Greenway ride #2

While most of the US was abuzz about "The Dark Knight", last night John and I went to see "Momma Mia". I expected this to be a chick flick but we found the audience pretty evenly split between chicks and couples. The audience was bawdy, prone to clapping, loud laughing and cheering. We had a great time. Meryl Streep sings a lot better than expected and Pierce Brasnon sings, well, not as good as Meryl but he is just so great to look at, you know, James Bond singing Abba. I love musicals so this was a real treat. John seemed to enjoy the movie too, he laughed a lot!

This evening we received an email from Will and Kim, who are currently in Bergen, Norway. They wanted to let us know that they are having a great time (given) and that the sticker shock is shocking! A meal from Burger King (Whopper, french fries and coke) is about $20 US, a Coca Cola is going for about $5 US AND a Pizza Hut type large pizza is going for $40 US....cough, cough. Anyone for a trip to Scandinavia??!!

Finally, we took another bike ride today. We returned to the greenway but decided to go from the old BiLo in Bearden (again) to the UT Trial Gardens (on the Ag Campus) and back. Photos from our ride are below. By the way, I will be back to running tomorrow.

Me in the Trial Gardens. That is one big Elephant Ear!

The gardens were started by the University of TN Plant Sciences department and function as an outdoor laboratory . Over the years, they have become a much loved part of the Knoxville landscape. John and I have met at the gardens for more than one summer evening stroll.
John enjoying the shade while I walk around in the sun, looking at flowers.

A quiet walkway in the herb section of the garden.
Sunflowers in the UT Gardens are still in bloom!

After a visit to the Trial Gardens, we rode across the new Alcoa Highway pedestrian bridge over the Tennessee River and to the UT AG Farm. Most of the AG Farm will be moved and replaced with a research center but for right now, the grounds remain a beautiful green space just minutes from downtown. The above photo is from the Farm, looking toward the Tennessee River. Directly across the river is Cherokee Blvd, the road I often use for my short runs.

Me on the pedestrian bridge, looking toward the river. The UT AG Farm is on both sides of the highway behind me.

Greenway bicycle ride

After a dismal running week (3 miles on Monday, 3 miles on Thursday), I am officially burned out! John has been a little concerned about my lack of enthusiasm, so last night, while we were on Market Square watching the outdoor stage presentation of The Merchant of Venice, he suggested we pass on the Saturday Farmer's Market and go for a bicycle ride on greenway. Good idea!

This morning we climbed on our mountain bikes. Our final destination was John's house but we planned to ride out to the sunflower fields on the Will Skelton greenway first. The entire trip starting at the old BiLo in Bearden, approximately 19.0 miles. We rode at a comfortable pace, stopping on occasion to take photos and drink water. In the 90+* heat, we generated enough breeze on our bikes to keep us comfortable. It was just the run break I needed.

Below are a few photos from our ride:

John getting ready to go under Neyland Drive. This is a great place to cross a really busy 4 lane highway and it looks like the Canadian geese have discovered it too. We had to pause while they crossed from 2nd Creek to a feeding spot near the greenway. These guys cross in single file formation, no hurry here! Note the first goose popping up just above the concrete bricks.

The sunflower field is spectacular even though many flowers are "on the way out." About 50% have already lost their petals and the birds have begun to pick at the maturing seeds in the center. We are about 1 week too late for full bloom.

The flowers in the above 2 pictures are different but, well, with the exception of the flower size, every sunflower in this field looks about the same as the next. The flowers are covered in bees so the whole field hums.

John on a dirt road in front of the sunflower field. The sunflowers are planted by TWRA (TN Wildlife Resources Agency) who manages the fields and East TN Wildlife Management Area adjacent to the greenway. John has biked extensively through the wildlife management area we decided to turn off the greenway and follow the dirt-gravel road back to the main road.
Yep, that's me with my 1990's helmet and shirt. Maybe I will get a new helmet for Christmas....hint, hint, hint.

We followed the dirt road to this gravel road, which led out. This was my first effort on my mountain bike since a memorable wreck in Panther Creek State Park in 2001. Needless to say, I took things nice and easy...I can still remember the pain!
On the way home, we detoured to Island Home Airport, bicycling to the security fence to watch a couple of planes take off. Island Home is the "private" airport in Knoxville. Most of the planes are quite small, but as we rode to a gate at the back of the airport, we saw this hanger with the Remote Area Medical planes. You may have seen the 60 Minutes piece on RAM, if not, check check out this link http://www.ramusa.org/index.html They do good things for the needy here and abroad.
Photo from a bridge near Island Home Airport. The photo looks directly toward Knoxville. Tennessee School for the Deaf and the greenway are to the left (behind the trees), the runway for the airport is to the right.
Finally we made it to John's for a quick, healthy lunch. On the menu for John, whole wheat bread and natural peanut butter with cucumbers, tomatoes and a side of pear. John says this is a good combination, a refreshingly summer version of a peanut butter sandwich. I am not so sure. On the other hand, I had a salad with lettuce, squash, onion, mushrooms, tomatoes and pears topped with light blue cheese. I also had a grilled cheese (no butter). Yummy!

