Bicycling around the 'hood...

Busy, busy weekend and a whole lot of fun! Saturday morning, we met Will and Kim and over 200 other bicyclists downtown for the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Org Fall 2008 Neighborhood Bike Ride. The ride, about 10 miles long, wound through the north Knoxville neighborhoods of 4th & Gill, Edgewood Park, Fairmont & Emoriland and Oakwood/Lincoln Park. What a blast!

The ride is organized to promote alternative transportation. With this in mind we could not, with clear conscious, drive our car downtown so we bicycled the 3+ miles from John's house to the meeting point. I wasn't too concerned about the ride to the event, it was the ride home I was worried about. I haven't been on my bike in some months....whine, whine. Needless to say, it all worked out fine, the ride home was no problem.

Us at the first stop about 4 miles into the effort (yes, I am asking for an updated helmet for Xmas). Police and other volunteers were stationed along the 10 mile route, blocking traffic at intersections. Residents were great, coming to the edge of the road to take pictures, wave and generally welcome riders into their neighborhood.

Will and Kim at the first stop. They were riding great cruiser bikes that allowed them to sit upright and enjoy the ride.

This is Robin, she rode with us most of the time! We haven't seen her for a while and had a great time catching up. She is half of the couple, Robin and Dave. Dave is just back from a 700 mile bike ride in Colorado. He did it in 3 days I think and was pleased to have had 10 hours of sleep during the effort. Ugh! He was one of the volunteers for today's event as he is for many bicycling activities around town.

Some of the many bicyclers participating in the ride. The guy in the yellow vest is one of the ride organizers.
Will (left) and Kim. This picture was taken from the bike, it turned out pretty good. Some of the "in motion" photographs did not turn out so well.

A photo at stop 2. While a 10 mile effort does not appear to need rest stops, it provided an opportunity for stragglers to catch up and police and volunteers to shift positions.

Too cool! This is a boom box powered by a car battery. A young woman pulled this contraption behind her bike, blasting upbeat tunes. She rode near us for a good part of the ride and we pedaled to the beat!
Back to the start (Krutch Park Greenspace). Will, Kim and John in the distance behind the fountain, in front to the construction dumpster. The dumpster is sitting on Gay Street, the main street in downtown Knoxville. The buildings behind the dumpster are undergoing renovation as office and condo space (as are many buildings in downtown Knoxville).

This sign says it all. This is one of several such signs on bikes.

After the neighborhood ride, we rode our bikes a block or two to the Hola Festival, which was taking place on Market Square Mall (along with the weekly Farmer's Market). Knoxville has only a few weekends in the fall without a UT home football game so lots of activities are crammed into 1-2 weekends.

This is one of the incredible desserts we found at the Hola Festival. The desserts were only a small part of the fabulous Latin food available. Too bad we had munched down on free pizza after the bike ride. We will know better next year!

After the Hola Festival, we rode our bikes back to John's, picked up the car and drove to UT where his son's band was playing at the Sustainable Living Roadshow. We were disappointed at the small crowd but enjoyed listening to the band. Daniel, backwards ballcap in the above photo, is playing bass guitar.

Robin and Dave were at the event and we got the chance to talk again. Robin is riding the 26 mi route for the Smoky Mountain Wheelman Century ride on October 11. John is thinking about riding the 62 mile route. Dave is ride director for this event.

Art sculpture made from flowers and greenery provided by local florists. Event participants could (and did) add to the sculpture.

The power for the entire event was produced by the solar panels above. It was pretty incredible!

Back on the trail...

We have had a hectic month as evidenced by my lack of posts. My mother spent last week in the hospital and I am happy to report, she is back at home and feeling much better. Otherwise we have been running (me), bicycling (John) and generally hanging around Knoxville.

Recently I have been a bicycle slacker, so our sports activities have been individual efforts. Early last week, we decided that on Sunday we would do something we enjoy together...hiking. We spent all week looking forward to the activity and discussing trails we could take. We had 2 issues to deal with, 1-we haven't been on a trail for 5 months (April 20th to be exact) and 2-we couldn't start until around 1:30 PM so our time was limited.

In the end, we picked something short and easy, a loop hike out of Elkmont in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We hiked up the Little River and back on Jake's Creek Trails. The hike ended in a walk through the Elkmont Community so we figured we covered 5.0-miles. The effort was quite pleasant and we talked about doing more day hiking, backpacking and even a fall car camp. Time is limited and we already have a number of fall activities on the books so our plans to get on the trail more may just be dreams, for now.

