Yes, I Am Talented

Okay, I am not kidding when I tell this story.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about how I found 7 four-leaf clovers in about five minutes just poking around at the Corinth track. I bragged about being very talented in this department. There are two things that I think I could be world champion at...sighting hawks and finding four leaf clovers. When I was a kid, I used to say I had "hawk eyes!"

... So, earlier this week, Bekah and I were walking the dogs around the block and I just looked down for one second as we were walking and BAM! I told Bek, "hold on, I found a four-leaf clover." I think she said something to the effect of "you have to be shitting me." And behold, another four leaf clover. But, I didn't stop there. I picked one more right away just so I could have two.

So, first two people to write that they want/need a four leaf clover just let me know and you will have one coming to you in the mail. Who needs some luck?

Poem

I know this is totally random, but it popped into my head when I was trying to think of something to write. I thought I might share a poem with everyone that I memorized back in high school. A cheerleader at CBHS, then a 10 time national championship team or something like that, brought it to class one day. Before every practice her team would read inspirational quotes, poems, or such to help them focus and work hard. I always liked this one. Yes, I learned this 13 or so years ago and still remember it. It is the type of poem you have to read out loud to yourself to really hear it.

Man In The Glass

When you get what you want in your struggle for self
And the world makes you king for the day
Just go to the mirror and look at yourself
And see what that man has to say

For it isn't your father, or mother, or wife
Whose judgement upon you must pass
The person whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the one staring back from the glass

You may be like Jack Horner and chisel a plum
And think you're a wonderful guy
But the man in the glass says you are only a bum
If you can't look him straight in the eye

He is the man to please, never mind all the rest
For he is with you clear to the end
And you have passed your most dangerous, difficult test
If the man in the glass is your friend

You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years
And get pats on the back as you pass
But your final reward will be heartache and tears
If you have cheated the man in the glass

I just realized that this is the first house I have had that I have not hung this poem up on the bathroom mirror. I think I need to get it back up! I hope everyone has a great week. Be kind to yourself and work hard. xxxoooo

Birthday Pics Continued....

Pic 1: Gina, Damie, Bekah: 3 sistas

Pic 2: Bekah and Lindsey

Pic 3: Lindsey and Charlie

SideStreet Martini Birthday

Here are some birthday pics:
I also want to thank my friends. I have such a good group of amazing, wonderful friends. You really made my night special. I am very lucky to have you in my life.  

PS: thank you, too, to the friends that did 

not get in the picture action.  I love you!  And, 

thank you to the martinis that made my 30th

birthday oh so sweet!

Pictures top to bottom
Pic 1:  Gina and Bekah-New sisters

Pic 2: Casey and Lisa Bobland

Pic 3:  Damie, Barbara and Crazy Casey

Pic 4:  Damie and Joy :)

Pic 5:  Damie and Barbara- BFF despite fighting

in the swim lane

30 and Hot

Last night I started to write my last post as a 29 year old, then I got tired and fell asleep. What a classic way to kick off my 30s! So, today I am the big 3-0. At 30, I am cuter and more fabulous than I was at 20, so I don't mind moving into a new decade! ;)

Dave is in Key West for the entire week...poor guy. All he has to do is drink pina coladas, go to the beach, drink some more, make a decision about where to eat, have another pina colada...you get the picture. My birthday could've been sad and lonely, but....

1. I got a kiss from Rooney this morning right when my alarm went off
2. Made it to swim. Got birthday rights in my lane (kind of). Joy didn't kick my butt too much. Laura is in trouble for skipping.
3. Got brownies from my back row, jelly beans from the boy in front of me, and a running shirt from my other fellow 30 year old at school this morning.
4. Came home to a HUGE floral arrangement on my front porch from my friend Dolly. She has never, ever forgotten to send me flowers on my birthday, and they are always top notch.
5. Had a card waiting on the table from my sister with 2 swim lessons with Lesley Brainard. Yes!!! Someone finally has listened to me about what I like/ and need!!!!
6. Looked up in the closet for a gift from Dave: some fabulous earrings and a running top! Yes, again, someone got me some training stuff...stuff I like!!!! And, the earrings are beautiful too!
7. Tonight I will go get a good drink. It doesn't matter if it is one other person with me or 10...today has been a great day!