Catch up post

I have been negligent on posting this month. We have been busy, I have other things on my mind and mostly, I just haven't much felt like writing.

Running is going okay. Three weeks ago I had a long run of 6 miles (with a couple of miles of walking), two weeks ago my long run covered 6.5 miles (with less walking) and last week my long run equaled 7 miles with no walking. Shorter runs continue about 4 days a week and are either 3 or 4 miles each. The dog days of summer are here! With warm temperatures, high humidity and toxic air, I am beginning to feel a bit burned out. Oh how I long for cool, fall weather!

John and I have had a great July so far. Below are a couple of photos that have been lurking in my camera.

These are the first tomatoes from my patio garden. They are small with a high concentration of acid. Most of the tomatoes still developing on the vine are small. I think I am expecting too much from my little potted plants. Next year we may try a raised bed garden in the yard.

This gathering of Smiths is a celebration to be sure! On July 6th, our parents celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary. We partied with a bucket of KFC (my mother's favorite) and some yummy sides. While I have been trying to avoid such food, I gladly scarfed down a greasy chicken breast and mashed potatoes..... seconds anyone?

From left: me, Mother, Leslie, Mike (Leslie's husband), Daddy, Carol and the empty chair belongs to John, who is taking the photo (thanks sweetie)!

We love having dinner with friends. Last Friday, we had dinner with Will and Kim at El Mezcal in Bearden. The food is decent, the margaritas excellent (just ask Will) and the service great.

John and me, drinking iced tea and water. B-o-r-i-n-g! Nevertheless, we had a great time and are total envious that they are leaving for Norway later this week (didn't you just get back from Russia??!!), where it is cooooool!

4th of July Weekend

As it turns out, this

plus this

plus this

equals a mighty fine pre-run breakfast.

For the past couple of weeks, I have been struggling with my longer runs, my energy runs out before my run is complete. Pre-run breakfast is usually something to drink (Diet Coke) so I can get out the door before the sun gets too warm. Obviously this strategy is not working for me.

Friday, July 4th I decided to ditch the planned run and break out the "Saturday" morning fixins. Actually I usually eat oatmeal, soy sausage and orange juice but on an occasional weekend, sweet potato pancakes are on the menu. Sometime later, maybe an hour and a half, I found myself with a lot of energy. The temperature was still in the 70's, the sky was overcast, perfect for an attempt to rescue the planned run. The plan called for 3-miles but in the back of my mind, I was rolling around the goal of 4.

I arrived on Cherokee Boulevard, parked my car and started toward the running path. A couple of people were starting at the same time so I fiddled with the wires on my iPod to give them a chance to get comfortably ahead of me. I wasn't in the frame of mind to be passed at less than .2-mile.

The run started out well and stayed that way. When the the 1/2 turnaround for 3-miles appeared, I passed the people who had started ahead of me, they were walking. I kept running, up the 1/2 mile hill and to the 2.0-mile marker. I expected to have my energy zapped but I didn't. I turned around at the 2.-mile marker and ran back.The run back to the parking lot was comfortable. The best part occurred when the parking lot came in sight and I still had energy to burn.

We had a rocky start to our long 3-day weekend, John had another bicycle mishap Thursday night. This time he was on his mountain bike on the greenway. He was jumping things....cracks in the greenway, railroad tracks and such. At one point, he grabbed his brakes when he pulled up on the handle bars. You can imagine what happened when his front tire hit the pavement...a forward flip over the handle bars. Luckily no breaks, he only lost 1/4 of the skin off his back (it wasn't pretty) and bruised his calf and back. He won't be getting on his bike again for a few days!

Friday evening, the 4th of July, we headed downtown for dinner and 4th festivities with our friends Will and Kim. After dinner at LaCosta, we spent the evening at the World's Fair Park, listening to the Knoxville Symphony and watching fireworks. Aside from a 30 minute interruption for wind and lightening, the evening went off flawlessly and we had a great time!

Beverly and John

Will and Kim
Celebrating the 4th at the World's Fair Park

Broken arm anniversary

Ah, how short my memory is! A week or so ago I said my last previous summer run was June 21st. How could I have forgotten last year? During May and June of 2007, I was attempting to kick start my running program. I was motivated and doing okay when the plan came to an abrupt end. The day was June 30, 2007, it was 5:15 AM and I was running (shuffling) on the streets of Mt. Airy. I tripped, hit the concrete and encountered pain like I have never known. The story is here:
http://outandbackblog.blogspot.com/2007/07/sudden-change-of-summers-plans.html

So in honor of the 1st anniversary of my only broken arm, I have included a picture from 2007 (swollen and bruised) and my 2008 arm, strong as ever! I prefer the 2008 arm!

