Running in the rain...

I have been pretty busy since Thanksgiving Day Autumnfest 8k, several lunches and parties. Or maybe I have just been lazy but I haven't gone out for a run. Last night I determined that today was no excuses day, I had to get out. Unfortunately, Todd, our local weather guy predicted a 100% chance of rain. When I woke up, it was indeed raining, 100%.

I tried to wait out the rain but by 8:30 AM, it was still hanging around so I started with the "what to wear" routine. The temperature was listed as 48 with a "feels like" 43. I know the rule of 20-degrees but I tend to forget about it when I am cold. Lightweight tights, lightweight fleece vest and glove liners were among the items that made the apparel cut. But the choices were not good, tights without the vest or the vest without the tights would have been a better. Nevertheless, I headed out with all my gear, secure in the fact that even if I got really wet (and I did), I would not be cold.

The run was slow, my legs heavy (weighed down with clothes, turkey and oyster stew) but I was so glad to be out. The streets were mostly empty, no people and few cars so I didn't get splashed too much. I stayed on the neighborhood streets, dodging puddles and piles of downed leaves. Moderate rain came in waves with a light, steady drizzle ever present. After 3-miles, I packed it in. Tomorrow should be clear so I am looking forward to something a little longer. Also considering a go at the Jingle Bell 5k Run on the 12th...just a little added motivation.

It's officially Christmas...

The holidays have officially arrived in our household, we received our first Christmas card today. The big yellow forward sticker, haphazardly slapped across the bottom of the envelope, reminded me that I did not send out change of address notifications last May. Whoops! Sorry about that Mr Postman, please don't raise my rates...

My first holiday card is always from Jerry and Gerry in St. Louis

Holidays around town...

After eating turkey with our respective families, we decided to take advantage of the holiday festivities going on during the holiday weekend. Friday was the city tree lighting. Crafts sellers were everywhere, fire pits scattered around and live music was blasting from the stage on Market Square Square. We walked around, people watched and enjoyed the holiday atmosphere. We had a lot of fun!

John with a cup of hot chocolate

Me with the same

Lots of people enjoying the festivities

Finally the lighting with a fireworks display

Sunday we headed out to the University of Tennessee Trial Gardens to see the "Holiday Express." The Express is 4000' of model trains and sets that have been collected and built over 25 years by a Knoxville resident. Each year, when Thanksgiving rolls around, he sets up the display in a heated tent on garden property and for a nominal fee, anyone can enjoy his hobby. The Trail Gardens are also decorated with ribbons and garland and make for a nice Sunday afternoon stroll.

A small section of the many villages in the display

A "marine car", the fish are live

The village is the mountain town of Ravensford, NC

Me in the gardens

Happy Thanksgiving...

I am so very thankful...

For my sister Leslie, whose warm heart can embrace an entire room. Who never met a stranger and who always has something to say, you brighten my life...

For my parents, who encourage me through the good and who have loved me unconditionally through the bad. Words cannot adequately thank you and everyday I am grateful that we are still sharing our life story. You will always be the reason I am who I am...

For my sister Carol, whose smile can shine through a gray day, whose intellect and curiosity inspire me...

For John, I was so lucky to fall into your world almost 10 years ago! You are my best friend, my favorite travel companion, the calm when I am the storm. You are the best part of my life...

For our house that keeps us safe and warm...

And for the chance to share Thanksgiving with my family, even if we were only 3 for dinner (we were 5 for lunch)! The oyster stew and crab legs were perfect...

Oh, and I am thankful for Thanksgiving Day 2009 Autumnfest 8k?! My first race since May 2008 and I finished better than expected. Gun time was 59:06, Forerunner time, 58.31. Unfortunately, the race was not chipped so gun time is the official time. I will know better than to start near the back of 750 + people next time. Race report to follow shortly.

Susan Boyles and Sarah Palin...

I just started working at a local bookstore. I love books and consider the opportunity to be surrounded by so many, a whole lot of fun. I'm considered seasonal though and like an allergy, I will disappear around mid-January.

Saturday afternoon was my first insider view of the workings of a book store. I was a little disappointed to discover that bookstores are similar to other retail operations, they are all about sales, "add-ons" and smiling a lot. Somehow I thought there must be an aura, a mystery of sorts in the inter sanctum. Nevertheless, our little group of new booksellers spent the day filling out lots of paperwork and listening to the store manager explain company philosophy. The store manager is a lively, energetic woman and my fellow "booksellers" (as we are called), appear to be quite an diverse and interesting group.

