Friday, September 30, 2011

Adding A Few Michigan Girls To XOXOXOXOXO

Hey, you ain't going to get glam and riches from me, but you can definitely get added to my blog every day.  Even if I don't mention your name.  :)

Today I add 3.  2 of them are bloggers, I have been reading a while, and they know each other.  Charisa, who I think is just a great person gets added to xoxoxoxo, just cause I have read her a long time, I am a frequent commenter on her site, and I love reading her blog.  Same with Alili.  Alili gives us all sides of herself, and this year has found her to have many sides.  As a matter of fact if it wasn't for Alili I would never had the courage to comment on Charisa's site.  Let's face it, who am I to be able to comment on some of these people's sites??  Right I know.  My thoughts too.  :)

Naomi gets xoxoxoxoxo too.  That is for a few reasons.  She is courageous.  She would like them every day, and she really needs support this time in her life.  Maybe we always do, but she struggles with some stuff relating to health, and just the normal shit life throws in our laps too.  I think part of our shit is we all believe the damn fairy tales growing up, and we want our life to be like that.  Welp, guess what??  Those weren't non-fiction.  Anne Frank was non-fiction.  Howard Zinn wrote an important non fiction.  You want fiction??  Listen to the politicians from either side.  Most people get hooked on one of the other side of those idiots, and call them their own.  Hey,  don't trust those fuckers.  They are just wearing suits, and they probably look like shit on the inside, cuz their smile is fake.  Trust in what is inside your own mind.  I trust you to be able to do that.  Have a little faith in yourself, and what you are shown day in day out. 

I have to get going, because I am going to drink coffee for  a bit, and get a run in before work.  I won't be able to run to work today, so gotta get it in a little early.  Think I will be able to get the mileage up to 25 this week, so that is a good start.  :)

That is it for today!!!   :)

Thanks for reading!!!   :)

Hope Everyone has a Great and Awesome Day!!!   :)

xo's!!!   :)

Love You All!!!   :)

p.s.  I think I can a lot of times bring a little sunshine on this thing, but sometimes I feel a little tore up inside too.  Maybe we all are yin and yang.  Good and happy stuff inside, and also the other side.  On certain days one or the other may be dominant.  Kinda how the yin and yang ball is in relation to the wave huh?  (that was just a p.s. p.s. btw)   :)   xoxoxo   That wasn't.   :)

Love You All  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Ya'All are the best  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras of these xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Extras of these xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxo



I would like to give a little props to Olga O'Toole.  She is a bit of a rock star in my eyes, and she probably doesn't even know it.  She is a great girl.  :) 

Now for really really cya cya cya  :D   :D 

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Today Will Be Interesting. :)

For many reasons.  Let's just say I have entered into territories I was asked to not enter in.  I totally misread reasons why.  As most of you know this thing goes on.  Even if I am missing some of the most important people, the show goes on. 

I have made my apologies for being an ass, and hope they are well received.  Hold on I am going to get some coffee.  :)

Well now I have my coffee, and I can get going.  Truth is a double edged sword huh??  Let's say on this blog I try to elevate a person or people.  That is good for the people, but maybe the other people will take this as something against them. 

Let's look at some of the truth of me.  Shall we??  I can be a jerk.  No doubt about it.  I piss people off sometimes, and they piss me off sometimes.  You know when my stupid ass dog Hope runs 900 miles per hour, and does a flying leg kick to my gut.  My first thought isn't to give him a dog treat.  My first thought is to beat the hell out of the little fucker.  :)

I am not the most gifted genetically in terms of running speed and stuff, but I work pretty hard at it.  Less than some, and harder than some.  Let's face it some of it is genetics too.  If it wasn't then everyone would be running sub: 2:05 marathons probably.  Truth is we do the best we can with the pursuits we strive after. 

I have many interests.  My interests change too.  Sometimes to try something new, and sometimes my interests change as the seasons change.  One thing remains constant though.  That is I like running.  I don't always enjoy solo runs, but I feel better after.  Tonight I am running with Jerry, and I love running with people.  It makes it more fun somehow.

Those who like to run, and it gets taken away for a bit leaves you in a pretty bad mood.  Yesterday I ran a half hour with Hope.  I don't know the distance, because I had to double back due to a dog not on a leash.  It is a nice dog, and I like the dog, but Hope is an ass, and who knows what that moron would do.  So I double backed, and ran home the other way.  I then took Cammie on a walk.  I did a bunch of crap around the house, and did some shopping, and cooked a meal, had some wine, and listened to some music.  It was a pretty good day, and I was tired by 3:00 in the afternoon.  :)

That is it for today!!!   :)

Thanks for reading!!!   :)

Hope Everyone has a Great and Awesome Day!!!   :)

xo's!!!   :)

Love You All!!!   :)

p.s.  biking to work today.  You know what??  That is like one of the best ways to start the day for me.  Oh one other thing.  Sometimes a p.s. is just a p.s., and sometimes I can use it for other reasons.  This was a p.s. p.s.   This here isn't.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo   :)  Just in case ya need 'em.  :)

Love You All xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Ya'All are the best  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras of these  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Extras of these xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras on top of the extras too.   xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Want to know the great thing of Maija's blog???  I added a lot of people to my list when they commented  on her site.  Remember when I added her??  I'd see her comment on Beth's site a lot, and it was a cool name.  So I read some, and she was having migraine problems, and going back and forth between taking the crappy medication and stuff.  I thought she was courageous and told her so.  Wanna know what??  I felt like an idiot for commenting, but I thought she was pretty honest about her struggles, and I read a lot of her blog, and eventually felt comfortable with her. Oh well just thought you should know the story. 


Have a great day all.  :)

Now for really really cya cya cya  :D   :D

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

What I Thought About This Morning...

Hello all,  I am going to get me some coffee, before I start this thing.  I warn you too, it may be boring, cuz I really don't know if I have anything to talk about.  brb.  :)

Anyway I was thinking I sure blog a lot.  I looked at my total for this year, and I would say it will probably end up somewhere around 300 posts, and last year was 289, and I am sure Heimleblog, + Journey year was the same.  Dang, that is a lot.  Do I really have more stuff to write about??  I guess I probably do, but I'd never know it til I write it I guess. 

You want to know where I feel most comfortable??  Commenting on blogs.  Isn't that strange??  You want to know what I don't remember what feels like??  I don't remember what it feels like not to feel comfortable, although I know I did at one time.  When I first commented on Dee's site way back when, and that was right before my shortened 5K sub:22:00 run. 

Remember I would add people, and comment, and then all of a sudden something would happen.  I'd feel a bit foolish, and get rid of some people.  I would eventually add them all back. 

Let's take a look at this past year.  Due to ugly shit in my life, I lost some readers.  I had a bad night, a really bad night with the Iz song, and that was for a purpose.  Same as that old dude who lost his wife of however many years.  Funny how weird I am huh??  Funny I have to mourn people's deaths for others huh, and like my brother I had to mourn his life. 

I remember one time in the Journey time thinking sheesh, I wish I could take people's sadness for them, and then I got a close look and thought, Oh man.  No thanks.  That shit is hard.  I caught a glimpse of one person's sadness, and I thought oh man.  Who knows what a person thinks about in their quiet time, but I know the absolute horrible question one must answer.  Is this it??  I think a direction we take at that point would be a bury that fucking thought, and show everyone how fucking green our grass is. 

It is these kind of thoughts that make this blog weird I bet, and yeah I know.  I do really want to thank Heidi Austin for two things.  She knows both.  :) 

Want to know a secret??  I think in the Journey I used analytics to see if people read the dang thing.  I don't use that shit now, and don't really pay attention.  In my mind I try to pretend a billion people read this.  :)   LOL.  During the Journey though I would once in a while get hits from The University Of Pittsburgh.  In my mind I try and guess who that is, and I have drawn my own conclusions.  :)

So anyway, just some thoughts. 

That is it for today!!!   :)

Thanks for reading!!!   :)

Hope Everyone has a Great and Awesome Day!!!   :)

xo's!!!   :)

Love You All!!!   :)

p.s.  I have to be productive today, and do dishes, and laundry, and all that fun stuff.  Boooo meeeeeee!!!   :)

Love You All xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Ya'All are the best  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras of these xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Extras of these xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras for everyone on top of those too.  :)  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Now for really really cya cya cya   :D   :D 

You know something??  It really isn't how fast you are it is how courageous you are.  I think Heidi, and Angela Kidd, and Julia are pretty dang courageous, and Kim Kim Kim has her moments, and so does Christi.  just a fyi.  :) 

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Monday, September 26, 2011

Book It!!!