2007 Broken Arm

2008 Good Arm

Oh by the way, I am back on schedule to repeat last week's running plan with another couple of miles added. Today's effort:

Run: 3.0 miles, 37.24 minutes, 12.41 mmp

Dunlap-Acuff-Wilmer family reunion

Family members from Alabama, Georgia, Ohio and Tennessee converged on Chattanooga for the annual Dunlap-Acuff-Wilmer family reunion. The reunion, in its 18th year, was initiated by John's grandfather and unites the families his two daughters, Johna, John's mother and her sister Alice Jane. This year family members included Johna, the children of both sisters, grandchildren and two great grandchildren on John's side. In total, 30 people spent the weekend at the Chattanoogan, sightseeing and catching up with each other.

We arrived on Friday evening, just in time to have dinner at the Broad Street Grille with John's immediate family. After dinner, the group of 16 jumped on the trolley and headed to the Walnut Street walking bridge to cross the river and ride the carousel in Coolidge Park. With several little ones in tow, the fountains were irresistible so the adults talked and watched while the kids splashed in the water.

Saturday's adventure included a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, a trip to the Chattanooga Aquarium (fresh and saltwater), lunch for 17 at Mellow Mushroom and dinner for 30 at St. John's Restaurant http://www.stjohnsrestaurant.com/ on Market Street (very good food I might add).

Sunday arrived quickly and after breakfast, the two branches of the family parted ways. John's family went for a ride on the Incline Railway and lunch at Big River Grille http://www.bigrivergrille.com/ on Broad Street. After a lot of hugs and good-byes, everyone was off in scattered directions.

I took a few pictures but not nearly as many as I thought. I have included a few below:

Crawford, John's nephew, playing in the fountain at Coolidge Park

Austin, Johna's 1st great grandchild, at breakfast

On the trolley from left: Laura (in turq shirt, John's sister), Chuck, Lee (John's son), Sam (Chuck's son), Catlin (John's niece, David's daughter), Jessica (Laura's daughter, John's niece), Andrew (Chuck's son), Beth (David's wife), David (John's brother)....whew!

Still on the trolley from left: David (John's brother), Belle (John's cousin, Chuck's wife, Sam and Andrew's mother), Johna (John's mother--do they look alike or what!) and John

John and I at the Aquarium

Daniel (John's son) and his girlfriend Kendra (cute!), who drove to Chattanooga on Saturday and met up with the group at the saltwater aquarium

Richard (John's brother-in-law and Laura's husband) and Kaleb (Johna's 2nd great grandchild)

On the Incline Railway front: Liz (John's niece-in-law, Will's wife and mother of the great grandchildren), Richard, David, Johna, Will (John's nephew-with hat) and to the left is little Austin
Finally, we don't know the two people in front but you can see John and I behind them, Daniel is on John's right and Catlin is sitting behind Daniel, Lee, Beth and so forth
The Incline and a cloudy view of Chattanooga

Six tough miles!

The last run of this week did not go well! On schedule was a 6-miler. The route began at the same place as Wednesday's run but turned right by the basketball arena and rambled through UT. The route was familiar to me as a motorist but new to me as a runner so I spent a few minutes Thursday night writing down the instructions in large print (so I wouldn't need reading glasses) and folding the information in a plastic bag to stuff in my pocket.

I was running by 8:30 AM but in retrospect, I should have started earlier as the humidity was already high. I checked my instructions as I turned left or right and the first part of the run went well. Somewhere along the way, I became too confident and quit looking at my paper. Then I made a mistake and turned on the wrong road. It is no surprise to me that my internal gps is broken, but it does surprise me that after all these years I continue to think I can rely on it.

The sun was warm, the air still and not a spec of shade in sight. Whoops! No way would I backtrack to correct my mistake so I kept running in the direction of the river and soon crossed the railroad tracks. I popped out by the UT Vet School and onto the shady greenway but it was too little too late. I was still running but feeling very sluggish.

The mistake cost me about 1/2 mile but the heat and humidity would cost me more. I began a pattern of running for a few minutes, then walking a few. Jeff Galloway style I convinced myself, knowing I was walking more and running less than he advocates. As periods of walking increased, I had to work to convince myself to run and somewhere around mile 3.5, I threw the Jeff Galloway concept out the window. By mile 4, I was pretty much toast, walking a lot, jogging a little. I reached the car none too soon!

On one hand, the run was a disappointment. I know I can run 6-miles. Sometimes I wonder if my mind not in the right place. On the other hand, it is summer and I am still running. I should consider this a win! After this effort, I have decided to purchase a visor and a fuel belt for future long runs. Maybe hiding my face from the sun and a bottle of water and Powerade will help me through the rough patches. I plan to try the effort again next week.

Now John and I are off to Chattanooga for his family reunion...

Summer shuffle

I went for a run this morning, well maybe a jog.....okay, a summer shuffle, but I did get outside! I am in the middle of the 1st week of my summer running plan and both scheduled running days have gone according to plan!

Monday was my first day out after a weekend of feeling pretty bad! I decided to drive to Cherokee Blvd because it has a nice 1.5 -mile out and back greenway (3.0-mile total), lightly rolling hills (slightly noticeable if one is driving) and some shade along the way. I started a little later than planned but not so late that I would quit because of overheating. I must say, it was hot!