Today, day 2 at the bookstore, was all about training. I stood at the register and practiced until, toward the end of the day, I was let loose on some unsuspecting customers. Aside from calling the store by a competitor's name, twice, (whoops!!), I had a great time. To my surprise, the two most requested items were Susan Boyles' new album and the Sarah Palin Rogue book. Guess it depends on whether you sit to the right or left as to whether that is a good thing.

Running with "self doubt" and "it's okay to quit, really"...

Monday, after taking my first few steps, I realized my legs were toast; last week's easy running had morphed into this week's mental struggle. This week would be all about running through tired.

Monday morning started with 6-miler. The first few miles were a struggle but once I passed though mile 3, the tiredness seemed to go away. My pace is slowly increasing though I continue to log back of the packs times. Tuesday, a rest day, was spent lunching with my dad and visiting my mother. Then Wednesday came along and the anticipated rain did not materialize. My rainy day pass had been invalidated so I scratched out a 3 mile run and it turned out quite good, even on tired legs...my fastest 3 miles of the year.

But oh this morning, I had a long run on tap and I dreaded getting out of bed! Being tired does funny things to the mind and spirit. Nevertheless, I was up before light, grabbed a coffee, delivered one of our cars to the shop and got John to work with lots of time to run before 12:30 PM, when I planned to pick up my dad.

Today's goal was to move myself into double digit mileage with a 10-mile effort. Unfortunately, a couple of unwelcome run along companions were in tow... "self doubt" and the very vocal, "it's okay to quit...really." I had to kick myself out the front door. Thanks to self doubt, I had tied a light jacket around my waist and pulled on a pair of gloves, just in case I couldn't make the distance and had to walk home.

The first few miles went quite well as I ran through the neighborhood, along the river and over the Gay Street Bridge. This territory is quite familiar to me now. I know the beautiful homes in our neighborhood, the dips in the road, the unfilled potholes, the rough sections of sidewalk, the protected areas where homeless sometimes stop and leave a liquor bottle. I see the struggling gathered outside the AA meeting room, the laundromat, the thrift store and the school yard often full of laughing kids. I watch the river as I cross the bridge, with each run it takes on a different personality and I look ahead, anxious to catch a glimpse of downtown with it's hustle, bustle. This is my running turf and I love it!

But stop the waxing poetic, somewhere around mile 4 things began to deteriorate and "it's okay to quit...really" spoke up. Suddenly I was confronted with the following thoughts:

"It's okay to quit, really...the legs are tired, you had a good running week last week."

"It's okay to quit, really...wouldn't it be nice to walk, it wouldn't hurt so much?"

"It's okay to quit, really...you have to pick your dad up in a couple of hours, you will never have time to get ready and drive across town, just turn around now." (of course I had plenty of time)

"It's okay to quit, really...you can run 10 miles tomorrow, or maybe Saturday. You'll do it... really."

Somewhere along Neyland Drive, in an attempt to drive the negative thoughts from my mind, I found myself yelling. I quickly looked behind and was happy to discover that no one was near to witness the crazy lady yelling out loud. But the yelling worked and "it's okay to quit...really" dropped out of the run. I was left struggling with self doubt for a few more miles (until mile 7) when I realized that I was going to make it, I would run, not walk home.

Our friend Will Skelton, recently told me that if you can run 10 miles, you can run a 1/2 marathon. Not me, not on this day. I ran the 10 miles with nothing left to give, no 11 miles, not even 10.5. Next week is going to be low mileage then I will be back at it the following week, trying to increase the longer runs. Between now and next week, I still have to get 9-miles out of my legs!

A couple of posts ago, I uploaded a picture of a sunrise from our driveway. Below is a picture of tonight's sunset from our front yard. Sunsets have been spectacular recently! Notice the crescent moon amongst the branches.

A breakthrough running week...

This has been a GREAT running week for me and I have been rewarded with a breakthrough of sorts. My weekly mileage topped 26, the highest I have logged in a while. The stats include a 9-miler, two 5-milers and a couple of shorter runs. I spent a lot of time thinking about what has been holding me back in running, mostly I have focused on self doubt. As a result, I learned a few things about myself:

1. Sprinkling in a few very low mileage weeks does not mean I have to start anew, I will run stronger and faster the next week.

2. If I run faster, I will not collapse. My lungs will burn, but my legs are up to it.

3. I really like running rolling hills (when did this happen?)!

4. I struggle with big hills (still working on this one).

5. I can run further than I think I can, if I just believe in myself.

This morning, after an easy run, John started throwing the term "us" around in conversation about his bicycle ride. My squatty little legs were tired so I ignored him. Undeterred, he started with the questions: what time would I like to go, should he put my bicycle on the car, if I did ride where would I ride, those sorts of questions. I thought I was being noncommittal but I must have nodded or given some yes indication cause the next think I know, my tires are pumped up and my bike was on the car.

