Is it time to start a new weekly thread? Sunday or Monday? Oh well, here goes... So today I felt as terrific as I felt lousy yesterday. Go figure. Anyway did 12 mi (planned on 10) on my hilly route (planned on the flat one) at 10:01 pace (shooting for 11 - 11:30). Must be spring fever! Whee! Along my route I was surrounded by nothing but smiling people (even one of the kids doing hill repeats) and flowers, flowers, flowers. I think the whole town has spring fever! Arla

Nice, Arla. Glad your day went better today. As far as the high heart rate yesterday, just chalk it up to a weird one. One of those times when our bodies decide to say, "Hey! Don't forget I'm not just a machine. Pay attention to me." I feel much better today. I can actually turn my head without feeling nauseated. Isn't it amazing what some good sleep and a few muscle relaxers and a heating pad will do?? Hub and I were quite a pair - him with his back, me with my neck. So tomorrow I have to start knuckling down again and won't have much opportunity to let up before May. I want Karen and I to do "before" and "after" pictures to see how our bodies change over the next two months. It'll be interesting. Later!

Slow easy 4 miles today, cold and windy. I enjoyed my cutback week and got some parts rested. . We had a pretty good week farming, dw got several fields strip-tilled while I fertilized wheat fields. We are far enough ahead I take the time to do my runs and not feel guilty. From the tractor seat of our number one tractor, it won't fly but will drive itself with gps based controls but someone has to be in the seat (won't let me run while its running itself).

)What a range of temps, health, (and work) iissues around here. Jim, - Now I hate to say it but this LA girl moved to the midwest at a tender age and blurted out "what's a combine?" (THAT turned some heads), ...anyway, seems not so long ago when having an 8-track and AC was the way cool thing in a combine! Now it's gps and ??? Just like running - we have all these gee-gaws, but hey, they're kinda cool, even if ya don't really need em. Uh, wait, I was really concerned when my Garmin pooped out last week. Make sure you know your routes! Arla

Hiya 40's! So are we fit, fabulous, falling apart, or all of the above this week? Arla, thanks for getting everyone started. And WHAT? You Garmin died....NOOOOOO. Was it just a temporary thing? Great pace for your 12 mile run. You're smokin'! Jewels, so glad your back is doing better just in time for spring. Hard to believe it's already in the 80's (here too). Leslie, glad your neck is doing better. That can be so miserable! Wishing Jewels and I could send you and all our more northerly 40's some of this warm weather. It's 80's and super humid here today. Kelly, you're going to Boston...to heck with the taxes! R2, wow, that is some set-up! And I figured that farming was a good way to get away from technology. Guess not. Now as for your wife, strip tilling fields, ahem...what you two do is really none of our business Joe, love your new "Slow down or die" pic! Glad your knee is feeling better too. As for the deck sanding, sounds like you survived your home improvement project without injury...always a good thing. As for me, my body seems to be liking it that I've lost a little weight and am sticking with running 3 to 6 miles on my runs. Had a 5K PR a week ago, and another strong (for me) 4 mile race this weekend. If you're interested, check out my race report for the 4 miler...a good one for many reasons: http://www.runningahead.com/groups/MastRun/Forum/b95d8b576d6542918e680a0145c89148 The jobs are going pretty well...getting my legs under me a little better on the accounting job. Pet sitting has been farily steady, but happily not quite as much volume! Hubby and I are heading to Destin, FL in May, so looking forward to that. Have a great week of running and/or recovering...whichever you need the most!

Carol....Woot, woot! You little speedster you. Glad you found your niche with the mileage and all. I'm still searching! Leslie....Nice tempo run you had. Your soooo dedicated. I need some of that mojo. Actually, I just need to get my butt outta bed early so I can beat the heat as Joe suggested. Arla.....Nice 12 miler you had there, here's to many more! I have to vent.... Went shopping on Sat. with my daughter for prom dresses. After trying on 50 dresses at 10 different stores she finds one she likes. She pays for it with her own money ($225) and we go home. Sunday she tries it on a gazillion times and decides she just isn't liking it as much as she thought. Jeez, Louise! I told her, right after school Monday, go back up there and return it and we will continue looking some other time. She's nervous about returning it at this boutique as they "seemed" very nice/helpful the day we were there. So her and two of her friends who were wanting to look at some dresses as well went with her. This is how it goes.... My daughter-(Calling from her cell phone) Mom, they won't give me my money back! Me-What? Put Ms. Boutique on the phone. Ms. Boutique-We stayed an extra half hour to please you and your daughter and I will not give her her money back. She can pick from the other dresses. Me-She has already tried on ALL of your dresses and would like to get her money back. Ms. Boutique-I don't know where or what she has done to this dress so I will not give her her money back. My daughter-Mom, what do I do? Me-Put her back on the phone! My daughter-She doesn't want to talk to you anymore! Me-Fine, tell her I'll be there in 20 mins. I arrive.... Me-We bought the dress at 7 p.m. Sat. night and it is 5 p.m. Mon. evening. Your telling me your not gonna give her her money back? (I'm fuming at this point). What is your store policy on returns? Here is the receipt, barely 36 hrs. old and it says nothing about no cash returns. It's only been a day and a half lady. Ms. Boutique-(She points to the wall where there is some chicken scratch note that says no cash refunds) My daughters friend-Um, excuse me Ms. Boutique but you just wrote that minutes before her mom got here and you hung it on the wall. I saw you. Ms. Boutique-(Shaking her finger at my daughters friend) How old are you? My daughters friend-Um, 18 Ms. Boutique-Then you need to stay out of adult conversations. Me-You need to put your hands down and stop shaking your fingers at her and act like an adult. I have never in my life bought something and wasn't able to return it unless it was written on the receipt "No refunds" or if it was a "Final Sale" item. This is my daughters prom for crying out loud. Don't you want customer satisfaction? Me again-Why are you making this so dificult? Give her her money back. (At this point, I'm ready to leap over the counter and slap the crap outta her). I said, is your business so bad off that you can't refund $225 to an 18 yr. old who paid for this herself? (I think I pissed her off at that point) Ms. Boutique-I have a good business, but she is not getting her money back! This is getting longer then what I anticipated so....I'll spare you for now. Part 2, tomorrow! Jewels

Doggone it, Jewels! I was waiting anxiously to see if you slapped the snot outta that woman - - and you leave us hanging?!? You're worse than a TV show! "Did Jacqueline really kill her young lover, Stephen? Is Stephen really her long lost son, or has Harriett drugged them both, hypnotized them, and led them to believe they are members of the evil, twisted Brother Love's Salvation Show?" Find out the answers in next season's opener! You only have to wait 3 months." Ooh - I will be waiting anxiously for Part Deux!

Oh, and that cough I had? Now one of my parrots is imitating it. Nice.

Now that's funny! The uphill tempo run was kind of a mistake. I've run that route many times, but for some reason had a brain fart over just how much continuous uphill there is. Oh well - it's good for me! Take it easy on that back, Arla. If you can, when you get home switch ice and heat, 20 minutes on/20 minutes off three or four times. Keep that up for a few days and it really helps. 45 minutes cardio plus abs and planks this a.m., lots of stretching, and I'm good to go! Patiently waiting for the end to Jewels soap opera . . . . waiting . . . . waiting . . . w.a.i.t.i.n.g . . . .