Thank you to all of my other fabulous friends...even my young 20 something year old friends. To a new decade: may I actually finish school and Ironman Florida.

I Won The Germantown Half Marathon

Costume Contest. Yes, it may seem rigged since I was also the judge, but I truly beat everyone in the contest. Not many people wore green (it was St Patty's Day weekend), no one had pig tails with green bows, and no one added cute knee highs. If you can't win a race, try to win the costume contest.

A Quick Note About a Slow 74

What is the best way to do your first ride in 3 weeks, post wreck, almost post illness? Jump in with a group that has been riding long all spring and do 74 miles. Needless to say I was dropped (and I mean riding by myself an can't see anyone ahead of me dropped) at about mile 30 and then again at about 50. Too long...too fast...too out of shape. Oh the misery of it! But, it honestly was a great ride. (And, for the the record, I thought they said we were riding about 2 hours TOTAL, not 2 hours OUT- meaning we had to get back too).

BTW, my longest ride since the fall has been 40 miles. Don't ask me why I thought it was okay to just double that. Plus, I have a horrible sunburn...forgot that was one of the side effects of the antibiotics I am on is increased sun sensitivity.

Everyone should get dropped a couple of times a season. It keeps you humble, challenges you, and gives you something to work on. I remember the very first time I was dropped. It was my first time to ride with my new swimming friends, Layla and Brian, and I had only ridden my bike a handful of times- never more than 10 miles. I couldn't keep up from the start. Pretty soon they were riding, talking, and laughing...about 3 miles ahead of me. I rode by myself fighting back the tears. I came home and told my husband I had a miserable time and would never ride with them again. It was just too humiliating for a newbie. But, little by little I improved and started to enjoy riding. And when I can't keep up, well, I just do the best I can and try to make the most out of the situation. I can always work on keeping a positive mental attitude even when my legs give out.

Round Two

When I woke up this morning, I immediately looked at my phone.  I just knew that a text would be awaiting me, and I was not disappointed!  From Joy:  I was at swim this morning!  Meaning, I was not.  How dare I after my Tuesday tongue lashings to my friends! 

Yesterday I went for my follow up appointment to the doc.  I still have an infection, and my white blood cell count is still high.  So, I am on round two of antibiotics.  I blame it on the fact that I had to work in the hospital on the days I was still sick, thus not getting enough rest.  I probably didn't need to run that extra half marathon either.  Oh well.  So, I stayed out of the pool this morning and hopefully this will clear up soon enough.  

But, more antibiotics?  I don't even know where to start on this topic.  The fact that Dave has not been to the doctor for being sick since he was a kid, and Gina hasn't had antibiotics since 9th grade makes me cringe thinking about my poor body.  I get sick probably 3x a year- and I never clear up on my own.  My lungs always have problems- from bronchitis which is pretty much chronic to pneumonia.  

There has got to be a better way.  What can I do to make my body healthier?  What am I doing wrong?

Home

I am finally home.

I had the best sleep last night that I have had in five weeks. What a difference it makes when you don't have external stressors in your life. I even made it back to Master's Swim this morning. After begging Dave to let me sleep for "just one more minute. Fine...just 3o more seconds...please!" He forced me out of bed and into the pool I went. I think I even swam about 3,400 yards. It felt great since I have not been in the pool since the wreck- 14 days exactly. Too bad some of my friends stood me up this morning- you know who you are!

Overall, I think I did a decent job of maintaining fitness while living out of town. I certainly did not gain any, and I might have lost a little. But, I am happy with where I am at this point in the year, especially with the ups and downs of the traveling and wreck. I am even looking forward to getting back to speedwork on the track. Maybe one of the blessings of living out of town for 5 weeks will show up later in the year when I am not burnt out from starting way too early in the winter/spring. This forced rest and recovery period may pay dividens later on- I hope.

I also have some great news to share. Matt Weathersby turned 30 years old on March 14. I guess since he realized he was getting on up there, he proposed to Gina and they are now engaged. Good job Weathersby! You are now committed to attending marathons and other "gu strategy discussions" for the rest of your life!


