The Race

So you know I posted about the race that might not happen here.  Seriously it was like one hurdle after another.  The leg pain was intense....it was.  Billy broke his ankle running and couldn't go with me.  Which meant the kids couldn't go either.  Mom was sick.  Dad is expecting another grandchild any day and couldn't go last minute either.  There were lots of road blocks and reasons to say, forget it.  One friend said why not ask a girlfriend to go with you?  Guys honestly, a race weekend is not really a "girl's weekend" unless all the girls are running.  Early to bed Friday night without much dinner and a 4:15 wake-up call can easily place a wedge in a friendship!  The crazy bus shuttles...the waiting for me to finish the run.....the can't find the shuttle back to hotel issue.....the seriously I'm the last shuttle stop? issue.  Yeah.  It's a weekend that was better to just take alone.  And being quite independent and determined to run the race that I'd registered for in APRIL...I was going.  I really enjoyed being by myself honestly.  I mean how many times in your recent adulthood have you had a weekend...by....yourself?  Dang. That was nice.

So why did I run when the doctor said not to?  Well, on Wednesday prior to the race I took matters into my own hands and visited an acupuncturist.  Holy cheese cracker with a side of squeeze cheese!  It was amazing.  No really.  She alleviated the calf pain enough that I was able to run the half marathon with ease.  Yeah, I did listen to my body and took the 13.1 mile turn off.  I hated it.  I cried.  Crying and running do not mix either.  In fact the combo of those two can make you pass out.  Not that I did, but I did have to stop and gather myself and set the eyes straight ahead to the finish line.

The race itself was super fun.  Band stages were set up the entire course.  Rock n' Roll the whole way.  The finish line had a huge stage with bands playing all day.  And of course, on our race bib were tickets for beer.  Can this get any better you ask?  The weather was perfect for running.  I didn't even sweat.  In fact, I told Billy I just kinda glided over the finish line not even winded.  I suppose when you train for a marathon and then run a half your body is used to the distance.  In the past 10 weeks I've run over 14 miles every Saturday until the last 2 weeks.  The most I ran during the training was 18.

So today I feel pretty good.  I ate like I was never going to get to eat again ever yesterday.  Funny.  The leg pain is very annoyingly persistent though.  I just want to run.  And not hurt.  So I'll take it easy and hopefully build back up to the distances again.  And yes, I am already looking ahead for the next race. 

Weekend in the Maze

This weekend went by much too fast.  Like a blur really.  Saturday morning I woke at my usual o'darkthirty to prepare for my long run.  As I was fixing toast I said to myself, "What's that noise?"  That noise folks was rain.  So I put the toast down and crawled back in bed for another 3 hours!  There is just no sense in running a 20 mile training run in the rain.  After my battle with walking pneumonia earlier in the school year I am just not going to risk the lungs in wet cold!  After a nice little sleep in I was able to get into the studio and do a few more paintings for Marist this weekend.  And then......Mailey and I were off to Uncle Shuck's with the Girl Scouts for a little maze fun!

This place was pretty cool.  There were 3 maze courses to follow with a map.  The goal was to find each marker, punch your card then follow the map to the next marker.  I found out real quick like that you do NOT want me as your guide in a corn maze.  Yeah.  I was only seeing the negative space of the map, which meant every road was a dead end in my mind.  Artsy brain issues.

Each year the maze is trimmed to a different design.  This year from the areal view it was a hillbilly in a rocking chair with his shotgun.  Hilarious hearing, "Hey, Mrs Holly are we walking on his barrel yet or are we still in the beard?"

After the day maze we all went to eat.  These girls are so cute ordering for themselves, learning how to pay and tip their waiters.  After dinner we headed back to the maze for the haunted maze.  Now, growing up in Birmingham we always went to the Jaycee's haunted house.  Scared the pee outta me every time.  But I love that kind of thrill.  So I was SUPER excited to go through the haunted maze.  Especially when I heard the chainsaw roaring up and the fog rising from the corn.  Oh heck yeah bring on the scare.  So we waited in line.....and waited....then got to the entrance box.  And Mailey and Julie had complete mental break downs with bulldog tears.  And wouldn't go in.  And held up the 200 person line.  And made the rest of the scouts freaked out.  Yeah.  Good times.  So I grabbed them and ran away from the entrance with 2 others in tow.  The rest of the troop entered with Holly.  Only 5 ended up scared to death and exited by escort through the corn.  Only Holly and Beaneth made it all the way through.  13 waited in line, 2 made it.  HILARIOUS.  No really.  I was super embarrassed at first but then just had to laugh at the entire surreal experience of Mailey being so afraid. SO afraid.  Funny thing is she'll watch any scary movie with me.  Go figure.