Photos from the hike are below:

John at the beginning of the Little River Trail. During the logging heydays in the Smokies, this trail was the sight of a logging railroad. It is a gentle uphill to the junction of Jake's Creek.

John is becoming a master at the "self" photo. Really helps to have long arms. Mine are almost too short. In just about 4 weeks, the leaves in the Smokies will turn a spectacular fall shade of red or orange and within 7 weeks, the limbs will be bare. Hard to believe cold weather is so close.
A few flowers are still hanging on in this area, mostly this yellow variety (not sure of the identification).
This sign looks a little ominous! A hiker was killed by a bear in this area several years ago but our only sighting was a couple of deer who followed us down Jake's Creek Trail for a ways.
The cabin above is part of the Elkmont Community, once the sight of some 50 "summer cottages" for the area elite. The cabins were slated for demolishion in the early 80's but the Park Service did not have the funds so the project was put off. We all know what has happened to the National Park Service budgets (having extra cash is not one of the scenarios). Meantime, the families that once owned the cabins have lobbied the Tennessee Historical Society to have the cabins registered as historic sights.

It appears some of the cabins will be added to the register which means that the Park Service will now be required to pay to restore and maintain parts of the community, a much bigger capital and manpower expense than the original plan to demolish the community and return the area back to pre-logging days.

The cabin above will not be restored. As you can see, the front porch has already collapsed.

The Park Service is currently in the process of stabilizing the above cabins. New lumber is visible on the front porches and some new siding has been added to the back of the cabins. The area is roped off with yellow tape and the stabilization process continues.

My longest run yet...

Running hurts. Sometimes it is the physical, sometimes the mental but running, particularly distance building, hurts. Saturday I ran my longest run ever, 12 miles. I started at John's house, zig zagged through town, down to Neyland Drive and back. The run was a bit sloppy, especially toward the end, but I got it done!

It's about the small things...

This evening I paused a moment to stare at the sky before I entered the local Borders bookstore. Orange and pink tinted clouds hung just above the visible horizon. I browsed a bit, purchased a decaf and returned outside to find the sky had changed. Above me was a bright quarter moon, the first evening star was visible and the sky had turned the most spectacular shade of midnight blue. I believe it is in these smallest of moments that pure happiness occurs.

No blog updates during the past week. Over the Labor Day holiday, John and I drove to Alabama to visit with his family (a few pictures will follow in another post). Both of his sons were there as well as his sister and her family who drove in from Tuscaloosa. It was a fine family weekend.

I struggled with running last week, most days I didn't. Struggling again this week but I seem to be getting in more miles. This morning I eeked out 6 miles on the treadmill. After that I came home and mowed the lawn. It takes me just under 2 hours to mow my grass so, based on my backpacking mph, I figured I walked a bit over 3 miles...back and forth across the yard. I was utterly exhausted when I finished. I am woefully out of shape.

A bouquet for the senses...

We are nearing the end of herb season (another 5-6 weeks) and basil and rosemary plants have taken over the deck; certainly in greater quantity than I will use for cooking. I pulled together this little bouquet for the den, where the fresh scents of summer now linger.

Variegated solomon seal, purple butterfly bush (flowers), basil and rosemary

Sunday Afternoon on Market Square...

A picture of us on Market Square today....

While I goofed off most of the morning, John went for a 39 mile ride (61.2 miles total for him in the past 2 days). In the afternoon, we went to Market Square to explore the East Tennessee Historical Museum open house. Lots a fun, a warm but nice Sunday afternoon.

Running Journal 8-23-2008

It was not the heat that finally got to me but the 11.1 miles of not so gently rolling hills. The Cades Cove Loop totally kicked my butt.

We loaded up the cooler, packed the car and left the house around 6:30 AM. The drive to Cades Cove took a little over an hour. Although I started out pretty unemotional about the run, we haven't been to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park since November 2007 so the closer we got, the more excited I became.