Congratulations Gina and Matt! Engaged March 14, 2008.

Just Checking In

Okay,
I edited this for a better check in when I had time.

CT scans came back negative for a bleed. I guess there is still a chance I could be a little dumber, and that won't show up on a CT scan :) . This week I had a chest x-ray. I had a bad day of coughing with some blood coming up, and we had to make sure I didn't have a contusion on the lungs from the wreck. It seems that is fine too. So, everything seems to be good and I just have to keep letting my body heal.

I have run some since the wreck. It is mostly okay, but the back of my head where I had the worst hit hurts quite a bit after running. It just feels like my skull is cracked back there. But, I am still amazed that I am really and truly just fine. And, today I found not 1...not 2...and not even 3, but 7...yes, 7 four-leaf clovers. I must have a bit of good luck coming my way. I have always been quite good at finding four leaf clovers if I may say so myself.

Some other good news: my dad had his tumors removed and they were all benign. After 6 days in the hospital and a good portion of his large intestine cut away, he is his same crazy self. He even walked a mile today. He gave me a stern lecture last night about my health, taking care of myself, not running when I am sick, and on and on. All I could do was stare at him like he was crazy, which he is. I mean, who is he to lecture????? He was unplugging his IVs the first day of the hospital!

I am stuck in Corinth until next Monday night. So, until then...

Feeling Horrible

Severe headaches..body hurts all over...sick to my stomach....pain... Oh this is so miserable. I can't stay on my feet without getting warn down really fast. My throat is swollen so I can't eat = weakness.
Ughhh...let's hope this passes by Friday.

Is this an acceptable excuse for my mileage dropping this week ;)

RIP Go-Cart

Here lies Go-Cart Roberts. 1993-2008. Beloved friend and trusty side-kick. She doubled as a storage bin and bike carrier. May she rest in peace.

Behold, the death of the G0-Cart. Yesterday she bravely laid down her life to save mine. For all of those doubters who said my car was a POS and wasn't safe, well, she had the last laugh. Here is a tribute to my friend whom I put to rest yesterday.

I was hit from behind on Highway 72, a 4 lane, 65 mph highway through Corinth. I was turning right into a drive way from the highway as I do every day. Blinker on. Brake early. Slow and easy. At the last minute as I turned, I saw the car...not braking...right on me. And boom. If you have never been hit by a car going 55-65 mph, let me tell you, the impact is just like it seems in the movies. I think it was possible that I might have saved my own life by seeing her at the last second. I don't remember exactly, but maybe I turned the wheel a little more or tried to step on the gas to get out of the way. I think some insticts kicked in.

So, I spun out, hit a couple of things and then I was stopped. I didn't know if I was hurt. Well, I knew I hit my head twice- front and back, that I could feel. But, I didn't know how bad it was...if anything was broken..bleeding...hanging off of me. I just sat there trying to take in inventory of myself. Panic started coming. Where is my phone? I have to call Dave. I need to call Hannah. Funny I never once thought to call 911 the whole time. My phone was no where to be found. Everything was thrown about the car.

Next thing I knew people had stopped and were trying to get me out. I asked if I was bleeding and they said no. So, I said "I am fine, then." I got out of the car, and lo and behold it was hanging over a ditch. The Go-Cart sacrificed her wheels and let both axles break so that a sideways wheel could keep me from flipping over the embankment.

To wrap the story up. I am in Memphis. I am okay. Dave came last night to get me. I have two hits to the head, so I might be a little dumber in the future. It could be from getting older too, so we will never know. I am tired and hurting right now, but all limbs are intact and life is okay.

Now, before you say---so DON'T say---"well, at least you are alive;" my Go-Cart is dead. My friends know that I am a broke-broke physical therapy student. I needed this car to last me at the very least 16 more months. Now, I am carless and will have to go through all of the insurance BS to try to get something for the car, which will never be as much as it is worth to me in driving condition. And, the lady says she has insurance but did not have her card with her. I hope this is night another nightmare to just add on to the trauma of being in an accident and losing my beloved Go-Cart.

