Mini Marathon - Complete

Well, I did it. I finished the 2010 KY Derby Festival half-marathon this Saturday.  I walked/ran the 13.1 miles in 3:43:54 and got 31,518 steps on my pedometer.  Needless to say I'm a little sore, but it was totally worth setting the goal and then accomplishing the goal. I think I would do it again, but I believe I would train to run it instead of walk/run. 


There were a couple of odd things I observed or experienced during the race.


1. It amazed me how much a complete stranger clapping and cheering you on can affect your step and energy level. It made such a difference in pushing through when you felt like "Oh My God Help". - my take away -- don't be afraid to encourage a stranger in their lives. For example if you see a single mom with kids a store or restaurant; congratulate her on how well behaved her children are. If they are so.


2. Just because you are running a race doesn't mean you should just through your trash where ever--please try to find a trash bin. 


3. I remember when I rounded the turn and saw the finish line I just teared up; and am doing so now just thinking about it. I saw that finish line and about half-way down to the finish I saw Donnie and I just decided I had to run the last couple hundred feet. It was so difficult, but I was overcome by the emotion of accomplishing something I've been training for 4 months. Wow, deep sigh. Still kind of in awe and amazement that God got me through it. 


4. There was one part when you were running downtown, close to the U of L campus after Churchill Downs; where there was a senior living center that had rolled about 20 of their residents with their family members and staff to watch and cheer on the runners. There were little old ladies cheering with pom poms; saying things like "You can do it", "God Bless You", "Keep it up"....it brought a big smile to my face. 


5. Then there were the kids that would stand in the middle of the street giving everyone a high five.  They were so sweet. 


6. On Southern Pkwy just after the park there was a large group of guys (probably college age) all where shirts saying "As long as you are running, we'll be drinking." It was kind of funny.  They would give you a high five while drinking a bear. I have a feeling though they might of felt worse this morning than I did. :)


Well that's about it for the mini. Glad I did it and will do it again. Thanks for the support!

Mini Marathon

I'm in the home stretch...over the past 3 months I've been training to walk/run the Kentucky Derby Festival Mini-Marathon (13.1 miles).  I will be so glad when it's over as I will have time to do other things like clean my house and have dinner with friends and my husband.

I thought I would have lost some weight during all this...but my leg are toner and I have more muscles now.  So right now I'm praying for good weather this coming Saturday morning....me and about 15,000 other people need it to not rain until about 3pm on Saturday.

I promise to blog more when this is over.  All I know is I set a goal and I'm going to accomlish it.  Period.

Spring is in bloom

So as things have warmed up strange and sometimes beautiful things are popping up around our new house. Just a reminder it was vacant for almost a year...and before that the wife wasn't able to take care of it and her sick husband...so we have some chainsaws to use and some kill all spray....but one very pleasant surprise bloomed the other day.

We have two of these large lilac bushes as you come up the drive way.  They are almost as tall as I am. Here's a picture of them. They smell wonderful.  I wonder what else might pop up.

Did I mention I'm glad that it warmed up!!!!  Praise God!

Strikers - Rant

One of the things I love about our country is the freedom of speech and religious freedom. That being said as I drive home and to work every day now I drive by Jeff Boat.  In case you didn't know Jeff Boat workers are on strike because of rising healthcare costs and decrease of coverage, etc.  I would like to state that the average rate of increase for our insured's healthcare renewals are going up 66%; which we can try very diligently to get down to a 30% or so increase.  (Side Bar---if you want to keep costs down...attack frivilous law suits) The plan that Jeff Boat is proposing applies to the entire company from the CEO to the maintenance man. Sounds fair to me. Yes I don't know all the details...but they have jobs. 

I just want to yell out the window when I drive by and DON'T honk in support. "Be thankful you have a job, as half my family still doesn't have a job and would love to be making money right now." This rant is spurred on because as I was driving by the other morning I got a thumbs up signal from one of them and they were yelling "honk your horn".  I just looked at them, shook my head and put my thumb down...and that was followed by a couple curse words and usage of the middle finger telling me I was #1. :-)

That's it for now...hoping they realize how lucky they are to be employed. Period.

You gotta laugh

Sometimes, as we all know, there are times that we just need a laugh. Luckily for me at work there are a couple of people that can really make me laugh or bring a smile to my face.  Funny enough they are our accounting team. They are so much fun.

Recently about 6 of my co-workers including the two from accounting (Robin & Mike) went to a user group conference in Nashville. I need to give a brief history of the point to my post today.  Buckwheat is a stuffed hamster. Robin's brother's first taxidermy project over 35 years ago.  Buckwheat has special place of honor and even a nametag at work.  He has grown near and dear to our workplace.

That being said...Buckwheat stowed away for the users conference and randomly made his appearance at events and places in Nashville.. He pushed an All-State Car, Spun the wheel of prizes, posed with the Easter Bunny, went out dancing, and got to sing with the country band Brothers Troubles at the Wild Horse Salon.

If you'd like laugh...just check out this brief summary of the adventures of Buckwheat the Hamster. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeEfiTnIMZQ

Enjoy. It had us rolling at work.