We finally arrived about 7:45 AM and drove immediately to the picnic area. Anticipating that my run would take about 2 hrs, 15 mins, we decided to stake out a parking spot and table. Failure to do so would result in a post run scramble to get out of the park and find a restaurant for breakfast. Prior experience has taught us that picnickers arrive early to the Cades Cove picnic area and tables fill quickly. Once we found a good spot, I stuffed my pockets with my id, camera, luna bar and iPod, put on my visor and left John to set up our picnic and unload his bike. I walked about a quarter of a mile to the beginning of the loop road, took a deep breath, hit the timing button on my watch and began my adventure.

Based on heat and traffic, I would have preferred to begin this run an hour earlier. However, the loop road is closed to car traffic on Saturday mornings during the summer until 10:00 AM and based on my calculations, I knew I would be within a mile or two of the end before the first vehicle reached me. Not much to do about the heat but deal with it and take advantage of the shady sections.

After an 11 year absence, running on the loop road was exhilarating! Joining me were lots of bicyclers, a few hikers and fewer runners. A couple of puffy clouds floated across the light blue sky, the sun was warm and the humidity unusually low. The first few miles passed quickly as I listened to birds chirping and shared good morning greetings with others. Me and my shadow... stuffed pockets, iPod hanging off the pocket on my right side. This stuff got a little heavy later in the run. John rode up behind me not long after I took the shadow photo. He was a welcome sight with a bottle of ice cold water. Sooooo refreshing! We chatted for a moment and he told me he was surprised at how far along I was. That comment put a little spring in my step as I resumed running while John was off to complete his first loop.

This is the first church on the Cades Cove Loop. I have explored it at least a 100 times. I believe this is the Methodist Church, the second oldest church in the Cove, built about 1840. There are 100 graves in a lot behind the church (barely visible at the end of the gravel road). The road leading to this stop is a long, gradual climb (you can see the top in the above picture). While I did stop for a moment to take the picture and catch my breath, I did not stop to explore :-)

This stretch of road is just past the Methodist Church. Nice, shady and slightly downhill! I was running quite comfortably at this point. I felt good and thoughts of successfully reaching the halfway point were in my mind. I had one more long hill to go then a nice downhill and short flat section to reach the halfway mark.

Becky Cable's house (and farm) is the halfway point on the Cades Cove Loop road. The house, built around 1879, and the farm is used by the Park Service to demonstrate skills utilized by early settlers. With public bathrooms and water fountains, it is the most commercialized of the properties in the Cove and a welcome stop for motorists and bicyclists.

I debated with myself about stopping. My run was going well but fatigue was setting in. I still had 5.6 miles to go and a stop would disrupt my rhythm. I also realized that John might decide against riding the loop a 2nd time so this might be my only option for water. Not stopping would be foolish. I ran down the long driveway, stopped the timing button on my watch and took a few long gulps of water.

A short 6 minutes later, I returned to the loop road and resumed running.
Photo from the gravel road leading in Becky Cable's house. The sky was starting to cloud a bit but not threatening.

The two bicyclers above are part of a volunteer squad who ride the Cove and help bicyclists. The road fork to the right leads to the cabin in the picture below, the left fork is the loop road and another hill...oh yeah, we are already going uphill.

About a mile past the stop, I needed a boost. I pulled the Luna Bar out of my pocket and ripped off the edge of the wrapper. (note environmentalist friends, I put the torn wrapper in my pocket) Cookies n' Cream Delight. This does not taste like Cookies and Cream! I took one bite and yuck! The pieces were not going to go down! I quickly spit them out and mentally marked Luna Bars off my possible distance running food list. Next I tried to figure out what to do with the warm, half wrapped bar. About that time, John caught up with me. Yeah, he was on his second time around the loop. Again, I grabbed some cold water and was eventually successful in shoving the bar on him to carry out.

With a parting comment of "I forgot how hilly the back part of the loop is," he was off, leaving me to rely on a pair of very weary legs to get me to the end.

Well, I did finally get to the end. I walked the hills, ran the downhills and flat sections. After a while I walked some of the flat sections too. I spotted a group of people standing on the edge of the road and stopped long enough to watch a 400-500 lbs bear drinking from the creek. John pedaled in to meet me somewhere along the last mile. He gave me another drink, a little more encouragement and followed me to the end. By the way, his animal sightings included 3 bear (one that ran in front of his bike) and 4 deer.

I finished in 2 hrs, 23 minutes (excluding 6 min stop) for an average pace of about 12:55 mmp. Not too bad considering that most of my recent runs have been on the treadmill and I had to do some uphill walking.
After the run and a little relaxing, we fixed a breakfast of smoked bacon, sweet potato pancakes and a tall glass of very cold milk. This was the second meal, our first breakfast was early, before we left.