The out went slow and smooth. At the turnaround point I was warm but still comfortable although I looked forward to the many shady spots on the return trip. About 2/3's of the way home, I saw 2 familiar faces coming my way....Will and Kim were out for their morning run. We waved as we passed but they were just getting started and I was almost done so we didn't stop to chat. The parking lot came into view and I could see the end of the trail. Yeah! Three miles complete, success for my first run of the "summer plan."

But wait, there is more. I had my bike on the back of my car. I haven't been on my bike in 2 months. With a couple of months of solid eating and reduced exercise, I am on my way to a chubby lifestyle. Time to up the exercise output (and cut back on the food).

Climbing back on the bike was fun! I was hot and sweaty from the run so the breeze generated by the ride quickly cooled me off. The ride was short and sweet, 6-miles at a 13.2 mph pace. Bicycling is a great way to go during the summer!

Today's run was scheduled to be a little longer, 4.2-miles. I decided to run on Neyland Drive for the same reasons I have mentioned before, mostly flat with areas of deep shade. Although humidity was on the increase, a nice breeze drifted off the river so all was well. I finished in a slow 54 minutes but I was pleased with the effort. The run was capped off with 3 sets of 50 steps.

Running, eating, friends

Another run was in order yesterday so once again I headed out on my neighborhood streets. The sky was overcast with the threat of spotty thundershowers but unfortunately no rain fell. I am still feeling like I have been slammed so I was pleased to have completed the 2.6 mile rolling hill course with little effort. Next week I will begin kicking up my mileage, next week I will feel better!

My dad knows I have been feeling bad, mostly because I call him daily and tell him so. Late yesterday afternoon, he calls and asks if I have been running. The answer is of course, yes. He informs me that the air quality in Knoxville is somewheres around toxic and suggests I lay off the running until either 1) I feel better or 2) the air quality improves. This is followed by a moment of silence to be sure the information sinks in. Oh! Well, I am feeling pretty bad so taking his advice will not be too difficult.

Last night we had dinner with some friends. A couple of photos are below:

From left: Ginger, Ron, John, Kim and Will. John and Judi were our hosts. Judi is an artist, a weaver, and their home reflects their interest in all art...fabrics sculptures, pottery, glass and paintings.
From left: Kim, Will (John's head barely shows behind Will's), Judi and Ginger. Note Judi's beautiful woven jacket.
John and Judi had beautiful dinner music playing in the background. The music, clear and soft, was not from an instrument we recognized. On questioning Judi about the music, Will learned that the sound came from a series of glasses filled to various levels and played with by rubbing the finger (or other instrument) around the rim to produce different notes. Above you can see Will attempting to recreate the sound. He needs a little practice.....

Dessert! Yum, yum!

It's grape time again!

Yeah, my favorite food is finally in season! Nothing like a handful of ice cold grapes after a warm summer run. Grapes are available almost year round but I am picky about my grapes. They must be smallish, firm and $1.99/pound or less.

Beautiful! Freshly washed grapes (with a few missing sorry about that :-)

We have been home for 5 days now. For some reason, after international travel, John and I come home with some type of respiratory infection. In 2004, after spending the hours before our flight home in the musty, stuffy catacombs in Lima, Peru, we returned to 10 days of congestion and stuffy noses. In 2006, after spending 10 days gazing at the brown, polluted China skies, we returned home to a week of congestion and stuffy noses. Now, in 2008 after avoiding the catacombs and staying out of the polluted cities, we are again suffering from congestion and stuffy noses. Maybe we are having a bad reaction to returning home :-)

When I woke up this morning, I felt like I had been slammed by the train from Cusco to Puno but decided to run anyway. I would have preferred to leave from my front door, but opted to drive to Neyland Drive along the Tennessee River because the route is mostly flat and more appealing than facing my neighborhood hills again.

I started off slowly. At 9:15 AM, the sun was warm but with the temp somewhere in the 60's and a breeze drifting off the river, I was quite comfortable. I enjoyed feeling my feet hit the pavement and listening to my breathing. My thoughts drifted aimlessly and occasionally tuned into my iPod, which was plugged into one ear.

At the turn around point, I had the breeze to my back and started to get really warm. I set small goals of running to the bits of shade that dotted the route. I reminded my self that I was 2 days away from my latest summer run. The date was June 21 in 1998. I was running a lot at the time but couldn't gut out the summer heat and humidity. After that, I mostly quit running, picking it up occasionally but sticking with it for only a month or two at the time. This year I have a goal to stick it out, to get beyond my dislike of summer running and come into the fall with a solid base. I am determined....

The run covered 4.2-miles out and back. I took away from the run the sights and sounds of the river, the sweet smell of the mimosa blossoms and a sense of accomplishment. I am one day closer to my goal.

Back in my running shoes

Today, finally, I was ready to run again. I laced up my running shoes and headed out the front door for a short, 2.1 mile adventure. Lawns along my route were damp from recent watering (just how much water does the US public consume keeping their yards green?) and I could feel the the moisture floating up from the surface. We are in the middle of a "cool" front in Knoxville so the temperature was tolerable but still warm, especially after spending a cozy winter week in the southern hemisphere.

