinner. Our awesome neighbors watch our kids at 9:30pm at night so we can go try out the new battery. David is a mechanical genius. ;-)

Today I hope to finish my ciruit workout. Albeit, it will be alone (er...with kids!) and around our block. Summertime calls though, and we are pool bound.

The Weekend Update

Saturday morning, my friend Sarah and I went on a long bike ride. Long is relative term just like fast is a relative term. So you half-iron and iron types, please grin politely while I write about our "long" ride.

We started out from my house, which is near the Veloway and the Mopac "Autobahn." I had mapped out a course that would give us around 20 miles (including one Veloway lap). It was a lovely ride, and riding with Sarah had much to do with that. We wisely chose to do our Veloway lap at the start of our Mopac loop. See, I know how I am. I knew I would not do the Veloway loop on the trip back when my legs were tired.

Two points of interest on this ride. We were honked at on Davis Lane (not a friendly honk either...a rude honk). We were yelled at from someone in a car driving 65+ on Mopac. The honk didn't startle me, but the yell did. I actually screamed a little scream. I have never been honked or yelled at while biking (that I remember). I know it happens, and I'm really mad about it all now. It's extremely rude and dangerous.

We ended up biking 21.6 miles, and we both noted how out-of-bike-shape we are and vowed to continue biking and work up to 30+ miles. After the bike, I promised Sarah that I'd take her on a short run. We jogged for 20 minutes, and I'm glad we did it. I plan to run after every bike ride I do in the hopes that I'll get used to it.

This reminds me...I have a goal. It's so nice to have a goal. Sarah and I are planning to do the Burnet triathlon on September 16. It's a sprint distance, but the bike of 18 miles is longer than a usual sprint. I can say that around mile 18 of our ride I was thinking, "Why am I signing up for a triathlon again?"

Sunday David and I had a date. We saw The Bourne Ultimatum and then went for a run at the TLT. It's funny to say that our date included running, but it did. Running with David gives me mixed emotions. I like it b/c I like him. I hate it b/c I'm so slow and for some reason, I whine more and run slower when he's there. We did 3 miles, and the first mile or mile and a half I was running at a faster pace than I normally do for easy runs. I felt okay (despite having a really gluttonous Saturday night). It hit me though the last part of our run, but David kept me going and kept me entertained. I'm happy to have run and hope I sweated out all the toxins from too much food and drink.

Funny tidbit: One of the bible lessons at church talked about Noah being drunk from wine. The correlative text was surely there just for me...drunkenness is not good! I felt like surely no one else in the church was feeling as though that section was directed at them in any way, shape or form. < hangs head guiltily >

Friday Fforde-itude

Ah, what is better than a good ol' Moon Pie Track Meet on a Friday night? Well, for me, it was going to hear Jasper Fforde talk and get my book signed. First things first though: Moon Pie 3.

Joshua is 5.5 years old. He loves sports. He loves to compete. So, naturally, he loved his first Moon Pie meet a few weeks ago. This time, Elijah didn't want to run. Elijah is 7.5. He does not love sports. He does not love to compete.

Joshua ran 4 events and did the long jump. He did the 100m, 200m, 400m, and 800m. He was the littlest kid out there to run more than the 100. His times are amazing, too. He ran a 4:36 800m. I want someone with math skills to figure out what he'd be running if he were an adult. You know, his legs are half the size of the adults out there. And he's running against kids at minimum 3 years older than him and most of the time 5+ years.

Click here to see photos of Joshua's track meet adventures. Moon Pie 2 photos were taken from the 3StoriesRacing site...credit where credit is due.

I'm amazed at Joshua. He ran the 100m and then a few minutes later the 400m. While waiting for his next event, he watched the other races. He said, "I want to run again!" Aren't you tired at all? He even want to run again when I saw him at home at 10pm. That's what I called fortitude.

Elijah and I left the meet after Joshua's 400 race. We headed up to the Arboretum to hear Jasper Fforde. It was awesome, and he's so entertaining. I highly recommend his novels as they are great fun to read. I was trying to think of other *living* authors that I would go hear speak and get a book signed...the list is pretty small. Of course, I already went to Coach Gilbert's book signing. :o) < insert Gilbert's Gazelles plug here >

Elijah went up and down the escalator during the hour-long talk and my 45 minute wait in the book signing line. He wasn't playing on the escalator, rather just going to the kids' section and then back up to check in with me. When I was about the 10th person in line, he comes from the escalator with an awful look on his face. He stumbles over to me holding his knee and collapses at my feet, crying. He'd fallen at the top of the escalator. I look at his knee and see two very deep holes. My first thought is "Oh no, stitches."

I did what any great mom would do...I use the hem of my skirt as a bandage. Fortunately, all around were helpful and sympathetic. A Kind Dad offered a baby wipe, so my skirt was spared some. The manager brings a first aid kit, and Elijah's knee is bandaged and no longer bleeding. Phew...no stitches after all.

I've "lost" my place in line during this triage effort, but when Elijah is settled in a chair, I go back to where I was (now 3rd in line). I know the girl behind me didn't care as she had been behind me for 45 minutes.

My turn to see Jasper. All that I had been thinking to say doesn't come out. I just say hello and hand him my book. Elijah had come over to see what exactly goes on at a book signing. The Kind Dad comes up and tells Jasper that Elijah went through great tragedy to see this book signing. This sparks Jasper's attention. Jasper's wife was sitting next to him, and apparently had seen Elijah getting bandaged up, so she chimes in. Elijah is showered with Fforde attention. What is your name? How old are you?