Me right after the run. Hot, sweaty and happy to be done. What the heck is going on with the visor and my ear....at that point I could care less!

John cooking bacon. We had 3 pieces each but wished we had 6 each. Oh so good, oh so bad for us!
Me cooking pancakes. I got the chance to clean up a bit and change clothes, which made the next few hours of relaxing, v-e-r-y comfortable.


This is the 3rd meal. After a couple of hours of relaxing, we walked down to the camp store and got a hot dog. Our plan had been to cook our pancakes and leave. We had not counted on staying through lunch. Note to self, pack lunch next time!

A butterfly flew in and stayed a while. Not only did he (she) enjoy the condensed water on the outside of John's bottle (above) but also the salt from my running socks (below).

All in all, a very nice way to spend Saturday. We hope to do this again in the fall!

Chop, chop...

As part of the coverage of China and the Olympics, the Today Show did a piece on chops this morning. Chops are individually designed stamps used in China for personal and corporate identification. According to the Today Show reporter, even the US Embassy in Beijing has its own unique chop (or two) to affix to legal documents.

Chops were originally used as imperial seals in the Qin Dynasty (221-210 BC). By the Tang Dynasty (610-907 BC), seals were used by private individuals. Today chops are used in conjunction with a hand signature.

During our visit 2006 visit to China, we had the opportunity to order a personalized chop through our hotel in Beijing. Mine is below! The handles of the stamps can be quite elegant and expensive, using jade, pearl or other such materials. The handle of mine is not so elaborate, just a memorable replica of a Terra Cotta Soldier. An example of the stamp is on the on the white paper attached to the box lid.

Running Journal 8-22-2008

This has been a very difficult running week for me. The combination of being weary of the gym treadmill and a waning motivation is turning my efforts into an unpleasant struggle. I am counting down the weeks until the weather turns cool.

After 2 days of "fizzle" (Monday-1 mi, Tuesday-2 mi), I finally had a successful 6 mi run on Wednesday, putting me back on track for the week. Thursday marked another okay run, 4 miles, so my plan to run the 11.1 mi Cades Cove Loop on Saturday is a go. John has signed on to be my support crew, a decision that will also provide him the opportunity to get in some bicycle miles.

With a big run on tap, I have been carbo loading. Whether this will actually help my physical performance is an unknown but if I can get some mental mileage, the effort will be worthwhile.

Last night I made an improvised version of "Fettuccine with Tomatoes, Basil and Crisp Bread Crumbs". The original recipe originated in the Weeknight Kitchen newsletter, published by Lynne Rossetto Kasper of The Splendid Table fame. http://splendidtable.publicradio.org/

The ingredients are simple: fettuccine noodles (I used linguine), cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, salt, pepper, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and bread crumbs (I used dry, it calls for fresh baked). The entire effort took about 10 minutes. While the noodles cooked, I picked tomatoes and basil from my patio garden. Next I whisked the olive oil and vinegar together, added a little s & p and mixed in the sliced the tomatoes (still warm from the afternoon sun) and chopped basil. The mixture was added to the cooked noodles, bread crumbs sprinkled on top and ta da, dinner. A tossed salad could be added but I was too lazy to fix one! Yum, yum!

Tonight was a similar effort, using linguine noodles, adding basil pesto, shrimp and Parmesan cheese. We also added a salad full of fresh vegetables on the side. Happy eating!

There's a bad moon on the rise...

What is going on in this city of mine? On July 27th, Knoxville hit national news when Jim David Adkisson walked into the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church and shot 8 people. One person tragically died at the church, another at the hospital. The six other victims are recovering. His justification for the shooting? He didn't like the direction the country is going and blamed the liberals. His solution? He grabbed his shot gun, went to the local Unitarian church and blasted away. Has he looked at who is running the country lately? To state that he had become an ultra conservative "Christian" about 10 years ago would be a dichotomy.

Today, a short 25 days later, Knoxville is once again in the national news. A 15 year old freshman walked into his high school cafeteria and shot another young man, a 16 year old junior. The shooting occurred a little after 8:00 AM at Central High School. It was not a random shooting, the incident is thought to have something to do with a skirmish the two got into on a school bus the day before. The victim died not long after arriving at the hospital. The shooter was captured on a street behind the school.