The run felt easy and just the right length to leave me looking forward to my next effort. Along the way, I enjoyed the sweet, citrusy scent of magnolias. I am always very thankful to live in the south when the magnolias are in bloom.

Below are some final pictures of Peru. I will eventually put a larger selection on Smugmug.

Plaza de Armas in Cusco. The city holds a parade every Sunday to highlight school kids, dignitaries and the military.

One of the narrow, brick streets in Cusco. Many streets in the towns we visited were not built wide enough to accommodate today's traffic. This one isn't too bad.
Sunset in Cusco from our hotel balcony. The town crawls about halfway up the forward mountain (look close and you can see it).
Leslie on the streets in Aguas Calientes. Lots of shopping, not too much else to do in this town.

"Downtown" Aguas Calientes. The railroad runs through the middle of town. Rail is the only way to get in and out of town, there are no roads leading to AC.
Lee admiring one of the trapezoid doorways in Machu Picchu.

Looking through one of the three windows at the Temple of the Three Windows in Machu Picchu. It is hard to take a bad photo among the ruins of this magnificent city.
This structure (part of the Temple of the Condor) highlights how the Inca's built the city using with the existing rock. By the way, the condor represents the heavens in the Inca culture.
Another beautiful shot of Machu Picchu. This section is in the urban or home section of the Incas. A beautiful young Peruvian face! Taken by John's son, Lee, when the Cusco to Puno train stopped in the high plains (some 13,000') to do what else but shopping!
John, Lee and Daniel in one of the reed boats on Lake Titicaca, preparing for a ride from one island to the next.

One of the floating island on Lake Titicaca. Note the reed boat in the back of the inlet used to transport tourists. I have just about decided that the small reed homes we visited are used strictly to show tourists how the islanders once lived. My guess is the islanders now inhabit the tin roof homes (above).
A picture from Lake Titicaca and the Puno harbor. The city is spread out along the shores of the lake.

A fine Peruvian meal at a very good price!

Good, fresh food is widely available in Peru. For the most part, food is prepared from scratch and each plate is served as it is prepared. This means the polite US custom of waiting till everyone is served before eating is impractical.

Most restaurants, from large to very small, offer pages of selections including such categories as lamb, meat, trout, cuy (guinea pig) pasta and chicken. Guinea pig and trout are Peruvian specialties; the meat category includes beef and alpaca. Most meals include an accompaniment of sliced cucumbers, tomatoes and avocado (all peeled). Almost all meals are served with some type of potato. The potato originates in Peru and the country grows some 2,000 varieties.

While we really enjoyed our $/.15 sole (roughly $5.45 US) soup/salad, meal, drink lunches in Aguas Calientes, we splurged for a number of meals. A splurge means spending between $/.23- $/.36 soles, or $ 8.40-13.00 US. Hey, good food does not have to be expensive!

Below are some pictures from our splurges:

This is a polenta dish with a chili sauce served with pieces of the local, mild cheese thinly sliced on top. John was not disappointed with this option. The meal came from Cicciolina's, a local tapas restaurant. Everything, including the pasta is handmade. (John, our friend Barbara and I enjoyed lunch at this restaurant in 2004)
This was my meal at the same restaurant, a basil pasta dish with garlic, tomatoes and mushrooms...delish!
Daniel ordered a purple ravioli stuffed with lamb. We are not sure exactly what was used to produce the purple color but again, yummy!
From another restaurant in Cusco, this is a sliced cuy appetizer (so to speak). Cuy is usually served gutted, laying on it's back with it's feet straight up in the air. John and I did not have enough nerve to try cuy on our last visit but bravery can come in numbers so we ordered this dish as an appetizer.

No one really had much of a stomach for this dish but we each took a slice. The meat is dark, greasy and definitely does NOT taste like chicken. The bones are small and hard to pick out. I think we each had a bite or two and left the rest on the plate. By the way, the salad had a wonderful vinaigrette and the potatoes were great!

My meal at the same restaurant as the cuy. This is an alpaca steak with caramelized onions and potatoes. Alpaca does not taste like beef or buffalo. When cooked properly (as this was) it is melt in your mouth tender and tasty. Restaurants suggest that alpaca should be cooked no less than medium.
Andean sushi. This was our appetizer on the train from Cusco to Puno (10 hours). We are not sure exactly what was in the dish but it was great! The base is a vegetable wrap. The top is a combination of rice noodles and sweet potato sticks.
Food on the train was served with precision. Waiters would line the aisle and each person was served at exactly the same time. As the recipients of this service, we were fascinated. The waiter above is holding John's meal, sliced beef, potatoes with a bit of cheese on top.
This is my train meal, vegetable lasagna stuffed with mushrooms, onions and other vegetables. The only cheese in the dish sits on top...again the local, mild cheese. Note the glass of orange juice just above the plate. This is fresh squeezed OJ. Every glass we ordered, even at the smallest restaurants, was fresh squeezed.
The last picture is the dessert served on our train trip, rice pudding. Strawberries were the fruit of choice for this dish. IMHO, rice does not belong in pudding. After one bite, my pudding went uneaten.

The crops were hit hard!

