Translation Provided by 50 Cent...

(Sign from the Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island, Hong Kong)

I need all the comedy I can get these days! As you read in one of my previous posts, I was not so kindly let go as a Group Fitness Director of the health club that I work at. Not only did they shut me out of the time clock so that I could not clock in for work, but they failed to tell me until much later in the day (past 5 p.m.) and on my birthday no less. Well, all I can say is that now that I have gone a week and a few days without having to do payroll, find subs for my instructors, send off attendance reports, take care of bonus uploads, promote the special classes going on for the month of October, and updating the class schedules, I am finding that I have quite a bit of time on my hands now.

I had a pity party for the last week and was a lazy sloth and went to the movies quite a bit, but now it is time to kick the training back into practice. I have a marathon in one month!

Last Saturday, I went out and ran 18 miles but it felt like 21. The stress had fired up my adrenal glands and it caused my posterior tib muscles in both legs to be really jacked up. As a result, my calves were taking the brunt of the work. By mile 15 I was dreading any and all curbs. My calves were so tight and I probably looked like I was suffering. Add to that the fact that I was running faster than the coaches were at putting up the water stops. I found them setting out the jugs at mile 5.5 and I saw jugs at mile 8, but at that time I thought I would see them at mile 10.5. WRONG! I had to conserve my Fuel Belt bottles until I got to mile 15 by taking smaller sips. I got to mile 15 and there was no water stop! I had one 7 oz. flask left and I had 3.5 miles to go. I felt like I was running in thick pizza dough at this point and not making much progress with my calves. I stayed on top of my salt/electrolyte caps and Shot Bloks.

When I finished, Terry was there waiting for me, he had skipped the two out and back legs of about 3.5 miles because of the lack of water stops. He said he ran dry on his Fuel Belt. I heard later that the water stops got set up, but the two of us were too speedy, I guess.

I headed home to get cleaned up because I was having some tri buddies over to the house to watch the live feed of the Ironman World Championship Race. Terry, Luke, Norma, Jay and Sunny, and Louis and Angela all stopped by and we enjoyed sandwiches and a Tres Leches cake that El Esposo picked up for a late birthday cake. Ok, so shoot me. I am Hispanic and I really don't like Tres Leches cake. To me, it is too soupy, soggy, and runny. I know that there is cow's milk and goat's milk in that thing but what is the third "leche"??? Cat's milk? Well, everyone else loved it and I sent the rest of the sheet cake with El Esposo to his office and he said it was devoured by 9:10 a.m.

This weekend is a rollback week and my long run is only 10 miles. I am taking an adrenal support vitamin suppliment and hopefully my calves will be better this weekend. My Sports Doc, Dr. H, gave me a birthday tune-up today and I am feeling less pain in areas that were excruciatingly painful this time last week.

I am looking forward to Saturday's run because I get to run with Greyhound! He is probably going to kick my rear since his Yasso 800's have been going very well. I am all signed up to ride 180 miles to Austin, Tx with Greyhound in April with the Houston to Austin MS-150 ride. It filled up in a record 7 hours. Dang! It is just as bad as trying to sign up for an Ironman slot.

I leave you with one more funny sign. Trust me, these are real signs. Something somewhere got lost in translation. The English teacher in me is giving a big "F" to whoever approved these signs. Gads, I hope it was not one of my former students from 12 to 15 years ago!



Later Gators,

Liz