The reason for the shooting is not clear but the background of both boys is troubled. The victim was living with his grandmother because his mother and father were in jail. The sister of the shooter is on the run. She has also been in the news recently, wanted for the murder of another women, just 21 days ago.

These incidents are so hard to comprehend!

Mary, Mary quite contrary...

How does your garden grow?

These are a few reasons I love to garden. The butterfly bush sits in direct sight of my desk and computer, just on the other side of the window. It is a lively place on a summer afternoon...

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, dark version (female)

Swallowtail (as above)

Milkweed Monarch

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, yellow version (female)

Running Journal 8-18-2008

What the heck happened to me today? This morning, as I prepared for my run, I felt good. Actually, I felt GREAT! Thanks to my people, the ache behind my left knee was gone, not even a twinge of discomfort discernible in my hips and my occasionally problematic right foot was comfortably taped (getting old is clearly hell). But somewhere, as I stepped on the treadmill, the feeling good and doing good got lost in translation.

My running plan called for 5 miles, just like it has the past several Mondays. A comfortable pace, no big deal. I made the decision to run on the treadmill at the gym so I would not have an excuse to pass on some post run upper body strength training.

I arrived at the gym at a decent hour, climbed on the treadmill and plugged into the Olympics. As I cranked up the speed (hmmm, if you call 11.45 mmp, speed), I did a parts check, yep, everything still feels good, no aches and pains here. But I had a lingering feeling that something wasn't right. Somewhere during the 1st mile, it occurred to me that my attitude was wrong. I didn't want to run.

People with good discipline and tough mental skills would just work through this but I am not a master of these skills yet. Have you seen the iPhone commercial where the hand, independent of the body, goes for the phone? Well right after I completed the 1st mile, without any warning, the hand shut off the treadmill. Where did that come from? While I can sometimes convince myself that everything will be okay if I just get through the first 2 miles, today was not one of those days. I slinked off the treadmill, grabbed my water and keys and drove home. Tomorrow is another day. With 24 miles on the schedule for this week, I just made things harder for myself.

Monday stats, 1 mile (indoors, treadmill) 11.45 min, 11.45 mmp
(and no strength training)

Blogging...

I started this blog in 2004 as a means to document events or thoughts in my life that I would like to remember through the years. It is not a particularly interesting blog, at least to anyone besides me, my family and a few friends but I have enjoyed the effort and the opportunity to look back at the past.

Tomorrow, August 19, marks my 4th year as a blogger. On August 19, 2004, John and I had been home for about 5 weeks from our first trip to Peru and were preparing for a 10 day backpack in the Canadian Rockies for which we would leave 2 weeks later. My very first short post is copied below.

This is my first post to Smithposts. This blogger based journal is the place for family news, thoughts, opinions and lots of photographs. It's going to be an interesting adventure!

Back then I had no clue how much I would appreciate being able to look back at things I might otherwise forget, life's little moments as well as the big events. Indeed Smithposts... remains an interesting adventure for me and one I look forward to building on in the future.

Smithposts... has evolved this year as I enter a stage in my life that includes some athletic goals, specifically running (right now). Along with the new goals, I have found myself reading and commenting on other athletic based blogs. Being part of the athletic blogging community, even in a small way is both motivating and a lot of fun!

Since I have neither the time or energy to keep up 2 blogs, I have decided to post my running related information in posts titled "Running Journal." The regular life stuff will be posted with various other titles. That way, if you don't care about my running, you can skip the "Running Journal" posts and if you don't care about my other activities, you can skip those posts. There will be some overlap, but not too much.

Happy 4th Birthday Smithposts...

Running Journal 8-17-2008

I need some people! Dara Torres has people, at least 5 people. She employees people to push, pull and stretch her, people to coach her, people to help her reach her goals. I have goals and, with 14 years on Dara, I have a lot of aches and pains. I need some mashing, stretching, pulling and I definitely need some motivation.

Yesterday John stepped in as my people. He was quick to point out this was a volunteer position and as far as he was concerned, very temporary. He pulled my legs and mashed my muscles. He was good for only 15 minutes of effort but the pulling and mashing worked. My very uncomfortable hips (left and right hip are different heights) felt great and my muscle aches and pains eased. Yep, I am certain now, I need some people!

