Week 49 – Shoe Shine

The Perfect Ending

   

I have the most perfect dog ever – NOT!  On Monday of this week we were out for dinner, rather late actually for this part of the world.  We didn’t get home until 10:30pm.  We have a saying around here HBN (Horizontal By Nine) or Dataw Midnight is 9pm.  Well, this time we were out later than usual.  My Wyke decided that he was not pleased with this turn of events.  He is usually pretty good when we go out and only occasionally will shred some paper from the living room waste basket.  Minor.  However, he has in the past, decided to chew up a running shoe of mine.  Usually the heel area so the shoe is ruined.  This has actually happened twice so I know better than to leave my shoes out when I am not at home.  On Monday I did a 10k training walk and when I came home I took my shoes off in the sun room and then promptly forgot about them.  Wyke found them when we were out and he did a great job of chewing the heel area of one of the shoes.  I was really upset, not only at him for chewing the shoe, but at myself for leaving them out where he could get them.  You see, they were brand new shoes.  I had worn them twice.  And they are expensive.  When you walk as much as I do you shouldn’t ever skimp on shoes and I didn’t.  I had just been fitted for them two weeks ago and since I have a big race this week I really wanted to train in them so I could wear them to the race.  Boo Hoo.  So I wrote to Tim who is my contact person at Grounded Running hoping that he had some advice on where I might possibility be able to get them repaired enough that I could wear them.  Miss Q used to eat shoes all the time, especially tassels, so we got to know Mr. Mobley the local shoe repairman quite well.  I thought maybe even he would be able to come up with something for me.  My mind was going all over the place on this at 11:00pm.  Anyway, I got up the next morning and there in my Inbox was the most astonishing email I could have expected.  Here it is from Tim:

Bad puppy 🙁

I reached out to Brooks this morning and we can replace them for you. Just bring them back in. 

843-986-4523
Needless to say I was dumb founded.  Imagine a company replacing a pair of shoes at no charge to you.  I went over that same day and handed him the shoe box with the chewed up shoe in it and walked out the door with a brand new pair of replacement shoes.  They are a different color but that was really irrelevant to me.  Besides I like the color.  I walked a 10k in them the next day and they are super so I am a happy camper again and the shoes – they are locked in the cabinet.  Maybe I have learned my lesson.

Love Those 10K Walk/Runs

I am not an early morning person but you do get to see some lovely sunrises when you get up early in the Low Country.  Since starting my first walk/run race with the three day, three island, 30 mile Pledge the Pink race in September my participation seems to have mushroomed into a very strong commitment to participating in as many races as I can find.  The half-marathon my next goal and, yes, it was a challenge.  No doubt about it.  Over Thanksgiving the girls did a run and I did a 5K Turkey Trot Race in Asheville.  All was preparation for the Savannah Bridge Run which is a 10K over the Talmadge Bridge.  It is billed as the most challenging run in the Low Country because of the steep pitch of the bridge itself.  I was prepared for it thanks to all my hill training in Canada. As it turned out, I was pleasantly surprised when I found it fairly easy to go up the slope.  The trick was to do it again on the way back which worked out just fine as the pitch is less on the return, thank goodness.   For the week up to the race I did two 10K training walks, one by myself and one with my walking buddy, Merilyn.  We both set ambitious goals for ourselves and I am pleased to report we met those goals.  It is sometimes hard to stay motivated when the young runners are passing you by as you slog along but neither of us finished at the end of the pack, there were many folks behind us.  I guess that is the goal, to make sure there is at least someone behind you because there is no way to catch the ones in front and we are all mixed up together.  My admiration for the young mother pushing her quadruplets over that bridge in one of those single width multiples carriages knows no bounds.  Each of those quads weighed about 30 pounds plus the weight of the stroller.  I cannot imagine her physical and mental strength.  Way to go young mum, you are amazing.  The races are really fun and people in this particular race were dressed in all sorts of costumes from Darth Vader to Santa’s Helpers.  It certainly provides a distraction to people watch.  So, no more races until 2018 unless I find a Santa Claus race somewhere but my idea of participating doesn’t include snow.  So far, I have a couple of 5K’s in January and am looking at a half-marathon in February, and a 10K in April.  It really is fun to anticipate.  Keep up the training and see if you can find a 5K close to you and give it a try.   We decided when we were done with the Savannah run that we really think the 10K is the perfect distance for us.  So maybe only one half-marathon in a year -maybe!  My new replacement shoes were fabulous and I am so grateful to Brooks for replacing them.

Staying Healthy Over the Holidays

Found this on-line while reading about healthy foods for the holidays.  The juices sound good and you know they probably won’t hurt if you are trying to fight off a cold or the flu.  I have not tried them all but I have tried making my own carrot juice and some of the green juices.  The best one I ever made was with beets and I remember feeling really good after drinking it.  Lots of energy and I am pretty sure it was the one with carrots, apple, beets, lemon and spinach.  Just thought I would share as we come into the really busy time and all those visits with friends and relatives.  There is bound to be a cold hanging around out there somewhere.  The Stress one sounds really good by the way.  A little banana, strawberry and pear, yum!

Since we are going up north for the holidays and we are in the middle of a construction mess, I am keeping the holiday decorating to a minimum.  A few lights outside and the mantle in the living room.  The most fun was I found my battery operated lights and decided to put them on the fish wall hanging.  Only problem is I forgot to turn them off.  Amazing how bright they are in the middle of the night.  That combined with a full moon and it might as well have been daytime.  We enjoyed going to the Festival of Trees this week and meeting Santa and seeing all the gorgeous trees that were decorated and sold to benefit The Friends of Caroline Hospice.  It did put you in the spirit to see all those beautiful trees.

Christmas Shopping always is a challenge especially if you are travelling.  Some years ago I read about guidelines for presents for family and it really seems to work well.  I ask the family for four things:  Something they WANT, something they NEED, something to WEAR, and something to READ.  I love being able to get them things they have put on their list knowing that with luck they won’t have to return anything.  I remember giving one of our daughters a grilled cheese maker for Christmas and finding it hidden in her cupboard months later.  I guess it wasn’t something she wanted, needed – couldn’t wear it or read it either.  HA!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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