Good Morning all.  Hope you are doing good.  I am on a little mini vaca, so up a little later than normal.  I had a lot of blogs to read this morning too, so has taken me a bit longer to get going too.  As my title suggests, I am going to finish my book I started.  I will be staying in bed drinking coffee, and reading, while my wife works.  :)  She hates me.  :)

That is all I have planned.  When I finish that book I am going to start another.  It is kinda rainy out too, so a perfect day for it.  Well, it was rainy yesterday.  It is dark out now so guess I am not sure if it is rainy or not.  But whatevs.  I believe it will be fallish.  :)

This is just a little short update.  I ran my 6.2 mile route yesterday.  I haven't logged it yet.  :)  I think probably 9:20-30 pace probably.  I ran slow, and took a couple walk breaks.  I love walk breaks.  Every 15-20 minutes I would just walk for a minute or two.  Out and back to my stop point.  I never used to do this, but really I enjoy it when I run by myself.  I don't know why.  It was a bit humid out, and I was overdressed, so I sweat a lot. 

Lisa and I went to a movie, and I then did what I do best.  Putz around and do nothing for hours on end.  :)

That is it for today!!!   :)

Thanks for reading!!!   :)

Hope Everyone has a Great and Awesome Day!!!   :)

xo's!!!   :)

Love You All!!!   :)

p.s.  I got a comment from a rockstar yesterday.  yayyyyy.   :)

Love You All  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Ya'All are the best  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras of these  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Extras of these xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Now for really really cya cya cya  :D   :D 

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Good Morning xxxxxxxx :)

Hello, how is everyone??  Me I am doing good.  I have today, Monday and Tuesday off, so that is good.  Wednesday is my Monday.  :)  Don't really have a ton to talk about I don't think, but Let's start off with the stupid workout, and go from there. 

Due to my stupid ability to putz around and do nothing for hours on end, I doubled up on my 3.5 milers.  I didn't log the runs, but they were low 9:xx pace I believe.  I tried to really go slow on the 2nd one, because my hammy was a bit tight at work.  I ended up going like 30 seconds slower.  How I have no idea?? 

I know I went a bit heavy yesterday, and I think that is just a reminder.  Keep yourself open.  It seems all our life we try to close ourself.  Put ourself into this box, but life is a lot more fun when you go out of your box, and out of your comfort zone.  I am pretty excited about this upcoming year.  It should be fun, and like always we will all learn a lot about ourselves.  :)

Looks like I will be running in the rain today.  :)

Lisa and I are going to see an early movie too.  I love early movies.  They are my fav.  :)

That is it for today!!!   :)

Thanks for reading!!!   :)

Hope Everyone has a Great and Awesome Day!!!   :)

xo's!!!   :)

Love You All!!!   :)

p.s.  time to get my coffee  :)

Love You All  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Ya'All are the best  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras of these  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Extras of these  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Now for really really cya cya cya   :D   :D 

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Can I Freak You Out??

Perhaps I can.  Did you notice though we were getting a bit heavy, and now we dropped off?  Is it me??  No not really, I just go with how I feel inside.  When we start this thing it is going to be heavy, and I will be led with how I feel inside.  I am not sure why it is this way, but you have seen twice how it works, or how it is going to work.  The first one was for me.  The 2nd one was a trial run, and I guess the 3rd time will be the real deal.  We will worry about that later when it pops up.  We got a while so no need to stress about it. 

Want to know something crazy??  Something I think is true but will totally sound whack to you??  Last year we failed our first two audits, and passed our 3rd.  That is how I think our thing is going to work too.  We sorta failed our first two audits.  No one was ready, but I have been ready since before the hospital remember, and I still am.  I have help with that, so don't think I am all strong and shit on my own.  I try to think back to my time a long time ago, and I think it was hard.  A lot of inner turmoil.  I'll let you guys worry about yourselves though.  You all have your own story, and all your stories are different.  You all know that.  We all are different.  Some people drink, some people are vegetarians, everyone has different interests.  Was there a time when you tried to be like someone else, or something??  Do you feel like everyone.... or most people..... are really becoming their own person.  I guess I really like individuals.  People who are different.  You ain't like me, and I ain't like you, and I dig it.  :)

So anyway just so you know, I added Maija back to my list.  I miss her blog, and it seems silly not to have her in my list.  I don't take changes unexplained well.  I have a history of where that does not turn out well.  Maija was a very important blogger I read, and she was def.  one of my fav bloggers.  I even read Adam's blog, and I like most of his posts.  He really thought a lot about stuff.  I have no hard feelings to what transpired.  I felt I was treated unfairly when it happened, and I exploded, and was a prick, and a dick.  I apologize publicly to Adam.  I was an asshole, my only excuse is I don't take these sudden changes unexplained very well.  It is like an attack to me, and really I deal with enough shit.  You all know my only intention is to help support, and yeah, I know I give out a lot of xoxoxoxo's  even to married girls.  Ha ha ha.  :)  Remember the quid pro quo.  Olga O'Toole.  "I trust you... trust me." Remember what I said after that???     "If I never live another day I have been given the most bestest compliment ever"  Something like that.  :)

I am unhappy this week with my running distances.  I love running to work, but not sure if I want to double up on 3.5 milers a lot. I want most of my runs to be more than 3.5 miles.   Today I am going to run 2.3 miles.  A loop around my house, and then add the 3.5 miles to work.  That gives me a little under 6 miles, and tomorrow I will add another 6 miler.  That should put me close to 20 for the week.  I really want to get closer to 25 minimum pretty soon.  I'll let you know how it goes.  I haven't logged my last run, but it was probably close to 9:00 pace.  I am sure you are dying to know.  :)

That is it for today!!!   :)

Thanks for reading!!!   :)

Hope Everyone has a Great and Awesome Day!!!   :)

xo's!!!   :)

Love You All!!!   :)

p.s.  I kinda like the p.s. thingy I have.  I can send little secret messages with it.  :)  LOL  Usually I send nice things, I should do a mean thing.  Hmmmm.   I hope you have to poop next time you run.  :)  Ha ha ha.  

Love You All xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Ya'All are the best  xoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras of these  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Extras of these  xoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras for Christi who is dealing with an empty nest thingy.   xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras for Jilly Tots who calls Melly- Melly Welly.  She is recovering a post surgery infection.  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Extras for Barbara Davies and Ceri who also went through a Mum Daughter cancer thing too.  :)  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Extras for Lexxy, and Employed Jo, and the rest of the xxxxx people  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


Now for really really cya cya cya   :D   :D 

Friday, September 23, 2011

Looking...

First off, I guess I should say, those who read this you know me.  You know I made a decision a long time ago to never have kids.  It is a decision I made.  I am happy I made it, and would never change a dang thing about the decision.  I think kids are a pain in the butt.  That is who I am, it ain't changing, and you all know where I stand on that. 

That being said I know kids are a big deal.  I have a lot of friends who are pregnant, and this blog definitely isn't a baby announcement blog.  I understand though, and maybe today is the first time I thought about it.  I am happy for Jen Gray and her sissy.  I know there is a piece missing on this happy occasion, and I can imagine there are 2 sides to the emotions to all on that day, but I would hope the good and happy thoughts overwhelm the other.  A lot of time has been given to healing, so I think it is definitely lopsided on the positive side. 

I have a guy I work with who just had  a baby.  Cory a dude who does some running.  He is a Bears fan, and a Tigers fan.  (Yeah really fucked up)  :)  Him and his wife just had a baby, and I cannot imagine what a person feels like with that.  I would imagine you look quite  a bit into the distance.  I guess that would be one major fricken thing in a life for a while.  Life always graduates toward a "normalcy" but I'd imagine these major things really get you thinking. 

Anyway congrats on that.  I know that is a major life thingy.  To Cory, and his wife Tracy. 

There are other major things too.  Like Jessica signed up for an ironman.  That is major, because that is a big commitment.  You have planned to use a good amount of your time for this goal.  Ironmin just moved from Madison to New York.  New York City.  That is a major change, and a major life change.  A whole new world, and a whole new life.  Maggs Mom just got some good news, that it looks maybe no cancer after all.  What kind of roller coaster is that?? 

I'd say it is these major things that really help us see better. 

You want to know something about me??  I never forget.  I miss Maija's blog.  :(   I have read all her posts since I have been booted, and they were mostly my fav.  Race reports.  :)  If you remember correctly, I went aways back on her blog, and she used to read my blog.  :)  Just saying that so you know.  :)

That is it for today!!!   :)

Thanks for reading!!!   :)

Hope Everyone has a Great and Awesome Day!!!   :)

xo's!!!   :)

Love You All!!!   :)

p.s.  Injuries blow for a person who wants to be active, and that SHIT SUCKS!!!  boooooooooo.   xoxoxoxoxo

Love You All xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Ya'All are the best  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras of these   xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Extras of these  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras for Maggs cuz I like her.   :)  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Now for really really cya cya cya   :D  :D 

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Life Is Full Of All Kinds Of Things...

Yesterday just pointed that out to me in a big way.  Hold on, lemme get me some coffee.  A day in the life of me.  Perhaps a list. 