Running has been going well but the novelty of the treadmill is wearing off again. I am worried, the hottest month of the year is only 1/2 over! Luckily I am on a reduced long run rotation this week so the boredom incurred by watching the US Olympic basketball team mop up Spain was almost bearable. Next weekend we are talking about taking my long run to the Cades Cove Loop Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park so John can get in mileage on his bicycle while providing some level of support to me...who plans to run the entire loop, yikes!

Mileage this week:
Monday, 5.2 mi (outside, Neyland Drive), 66.34 min, 12.45 mmp
Wednesday, 3 mi (inside, treadmill), 33.18 min, 11.06 mmp
Upper body strength training, 20 min
Thursday, 4 mi (inside, treadmill), 47 min, 11.45 mmp
Saturday, 7 mi (inside, treadmill), 85 min, 12.14 mmp

Unfortunately, I did not get on my bike this week. Lazy I guess.

A few really good reads...

Sunflowers have been gracing my desk this week. Thanks for the bouquet of sunshine, John!

One has only to look at the thermometer to know it is mid-August. For the past 8 years, this time in August has found us consumed with getting ready for a trip, either to some far flung location in another part of the world or a 10 day backpack, usually somewhere high and cool. This year, not so much. While a group of friends will head north at the end of the month for a canoe trip in the Canadian Boundary Waters, we will stay in Knoxville. John will be busy with work at the University and I will be busy looking for work...a requirement for getting back on our travel schedule next year. My my, how quickly life can change.

Strolls through a nearby bookstore recently have netted some very interesting reads. The books I tend to pick up are mostly non-fiction and often adventure related. People have some incredible stories to tell!

Into Thick Air by Jim Malusa is a different take on the "7 summits" idea. Instead of struggling to climb the highest mountain on each continent, Jim decided to bicycle to the lowest point (below sea level) on each continent, alone, over 6-years. "Anti-expedition" and anti-summit" as he calls it. Lucky for him, Antarctica has no exposed terrain below sea level. His journey included riding to Lake Ere in Australia, to the Jourdanian shore of the Dead Sea, from Moscow to the Caspian Sea, across the Andes to Salina Grande in Argentine Patagonia, to Lac Assal near the Horn of Africa and finally from his home in Tucson to Death Valley. He describes each journey through his dealings with people, politics and the landscape around him. Each tale is told with humor. This book is a little different from what I expected when I first picked it up, but I got lost in the pages very quickly.

Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. You may recognize her name through her involvement with Dutch politics and the murder of Theo van Gogh, a film maker, who was killed by an Islamist who threatened that she would be next. This book is her story, raised in a strict Muslim family, beatings, forced female mutilation, civil wars, forced marriage and finally escape to the Netherlands, receiving an education, citizenship and a foray into Dutch politics. It is an incredible story of survival, iron will and the fight for social justice, especially for Muslim women.

Down the Nile, by Rosemary Mahoney. I first picked this book up because of my fascination with and desire to travel to Egypt. I stayed with the book because I got hooked on the adventure. Rosemary, a rower, decides to take a trip down the Nile in a rowboat. Egyptian women don't row on the Nile and tourists are not allowed to row independently for safety's sake. This book describes her journey, from acquiring the rowboat and departing in the dark, descriptions of the people and situations she faced along the way including the improvised lives of the women along the Nile, to the end of her journey in Qena. It is a good book although a little slower read than the other 3 books.

Finally, Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. What an incredible book! Greg Mortenson failed at his attempt to climb K2, wondered into a little village in Pakistan and promised to return and build a school. He did this and more. He founded the CAI, Central Asian Institute that has to date, built 55 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. His emphasis is on education for women who he believes can most affect the lives of the in the rural areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan. This is a hard to put down book so anticipate a few late nights. Go to Greg's website for more information about his life and works.
http://www.gregmortenson.com/welcome.php

So what is on my bedside table now? Sir Edmond Hillary, An Extraordinary Life, by Alexa Johnston.

Auntie Sue is back in town...

The air is brimming with energy when Auntie Sue and her book of songs show up, especially for my mother. This trip she brought Uncle Joe (her husband, not my mother's brother) for the visit. Joe and Daddy enjoyed a nice morning trip to the Knoxville Zoo.

Tonight, after Sue played show tunes for the dinner crowd on the 4th floor, we had a small group for our own dinner in the cafeteria. We munched on my mother's favorite, KFC, told stories and laughed. We had a really great time!