My patio crops did not fair well in my 8 day absence. The temperature in Knoxville soared to 95* and we had little rain. While our travel is usually scheduled for late August and the crops do not come back, this trip occurred early in the growing season and most damage appears to be temporary.

Pepper plants are in the terracotta pots. The beige pots contain tomato plants (note the shriveled tops) and the most forward plant is a spicy, basil. I need to cut the basil back!
This red pepper started developing before I left. At $4.00 per for the brightly colored peppers in the grocery stores, this one pepper will just about pay for the red, yellow, orange, chocolate and green pepper plants I purchased.
The pepper plant in front is totally unaffected by my absence but the plant in back, not recovering very fast!
The basil is in serious wilt but it will recover with no serious effects.

Home from Peru

After 23 hours of travel, we are home from Peru. I have been mostly awake for the last 36 hours with a few small snatches of sleep and consider myself functional but very dull. As I wait for a reasonable hour to crawl into my own comfy bed, I am working on laundry, photos and notes.

We had an incredible trip! Aside from excursions to Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca, our trip included visits to 3 very distinct cities: Cusco, Aguas Calientes, and Puno. At 10,800', Cusco is the gateway to the Scared Valley. It is a tourist town and is a center for shopping and eating. We did an abundance of both. Aguas Calientes is at the base of Machu Picchu mountain and is the entry and/or exit point for Machu Picchu. AC is a laid back town filled with international tourists toting backpacks and trekking poles. Finally, Puno is the highest town we visited. At 12,500', Puno is geared toward locals and accommodating to tourists. Puno is one of 3 entry cities to Lake Titicaca. The other 2 are in Bolivia.

I will write more about our trip in later posts but thought I would post a few photos of us in various places.

John and me just inside the gate at Machu Picchu. The guy with us is Freddy, the SAS expedition guide who led our 4 day Inca Trail backpack in 2004 (see photo below). Freddy recognized John immediately and stopped to speak to him. He has moved to a different expedition service because he says SAS treats their local porters poorly.

A photo from our 2004 trek on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. On the left is Freddy, our guide and yes, he has cut his hair. This picture was taken on Dead Woman's Pass, which is roughly 13,800'
The classic photo of Machu Picchu with Huayna (younger) Picchu mountain towering on the right side of the city. Note the smaller mountain just to the left of Huayna Picchu.

John and me on the top of the smaller mountain. John's son Lee hiked with us and is taking the photo. We had a private tour of Machu Picchu, which started later than we initially planned and ran some 40 minutes longer than expected so we ran out of time to hike Huayna Picchu. We decided to climb this little mountain instead and were not disappointed with the view (see photo below).

This is our view from the smaller mountain. The city of Machu Picchu is literally carved into Machu (older) Picchu mountain. The upper part of the city (terraces) was agricultural. Pretty impressive, huh!

Another view from the smaller mountain. Machu Picchu is surrounded by mountain ranges as far as the eye can see!

John and me on the train from Cusco to Puno and I am not feeling well. It was a 10 hour train ride and I was on Day 1 of a gastrointestinal bug. I didn't realize how sick I was until the next night when we finally took my temp and realized it was almost 102. Oh well, the train ride was fun and the food artistic! I slept for several hours as we rumbled through the mountains. Most of the rest of the time we sat in the open car on the back of the train and watched the ever changing landscape.

Sunset in the high plains of Peru. Photo shot during our train ride several hours outside of Puno. We are at about 12,800'.

Our group on one of the floating islands on Lake Titicaca. We are sampling the root end of reeds that grow in the lake. The reeds are used for food, housing, fuel and to maintain the island. Believe it or not, the reeds taste something like cucumber. Our group from left: my sister Leslie, John's older son Daniel, his younger son Lee, John and me. Behind us are a group of houses. Locals usually just use their homes for sleeping and spend the rest of the time outside.

Here we sit inside a reed home. Selling crafts to tourists is the main source of income for the islanders and we did our part to help support them. I purchased the mobile in my hand. My sister has a beautiful embroidered tapestry in her lap (she purchased an embroidered pillow). From left: Lee, John, me and Leslie.

John and me on the boat ride home from the floating islands. You can see the reeds behind us. The area around the reeds was full of beautiful waterfowl including a duck that had a bill as bright blue as my jacket.

A group of school children participating in a parade on the main square in Puno. The parade was a once a year celebration to give the school kids (grades 1-5) a chance to show off their costumes and dances. Each school had a different costume and dance and there must have been 50 schools. We spent over an hour watching and taking photos.

Summer Weather Has Arrived

The time of year has arrived when every run is timed and logged, but the time of every run is irrelevant. Summer has descended on east Tennessee, or at least the warm, humid weather that defines summer. Since I don't adapt well to exercising in heat and humidity, my outdoor running season is usually over by late June. This year I have a goal of extending my outdoor season through July or maybe later. As a result, I will probably not sign up for summer races. Instead, I will find my challenge in the process of running itself.

I haven't been writing about running recently. With an all purpose blog and limited time to write, I have been busy living and documenting birthdays and family times, events that I will treasure in the coming years. That said, I am out there about 3-4 times a week, logging in 3-5 miles with each run and I had a great 6-mile run today!

