Congrats on the hardware win on Sunday, OM, technicality or not! What is especially good is that you felt good throughout the 10K. Good stuff.

Tramps, whenever I suspect I might have come in contact with Poison Ivy, I almost immediately (within an hour or so) scrub down with Tecnu (sp?). It's great stuff that will get rid of oil before it becomes a problem. I used to get a nasty case of PI at least once a year - but not anymore as long as I follow that routine.

My internal alarm didn't go off till 4:15 this morning, so I was late getting out the door at 4:30. It was mild (59F) with a heavy mist that turned into moderately dense fog down by the ocean. I think it was the ocean - I could hear it and smell it, but I sure couldn't see it. I focused on turnover rate this morning, which was easy since my shoes were making that sucking sound on the wet roads: Suck, suck, suck, sucksucksucksucksuck... It made me laugh, but it also made it easy to keep that focus on how quick each suck followed the other. (You all aren't reading anything into this, are you?  ) I was thinking this morning that I haven't finished a workout on this route in under 1:01:+ since i added about 2/10ths mi. a couple of years ago. Today I did it in 1:00:49. Its a teeny tiny little victory that means nothing to anyone but me. And that's OK. 

Enjoy your day!  -  Jay

Practiced my first 5 miles pace for this weekends Green Bay Marathon.

Target 5 miles @ 8:00 pace.  Actual 5.65 miles @ 7:58 pace.

Enjoying the taper, eating like mad and fretting over little stuff. Looking forward to a fun filled weekend.

Good morning!  Dang it, Mary--you beat me to it.  I was going to say that Jay's workout sucked.

Oh--yeah--that was quite the trophy OM received, too.  Congratulations!

So...I haven't said anything about my wayward son, Eric, for awhile because I haven't wanted to jinx anything.  He has shown promise and signs of changing so many times only to go back and do something that sets him back even further than he was.  It was always one step forward and two steps back.  Well, a few months ago, while I was at one of my dislocated workers workshops, I learned of a program that the government is funding to get people into the manufaturing fields and they were offering a Precision Sheet Metals course completely free.  Well, I wasn't all that interested in it but I brought the information home and gave it to Eric...since he had been lying around the house doing nothing ever since he finished high school in January.  To my shock, he jumped at it.  He put his remote controllers down and, together, we filled out all the paper work and sent it in.  He took out all of his facial piercings (except for his earrings that hide the quarter inch holes in earlobes), let me buy him some new pants that actually cover his butt crack, and he has been attending classes for the last two and half months.  Tonight he graduates from the program! 

This has been about the best 2 1/2 months that I have ever spent with Eric.  I've had to pick him up from where he's staying and drive him into school every day and I haven't minded it one bit.  He laughs and jokes around with me like he never has before.  We have had real in-depth conversations about some real personal things and I have been amazed to hear things from his perspective.  It really goes to show how a little hope can change somebody--and believe me--he has changed completely.

We still have some things to get through.  He still has to get a job and find a place of his own to live.  But that will all come--I'm sure of it.  The other thing I'm sure of is--I lost my job so that I would be able to help Eric through all of this.  We would have never even known about something called "precision sheet metal", let a alone a free program to teach somebody how to do it.  And if we had, we wouldn't have had a way to get him there.  And, when the time is right, the perfect job will fall into my lap, too.

Anyway--I just thought I'd share that with you guys.

OM—3rd AG; woo hoo!  Congrats. (You should know better than to mention the technicalities.)

Carolyn—you got me. I didn’t understand the Hawaii reference.

Jay—thanks for the suggestion; I had never heard of this.  My problem, though, was that I had no idea I was exposed until it was much too late.

Mike—Congrats.  Sounds like Eric’s doing some growing up. 

Not a “wet Wednesday” here but we had torrential rain with nasty lightning and thunder last night.  The windows were rattling; yowsa.

Garmin was off the cradle, so an untimed 5.2 miles this morning.

MikE, that is wonderful news!    Not only is he finding a trade that gives him self-worth, it is also a trade that he can do very well at if he keeps going with it.   I find this to be very encouraging and there is a purpose for everything that happens in life.   It is just up to us to figure it out.

Thanks for sharing with us!

That's wonderful news Mike. Isn't it awesome to see your kids fired up about their future? College isn't always for everyone.

Congrats OM! More importantly, nice to see your post today

You're ready Carolyn. You too Slo. Forecast update: 40% chance of rain, 62° at race start. It will probably change again before tomorrow.

5 miles on the eliptical this morning.  No more long runs until Sunday. Must. Stop. Eating....

The other thing I'm sure of is--I lost my job so that I would be able to help Eric through all of this.  We would have never even known about something called "precision sheet metal", let a alone a free program to teach somebody how to do it.  And if we had, we wouldn't have had a way to get him there.  And, when the time is right, the perfect job will fall into my lap, too.

+1000

So happy for you, MikeE, and for your son too. Things do work out.

wildchild you are clearing 2000' too easily these days!   Maybe 3000' should be the new 2000'! 

rhoon phast good news on the Garmin!  Congratulations!  I hope it stays working.