Turns out Elijah is the youngest person to officially attend one of Jasper's book signings (someone who wants to be there and is interested). So, Elijah gets a postcard signed to him. Jasper says he likes Elijah's name b/c of the double dots on the i and j. I finally get the Fford-itude to ask him if he does his entire website, including the "Boss Approaching" button (which I think is hilarious).

Elijah ends up getting two books for facing his painful fall with great fortitude. Joshua gets a book as well, and we all lived happily ever after.

Hello, Austin, Texas

I've said it before, but I love Austin.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TRAVEL/getaways/07/03/austin.texas/index.html

I really love how the hike-n-bike trail gets a good chunk of space in this article. And the greenbelt, too. Nice to have an article focus on so many outdoor things about Austin. My cousin, Dawn, and her beau are coming next week to visit. I'm excited and hope they want to go to running class with me. I think they want to hike some, so Familyvance may be visiting the Greenbelt, too.

Oh, and maybe we'll try the Bats again with better luck. Maybe Dawn will be the good luck charm for a fabulous bat viewing.


http://johnnyleefanclub.com/media.html

"Just seems I left a part of my heart
Somewhere in the lone star state"

These are a few of my favorite things

I love tea. Hot tea, that is. I love English Breakfast. It's my current fave. I used to love Earl Grey. "Tea. Earl Grey. Hot." I had a winter of Chai Spice and thought Earl Grey was history, but I went back to it. It's like a favorite book. You always love rereading it. However, I wonder if Earl Grey really has been put on the shelf for me? I have been in my English Breakfast phase for a couple of years now. It's so good. You simply must put half-n-half and sweetener in it though (as with all the black teas, imo).

We did 400s yesterday. I generally love this workout. I am not fast (really?!), so this workout allows me to feel fast. Fast is a relative term, ya know.

So I was 3 minutes late to Runtex, and everyone had left. The warmup was fine, but when I got to the track, I was really hot. I stood in the shade across the street for a few minutes - just avoiding the heat on the track. This sun and heat and normal Texas summer weather is irritating.

No Gilbert at class due to a meeting, so we had Bernard to coach us. Bernard is too nice and sweet. Gilbert would have made everyone other than the newbies do 10, but Bernard told us to do 8. That sounded glorious to me since I fully intended on doing 10.

So my usual group for 400s wasn't there, so I ran with Gayatri, Leslie, and others for the first one. I knew we were going slow, and I didn't care. I only planned to run the first one with them. I didn't look at my watch till we finished - 2:46! I had no idea we were running an 11 min pace. A little scolding from Bernard, and Leslie and I were off on our own for the next one (Leslie normally attends the Friendly class but I'm glad she came to our class for 400s or I'd have had no one to run with).

Our next 3 were around 2:15 - 2:20. Half-way through, and I made a comment to Guy that it was "really hot out here" and lamented that I was only half-way done. He agreed and said he didn't think he'd be doing 8. Well, I wondered if Guy isn't doing 8, then should I do 8?

So we run our 5th one in 2:07 or something (I didn't store my times; that is sort of not my thing). I tell Bernard that it's really hot and ask if I can please just do 6. He knows I should do 8 but like I said, he's just too sweet and nice. Gilbert would have laughed at me and said I was doing 10. I see Bernard hesitate, trying to tell me to just shut up and do 8. So I tell him I will run this one and see how I feel afterward.

Our 6th one was to be Leslie's last one, so I knew she'd take off after 200 or 300m for a big finish. She did 1:59 and I did 2:04. Part of me was thinking at the 300m mark to just sprint it in with her and be done with it. But the other part of me was thinking, "you are only going to do 6 of these? How lame is that?"

I don't know who else ran 7+ yesterday. The two fast groups might have...not sure. I am fairly sure Guy stopped at 6. The beginners did 4, 5 or 6. I felt like the only person on the track when I lined up for my 7th. It's really hard to run alone at the end of these. I thought for sure I was going slower. My legs had been tired since the 4th repeat, and I didn't feel like I had any juice in them. I couldn't get my normal kick at the end no matter how hard I tried to make my legs go. My time was 1:58, which is not my fastest last lap but is under 2 so I'm happy.

Can I remind you that is was really, really hot? I walked a lap with the ailing Gayatri (her back is hurt) and Leslie. I told them about Jasper Fforde coming to sign books on Friday (he'll be at the Barnes and Noble on 183). I'm so excited! I love his books. You should read them. Really, you should. You should start with The Eyre Affair. And having read Jane Eyre is not required but beneficial. Besides, Jane Eyre is a wonderful book.

After the lap, everyone was gone. I headed out to Runtex and started jogging. My legs tightened up immediately. I ran about 1/4 mile and had to stop. I alternated running and walking back to Runtex. It's been a really long time since my legs did that. I stretched a bit and then saw some Gazelles get back from their cool down. How did I miss them? I thought they had all found rides back. Nope...they turned off at the pedestrian bridge while I stayed on the north side up to 1st (I love cooling down that way...it's so shady). I would have loved to cool down with them. The company would have been nice. If my legs hadn't tightened up, I would have caught up to them before they turned off. Ah, twas not to be.

I really want to be able to ride my bike with no hands. I never could do that. I tried it as a kid. I have tried it with my current bike. I can't do it. The best I can do is lift my hands half an inch off the handlebars for at best 3 seconds. It must be something you need to learn as a kid. It's something you can't be scared of doing. And that explains why I never could do it.