Auntie Sue on the piano, Mother and Uncle Joe

If it's Monday, I am running 5 miles. The idea of getting on the treadmill today was unbearable so with the lower humidity and morning temperatures, I couldn't resist getting outside for my run. I drove to Neyland Drive to complete a mostly flat 5.2 mile effort. Although my mind was not really into it, my legs and arms knew what to do so I went out and back in 64.33 minutes for a 12.37 mmp. Not as fast as my treadmill time, but I will take it!

This is a light run week for me. I will be back at the long run build next week, hoping that my body will eventually adjust. A couple of weeks ago, I signed up for the inaugural Rutledge 1/2 Marathon on 11-15-08. It is my first 1/2 marathon and will be an interesting experience for sure.

A late August weekend...

This has been a nice late summer weekend. Friday night Will and Kim hosted us for a dinner of pasta, fresh summer vegetables and the opening ceremonies for the Beijing Olympics. We spent a fine evening "owwwing and ahhhing" as the Chinese performed incredible precision routines. Watching the lead up to and the opening ceremonies has fueled a fascination that the 4 of us developed in 2006 when we spent 16 days traveling through China. High on our dream list is a return trip to China to take the 2 day train ride from Beijing to Tibet!

We closed the evening on a sweet note with a homemade blueberry, blackberry and raspberry pie that I had baked earlier in the afternoon. The berries were handpicked (by me) several weeks ago at a local berry farm.

Yummy fresh berry pie

John and I did a few bike loops around Cherokee Blvd on Saturday morning but my legs were toast from another solid week of running so we cut the effort short, falling way short of my goal mileage and John's too. Not to worry too much for him though, he rode 40 miles today!

Late Saturday afternoon, we went to The Cove at Northshore for a summer picnic, our first this year. It was a relaxing evening as we watched boats floating in the cove and listened to the 152nd Air Force Reserve Band's 2nd Saturday summer concert. I have an itch to get on the water, either by kayak, row boat or sailboat and my dreams were just fueled by the sights and sounds of the river. A few pictures are below.

The band performed a series of military band type music and some tunes from the 60's...does anyone remember the twist? We listened for a while and returned to our chairs located on the other side of the cove. Unfortunately, a young couple (20's) had settled in fairly close to us and were a little too romantic for this very public setting. Help, help! Somebody call the fire department for a cool down!

We thought the couple might at least move when we sat down but they didn't. We started feeling like voyeurs and weren't sure whether to toss lake water to cool down the romance or call the cops patrolling the park. The couple eventually settled down and read to each other, which was about as annoying at the romance. Next time we will speak up.

The Cove is located right next to the Concord Yacht Club, home base for sailing in Knoxville. Nice to see sailboats dot the landscape although we saw only one boat under sail.

A nice swimming area and beach at The Cove

John listening to the concert trying to decide if he wants kettle corn. Lucky for both of us, he decided against the purchase.

Running has gone well this week! True to form, I struggle with the long run every other week and this was a struggle week. Let me tell you, 10 miles on a treadmill at a 12 mmp is a long, boring run! Numbers from this week:

Monday-run
5 miles, 57.54 minutes, 11.51 mmp

Tuesday-run
3 miles, 32.27 minutes, 10.75 mmp

Thursday-run
10 miles, 2 hours, 4 minutes, 12.4 mmp

Friday-run
4 miles, 47.04 minutes, 11.76 mmp

Saturday-bicycle
13.5 miles, 55.01 minutes, 14.74 mph

Beating the h & h on the treadmill...

This has been a good week for workouts. The heat and humidity (h & h) have finally chased me indoors to run but the effort remains solid. My weekly long runs are slowly building. A big thanks to Terri Gross and Fresh Air, her podcasts got me through this week's wicked 9 mile treadmill run!

My efforts this week have included:

Monday
Run, 5-miles, 58:08 min, 11:45 mmp
Bike, 8-miles, 40:00 min, 12:00 mph (greenway disaster)

Tuesday
Run, 3-miles, 33.03 min, 11:01 mmp

Thursday
Run, 9-miles, 109 min, 12:11 mmp

Saturday
Run, 3-miles, 36 min, 12:00 mmp
Bike, 15.77-miles, 66.44 min, 14:25 mph

Sunday
Bike, 12.62-miles, 51:03 min, 14:80 mph