Ran Disney East and West

Well, I guess this will be one of the last, if not the last entry for this blog. LMM will be starting soon and we will all have new blogs to set up and write in. I'll always be lisathehornplayingturtle, but I'll have a new tittle. ????

The trip to Disney was great. My friends, Hallie, Carol, T'knesha, and Susan were so much fun and so crazy. I got to spend time with my California friend, Jackie and also a former housemate from college at FSU, who lives in Orlando. It was weird having the old college world of Jackie and Jim, and the marathon friend world of the gals collide in Orlando.

The marathon was great. Yes, there are some dead times on the route, but getting to run through the parks and seeing all of the characters made up for them. The crowd and volunteers were so supportive. And seeing Carol, Hallie, and Susan screaming and cheering at mile 24 was the best. I didn't finish in the time that I wanted. I chose friendship over running my own race. My friend, Jackie (who I ran with the whole way) started hitting the wall at mile 18. Being very fortunate, I have never hit (knock on wood) the wall in any of my three marathons, so it took me about a mile to realize what was going on with her. She claims she would have been picked up by the "paddy wagon" or have given up if I hadn't pushed her the last eight miles. Sigh, who knows. I kind of felt responsible for her, since I encouraged her to travel cross country to run this marathon with me. In the end, we crossed the finish line together in 6:59:08 and got a beautiful medal. All three marathons I've finished just under the hour. Hopefully, next time I can finish under six again. This LMM isn't only about losing weight or finishing a marathon, it's also about the lifelong friends you will meet and the experiences you will encounter during your running journey. I looked at the whole Disney experience, (friends, the race, the trip) and realized it all began with hearing Mark Simpson, by chance, on the radio four years ago talking about running a marathon, going out on a limb by going to the first meeting, and then actually joining up. Can't wait for the first meeting to start training for Chicago.

Going down the rails of a crazy train

Time has zoomed by this past month. This will probably be one of the last blogs of Running Disney East & West before going to the new blogs. Carol, Hallie, Susan, Michelle, T'knesha and I leave for Orlando this Thursday. I don't feel ready, but I'll finish even if I have to crawl over the finish line. No P.R. for me. My California friend, Jackie said she'll be running with me no matter how slow I am. Yep, I'm a turtle through and through. I'm signed up for LMM again. I've found I have to have a goal in order to keep getting out there and pounding the pavement. Training this year with the group, but not doing Chicago was not as enjoyable to me as the previous two years. I'm glad I did two totally different races, but I look forward to meeting new people, getting know some of the alumni better, and going to Chicago. I look at running as a long term thing, physically and mentally. I look at the people I know who can't run even if they wanted to, and the people who could, but don't, but really need to, and know I'm not going to be one of those people. This is the one thing I do for me. So here we go again. Hope to see all of you out there in blogland at the movie on the 24th and the meeting on the 26th.

Busy times for everyone.

Yeah, I missed the run Saturday. I was on the tech crew backstage for Natalie's Nutcracker ballet performances and rehearsals all week in Madison. Gee, what we do for our kids. It was fun, but a lot of work, complete with tearing down the set, loading up the truck and unloading up the truck at the storage place. I met a lot of good people and look forward to working with them again next year. I was just too pooped, and my Mom and sister were here to see Natalie, for me to get up and go run with all of you wonderful people Saturday morning. I did make myself run 10.75 miles from the boat launch to Fannin Landing turnoff (twice) and then on to Fox Bay. It was a good, but rather chilly run. About mile six, I decided to slow down my running pace from an attempted 10min/mile to a 12 min trot. Wow, my running endurance went up. I got in a good groove. I was able to do 5:1's quite regularly for the last four miles. I was amazed. Although, my legs are telling me off tonight. It sure is lonely going towards Fox Bay by yourself. I feel like I'm behind, getting ready for the Disney Marathon. I'm toying with the idea of doing the Blues Half slowly and am wondering how that will affect me physically for the following weekend. Anybody want to offer any words of advice? The next two weeks are filled with playing the following Christmas programs: Parkway Baptist, First Baptist-Jackson, Ms. Sym, Ms Chorus, FBC-Canton, or First Prez. One lady at church ask if I was getting excited about Carols by Candlelight. I told her I look forward to playing it every year. When it stops being fun is when I stop playing the horn. See everyone Saturday.

Where are all the bloggers?