  • A blogger I read is dealing with a Mom with cancer, and it is hitting her hard.
  • A blogger I have read a long time took the IM plunge, and signed up.
  • A blogger I read Jen Gray's sis just had a baby.  
  • There are like a billion people pregnant.
  • Wars are still going on.
  • Revolutions are going on. 
  • Flooding in Pakistan.
  • Injuries to people who would really like to be training.  
  • The State of Georgia put some dude to death.  ( I wonder who cast the first stone???)
  •  Brad Penny got rocked.  My BIL loves him.   :)
  • Fergie is fricken hot.  Who knew??
  • I am an awesome singer.  Take my word for it, but DO NOT ask my wife.  :)
  • I am going to run to work today, and ride my bike home.  
There is a ton of shit to look at in life, and who can make sense of it all.  Hard enough just making sense of us huh??  

That is it for today!!!   :)

Thanks for reading!!!   :)

Hope Everyone has a Great and Awesome Day!!!   :)

xo's!!!   :)  (remember this is for Gina and her daughter Alyssa)   :)

Love You All!!!   :)

p.s.  heal quickly  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo   :)

Love You All  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Ya'All are the best  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxoxo
 
Extras of these xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Extras of these xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras for Jen Gray, and her family.  I am glad they have something to smile about.  They deserve it.  :)  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras for Doreen and Jules, and Brandy  *the girl*  I haven't given them extras in a while.  :)  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras for Maggs, because it is a hard time for her, and no one can do anything for her, but help support.  I'd just like to say to me she is an important person, and I like her, and I feel bad for her.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Jessica for taking the plunge.   :)  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

I am going to give some to Hank Haringsma too, because I think he would feel really weird getting them.   :)  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo   :)   Ha ha ha. 

Extras in case I forgot anyone :)  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Now for really really cya cya cya  :D  :D 

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Back At It!!

I don't know if you have a bad year, or a down year if it recharges you.  I knew I showed up for the run last night with Jerry, and things seemed different.  I mean I was really excited to be running for a reason.  I guess I don't have any solid goals in mind, but I want to improve, and I want to get faster, and I want to run some good races next year.  Barring things outside of our control like illness, and injury, and all kinds of personal issues that might bring us down, what we do in the off season can really help us during the season it seems.  Build a huge base when nothing matters will probably see you in good shape when 5K season starts in March.  I don't know, but I was really pumped to be able to run, with a Marathon in my sight, and other races.  Marathon training should also help me get fast for the other distance races, and I plan on running more races next year. 

Coming into the run yesterday, I guess I was thinking 9:30 pace maybe.  Something like that, but we busted out 4.5 miles @ 8:39 pace.  I was floored by that.  I guess I still have a little something something in the ole cardio system.  I am already starting at a better spot than last year.  Hunger, and desire, and feelings like that are in me.  Although last year sucked ass as far as most things pertaining to running, if it helps me feel more hungry, and more willing to get out there, than that is o.k. by me. 

My run last night, and how I felt about it makes me think perhaps I have been down, and down for a while.  I don't know if readers can tell that or not.  I guess I didn't really think it, but with how I feel now,  I 'd have to say that is the case.  The best part of being down is how awesome you feel when you get back up.  It is like a whole new world. 

So, I am pretty excited about the start of this new season, and new journey for me. 

That is it for today!!!   :)

Thanks for reading!!!   :)

Hope Everyone has a Great and Awesome Day!!!   :)

xo's!!!   :)

Love You All!!!   :)

p.s.  I'd have to say my batteries are totally recharged.

Love You All!!!   xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Ya'All are the best  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras of these xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Extras of these xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras for Jessica, some will know why.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras for Taco Tuesday  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras for Twitter Creeping.   :)   xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Now for really really cya cya cya   :D   :D 

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

New Plans!!

It hit me the other day during my run, and after my last post.  We have another year to learn, and grow, and do what we do.  If I do one thing, especially the last few years, it is not take anything for granted.  This year was a total waste almost of training.  I lined up in shape for zero races really, and actually ran one, that was horribly hard, and I was like 4 minutes or so slower than the last time I ran it.  Now I am healthy, and a tad bit out of shape, but when I could run, I did run.  Now with a new year ahead of me.  Yes my season is over.  I aim for next year.  My first thought is the Illinois Marathon.  It is early, and I actually liked the course, although I cramped at mile 16 and hobbled on in.  I cannot really say I am a fan of the marathon really, but I do love training for them.  Like I said before sometimes your best day may be in training, and race day may suck.  It is a long distance, and a lot can go wrong, and really to have an A day a lot has to go right.  So tonight we start building a base.  I plan on running on Tuesday nights now.  I am going with Jerry.  He is a bit banged up too with an Achilles issue, so we will start out slow, and build.  Let's face it though.  I got time.  My race isn't for like 8 months.  :)

I may still do the Turkey day 5K, but I have no idea of a goal.  I doubt I will be anywhere near 22:00, so we will see.  It will be a good measure to see where I am at, but I plan on doing no speedwork.  That can wait.  #1 goal is to stay healthy!!!!

Other than that not much going on.  I am getting ready for Fall.  I love fall, and more than anything I think I love change of seasons.  It always always brings a new perspective.  We had soup for dinner last night.  :)  Of course we bought it from the local lumberyard.  Can a lumberyard really be considered a local lumberyard if they don't sell soup, toilet paper, hangers, q-tips, ice cream, and butter??   I don't think so either. :)

 That is it for today!!!   :)

Thanks for reading!!!   :)

Hope Everyone has a Great and Awesome Day!!!   :)

xo's!!!   :)

Love You All!!!   :)

p.s.  Can anyone help me out with a problem??  My BIL seems to think Yoda played on the '81 White Sox.  I told him no way, but he is pretty sure of himself.  If you could clear that up for me it'd be awesome.  :)

Love You All  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Ya'All are the best  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras of these xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Extras of these xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Now for really really cya cya cya   :D   :D 

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Well, I Am Lame... No Doubt About It!!! :)

As if you didn't know.  I mean who gets up to work in the wee hours on a Saturday no less.  I live large.  I was in my pajamas by 2:00 in the afternoon yesterday.  :)  I ran to work, 3.5 miles, and worked a couple hours, and came home and napped.  I wanted to finish my book, but got nowhere near that.  Just one of those days where I did not feel like doing much. 

Today the plan is to run my 6 mile route.  It is almost double my longest run in quite a while, so I think that is a good starting point.  That will also get me up to 20 miles this week, and I think that is a good starting point too.  I still have to fix my watch.  :)  2 second job,  that has taking me over a couple months.  :)

Other than that not much going on.  I do think it a bit strange that before I took the 5 days off things were getting heavy, and boom the brakes came on.  Not really sure what that means, although I guess I do know what it means.  As you can tell I am ready to do my thing whenever, although I don't think everyone else is.  So we'll just see what that means. 

I do have some blogging housework to do though.  I am adding Kathleen Paslaski to xoxoxoxoxoxo.  We have a long history, we went to H.S. together.  She and I got to know each other a year ago, and I actually gave her the link to "The Journey"  right before I closed up shop.  She struggled through a tough year or so with some family illnesses, deaths, and ugly divorce.  One night I remember she even said she needed help.  Everything was too hard.  Trust me that is not her.  She is one of those people who seemingly used to go to bed at 2:00 am to wake up at 5:00 am to work out and start her day.  I think she needed less sleep than me.  :)  That stuff takes its toll though, because she is not the same person.  She is now a single parent, and her life has changed a lot.  I think she has season tickets to the Milwaukee Bucks games too, and that season looks to be in jeopardy.  She went to our High School, and I remember her posting on Doreen's wall a long time ago how pretty she was.  She said something to the effect "Doreen is it possible you just get better looking each year?"  :)  That was way before there ever was a title "I Love Doreen"  :)  I agreed though.  So Gina and Kathleen now are in similar places in their lives.  They both are different in terms of almost everything, but I think they can relate to each other, in the fact they do their damn best, but things are still kinda hard.  I think sometimes we all can relate to that.  :)

That is it for today!!!   :)

Thanks for reading!!!  :)

Hope Everyone has a Great and Awesome Day!!!   :)

xo's!!!   :)

Love You All!!!   :)

p.s. a little shout out to Nancy Wooley who ran a 3:51 marathon yesterday.  We started with the running group together a few years ago.  Last I knew she was trying for 4:00, and that was about the best she could do it seems.  For her to bust out a 3:51 means her training has been great.  She is about my age, so a BQ time for her. 

Love You All xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Ya'All are the best xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras of these  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Extras of these  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Hope you all have a great day.  :)  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  I may spend some time with Brandy today too.  :)  *sadly just the drink*   Ha ha ha.    Have a good one MWAH!!!!    :)))

Now for really really cya cya cya   :D   :D 

Saturday, September 17, 2011

WOAH!! Where Did The Spider Webs Come From???

