Addicted to an Elevated Heart Rate

So how exactly does one plan an entire year? Really... is this possible. As if to think, that there is some way to see that far into the future and program your every moment like a computer program... or a series of 3650 dominoes(10/day). But it must be doable. Some people do-ed it. Unfortunately I'm not one of them! I prefer just a small amount of "fly by the seat of your pants" in my life. That's part of feeding the addiction!

So I'm going to "plan" for a great race season for 2008... and we'll see how close I can get. Some local races for the first 2 months in the year. Pensacola's Beach 10K and the famous Double Bridge Run (15K) and the Pensacola 1/2 Marathon. Then a couple tris in March with the Clermont Great Escape (olympic) and the LoneStar 1/2 Iron distance http://www.timbermantri.com/lonestar/ on the 30th. April will be back home for the Pensacola Beach Tri and then to Green Bay in May for a marathon with the Cheese Heads!!!

The rest of the year is still "seat of my pants" for now, but I'm absolutely doing the newest Iron distance race in Wilmington NC... the Beach 2 Battleship on the 1st of November! I would have liked to do the new Ironman Arizona race, but at $500 for entry, it's just not worth it!

All of this and more will be finalized and placed on a board on the blog in the very near future. As for the 140point6isters , Britt and Kirstin who are doing their first Iron distance race next summer. Best of luck ladies... though you won't need it, you're gonna kick butt!

So LISA is in NYC... playing, as is her way I'm discovering. and I get an email notifying me that I've been TAGGED!! So here's the deal...
Rules:-- link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog-- share 5 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird-- tag 2 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs-- let them know they are TAGGED by leaving a comment on their blog.
Sorry folks, but since I'm new to this blog thing... somebody is randomly going to get tagged. I guess that's the fun in this.

And now, five facts:
#1. I'm the only person on the planet ever to run all 4 military marathons in the same year. Did Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps in 2000... My Millenium Challenge! This can never be done again, since Army now only has the 10-miler and the Navy Marathon is no more!
#2. I have 27 years of military service and I've never done the same job for 3 years in a row!
#3. I have delivered a baby in Wal-mart!
#4. I NEVER ran anywhere but to the store until I turned 38... and now I can't stop myself.
#5. When I retire (in 1 year) I want to get a job changing bicycle tires and spend all my free time running and riding and water skiing.

And I'm tagging K. Michele because her blog gave me some good laughs.
http://swimmingthroughthecity.blogspot.com/
As well as Curly Su, who has an amazing series of blogs and is a monster marathoner! And she dropped her phone down a Port-aPotty!!!
http://curlysu.blogspot.com/

You know the rules now girls... time to ante up!

I'm never sure which causes the "Thanksgiving Day Nap-a-thon" (the only "thon" I enjoy that lowers my HR!?), but it seems to effect everyone... even little people under 5 or 6, who seemingly never run out of energy any other time... or questions!

Thanksgiving 2007 has come and gone. The leftovers will stay with us for several more days. The game scores and the thoughts of friends and family and the constant digital camera flashes will result in mashed memories before the weekend is over.

The traditional blunders of the day... Uncle Larry overdoing the gravy on a paper plate, and the carpet... the backyard football game at halftime which always ends up with an ER visit, stitches, and replacing the railing on the back porch... Aunt Lulu's special bean casserole that she insists every-bod-ee loves, but no-bod-ee touches, 16 years running... the "play by play" commentary by the boys on the couch about idiot coaches and "no-arm" QBs. And "good ole John" who insists on checking the oil in every car that arrives to make sure they'll make it home OK!
And of course the "all new" blunders... dropping the cell phone in the mashed potatoes as it gets passed around the table so everyone can say HELLO! to cousin Ray out in Cali... the hour long exchange between the ladies about their new digi-cams and who has the most mega-pixels and which one is better for video clips. The "new baby" report from the four corners of the "family" ensuring everyone knows they have new relatives and new birthdays that they won't remember.
Of course the best conversations are about which stores open early tomorrow and who has the best sales... what's the "hot toy" to start fights over this year and how we "can't believe they're playing Christmas music already". Why should this year be different??

Not one person asks "are you doing another marathon soon"? Or, "how was the swim in that last Iron distance Tri"? I'm not certain that they don't know we're doing it... or if they just don't want to hear that a relative 10-15 years older, 45 pounds lighter and with more miles running than they have on their car, is doing yet another "I would die if I tried to run that far" event. I don't want think of myself as "the one no-one talks about" because I'm healthy, fit and pursuing a life filled with energy instead of ailments. I guess being the black sheep has it's rewards though... no one ever asks to have Thanksgiving dinner at MY house!!!
Have a great day all.

So Lisa has found me, and has chastized me sufficiently to post some pics. Hope they don't come out all fuzzy! (like it would make a difference... shuuuh!)

And tonight while everyone else is shopping and baking and re-arranging furniture for the games tomorrow... some of us are preparing for another day like today. One of the burdens of wearing a uniform (police; firefighter; military... any public service) is that the work doesn't get to stop just because it's a holiday. In fact it seems to rise on those days for the police and fire-folks because of all the traffic and libations of the day. So while you're sitting down to dinner and saying grace, how about a short "thank you" for all the nice folks out there who work extra hard to keep us safe every day (even if one of them did just give you a ticket recently!).

This post is extra brief as it is late. Have a great Thanksgiving all. Best of luck to your team on the field tomorrow! Thanks for everything you do everyday as well.

So, I never made it back for another entry of Sunday. Monday, well what can you say about Mondays... if you make it out alive it's a good day! But now it's Tuesday. I just got and invitation to do the Green Bay Marathon in May and a threat that parts of my anatomy will be removed in a painful way if I don't do the Silverman Iron Distance Tri next November. Well... there goes 2000 and eight!
Nine hours in a medical clinic listening to whining and crying from 18-24 year olds about their runny noses and in-grown toenails is enough. I'll get my solitude tonight with 1.5 hours on the Power-Cranks on the bike in the garage. Nothing like screaming leg muscles to drown out the echoes of the day. Twice around the block (3.8 mls) should cover the run requirement for the day and then it's food and sleep.
Hopefully at some point I'll get the hang of this blogging thing and I'll start posting stuff people will actually read. I probably could use a pic or two... have to work at that!