Old Walland Road in Blount County was our destination, a flat to rolling 18-mile out and back road that is a favorite among locals for bicycling and running. We saw a lot of people doing both. The plan was to bicycle out as far as I thought I could ride back, then turn around and head back to the car.

Sunny, warmish weather with slightly gusty winds made for great riding. I got out further than expected and struggled a bit getting back (there is a lesson in that) but I had a great time and still averaged 14.5-mph. As soon as we got back to the parking lot, John put my bike on the car, grabbed his bicycle again and headed out on the road for the rest of his ride...another 17-miles of backcountry roads home. After the ride, I ran for a short distance to see if I still could. I was a bit wobbly at first, I did and it was great!

Below are a few pics of the ride.

Foothills in Blount County

John checking the computer on his bike

John (looks good in helmet), Beverly (looks like bowl on head :-)

The Little River along Old Walland Road

Look under the arrow, big earth moving equipment...this cannot be a good thing in these fields

John taking off for the last 17-miles of his ride

John would get home on his bicycle not long after I got home in the car

A nice fall weekend...

For the first morning in many weeks, I woke to a fogless sky. No gray, damp blanket hanging low, obscuring all signs of life in the neighborhood. I know the "red sky in the morning" thing but I really think this will be a good day.

Monday morning sunrise from our driveway

Another busy weekend for us. On Saturday, we took our annual trip to Carver's Apple Barn in Cosby, TN. We are late this year, we usually go in October in time to catch the lower elevation color display in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Although we talked about going throughout October, we just never got out the door. Finally, a couple of weeks past peak color, we found a spot on our calendar. So, mid-afternoon, after John participated in the West Bicycle Poker Ride, we headed out the door.

These days we go to the Apple Barn strictly for the sights and smells of fall, but nine years ago, when we made our first trip, we would buy 1/2 bushel bags of several different apples. We always had big plans to bake pies, freeze slices and dehydrate for camping, but never got around to doing all of that stuff and ended up tossing out the last of the apples as they spoiled. In recent years, we have reduced our purchase to a small bag or so. Instead, we use the opportunity to enjoy the leaves and spend several hours of uninterrupted time together.

This year, since we were leaving late in the afternoon, we decided save time by taking I-40 and the Foothills Parkway to Cosby. Due to a rock slide on I-40 at the TN-NC state line, thru traffic is routed off the interstate at Newport, TN. Since we were going only a few exits past Newport, we pretty much had the road to ourselves. Nice!
A view of the Smoky Mountains from the Foothills Parkway. Fall colors are mostly gone.

A palette of apples carried in via loader

Bushel baskets full of Corral, a new sweet, tart and firm apple

We purchased a small bag of Corrals and a small bag of Carousels (similar to the Corral). Both are new this year or at least new to us. Several of our old favorites, including the JonaGold and Pippins tasted mushy. Not sure what determines the taste and texture of apples but it definitely varies year to year.

John surveying the apple choices

Oh...the choices of jams, jellies, relishes, chow chow and other goodies are unbelievable. After walking around and around the barn, we finally selected a jar of Smoky Mountain honey and one of orange marmalade too! Yum, yum!

Sunday afternoon was clear and sunny and John was restless to get back on the bike. He mumbled something about wishing he had a riding partner, then glared at me. I am sure I must have squirmed in my chair and replied something about needing motivation, a destination of sorts. He suggested several different locations but I was thinking about earlier, when we went out out for coffee and drove past the Sunsphere. Hmmm, the Sunsphere, I have always wanted to go to the observation deck and look out over the city. Ding, ding, ding....DESTINATION!!

The Sunsphere has been a Knoxville landmark since the 1982 World's Fair (that's 27 years for anyone counting). During the World's Fair, I worked as a buyer for a regional department, located across the street from the fairgrounds. We often watched the activities from our windows and our group, a number of young, upcoming retail types, went to the World's Fair Flamingo Lounge every Friday night. But somehow, I never got around to getting on the elevator and going up in the Sunsphere.

After the World's Fair closed and several restaurant attempts failed, the Sphere closed for years. Recently, the city found the money to fix it up and opened the observation deck for tourists. Here was my perfect opportunity to explore!

View from the observation deck

Looking south, Church Street United Methodist Church is in the foreground, behind it, Henley Street Bridge (one of two bridges I often use to run across the river)

An unexpected visitor in the Sphere, most likely wishing he could get out
The Tennessee River and a corner of the University of Tennessee. The view is a little hazy cause the windows are REALLY dirty!