So, ice cream is accepted for those that feel that they need to do something to soften the blow of my loss. Please keep the Go-Cart in your thoughts and prayers as she makes her way to car lot heaven.

Little Rock Half Marathon 2008

Three fantastic, awesome women getting ready to run the streets of Little Rock.

Gina, Joy and I ran the Little Rock 1/2 Marathon yesterday. To runners and triathletes, it is no big deal. But, to the average population, that is a huge deal! Many people train months to finish a half marathon. We just jump in one...confident and secure we will finish and hoping to run as fast as possible. This still boggles my mind sometimes.

This thought hit me yesterday as I was running. Had any of us trained for Little Rock? No. Did we have a training schedule? No. We have reached that point in our running lives where we can just jump into a half marathon with little thought. And then I thought....how great! What a perfect way to spend a Sunday- just running a race with girlfriends! It was so cool! I can't believe that I spend my weekends running long races "just because."

I ran this half marathon last year and really liked it. It is pretty hilly- Gina says it is hillier than Nashville. So, that is good training. Unfortunately this year was warm whereas last year was cold. I like the cold a little more! And one thing I don't remember from last year was the wind! It seemed like there was a headwind everywhere until the end!

I started off on my goal pace which was around 7:35. I kept in this range until about mile 6 or so. It seemed that I started struggling through the wind when others around me were slicing through it. I would get back on pace and then lose it as soon as I hit a big hill with a windy push. I saw Gina around mile 9ish? She reminded me to stay in the race. (My friends worry that I will just tell the race to "suck it" if I am not doing well). But, I was into this run-enjoying it and doing the best I could.

I took too much gu too early and paid for it in those middle to late miles. But, this is exactly the type of practice I need before Florida. I couldn't figure out if I was going to stop and just throw up the gu or what. Needless to say, the very moment I finished the race I had to diarrhea....I mean the very second I stopped running. Poor Gina had to pull off on the way home for me so I didn't explode in her car! I would like to know how Joy manages to take in all of that gu. I keep trying, but I think I will have to go back to my old half marathon gu schedule.

There were no PRs to be had in Little Rock by either Gina or me. I came in at 1:44:29. I didn't feel as upset as I thought I would, though. The race gave me some good feedback about my current fitness, strengths, and weaknesses. It also gave me some motivation. I don't care to see that clock time again. There is a lot of happiness to take away from the race, but I do enjoy being more competitive than that.

JOY, on the other hand, won 2nd place overall 1/2 women. When I got to the finish she was waiting on us with a big, pink diamond trophy. She took home a nice check, which I expect she will spend on me since this was my idea to run the race. I think I should totally be Joy's manager.

Now, for a funny picture. This is the only pic my aunt got of me. I am not sure what I am doing with my shirt. Pulling it up for what? I don't remember having an itch...maybe I was getting a piece of candy from my pocket? I just think this picture is so funny. I mean, really...what am I doing? Getting ready to flash an upcoming camera?

And, a "here's your sign" from the weekend: Joy and Gina informed me that I won't have to worry much longer about not getting in my workouts after work in Corinth because the clock changes next week. My response was: "for everyone?" The said, no Damie, everyone but you. Here's your sign.

Snuggle Time

Rooney, Damie, and Presley snuggling like bugs in a rug on Saturday morning.  I think Dave sometimes feels a little left out since I leave our bed to go join the animals!

One of the hardest things on me being in Corinth is being away from my family:  Dave, Rooney, and Presley.  I am guilty of missing the animals the most sometimes;)  Can you blame me?  Look how great they are!   I often wonder if they miss me while I am gone.  Have they forgotten about me?  Do they know who I am when I return, or am I just a stranger that gives them pets and treats?

This Saturday morning, Rooney started whining around 6:45.  He didn't really need anything... just some attention.  So, I crawled out of bed with Dave and made my way to the couch with Rooney.  Snuggle time!  This is one of our weekend routines.  I will end up on the couch catching the rest of my zzzzz with Roo Roo.   Presley ended up joining us somewhere along the way.  

I have a feeling they miss me.  I sure do miss them too.  We are BFF.