Today's run was originally planned as a 4-miler but after reviewing my running log last night, I realized that my last 6 miler was April 9th and I began wondering if I could still do 6 miles. Physically I wasn't worried, but I wasn't so sure about the mental aspect. My mind seems to be going soft on uncomfortable exercise and has started to toss in negative thoughts.

Nevertheless, I woke up focused on running this morning. Ate breakfast early, worked a little on the computer and was out on Cherokee Blvd with iPod plugged into one ear, by 9:30 A. The first loop (3 miles) went well. I kept telling my self "slow and easy" and the negative thoughts stayed away. A little over halfway into the first loop, I looked up and saw a familiar figure running toward me. Kim was getting in her morning run too. We exchanged greetings but both of us were focused on our efforts and we didn't stop to talk. Being the gracious person she always is, she shouted some compliments and encouragement, then she blew by me! (Happy Birthday Kim!!)

I kept her mostly in sight and continued to run. The sun felt intense on my back but the shade from an occasional tree and a slight breeze kept me relatively comfortable. Finally the end of the 1st loop was visible. Kim peeled off at the parking lot, she appeared to be in a hurry. I, on the other hand, circled around the grassy median and headed back for another 3 mile loop to complete a fine 6 mile run. The time was a painfully slow 1.14.16, a blistering 12.36 mmp. The second 3 mile loop felt much slower than the 1st but as I said in the first paragraph, time is irrelevant for me this time of year. Since my goal is to just keep running, I am pretty pleased with my efforts this morning!

The holiday weekend is almost here so Happy Memorial Day to all and be safe! John and I are talking about spending part of the weekend backpacking with Will, Kim and others but the electron microscope in John's lab went *kaboom@# and he is feeling much stress to get it fixed quickly. Friday's success on the microscope repair will determine if we backpack or if John will spend Memorial Day in the lab.

Congratulations Graduate!!

Friday was graduation day for John's younger son, Lee. It was a very proud day for John and also just a bit sad, the last 18 years went a little too fast for him. The following pictures speak for themselves. Congratulations Lee!

Happy Birthday Mother!

Celebration season is underway in our household. It kicked off with Mother's Day and quickly morphed into Mother's birthday. My birthday is only 12 days away , followed by Leslie's birthday five days later. Then, of course, we have Father's Day, the parents' 63rd wedding anniversary and Carol's birthday. By the time the celebrations have concluded, I have generally gained 5-6 pounds and developed a sweet tooth that takes a month to get under control...the downside of celebrating.

So with all of that said, Happy Birthday Mother! Auntie Sue and Uncle Joe showed up on Tuesday to participate in the food fest and fun, they left this morning. Below are a few photos from our celebration yesterday, a day early cause everyone was off work.

Daddy opening the yummy "Eva's to Go" caramel cake!! Thank you Eva, where ever you are, the caramel cake is incredible.

Auntie Sue and Carol. Taking a photo into the bright light makes for a dark photo.

Auntie Sue and Uncle Joe

Uncle Joe and me

Leslie and Carol

Happy Mother's Day!

We had a nice family celebration on Mother's Day including Mother's favorite lunch of Kentucky Fried Chicken takeout and a nice caramel cake from Eva's to Go. Lots of running needed to work off this meal.

Happy Mother's Day to my wonderful Mother! Below are a couple of pictures, more are posted in my Smithposts Gallery.

Haiti Run for Health 4 Mile Race Report

It's over, the 2008 Haiti Run for Health 4 Miler is in the books. I placed 3rd in my age group! I don't want to diminish my accomplishment by saying that there were only 4 women in my age group, but, there 4 women in my age group. Number 4 must have walked a lot because she came in some 6 minutes behind me. That's okay, my 3rd place finish netted the fine coffee mug in the first photo below.

I arrived in Oak Ridge about 7:20 AM, Saturday morning and followed the big orange cones around the race route to the start-finish line. Not much activity but I noticed a couple of people setting up folding tables so I stood around for a few moments and watched racers warm up along the turnpike. In a duh moment, I decided to actually read the race menu and discovered the bib pick-up was in the basement of the Catholic Church across the street. I jogged to the church, picked up my bib, stood in line for the bathroom and returned to the start line.

As I waited with the other runners for the start gun (actually shout), I ran into Shirley who worked beside me at the Covenant Health Expo in March. We chatted for a few moments about her finish in the Knoxville Marathon and Boston Marathon then I moved toward the back of the group. About 20 walkers for the 2.5-mile course were behind me so I wouldn't be the last on the course.

The start "shout" occurred almost on time. This was not a chipped course and I noted it took me about 7 seconds to cross the start line. Remember I said I was in the back of the runners pack, there were only 82 runners in this race!

The first mile went well. On my training runs this week, I payed close attention to my breathing and this race pace breathing felt about the same, a little rapid but still comfortable. As I crossed the mile marker, I looked at my watch and couldn't believe it read 9:44 minutes. WTF? Too fast for me to maintain with my current level of training, I slowed the pace a bit.