Decided to take this thing out of the attic.  Got a little dusty, and cob webby.  :)  I have no excuse why I haven't blogged this week.  Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday I did not feel like it.  Thursday, I couldn't get my internet to work, cause my wireless thing was shut off on my computer.  Thursday I had insomnia, and slept in Friday morning.  So I really have no idea why the week was such a bad blogging week for me. 

Anyway, so you know I am training again.  Dummy me, I like training, but if I am not training for a marathon what do I do??  It hit me this week.  Train for a 5K.  I don't need a ton of miles, maybe I'll get up to 30 or so.  I don't need long long runs.  I think an 8 mile run for a 5K long run is good enough.   I can run shorter distances, and more frequently, and maybe even add a couple hard/speed days.  So that in and of itself has got me excited. 

Yesterday I even ran tired.  I was tired when I got home from work, and was close to napping, but took Hope on a little 3.5 mile run, and felt better afterwards.  You always forget about that. 

So that is about it that is going on in my life.  Just same old glam stuff that usually comes my way.  :)

Just a short little update.  :)

That is it for today!!!   :)

Thanks for reading!!!   :)

Hope Everyone has a Great and Awesome Day!!!   :)

xo's!!!   :)

Love You All!!!   :)

p.s.  I got nothing.  :)

Love You All xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Ya'All are the best  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras of these xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Extras of these xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Now for really really cya cya cya   :D   :D 

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Fight Night!!

Well this is my 2nd night of watching Professional Boxing, and man is that a tough sport.  Me being the complete wuss I am I don't know what drives a person to want to step in the ring, and punch and be punched.  It is you vs. another.  One person wins, and one person loses.  It is a sport for the courageous that is for sure.  You either win or lose. 

Anyway I knew 2 of the fighters from work.  Emmanual was the Michigan Golden Gloves Champ a couple years back and went pro.  I think he is undefeated, and he beat the hell out of his guy in 30 seconds or so, and the dude lost a tooth too, to add insult to injury.  I think Emmanual has a heavy punch, because he knocks a lot of people out. 

If you don't know Johnny is the other boxer, and he was the Main Event.  He was 8-0 coming into the fight, but this was going to be his toughest opponent yet.  7 of his 8 wins were knockouts.  The dude he was fighting wasn't undefeated, but he took some highly ranked boxers the distance. 

As someone who trains for marathons I know some days the training days are your A days, and race day, may be not your best day.  I think Johnny fell into this category.  I don't think he had his A stuff, but like an Ace pitcher he battled.   He got cut in the first round on his eye.  I didn't see any punch that would have done it, so it must have been a head butt.  Johnny's corner took care of it, and it didn't cause a problem the rest of the fight. 

This fight went the distance.  A whole 6 rounds.  Both boxers at times looked tired, but this one played out where the dominant boxer dominated a pretty darn good boxer.  No one was going to fall down in this fight.  Johnny was the only one who really got any good hits during the fight.  His opponent was a battler, and a good boxer, but Johnny must be slippery, even when he doesn't have his quickest feet.  There were times where Johnny was tired, but his opponent could not take advantage.  There were a few times where Johnny's opponent look tired, and Johnny pounced on the opportunity to put in some nice combinations. 

There were times where they both looked a bit tired and sloppy.  The match came down to Johnny's instincts.  Pounce when you feel your opponent is weak. 

It was a heckuva match, and my legs felt wobbly after the fight I was so nervous.  :)

That is it for today!!!   :)

Thanks for reading!!!   :)

Hope Everyone has a Great and Awesome Day!!!   :)

xo's!!!   :)

Love You All!!!!   :)

p.s.  Johnny gets to eat McDonalds breakfast now for a while.  :)

Love You All xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Ya'All are the best  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras of these xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Extras of these  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Now for really really cya cya cya  :D  :D 

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Today I Lay Low

First off I would like to thank Naomi, and Jen Gray for the comments yesterday.  When I add the heavy posts like yesterday, I don't feel they are really commentable, and yet those two stepped up anyway.  WOW!!!  

I tell you a post like yesterday, I don't blurt out and say what is on my mind.  I wonder if it is hard to understand.  Want to know how this whole life of mine has progressed??  The old lady in the hospital room back in the early 90's.  I was cleaning up the floor.  Usually it was shit, puke, or urine.  She told me "I must have the patience of Job to do this job."  I thought hmmmmm.  So I went home, and read the book of Job.  I wrote on a piece of paper, it is really hard to see how great Job was unless you walked through his shoes.  Put the paper away, and went on doing my thing.  Then soon after came those 6 days.  I suffered and suffered, and like Job I prayed, make it so I was never born.  After those 6 days, and I was feeling better, I stumbled on what I wrote, and that scared the heck out of me.  When this thing started up, I even had to suffer some more.  You know why I think suffering like this helps you along as a person??  The whole battle is truth vs. untruth right?  When you hit low points, and life kinda hits a shitty spot, then you realize why do I need to dress up my life??  The truth is all kinds of stuff, and lies really are just trying to make pretty.  You know how ciggarette company CEO's have nice mansions, and wear nice suits, but what are they doing you know??  We try to dress up our lives to make them look pretty, but there is more to us than that. 

My journey is this.  I was able to sort of walk in Job's shoes to sorta understand him.  I put on one of Alili's comments it is hard to really know a person unless you walked in their shoes somehow.  You can put 2 + 2 together. 

Anyway on a lighter note, Johnny's fight is tonight.  Should be fun.  I am laying low, because this will be going on way past my bedtime.  :)  I will work, and watch movies.  :)  I may try and see one of those early Sunday movies I like to see tomorrow too.  :)

That is it for today!!!  :)

Thanks for reading!!!   :)

Hope Everyone has a Great and Awesome Day!!!   :)

xo's!!!   :)

Love You All!!!   :)

p.s.  you know there is a freedom in this portion of my wait. 

Love You All  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Ya'All are the best  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras of these  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Extras of these xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras for Jen Gray, and Naomi, because some posts I really don't expect comments, and as a guy I should expect none ever anyway.  :)   xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras for Faith too, cuz she just bashed her knee pretty good.  :(   xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Now for really really cya cya cya  :D   :D

Friday, September 9, 2011

Title, Coffee, Blog... How I roll...

Hold on, I will be right back.  I have to get me some coffee first.  :) 

Oh dear, I really don't have much today, so guess I will have to wing it.  As usual.  :)  I messed up my run yesterday.  I didn't sleep that great again, even though I went to bed early.  So I didn't run to work, because I really hate the dragging ass at work, and when I run tired it really makes it worse.  I brought my stuff to run home from work though.  It is a 3.5 mile run, each way.  I was too tired though, so I didn't.  It is amazing how much freedom you have when not training for anything.  If I was training for a marathon or something, I would definitely get in my workouts, and now it isn't that important to me if I miss it.  If I were confident of the future, which I am not, I would probably start base building now for winter training.  (sorry, I said it)

I have things I can share, but I'd like to not share them.  I have a feeling you see, and know some things, but you don't want to see, and you don't want to know.  I hear you.  You know there was this one time when I suffered for 6 straight days.  6 days I did not eat hardly, and nothing more I wanted than to be dead, and better yet not be born.  I was completely demolished as a person.  Not only that, but I thought I was destined to spend eternity in a place you would rather not.  Talk about walking like a zombie.  No hope, and nothing but despair.  Now that sucks.  I was lifted up.  Everywhere I looked there were a ton of birds at the top of the trees.  I read and read and read, and the sword was friendly.  I was secure, and I was on the right side of being on the right side.  Then once again it was all taken away.  I had to go out, and find my way, and I found it.  I found the way.  It is something I have to do, and I am willing to do.  I have to go somewhere where there is no hope, and nothing but despair.  I will have help, and that will be why I will have no fear. 

I even had a trial run so to speak, of how it will happen.  Nothing I planned or did, but it just happened.  I could point to it, but doubt it would make much sense to you, and may seem a bit wacky.  One of the hard things to do is believe the scary stuff.  You want to tell yourself it isn't true, but be open, because the path is not easy, but with help you can do it.  Don't harden your hearts when you are shown something.  Just believe, even if it is scary or yucky. 

Like Gina says, "you will never be given more than what you can handle".  Although I have been on the brink, and over, and still he lifted me up. 

Life isn't always sugar and cream and all the nice stuff.  I am pretty sure you have a vision of that already.  Why??  who knows, and yeah kinda makes Solomon's and Job's words ring true. 

There you have it.  The truth is a bitch, so being strong is being honest, and being strong is believing the good, and the bad.  There are so many levels of that too.  Within ourselves, and around the world.  Everything you see can be a lesson of some sort. 

