Good Saturday afternoon, Lean Meaners! I'm being a good girl, and resting after my 8 miler today--am officially in taper for the Cleveland 1/2 marathon--and thought I would check in and catch up.
Lisa: So, I'm officially counting you as my running buddy for ToT!

You have made my week! And I'll be your cheerleader/nag for the Goofy 2010 as I'm definitely going Goofy then. I'll just be your cheerleader for any tri, unless I get over my morbid fear of water anytime soon... I'm sure DOOD would love running partners, even if they would "hold him back" a bit. (He's hoping for a 3:30 marathon in a couple of weeks, although I suspect he'd be happy with a 3:40 with the way his training has been going.) I think he likes the idea of having fun events to look forward to--and me, I'm all about the fun.
Your bike ride sounds, well, challenging and I understand why your quads were sore. I have a hybrid mountain/road bike and it's really not made for much speed. I can't imagine what it must have been like in the sleet and cold. I have to say everyone in your family are hard-core, outdoorsy athletes, and am impressed by your biking, DD's team playing in the weather (screw the defeat), and (whose?) baseball practice.

I just know you'll adjust your eating habits to fit the activity and everything out of whack will be in whack soon--what's a whack, anyway? (Loved that sign on the course!)
Maria: Got room for one more on that there wagon? Dagnabbit, I need to get on that mule train, head south, and outpace those pesky pound varmits before they decide to homestead permanently on my body. I don't take no cotton to squatters.
Dave: I hope your little iPod feels the effect of your nurturing love and comes back to life soon. That's a FANTASTIC pace you're setting with your walking--I truly believe your stretching, core work, and regular rests are doing wonders for your training. You're an example for us all.
Shan: I'm glad you had such a great massage, even though it's rotten news that the left quad still hurts. Hopefully PT can address these issues in a way that shows quick progress. And I don't know, maybe this all happened for a reason, allow you to get your tuck

thumbsup2), get a nice foundation of XT and PT in to help you avoid serious injury, and still do the half. Don't worry, you won't get swept: not only will DH be there for you, and we'll be there, but I know you have the strength and determination to do it all on your own--if you had to.
Tracey: I'll be working on my plank too--thank goodness I don't have the issues Lisa does--and would like mine to be straight and true. Of course wanting to have a strong plank position would do much to rewrite bad memories, having spent much time in my adolescence being told I was "flat as a board."

Now, of course, I want that boardlike form!
I'm so sorry that you have to sell your lake house!

That's rough, even though you have such a great attitude about things. I'll keep my fingers crossed and think positively about your DH's job search. I hope you're having a great weekend at the house right now, as I type.
Beth: There's always room in the wagon for one more, and I offer my hand--the one that's not thinking of opening the fridge, anyway. (It does so have a mind of its own.) I hope your hunger is manageable this weekend, especially as you're recovering and (wisely) logging slower distances.
Bill: 3 pounds!!

That's great news, that and your core work. (I'm trying to keep track of the core thread, too.) You are the
WAGON MASTER!!
Mike: I'm sorry to hear that you might not be at a Disney event. Do you do the Chicago marathon? DOOD did it last year--finished--and might want to try it again for a better time, both pace-wise and event-wise. Actually, he quite enjoyed the spectators at Chicago.
Sorry about your swim and cramps, and what sounds like a pretty frustrating WO day. It sounds like the wagon's going to be pretty full, but I can't think of anyone I'd rather ride with.... No losers, here, though. Just determined Lean Meaners!
As for me: Yesterday's schedule got a little out of control and frustrating, as we looked at more places yesterday. Nothing good, I'm afraid. And every single person we were supposed to meet was late. The first person didn't even show!

So it was a waste of time, although I have a new theory. The niceness of the rental place can be determined by how late the rental agent is to the appointment--the nicest places we've seen have agents who are prompt. The longer waits have all been dives. What does that say about all the people who don't even bother to call back?
*Sigh* We have more appointments next week, so hopefully we'll see "the one." Meanwhile, our landlady keeps sending us emails from all her friends who have places available--places in locations we know we're not interested in. Anyway, I know you're all sending PD my way and I want you to know I really appreciate it. The overall situation isn't a big deal, I know it, but it hurt to cancel the trip to Cambridge.
In GOOD news, my 8 miler did better than I expected given my spring cold and I was on a TM. (More rain this morning, and running in the rain isn't so good for my blisters.) I finished in 96 minutes, which included my warm-up and used intervals. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens with the 1/2 in a couple of weeks, and then I'll make a decision as to how to train for the full.
I hope the rest of you are enjoying your weekend, hopefully with sunny skies and good WOs!