Sunday we woke to a gorgeous day.  I set my sights on the 20 miles ahead.  I felt great.  I can always tell within the 1st mile if it's going to be a good run or a struggle run.  Immediately I knew it was going to be good.  My body was craving the miles.  Until mile 3...when the dang calf muscle stressed out again.  I knew I should have worn the knee brace and taped the calf.  But I didn't.  So I kept running.  Have you ever had a "Charlie horse"?  That's what it feels like.  I was able to get 15 outta myself before deciding to call it quits.  The crazy thing is my lungs, head and other parts were ready to keep going.  But dang that calf hurts.  I finished the 15 barely out of breath folks.  And even with potty stops I ran it under pace.  I've got 2 more long runs before the race.  Lesson learned....calf taped and brace is on.  If I can make it 15 miles in pretty good pain I know now I can make the 26.2.  I just really wanted the last few runs to feel good you know?  This week starts the tapering.  I'm getting very excited.  Thanks for being my little cheering section!

Orange You Glad You're Here?

Hehehehe...I know.  Such a cheesy joke.  I'm glad you're here.  It's Thursday.  Yoohooo!  That means fun art days.  Centers days.  It makes the days FLY by.

I'm gearing up for a huge run this weekend.  Packing in the carbs today and tomorrow.  When this run is over I'll kinda be happy not to have to eat so freaking much.  I know that sounds nuts, but the carb loading on Thursday and Friday is overwhelming.  It pays off on Saturday when I'm running for hours on end, but geesh.  Soon I think I'll post some of my marathon training tips.  I sure wish someone had a cute blog like this for me to follow along during the training.  I've read so much about training that my head is dizzy.  Ha.  Oh and BTW....it's a fact that people training for their first 26.2 mile run about 4 weeks out get what's known as marathonitis.  Where we talk about nothing but the training and the run.  Supposedly you get a little loco.  Perhaps even run a few friends away until after the run since you talk nothing but of the run.  Yeah.  My "itis" is starting a tad early.  Sorry.  I'll try to talk more about artsy stuff.  But I'm just so darn excited!!  I mean seriously.  I'm about to run 26.2 miles.  Holy mackerel.  I am insane.  Anyhoo....gotta go.  Get ready for color day in the centers.  Lots of painting today.  Life is good right?

That Road

The year year was 1990.  A magical year in the life of Jenni Adkins.  It was my senior year of high school.  I have so many fond memories of that year and all that it entailed.  My family was still intact.  We lived in a beautiful blue house on the Kendall Court cul-de-sac hill.  My room was decked out in Laura Ashley flowers, white walls and cotton candy pink shiny painted trim.  I had several boyfriends....from the cute boy with surfer blond hair to the ruggedly handsome Edward with curly black hair.  A straight A student with a best friend named Amy.  My car...a hot red Jeep CJ-7 with black soft top.  College bound to Randolph-Macon Women's College....life was good.  I had it all..for an 18 year old wide eyed young woman.

On graduation night I gave a speech as Senior Class President using this poem as my guiding light:

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;	5
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,	10
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.	15
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.	20

You know it well I'm sure.  I bet Robert Frost never imagined his words would affect so many lives.  Especially those transitioning from high school to college or college to adulthood.   That night with stars in my eyes and a full-life ahead of me I couldn't have even dreamed that my life would lead me here.  To this place.  To this life.

As I was running my 17 mile training run Saturday I passed this wooden path into the woods off the golf cart path.  And yes, I took it.  Because that's what I do.  I jump at opportunities to go the road less traveled.  Like training for a marathon.  My husband thinks I'm crazy. 

Last Tuesday-Saturday I ran a total of 31 miles.  2 miles short of what I was supposed to train.  I ran for a total of 5 hours and 30 minutes.  That's a lot of time spent in quiet reflection.  Honestly the time flies.  I listen to music, day dream, let time go by without thought.  It's the only time in my day where someone isn't saying "I'm finished.  Now what do I do?  I need help. Mrs. Horne...Mrs. Horne... Mom, where's my this...Mom what's for dinner?"  You get the big picture right?  The other day someone asked me if I was a real runner.  I said yeah...well, what do you mean really?  He said, a true runner runs without looking at his watch or worrying about the distance.  Funny, although miles are important to me right now in training, I do just run.  In fact most night runs I get to the end and am like, "Oh, I'm done."  Cool.  And then I practice my shadow puppets in the street lights. I wonder if the neighbors ever notice me out there.  Sure to be a sight. 

23 years after giving that speech I am here.  On this road.  Using the body God gave me to run faster and longer than I ever imagined.  Wearing down the grass.  But never my soul.  I'm glad this is the road I've chosen.