That is it for today!!!   :)

Thanks for reading!!!   :)

Hope Everyone has a Great and Awesome Day!!!  :)

xo's!!!   :)

Love You All!!!   :)

p.s.  I hate bringing the heavy posts like this.  booooo

Love You All  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Ya'All are the best  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

extras of these  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Extras of these  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Now for really really cya cya cya   :D   :D

Thursday, September 8, 2011

DRAT!!! The Anonymous Comment!!!

Hey, I throw my shit out there, and holy shit fuck yes, I am going to piss people off.  I don't mind the anonymous comment, because there was a time when I would use such a thing, because I was really really scared to show people my stuff.  I usually said nice things anonymously, and when someone thought it was a mean thing, I showed who I was if interested.  I really meant to say something nice, but it was misunderstood.  That had to be a couple years ago too.  The only problem with an anonymous comment that tells me I am an asshole and stfu basically is now I can think it is any number of people, and well, that isn't fair to them.  Luckily I don't hold grudges... I don't think, and I'll move on.  I only commented anonymously like twice btw.  I think.  :)

So Wednesday was my Monday.  You know the routine, not enough sleep, and I get the little dagger comment, and I am tired at work.  Words do hurt people that is for sure.  Sometimes even lack of words hurt people too I'd imagine.  So I felt bad yesterday after work.  I did run to work though.  :)  I sat and had a couple beers, and sure enough I looked inside myself and found strength and courage in who I am and what I do.  It didn't mean I felt great.  I picked up my wife, and on the way home my vision was gray.  What will I do when I get home.  For the Record I went to bed at 4:00.  I had nothing I wanted to do, and it was a nice day out, but a gray rainy personal day for me.  boooooo. 

On a bright note I will be going to Johnny Garcia's fight on Saturday.  Woooo Hoooooo.  Taking de wifey too, and Emmanual is fighting too.  Should be fun.  :)

That is it for today!!!   :)

Thanks for reading!!!   :)

Hope Everyone has a Great and Awesome Day!!!   :)

xo's!!!   :)

Love You All!!!   :)

p.s.  some days I just don't have one.  Hope this one is o.k.  :)

Love You All  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Ya'All are the best  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras of these  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Extras of these xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Now for really really cya cya cya   :D   :D 

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Free To Be Me...

Life it seems has a way of enslaving you in all kinds of things.  I have to do this, and I have to do that, etc...  I am free to do as I choose, and I choose to do it.  I have already done a lot of hard stuff in my life, and training for races wasn't all.  As a matter of fact most of my hard stuff came from things no one saw. 

As I wake up this morning, and yesterday actually I realize I am free to be me.  Free to choose what and when I want to do something.  All that you counted on with me you can throw out the window.  People make their choices in things they are interested in, and who they are interested in.  I do too.  I help support people as life is fricken life.  It is a good thing, and it is a shitty thing.   

I think the thing that drives people nuts is how we are different from day to day.  One day up, and the next day down, etc...  I guess there is a desire to box ourselves into this little box, and say this is me.  That isn't you though.  There is so much more to all of us.  Boxing yourself in is not a way to happiness, and contentment either.  It is a way to loneliness, and other stuff.  Be open to all who you are.  You are good, and you are bad.  You are selfish.  It is hard for you to show empathy for those who struggle with stuff.   Our natural tendency is to hide the bad stuff, or even the stuff that makes us less than happy.  As many good days there are, there are bound to be bad days along the way too.  That is part of life. 

well, hell, I am totally winging this update.  I really have nothing, and I am posting no pictures, and why in the fuck do I wake up so damn early to write this shit down?  I do know one thing.  This is your journey now, not mine.  Mine is done, and everyone has to make sense of their life, and who they are.  You have work to do.  It seems to me you are following in footsteps that few have taken.  It is a hard journey, and like I said it is not done or won without support. 

That is it for today!!!   :)

Thanks for reading!!!   :)

Hope Everyone has a Great and Awesome Day!!!   :)

xo's!!!   :)

Love You All!!!   :)

p.s.  I drank a whole 1.75 liter the other night.  :)   xoxo

Love You All xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Ya'All are the best  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras of these  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Extras of these xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras for Julia for being all over the comment board with an enthusiasm unmatched :)  xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras for my new follower who did IM Canada as a training IM for IM Arizona.  :)  ha ha.  Now that is fricken crazy.  :)  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Weeni can get 'em whenever she wants them, but she always gets 'em anyway.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Good Luck to Nancy O'Toole on her test today too.  :)  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo


Now for really really cya cya cya   :D   :D 

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Now That Was A Lie In As They Say!! :) xx

Yup slept til--err. stayed in bed til 7:00 am.  How Rock and Roll am I??   Yesterday was a great day for me.  woke up early, did my stupid blog thing, and took Hope for a run in cool temps.  Man did that feel good.  These temps. are what running is all about.  On the run I saw a lady who I have seen here and there since I started running.  She is like me, or I am like her now.  Just a runner.  No races or anything to train for, but it is fun sometimes just to get out and run. 

I cooked a meal, meatloaf.  My secret is crushed croutons, and chopped up celery and onions.  Nummy.  Added red skin mashed potatoes.  Secret there is a bar of cream cheese added to the potatoes.  Nummy (squared)  A little wine, and a little music, and a lotta fun.  :)  It was Lisa's idea, since she saw it was going to be cool outside.  I also have today's dinner ready to go.  A crock pot meal.  Yummy Nummy.  I love fall, and I love fall weather. 

Today I have off, and going to watch a movie, go for a run, and do some laundry, and then we will see.  Tomorrow will be my Monday.  :)

That is it for today!!!   :)

Thanks for reading!!!   :)

Hope Everyone has a Great and Awesome Day!!!   :)

xo's!!!   :)

Love You All!!!   :)

p.s.  I am adding blogger Angela, and Maggs to xoxoxoxoxo so they get mentioned every day.  I feel it is the best thing to add people to, and they now get mentioned every day, even if I don't mention them.  :)

Love You All xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Ya'All are the best  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras of these xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Extras of these xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxo

Now for really really cya cya cya  :D   :D 

Monday, September 5, 2011

This Will Be Interesting...

You know I think some of the most interesting things of life are who people are, and what they are about.  Some people you get to know, and some people don't show you anything.  Our world sometimes seems to be going so so fast, that people never ever get the time to learn who they are.  Who are you and what do you think of??  I am losing hope for the type "A" whackadoos.  I mean if your life is seriously just about training, and triathlons, than SHEESH!!  Is that it??  That is all you think about??  How fascinating of a person you are. 

That is why I like people who let us in.  Those who are going through "tough" years personally, and life changing things are happening- are tending to show more than others, that is for sure. 

Everyone has lived a life, and it is all right there in your vision, but what, you don't look??  or you don't show??  What happened in your life earlier says a lot about who you are today.  Don't you know that??

There is so much to life potentially, and some people miss out it seems.  Oh well.  I'll give you my plan today.  I am going to do this stupid blog.  I am going to drink coffee, and watch a movie, take Hope for a run.  Do some cleaning around the house, and shop for a dinner tonight to cook.  I will buy a bottle of wine to have while cooking, and listen to music.  Probably even some other stuff too. 

It will be fun.  I will have a positive outlook, because I plan on doing fun stuff, and yet I will still think of things, and think of people.  I tend to think of people who let us in. 

I think it is important to be present, like Nancy O Toole said.  Of course as I say that she is not being very present.  If you read this Nancy, how can I creep your twitter wall if you never tweet??   :)   Ha ha. 

Life, no matter where you are or where you are going, or how hard times are, there always seems time to laugh at stuff.  I may read "Catch-22" again.  :)

That is it for today!!!   :)

Thanks for reading!!!   :)

Hope Everyone has a Great and Awesome Day!!!   :)

xo's!!!   :)

Love You All!!!  :)

p.s.  White Sox suck!!!  :)

Love You All  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Ya'All are the best xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras of these  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Extras of these  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo


Now for really really cya cya cya   :D   :D 




Sunday, September 4, 2011

Strange Strange Strange!!!

Well, I thought yesterday's post was kinda funny, but I guess not.  Oh well.  Hey, when in doubt truth it out right.  Here is the dilemma.  I go through and write this dumb ass thing every day, and you don't read, or pretend to don't read.  You know I went through some hard times this year, and you didn't step up and support.  When I bared my soul you either told me, and this goes back to journey etc... I was an asshole loser, or offered no support.

So a lot of you think you are these great people doing great things, but when it comes down to the most important things in life... compassion.... etc... you are too wrapped up in your own world to give a shit about others.  Some of you think a person who drinks alcohol is like the worst ever, but this one who does wakes up a hell of a lot earlier than your sorry asses.

When things get strange I realize you hide shit.  That which you are not supposed to do.  Maybe your vision is becoming clearer, and you are afraid to show your asshole side, but just show it.  You are anyway.  We can see it.  In other words, you ain't all that no matter what the fuck you think.

