Klutz!

I decided to change a lightbulb on my front porch Thursday morning before work and fell off the ladder. Evidently when I unfolded it I didn't get it locked into place completely and when I stepped up to the second step it squirted right off the porch and I landed on my tailbone. As soon as I realized that nothing was broken I scooted back in the house in complete embarassment. Once I collected my composure I went back out and got the light bulb (which had miraculously survived) and got it changed out. My left ankle hurt and I guess it probably got twisted as the ladder went out. My tailbone was incredibly sore and my right wrist got jammed. I went on to work but took lots of alieve. Yesterday I tried to back off the alieve and realized that my tailbone and wrist are going to be fine but not my ankle. I kept an ace bandage on it but it still swelled and turned lots of pretty colors. I bandaged it and put a lace up brace on it this morning and was able to get around well enough to run the sound system for the cyclocross race but knew there was no way I could ride. :-*( I had such an awesome costume worked out which I decided to wear anyway. I borrowed a clown suit, attached an orange boa to the ruffle on the hat for hair, had a great big red nose, big red gloves and thick long red socks. Several people didn't recognize me, the little kids loved me, but one little one was scared to death and I had to take off my nose and hat for him. Now I'm tucked in the recliner with my foot up in the air and an ice bag on it. I may try the bike on the trainer tomorrow with the ankle brace on but only if the swelling stays down overnight. Looks like I won't be running for awhile...

Killer weekend

I made it through my killer weekend! We played our first game of softball Thursday night and lost. We played again on Friday night and won, so we played a second game on Friday night which we also won. I left Johnson City at 9pm and headed to Kingsley's Stock the Bar Party in Kingsport. I only stayed for an hour and headed home to get some sleep. We played our next game Saturday morning at 9am and lost again so we were done. The opposing team had a real pitcher who was faking us out with trick pitches. I zoomed home and got my canoe out for a friend to borrow and helped her load it before jumping in the shower and then heading to Kingsport to meet a friend from college for lunch. Then we browsed through the downtown shops for a couple of hours.I headed straight to Knoxville when we finished and got to spend a lot of time playing with Katy and Paige. I met my friend from high school at 9pm and we hung out and talked until the theatre opened at 10pm. The movie was supposed to start at 11pm but got a late start. We were thoroughly entertained by the crowd the whole time and didn't mind. The theater had banned throwing rice and toast but not the rest of the usual props so we got bombarded with toilet paper and playing cards at appropriate places in the movie. The majority of the crowd came dressed up like their favorite characters and were hilarious. My favorite part was when Susan Sarandon and her boyfriend (can't remember who the actor is) were walking through the woods in the rain towards the castle. In the movie she has a newspaper held over her head. So tons of people in the audience put their newspapers over their heads and showered all of us with water from water guns shot straight up in the air. Too funny! Next time I'll know to bring newspaper! They had live actors in costume shadow playing the characters on the screen through most of the movie. The funny part was they were doing it backwards across the stage. If the movie character went stage left, they went stage right! I don't know if that's another part of the tradition or not. I got back to Jenny's at around 2am and crashed into bed until the kids woke me up at 8am. We had breakfast and played until I had to leave at 10:30am. I zoomed home, loaded my bike, changed into my TCRC gear and headed to Kingsport for the Susan G Komen Run for the Cure. The bike club provides riders every year to lead the first male and first female and to help guide the rest of the runners. I rode the course on my bike then switched shoes and got in about a 30 minute run before changing back and taking the other riders through the course one time. For some reason Hank wanted me there by 1:15 even though the race didn't start until 3pm. I had Kit lead the first male and I led the first female who turned out to be my friend Susan Rollins! She came in at a little over 19 minutes!!! When I finished there I headed to the grocery store and then went home to test a recipe for meatloaf and one for pumpkin roll. I've got bunko at my house a week from today and I'm trying to figure out what to fix. They both came out tasting great but the meatloaf is too juicy to hold together and the pumpkin roll split in a few places. I think I can fix the meatloaf with another egg or two and a little more bread crumbs. This is my second attempt at the pumpkin roll. This one tastes better but I'm not sure how to keep it intact. After supper I settled into the recliner with the cats and watched some TV before bed. I woke up in the middle of the night and had trouble getting back to sleep. I stopped taking my allergy medications this weekend and that's probably why. It will take my system a little while to adjust. When the alarm went off for swimming I was finally back in a deep sleep so I reset it for later and went right back to sleep. I figured that was more important than swimming. I've got a wine club meeting tonight after work and will probably take my pumpkin roll and see what they think. WHEW!!!