I guess everyone is taking a break from blogging. I always enjoy reading what's going on with everyone. Come on you guys that like reading everyone else's blogs. It only takes a few minutes to give an update on your life and your training.
Disney is only eight weeks away.......or is it seven, no eight. Yikes!!!! It's time for me to kick it in to high gear. I'm gradually trying to catch up with the marathon training schedule, and will probably do Fox Bay and then the boat launch just once instead of twice. I'm going to push it a little more than usual and see how long it takes me.
Tonight, I have a big orchestra concert of movie music.....tiring, but alot of fun to play. My training has been going well. I got to run three times this week. Enjoyed running with Deb F. and Carol K. Not sure when I will train if this UMC job comes through. Anybody know someone that works in HR at UMC? I misunderstood one of the certification questions on the job application, thinking it was asking if I was a specialist. and the one lady that MIGHT be able to fix it is out until after Thanksgiving(!!!!!). My life is still on hold. According to UMC I'm a disqualified applicant for the most perfect lab job for me. I'm panicking thinking what if they can't fix it. Wouldn't you think this has happened someone else before me? Argh! Legally, the supervisor can't tell me if I have the job, but she has said I have a "very good chance" of being hired. I wish she could tell me so I can plan for the holiday season, and for the rest of my
life(!!!!!!) Oh well, that's life.... but why does it have to be so complicated? See y'all tomorrow.

Three times this week. Yea!!!

Well, I hope everyone has had a great week. Tomorrow is Friday again already. Can you believe it's November? I was in Kohl's today and there were two employees putting up Christmas decorations from the ceiling. Hey, at least they waited until Nov. 1st.....Wal-Mart starts getting their Christmas merchandise and decor out not long after July 4th. Haha! I got out and did four miles at the RMC trail. I'm not too crazy about having to go around the same trail four times to get in the mileage, but it's so close to our new pad. Although......it's worth the twenty minute drive to the rez for a good four mile run, once or twice a week.
For those of you that have heard the story about our ordeal with Olshans, it's finally been resolved. Long story, short. Olshans is going to "finish" what they should've done three years ago (the other half of the house) in three weeks. Although, it's going to cost us an additional $6000. I'm so glad we're just going to get it resolved and be able to get the house in selling condition. Know anyone that wants to buy a great four bedroom house, in a nice neighborhood, in the NW Rankin School District? Can't wait to see everyone on Saturday.

Pooped out Saturday.

I had every intention of being at Fleet Feet Saturday morining. Had rehearsal Friday night til 9:30pm, then I had to pick Natalie up at a Halloween party in north Jackson. We were both wound up when we got home around 11pm. Then, Mark got home from his game in Newton, and by the time we all calmed down and went to bed, it was 12:45am. It was then I decided it was better to get some sleep than go run in the morning before I had to play a demanding concert that night. By 7:30pm, I was glad I had gotten the extra sleep. I told myself I would go by the running schedule this week. Yesterday, I ran four miles at the Rez. My avg. pace is getting better with each run. Our van messed me up this morning. Pulled in to the carpool line at Natalie's school and the van started smoking. Uh-oh....not good. Van wasn't running hot, but it had been smelling like antifreeze the past few days. So, I got to spend three hours and $330 at the car shop this morning to replace a thermostat. If I hadn't been near the school I taught at last year, I probably would've run while they were fixing the van. My luck: I would've run in to one of my old band students during their P.E. period. I will definitely be there this Saturday. Ha, watch it pour down rain. I'll still be there. Have a good week.

Make it to Fleet Feet

Well, it looks like I'll make it to Fleet Feet tomorrow morning. Ugh! One side of me wants to sleep in because it's going to be a long day, while the other side wants to run because visions of Disney Marathon are dancing over my head. Tomorrow, is state band contest championships. Some of the best of the best high school marching bands from all over the state will be competing at Hinds-2A and 3A, Pearl-4A, and Clinton-1A and 5A. I'll be at Pearl most of the afternoon, after I pick up my little ballerina from Nutcracker rehearsal in Madison. Tomorrow night, I have to play a nerve racking concert....a lot of exposed parts for the horns. Fun, but a lot like running: why do I do this to myself? But, after a good concert, you feel good. Hey, after training and wogging two marathons, no symphony concert can be more challenging than that. Right?
This week has been a waste as far as running: Monday-had to take the car in to the shop, Tues-had to play childrens concerts all morning, Wed-rain, cold, and tired because of night rehearsals, Thurs-rain, cold, and I'm a bum because I won't brave the weather conditions. Today, I decided to go to the rez to run. I called Hallie so she could tell me to GO RUN!!!. Yea, she was off today, so she met me over there and we walked over six miles. Hadn't seen her in about two months, so it was fun being able to catch up on what's been going on with her. Running friends are the best! Have a great weekend and I'll see some of you in the morning.