When you show your true colors you are great, and when you hide shit you are an ugly ugly person.  Just the way it works.

That is it for today!!!   :)

Thanks for reading!!!   :)

Hope Everyone has a Great and Awesome Day!!!   :)

xo's!!!   :)

Love You All!!!  :)

p.s.  I thank everyone in advance for the awesome comments this is sure to get.  :)

Love You All xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Ya'All are the best  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras of these  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Extras of these  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

No extras, but a lot of people get mentioned anyway without me giving extras... crap you know what I am going to give Angela extras... wannna know why??  She called some of the Tri people type A whackadoos.  Ha ha Ha   that is awesome.   :)    xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Now for really really cya cya cya  :D   :D 


Saturday, September 3, 2011

My Title Is This...

First off if you didn't read my previous post it is the Ironman race report I told you about from a local dude.  If you aren't into race reports... you know if you think the last good race report was the last time I raced, you can skip to the last couple paragraphs, which are great.  :)

I am not really sure if I have anything, but I am up, so I might as well put something down.  I am feeling I have xoxoxoxo's to hand out anyway.  :)  Even if I have nothing else to say.  :)   I just thought about something, that fucking race report got more comments than I normally get.  wtf??  What a pile of horseshit that is.  :)  I can only put it down to the fact you all are a bunch of assholes.  :)  ... perhaps I am the asshole, who can really tell.  :)

Hold on, lemme go get some coffee.  brb...

O.K. I am back.  I am just going to wing this update, cuz I really don't have much.  Yesterday I was tired due to sleeping like crap.  It appears if I don't get a workout in, and watch movies all day I have too much energy.  I came home, and I didn't want to go to lunch, and I really didn't want to drink.  I ended up having a couple cocktails anyway, just so i could say I love Doreen.  :)  I absolutely had nothing to do, and nothing I wanted to do.  Yayyy life you izzzz always so exciting.  :)  

Basically that is about it.  Lisa and I made a dinner, and watched some shitty movie, and I went to bed way early, so I could wake up early to write this dribble down.  :)  I didn't even take any pictures, which means this is going to be considered a boring blog in some circles.   ;)   Ha ha.  j/k. 

I really have nothing, so guess that is it for today!!!   :)

Thanks for reading!!!   :)

Hope Everyone has a Great and Awesome Day!!!   :)

xo's!!!   :)

Love You All!!!   :)

p.s.  What the fuck am I going to do now.  I have like 2-1/2 hours before I can go into work.  Maybe I'll get a run in.  Good Idea.  :)

Love You All   xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Ya'All are the best  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras of these  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Extras of these  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras for Doreen  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras for a new blogger Angela and her family.  Going through some life changes, and she needs 'em.   xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Now for really really cya cya cya   :D   :D 



Friday, September 2, 2011

Why You Do This. :) ----Mike Harju's Race Report--- :)

2011 Ironman Kentucky Race Report.

So, here I sit in the Galt House in Louisville, Four Roses Single Barrel bourbon in hand, trying to figure out how to capture what doing an Ironman is like.  After 10 months of dreaming, hoping & training, it’s over.  And, it was completely worth it.  The recap below will be part logistics, part recollection, in order to give friends & family an idea of what the whole experience is like.

Friday: Travel, athlete check in, banquet & mandatory race meeting.  The main worry about traveling was the 5pm deadline.  No check-in, no race.  I left at 6:30am from Holland, Mi and made it to hotel & athlete check in with plenty to spare.  I booked my hotel about 10 months in advance, so I was able to stay right in the heart of athlete central: The Galt House.  A great hotel, and the expo & check-in were on floor two.  From 4-5, I got together with the iamtri.com group for a social gathering & gear raffle.  Iamtri is a pretty cool site where the Ironman participants can go to exchange information, experiences, and – most importantly for us first timers – tips for surviving race day.

The banquet was amazing, with Mike Reilly (the “Voice of Ironman”, who announces the athlete’s names as they cross the finish line) cheering us on & interviewing the lead professional triathletes.  They also brought 6 amateurs onstage who had lost 60+ lbs on the way to their ironman goal.  One had lost 165 lbs.  Makes my 50+ lbs over the past 5+ years look easy!

Saturday: Official practice swim in the Ohio.  It was a preview of the race day magic & energy.  Athletes everywhere, most ultra fit & trim, but at least a few – men & women both – who looked like they might enjoy a pint or two.  My people, in other words.  One last short ride to make sure the bike was working okay.  By 5pm was Bike, T1 & T2 bag drop off, and then the wait.  I tried to get rest, but there’s a lot of walking in race day prep.  At this point I was – surprisingly to me – still more confident & excited than nervous.  I had done the preparation, the hard work & was determined to savor the experience as much as I could.  I prepared my nutrition bottles, and put them in the cooler to load on the bikes in the morning.  I headed to bed about 9pm and slept surprisingly well.

Sunday:
I woke at 4:30am as planned.  Transition opened at 4:45am, but I figured the day would be long enough, why not get a bit of extra sleep before the 7am start.  After all the fuss & worry about upper 90s temps from my two training rides in Louisville, the day’s weather was beautiful, with highs in the mid 80s.  If you told me a year ago that I’d have to run a marathon in anything above 70 degrees, I’d have said, “No way.”  It would be hot, but it felt like a blessing compared to the 3+ straight weeks of 90+ degrees and high humidity Louisville had experienced in late July & early August.  I headed to the bike transition area to load up my bike, pump air into the tires & make the long walk to the swim start.  (Side note: While the race is 140.6 miles (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run), what is easily forgotten is the “in-between” mileage.  .5 miles to the swim start from the hotel, .7 to the end of the swim line, another .3 (at least) snaking back & forth while in the swim line, the .3 ran inside the transition areas, and the .5+ to collect the gear after the race.  I bet it was easily a 143 mile day.)

Swim:
The swim at Ironman Louisville is not the typical 2,000+ people in the water, “Ready, Set, Go!” format.  The swimmers are lined up – and this line makes Disneyworld look like the express lane – single file, and launched time-trial style off two docks.  I had come prepared with a disposable corrugated (cardboard to most people) chair in order to rest my legs.  The camaraderie amongst the athletes is pretty cool.  Some were too nervous or focused to talk, but most were willing to chat & exchange their Ironman journey for your.  I was next to a young guy hoping to qualify for the Ironman World Championships in Kona, and two 50-somethings who just wanted to finish.  Although it was my first IM, I had made the trip to Louisville and ridden the bike course twice with the Iamtri group during the summer, so I was able to share those experiences with people who hadn’t done their homework.  (Note: DO YOUR HOMEWORK!  There are a hundred things you can learn about the course that will make your day go better.  Do it.  You don’t know which of the hundred may be the difference.  If you can swim/ride/run any of the course several months ahead of the race, even better, as you’ll have time to adjust your training.)

  It can take up to 40 minutes to send almost 2,500 athletes into the water two by two, and this was delayed even further by a medical emergency just before I was to go in the water.  Although we didn’t know it at the time, an athlete from New York had suffered a heart issue and, tragically, later died in the hospital.  I can only hope his family knows that he died doing something meaningful to him.
:
I remained surprisingly calm, with my send-off music being Michael Franti’s “Everybody Ona Move” – one of my favorite songs.  I figured it was a good omen, and clapped my hands & bounced in time with the music.  Into the water I went, legs scissored to keep from going under too far, lest the next swimmer land on top of me.  Despite the time-trial start, the water was still packed with people.  I’ve done enough tri’s to know to stay cool, look for open space & sight a lot in the beginning.  The first 400 meters was tough, with lots of arms & legs flailing about – the true “blender” experience of a triathlon swim.  I was blocked in, run over & made contact dozens of times.  Again, lots of open water training and experience paid off.  No heart rate spike, just a cool analysis of where I was, where the open water was & when I got there to get into a smooth swimming stroke.  I noticed after the first few buoys that people would tend to veer toward the buoy when they got close, creating more contact.  Buoy on the left, look out for swimmers coming in from the right.

The Louisville swim is about .7 miles upstream, 1.7 down.  There is little current though, and entering the main channel from behind Towhead Island I didn’t notice much difference, other than a slight temperature drop in the water and a more prevalent oil/gas odor presence.  When you’re on a long swim in a crowd, your picture of the swimmers and the world around you is limited to what you can see while breathing & sighting.  It gives a bizarre outlook sometimes, like a slow strobe effect.  There was a young lady that seemed to appear out of nowhere in front of me, then just as quickly disappeared.  Another guy seemed to be standing upright, but stayed in front of me somehow for at least a minute.  The only conclusion I could draw was he was running on a sandbar.  Or… maybe I was just swimming slowly.  My plan was to worry more about not getting beat up until we hit the turnaround buoy at .7 miles, then apply moderate power from there.  I’ve learned from running that if you want to shave off time in longer races, don’t rely on making up time by sprinting at the end.  Start increasing the effort slightly earlier in the race, and your time will drop.   If my heart rate started rising, or I got tired, I’d back off.  Neither happened during the swim.  I had relatively clear water, knew to sight on the two red roofs of the Galt House, and swam home to a 1:21 time.  I wasn’t dizzy at all coming out of the water, and the volunteers were great helping everyone up the ramps.