Still croaking

Last weekend was the opening events for the Mud, Sweat and Gears Cyclocross series in Kingsport. What fun!!! Jay Brewer built an 11 foot ramp for us with a 25 degree pitch on the uphill side ans a 30 degree pitch on the downhill side. First time I came up to it I panicked and came to a complete stop. I walked up and nearly choked when I saw the down side. But a friend encouraged me and soon had me zooming over it. Yee Haw!!!
I lost my voice over the weekend and by Monday night was coughing and feeling beat. Turns out I caught Carroll's virus and was off the grid the rest of the week. I worked from home between naps but had to double and triple check my work because I often wasn't making sense. No fever or vomiting thank goodness, just coughing and feeling exhausted. And no voice... Carroll probably didn't mind that part...
I still don't have my voice all the way back but I'm over the rest of it and back to work and exercising.
I did an hour of yoga on Saturday with lots of house cleaning. Sunday we did the Creeper Trail and it was gorgeous!! Yesterday I swam and this morning I ran. Yeah!
Tonight I have softball practice for the first time in over 30 years. Maybe I'll be better but I doubt it! I have very little eye hand coordination. Can't bat, pitch, or catch... Maybe I'll just cheer. :-)

pink weekend

Rain got me this year! Guess it had to happen eventually. Everything else went fine for the 5th annual Pink Ribbon Ride. Bill Francisco graciously volunteered to take over for me after we got the riders started so I could run for the airport to be in California for my granddaughter's 6th birthday. We hosted the party on Sunday then took her horseback riding, to a movie, then swimming on Monday. Got up EARLY yesterday to fly home. It takes all day when you are coming East due to the change in time zones. Back to work today. Didn't get much exercise over the weekend, just a long run Monday morning. I slept in this morning and skipped swimming to try to prevent jet lag but I'll get a run In tonight if it doesn't rain.

Pink!!

The Pink Ribbon Ride is next Saturday and the last minute planning is keeping me BUSY!!
I had a great group show up to do the Shady Valley ride with me on Saturday and had a blast. Actually, maybe a little too much fun! We got a great double paceline going from Mtn City to Damascus. I was whooping and hollaring but a few were not so comfortable with it.
This Saturday I'm riding with my buddy George Hincapie in Nashville. :-). He's the keynote soeaker for the TBRA awards banquet that night and is leading a 40 mile group ride that morning.

Good ride today!

I've been in the mountains the last few weeks getting my legs back so today's ride of the Pink Ribbon 50 felt almost flat. I amazed at how quickly I've been able to get back to distance and climbing. Speaking of the Pink Ribbon, I'm at the normal stage of panic for 3 weeks before the event. So many things have to wait until the last minute which add to the things that should have already been done but weren't. I think we'll pull it off, now just keep your fingers crossed that we get LOTS of riders!
Off to Knoxville tomorrow for Katy's birthday party. :-)

learning to have fun

One of the unexpected benefits of getting laid off is that I had the chance to completely relax and look at each day as a blank slate waiting to be filled with activities of my choosing. I learned that I genuinely enjoy a good hard day of labor and the feeling of accomplishment that comes with it. But I also learned that I need to make FUN a priority. I have been putting off having fun anytime it caused a conflict or effort. Not now. I have changed my attitude to be much more open to fun opportunities and I work to make them happen but don't let it stress me if they don't. I sure hope this lasts!!!
Training is going very well and my leg is continuing to heal. This will be my first week back on my full training schedule and it's going well do far. Saturday I did a 3 mile run, Sunday was a 50 mile bike with 2 mountains, Monday was a swim day, Tuesday I did a 4.5 mile run, PT with leg work in the gym at lunch, then a 20 mile ride last night. This morning I swam for an hour and I plan to do a 3 mile run tonight. Thursday should be just like Tuesday except the ride will be 30 miles. Friday will be a swim only day then Saturday should be a 60 ride with major climbing. Sunday I will probably rest unless I decide to do a short easy run. Yippee!!!