The first water stop appeared shortly after mile 1. The course was a double loop and I knew I would pass this stop again, but the temperature was warming up quickly and my body was heating up even faster so I slowed and grabbed a cup. The cold water was refreshing and I happily wasted a second or two aiming the empty cup into one of the laundry baskets on the street, strategically placed for garbage. The second mile clicked off in a more reasonable 11:13 minutes.

Mile 3 included a little hill. At this point that I looked around and realized I was running next to a runner-walker (R-W). As I ran up the hill, I passed the R-W who was walking. She flew by me on the downhill, she was an incredibly fast runner. I slowed for water as we looped around the bottom section of the course again, the R-W slowed for water too and I passed her. At this point I was getting pretty hot. I tucked my short sleeves under my sports bra straps and tried not to listen to my mind, which kept telling me to walk. I don't remember what my 3 mile pace was.

The R-W was still close as we started the 4th and final mile. I was counting at this point and knew I had only 600 or so steps to the finish. I realized I was going to finish the race running and attempted to pass the R-W just before she took off in a sprint. There was no catching up. I finished in 43.15 minutes by my watch, 43.21 official time.

John usually acts as my support team and race photographer and we don't stick around for the post race festivities. Since he was getting in a bicycle workout instead of attending the race, I decided to take the opportunity to grab a snack and watch the awards. Imagine my surprise when I received an award for coming in 3rd in my age group. Second in my age group? The R-W. I talked to her after the awards and she told me she was a sprinter; she could not keep up the pace in an all out run.

All in all, this was a very good experience and I will consider signing up again next year. Many thanks to the volunteers from the Oak Ridge Track Club, who worked so hard. Everyone was encouraging and friendly and the race was well run.

John and I closed the evening with a wonderful dinner "in the country" with friends. A very pleasant evening indeed.

Pictures from the race are below:

Picture hijacked from the Oak Ridge Track Club's photo page. I am almost directly behind the guy front in the cap (next to the lady in the gray shirt who came in second)

Picture from the Oak Ridge Track Club webpage again. I am a couple of people to the right of the girl in the orange shirt and white shorts.

Start-finish line

Really bad sweaty post race self photo!

Did I Really Sign Up to Come in Last?

I have been having some running related motivation issues over the past several weeks so I decided to sign up for a race in effort to force my legs out the door. After looking at my calendar and available area runs, I selected the 4-Mile Annual Haiti Run for Health and stuffed my registration form in the mail box. The cause is good and the mileage is different for me.

Here is an interesting point. Participation in this race has been dropping over the past few years. Last year the total number of registrants was 74. Based on LY race results, it is probable that I will come in last. So the question is, when the gun goes off at 8:00 AM next Saturday, can I run fast enough to come in 2nd to last? What a goal!

This is my running week in review so far (yikes!). I quit early on Friday's run. Started feeling funny, it didn't go away so I decided to stop. Feel fine today...go figure.

Tuesday
2.1 miles outside, 23.36 minutes, 11.12 mmp (hills)

Thursday
4.0 miles treadmill, 43.30 minutes, 10.83 mmp :-)
Strength training 35 minutes

Friday
3.5 miles outside, 41.22 minutes, 11.77 mmp (hills)

In my non-running life, Daddy and I planted a pot garden on his patio this week. Besides a couple of tropical flowering plants, we potted a couple of tomato plants. I also planted my pot garden, which includes sweet basil, spicy basil, cilantro, thyme, Italian parsley, 3 heirloom tomatoes and one regular. I also have mint and sage that come up in their pots year after year. Below are a few pictures of Daddy's plants.

Spring flowers are coming to an end in my gardens. Below are some of the last things to bloom until the daylilies burst on the scene in a couple of weeks.

Jack in the Pulpit

Iris

Blue Columbine

Prom Night!

Saturday night was prom night for South Doyle High School. John's son, Lee, was suited up and ready to go. We don't often see him dressed up so this was a real shutter opp for John!

Running Downtown

Another beautiful day in Knoxville. The decision to run this morning was easy, but I really didn't want to run hills so my best option was to head downtown and run riverside on Neyland Drive. Neyland Drive is a mostly flat 5-mile out and back with a couple of options to add mileage. I varied the route and came up with a nice 5.5 mile run.

Henley Street Bridge and the Tennessee River

Knoxville Riverfront. The Three Rivers Ramble red caboose is visible on the right . Neyland Stadium, home of the University of Tennessee Volunteers is in the middle of the photo. Behind the stadium, barely visible on the left, is the arena and home to Tennessee's winning Ladies and Men's Basketball teams.

The Canadian Geese are back. Before long the geese and their babies will be stopping traffic on Neyland Drive as they cross the road from one feeding ground to another.

I have a nice variety of wildflowers in bloom in my garden. Above is the Foam Flower and the Dwarf Crested Iris (Tennessee State flower). Unfortunately, dandelions are in full bloom too.

Variegated Solomon Seal

Dwarf Crested Iris

Tuesday Workout
Run: 5.5 miles, 63 minutes, 11.45 mmp
Strength Training: 30 minutes