Total swim time: 1:21:20 (about right at my goal pace).

T1: 15:03
I’ve never worried about fast transition times, and this was no different.  It was going to be a long day anyway, why spike my heart rate by sprinting through transition?  I felt great about my time from the swim, so I slowly jogged through the cheering crowd, picked up my T1 (swim to bike) transition bag, and entered the changing tents.  The volunteers were amazing in the race from start to finish.  T1 was a great example of that, with ample people in attendance to do anything from fetching water to putting gear back into bags.  I grabbed two waters to top off my bike bottles, found my bike & pushed my bike to the bike course.

Bike:
I had biked this course twice during training, so I thought it would be a known quantity.  I knew where the hills were, when to take nutrition, & how to approach the race.  I knew to pedal easy the first 25 miles or so (just “riding along”, as they say), and not worry about anyone passing me.  But, each day is different, and I found myself going into a Hurricane Irene caused headwind on the way out.  Nothing too horrible, but it sapped my energy and my patience.  Where I had previously ridden at 19 mph, I found myself at 15-16.  I did my best to stay even & worry more about keeping light on my pedals and not worry about time.  One thing I was surprised by was the amount of riders stopped for tires & mechanical in the first 10 miles.  One kid had the crank arm fall off, leaving him stranded at mile 4.  I stopped to see if I could help, as I carry an allen wrench for crank bolts, but he had lost the bolt entirely.  I told him, “Good luck” and headed out, hoping that the Ironman support crew would be able to help him back on his way.

I took it easy up the first couple of hills and was surprised at how quickly the first hour went.  Before I knew it, I was entering the out-and-back on 1694 – site of the two largest hills of the race.  We had just a bit of a tail wind for some of this section, so that was a nice boost.  I took in my nutrition – I was taking two sips of a concentrated sports drink (Gu Electrolyte Brew) every 10 minutes, along with water, and a Gu packet about every 90 minutes.  On the out-and-back, you ride into a valley, up the other side & then turn around and retrace your route.  I had been looking forward to this, as you reach 40+ mph on the downhill, and it gets the two largest hills out of the way.  For some reason this section had always woken me up & left me energized.  Today was no different, but, like much of the course for the first 60 miles, I simply wasn’t able to ride the race I wanted.  There were too many bikes, with multiple lanes of riders passing slower ones.  During my training, almost all my rides were solo, so this was frustrating.  I like to kick it downhill & use that momentum to carry me along until I easy spin up the next hill.  I was having to ride my brakes on the downhill instead.  I know this cost me precious time & energy, and the constant bike traffic was distracting.  Still, my IM friends had told me things go wrong on race day.  It’s how you react that matters.  I just adjusted, mentally accepted the loss of time and moved on.

After the out & back was completed, I hit my first Gu packet in preparation for the first of two loops through lots of rolling hills.  IMKY doesn’t allow you to hunker down and churn out miles, you’re constantly shifting: Big chain ring, small chain ring, top gear to bottom and back again.  I had practiced this, which allowed me to gain speed in some technical sections.  I also knew the hills well enough to take my nutrition before or after the hills.  Going through Lagrange was incredible.  There was a nice long section, with people lined all along the street & cheering like mad.  Even better, it was just as loud on the 2nd loop when I really needed it.  I played it up, pointing to the crowd & getting them as loud as I could.  Again, thanks to my IM experienced friends, I knew enough to enjoy the experience to the fullest.  Loop one was slow due to the traffic, and I noticed somewhere between mile 50 & 60 that I had forgotten to take any of my electrolyte pills.  [FACEPALM!]  I use Sportlegs, so I quickly popped two of them.  Too late though, as my left arch started cramping up a bit later.  I rode about 30 miles with that stupid cramp, trying to pedal mainly by pulling upwards.  I finally realized it just wasn’t going to go away, so I stopped twice between miles 70 & 90 to stretch it out.  My 2nd loop would have been faster than my first if it weren’t for that.  For all my practice, that was rookie mistake #1 of the race & it definitely cost me time.  The last stop seemed to really help, or the electrolytes finally kicked in & the cramp went away.  I sailed through the last 22 miles, passing lots of people and feeling better than I had in the first half of the ride.  Maybe I was summoning energy for the big challenge in front of me: The run!

Total bike time: 7:17:16 (15.4 mph avg), about 18 minutes slower than my target.


T2: 14:41
I cruised into T2, keeping high RPM on the bike to wake my legs up before the run.  There was a 2”+ sidewalk we had to ride up onto (a bit annoying), then the dismount line wasn’t clearly marked.  Can you tell that you might be just a bit cranky by this point?  Little things pop up, and I know that I start reviving my old hockey playing vocabulary after mile 70 of the bike.  I unclipped, hopped off the bike & handed it to a volunteer (very cool, by the way, to not have to rack the bike) and walked down the chute towards the T2 tent.  Again, I  took my time, making sure I had everything I needed, got plenty of sunscreen (applied by a very cute volunteer, by the way) & walked my way to the run start line.

Run:
I started off the run feeling better than I should ever have expected.  For some reason, I’ve always done the bike to run fairly well – in fact, I tend to run too fast at first.  My original plan was to run four minutes, then walk one, to keep my temperature down & make my legs last as long as possible.  At this point, I knew I could walk the entire marathon & still probably make the midnight cut-off, so I was in great spirits.  It wasn’t that hot (by Louisville standards, at least), and I felt great, so I decided to just run & see how I felt.  Rookie Mistake # 2!  The first two miles are up & over a bridge – no shade, and the only decent inclines on the race.  Before I hit mile two I had overheated & was forced to walk.  Every time I started to run, I’d start overheating again within a minute or two.  I adjusted, accepted the fact that I was going to finish closer to midnight than my 9pm-ish goal, and just kept moving.

Since I wasn’t running much, I started to eat from the food offered on the course.  At low heart rates, I’ve been able to eat just about anything, even while exercising.  For those of you who haven’t experienced an Ironman, the run is like a buffet.  Aid stations every mile, with grapes, bananas, chicken broth, coke, cookies, pretzels and lots of other things.  I tried the grapes (great), chicken broth (better than expected), coke (fantastic), and, around mile 5, tried a single cookie.  Rookie mistake #3 – don’t eat what you haven’t practiced with.  The refined sugar of that cookie hit my stomach like a dirty bomb.  Instant nausea.  From that moment on, I was fighting a battle with my stomach, trying not to vomit, but trying to keep my nutrition (Shot Bloks & Gu Electrolyte Brew) going.

Throughout this, my legs felt fantastic – better than a couple of the marathons I’ve run, in fact.  As the temperature dropped, and when my stomach wasn’t threatening a minor revolt, I was able to run well.  I came toward the end of loop one, which brings you oh-so-tantalizingly close to the finish line, and hit the halfway point at about 2:45.  Seeing that line gave me a bit of energy, and I ran at least ¾ of the next 5 miles.  I hit the turnaround for the last time (just after mile 20), still fighting nausea, but feeling I was over the worst of it & would still come close to my “best case” goal time of 14 hours.  I popped a Gu gel packet at mile 22, hoping that would help carry me home.  Instead, it sent me right back into horrible stomach issues, with me belching & urping my way through mile 24.  Somewhere (mile 23? Mile 24?) I hit an aid station, with a choice: chicken broth, or coke?  I knew – there was no doubt – that one would heal me, and one would make me puke.  Which one?  I chose the coke.

Just after the mile 24 marker, my body let me know the results, declaring all out war as a response to the abuse it had taken.  I developed tunnel vision, got dizzy, and staggered over to the side of the road.  Leaning up against a pole, I puked until I dry heaved.  I collapsed on the ground, leaned over & dry heaved some more.  The sudden change to a laying down position sent my blood rushing, screwing up my blood pressure big time.  As competitors walked and ran by, I lay on side of the road with my lips numb, arms & legs tingling so bad I had to look and see if I was shaking.  I laid there, seeing the sky like I was looking through reversed binoculars & just thinking, “I’m two miles away.  My day can NOT end at mile 24 of the run.”  Somewhere in there, two police officers & that were manning the road block came over to check on me.  They asked if I needed medical attention.  I told them, “I just need some time to recover.  I’ve got over two hours to make two miles.”  Truth be told, I was scared to death that a medic would take my BP and pull me out of the race.  After a few minutes, the dry heaves stopped, but I still was afraid to stand up because my arms & legs were tingling so bad, I might just fall over.  I remember people walking by, saying encouraging things, but I have no clue what they were.  Finally, after I don’t know how long, I had the bright idea of elevating my legs.  At first I hugged my knees to my chest, then put my straightened legs up in the air.  After a couple of minutes, my arms & legs went from a frantic buzzing to just mild vibration.  The tunnel vision cleared.  Okay, I thought.  I better get going, who knows how long the next two miles is going to take.