Looking up from the base of the Sunsphere

The Sunsphere and World's Fair Park reflected in a pool

Heron sitting motionless, intent on finding his dinner (Tennessee River)

John waiting patiently while I take picture from the South Knoxville Bridge

After the Sunsphere, we rode our bikes onto the University campus and down to the waterfront. We followed the greenway for a while, then finally crossed the South Knoxville Bridge and headed home. All in all, it was a fine fall weekend.

Spence field on a Sunday afternoon...

Yesterday we went in search of the last of the 2009 fall colors with friends Will Skelton and Kim Robinette. The hike had started as a backpack, possibly in the Big South Fork or Cherokee National Forest. We set the weekend, tried to get friends Bill Adams and Silke Hecht to join us (they had other plans) and just never firmed anything up.

As the designated weekend drew near, the backpack idea fell away in favor of a fall colors day hike. Kim was interested in hiking long and all of us were concerned about the legendary Smoky Mtn leaf peeper traffic. Somehow Will came up with the idea of Spence Field for a destination, something about 10.4-miles out and back and a lot of elevation (2800' elevation gain) for best possible chance for colors. We resisted but finally agreed knowing that the hike could get ugly. Our longest hike year to date is only 6.2-miles, I have recently run longer than that!

We left Knoxville at 8:00 AM with plans to meet Will and Kim at the trail head. The drive was mostly uneventful although we got caught behind the last of the Knoxville Track Club Mill House Classic 15k racers and behind a number of bicyclists who were grabbing the chance to put in some miles on a cool, dry fall day. Even with slow downs we arrived at the trail head (Cades Cove Picnic Area) about the same time as Will and Kim.

After getting our boots on and adjusting our trekking poles, we were off. Our route took us up Anthony Creek Trail, then right on Bote Mtn Trail to the AT. At first the uphill was gradual but the higher we climbed, the steeper the trail.

Hike route as mapped by my Forerunner 305

Will crossing Anthony Creek via a log bridge. Water levels were unusually high due to recent rain!

John hiking under blue skies and sunlight. Most of the leaves are brown at this elevation.

Fall yellows... most of the reds are gone

Beverly navigating a log bridge. Poor balance results in shaky water crossings

John and Beverly at lunch

We stopped for lunch around 11:30 AM at the junction of Anthony Creek and Bote Mtn Trails. We had been hiking under alternating sun and clouds. Elevation gain to this point was about 1,600' spread over 3.5-miles. The more difficult part of the hike was still in front of us, 1.7-miles and 1,200'.

Will and Kim lunching

Cloud cover on Bote Mtn Trail

Hiking in the Smokies involves hiking through a series of micro-climates. The lower elevations are of course, warmer. The higher the climb, the cooler the temperature. Clouds, rain, snow, sun and just about anything else goes at different elevations. Yesterday, at some point on Bote Mtn Trail, we entered a section of trail buried in thick, low hanging clouds. Trees dripped with moisture and the sun was mostly blocked. Even though our cores were heated up from the climb, our hands, ears and faces were cold.

Beverly hiking through a rhodoendron grove near the junction of the AT

John on the AT near Spence Field

John on the AT, Spence Field Shelter is in sight

The section of the AT running through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park stretches 67 miles. Since tent camping is not "officially" sanctioned on the AT in the Smokies, The Smoky Mountains Hiking Club is responsible for building and maintaining shelters and privies within the park boundries. Spence Field Shelter is one such shelter. It sleeps 12 hikers on 2 double decker bunks.

Bear warning at the shelter

Unfortunately, bear activity has forced closure of several shelters and numerous campsites in the Smokies. We did not see any bears on this trip.

John and Beverly standing in front of the shelter fireplace

The thermal blanket to the right of the photo covers the front of the shelter to keep out the elements. It does not keep out the bears nor the little mice that plague all shelters.


Will sitting on the lower sleeping bunk reading the shelter journal

Due to the end of Daylight Savings Time, the trees were casting long shadows by the time we returned to the trail head. We were not in danger of hiking out in darkness but were glad to be out by 5:00 PM. Our total hiking time (including stops and exploring) was around 7 hours. According to my Forerunner 305, we hiked 12.04 miles (includes milling around on top) and gained over 5,000' in elevation, about 2,200' more than anticipated. I attribute the additional elevation to satellite connections or slight changes in trail elevation not measured by the straight line method. Calories burned during the hike 1,100. Calories consumed at Gondolier Italian Restaurant in Maryville, probably 2,200.

(Additional photos will be posted on Picasa in the next few days) http://picasaweb.google.com/johnandbeverly74