One foot in front of the other.  That’s all I could do.  The puking had settled my stomach down to a low rumble, but I felt completely drained.  Any nutrition I had was purged, and I was afraid to run, lest it send me tumbling off the road again.  At mile 25 I had a bit of chicken broth (ahhh, that’s what you should have chosen, my body told me) and sipped it.  Since you get so close to the finish line, you know exactly how far away you are.  I was about ½ mile out, and a woman caught up to me, absolutely sobbing while she walked.  I felt sorry for her and tried to help.  “Do you realize that tonight you’re going to be an Ironman?” I asked.  Apparently NOT the right thing to say, as it sent her off the deep end, moving to downright wailing on the Cry-O-Meter.  I told her good luck, and decided I had enough energy to run a bit after all.  With just two corners left, I broke into a light job.  I could hear the finish line announcer, and the crowd going crazy as each finisher came through.  I had enough presence of mind to straighten up my race belt, wipe my face off a bit (I had puked all over, after all) and prepare for the finish.  The last corner, and as I saw the finish line lights about ¼ mile away, all pain, all nausea just disappeared.  There was no doubt – this was it.  Years of dreaming, 10 months of training & staring at course videos, and I was going to be A FREAKIN’ IRONMAN!!!!  Lots of people say they don’t remember the finish, but I swear I remember just about everything.  Row after row of faces, screaming and cheering.  I pointed to each side of the crowd as I ran, making them cheer even louder.  50 yards to go, and I raised both hands in the air, letting out a war cry that came from the depths of my very soul.  I cupped my hand behind my ear & the crowd just exploded with noise and I high-fived my way down the last 25 yards to the finish.  As I headed through the final gate, I heard Mike Reilly say, (with the crowd joining in for the last three words), “MIKE HARJU, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!”

Run time: 6:02:19 (13:49 / mile).

Finish: 15:10:39


Post Race:
I’d love to end the story right there, and walk off into the sunset, but that’s not how life, nor an Ironman works.  A volunteer places the finisher’s medal around your neck, another takes your timing chip, and another guides you down the street toward the convention center.  They make conversation with you, trying to ascertain if you are lucid, need medical attention, and generally what your state of mind is.  I felt fantastic and talked her ear off the whole way.  She said the goal is to not have the athlete unattended at any point until after they’ve eaten and rested a bit.  Too much chance of someone keeling over & hurting themselves, I guess.  Apparently I passed the test (or maybe she got tired of me talking), as I was steered past the med tent and to another room so I could pick up my finisher’s hat & shirt & get something to eat.

I will tell you, the piece of pizza and Snickers bar I had that night might have been the best I’ve ever tasted.  I waited in the food area for a bit, talking with other finishers about their experience.  At 11:40 something, I headed back out to the finish line to watch the last people come in.  Midnight is the cut-off.  If you don’t finish by then, no medal, no official time.  It’s cruel, but it’s like you never were even there.  That has to be heart breaking.  I will skip all the details, but will say this: If you ever have a chance, watch the finish of an Ironman.  I about cried, watching the final finishers drag themselves across the line and realizing their dream as well.  As the countdown came and the race clock reached 17:00 (midnight), my heart broke for those still out on the course who would not make it.  Their dream would have to wait for another day.

Or would it?  At midnight, Mike Reilly announced to the crowd that due to the delay in the swim start, the WTC was adding 10 minutes onto the time clock.  Anyone finishing by 12:10 would be awarded an official time.  As far as I know, this has never been done before, and may never be done again.  They knew there were at least four people that had a chance (there’s a timing mat at mile 25, and these people had already crossed it).  The crowd went crazy again, sending all its energy out to those people, trying to collectively will them in.  All four made it.  These people thought they had no medal, no official time and were finishing through – what?  Sheer stubbornness?  Willpower?  Guts?  To watch their faces was amazing.  One woman burst into tears when she was told.  A guy came across, looking devastated, and had to be told twice that he was an official finisher.  To have your dream disappear, then come back like that had to be amazing.

I’ve been asked (by just about everyone): Will you do another one?  The answer is a resounding, “HELL, YEAH!”  It was an incredible journey, capped off by an even more amazing day.  I found courage and determination in myself I never knew existed.  I saw others overcome incredible obstacles (like the guy walking the marathon with his arm immobilized – literally taped to his body – but still finishing).  While 90% of the participants were in better shape than I’ll ever be, and were riding bikes that I can’t afford, the 10% that were reaching for that dream on a shoestring budget and might have been 30, 40+ lbs overweight were the most inspiring.  Some of us made it.  I talked to several others that failed.  While they were crushed, they were even more determined to try again.  These are all things I will draw on later in life.  I loved this race – the good, the bad & the ugly – and by doing the Ironman, found a tribe of fellow crazies that felt like family.  Hell, yeah, I’ll be back.

Movie Day!! Yayyy. :)

Hold on I gotta get me some coffee first, and then I will get started.  :)

O.K.  yesterday I woke up at my normal time, which for some reason is 2:00.  I thought, oh no way.  So I stayed in bed til like 3:00.  I thought of blogging, but there wasn't much on my mind.  I thought of the run to work, and being at work, and I felt like it was going to be a really tired day.  So I went back to bed til 4:30.  I had a Great Day at work, meaning I was loaded with energy.  I got sidetracked, and worked around 8 hours on something I totally planned on not doing.  That is my job though, I can really conceivably get sidetracked everyday.  It wouldn't be hard.  I knew early I was going to "Live" on this day.  I ate something for the first time in like 20 years.  A slim jim.  :)  Ha Ha, those things are gross.  I even ate one with a cheesy thing... you know the cheese that doesn't need refrigerating.   Lisa pointed that nugget out to me.  "You ate cheese that doesn't need to be in the fridge."  :)  Ha ha.  I told her, "it is the best cheese science can make."   :)

For lunch I decide on two Chicago style hot dogs, which were about as "Chicago" Holland, MI can get, but they were o.k.  I was thinking about a gyro.  I also decided it was a total movie watching day.  I watched, "Dark Knight" and "Inglorious Basterds"  Both movies were great.  I saw IB in the theaters, and never saw DK, cuz I don't like Batman movies, but this one was great.  We also made tacos for dinner, so really a great day. 

It was a great day, and sometimes life is just about that stuff to me.  I think most of the shit in life is pretty dumb to be honest.  We get wrapped up in our little shell we forget to see the big picture, but then it comes to us.  I had a grenade go off in my life, when I found out my step-mom had cancer.  She had been battling pain, and I shrugged it off.  I was in my own little world, and must have had some resentment toward women, cuz I just looked at it as a sign of weakness.  Who knows what a mid 20 year old thinks about??  Especially one who graduated College, and wasn't sure what to do.  I got the call, and it was cancer, and death in like 6 months.  My first taste.  My friend Jen Gray went through this the past year, and now a blogger I read Maggs is going through the same thing.  She was going to a family reunion/Ironman race, and boom Mommy gets the diagnosis with a bad prognosis.  Kind of throws a shit wrench in to plans. 

I love Maggs a ton too, and one of the reasons is she actually went on Jessica's site and commented, when Jessica was feeling down.  Jessica is another blogger I have a long history with, and we both have done as many triathlons as each other during this history.  :)  Maggs wrote something to this effect... "Don't believe everything you read in blogs, because not everyone's life is as great as they say."  No Fucking Shit!!   Now Maggs has to deal with this, and whatever else goes on in her life.  I let her know she will have a ton of support, cuz everyone loves her.  She lives in Hawaii, trains hard, and likes to socialize with cocktails.  My kinda girl.   :)  She is cute too, but don't tell my wife I said that.  :)  j/k.  My wife already hates her cuz of her pictures of Lani Kai.  :)


Anyway if you read this blog, go on over to Maggs blog and offer her some support.  She is a great girl, and a hottie too.  :)  It will be a hard time for her, but it will be a learning, and growing time.  Her Mommy has to deal with the hardest thing in life right now too.  :(

That is it for today!!!   :)

Thanks for reading!!!   :)

Hope Everyone has a Great and Awesome Day!!!   :)

xo's!!!   :)

Love You All!!!   :)

p.s.  xoxoxoxo   :)   just in case you need 'em.   :)

Love You All xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Ya'All are the best  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras of these  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Extras of these  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Extras again for SSB and Mommy   xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

For Jen Gray too who can totally relate  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Now for really really cya cya cya   :D   :D