For the record...........................

I didn't talk much about mileage last week, and someday I might want to refer back to this journal, from my nursing home bed, when I am trying to impress my new boyfriend in room 379. So....

I was suppose to do 8, 6, 8, 5, and I did 8, 6, -, 5. Wednesday I did -, because I HAD to go to the grocery store. Since it took me four hours (and five hundred dollars) I really think it should count for something, but I will be content to hold off on bragging about it until the day when I can no longer throw around cases of green beans and peaches like it's nothing. Curb side pick up? Not this girl...I can and DO use my muscles! Anyway, consider the miles recorded.

Friday night, in prep for my long run on Saturday, on my way home from the grocery store... What could I possibly need two short days later??? You would be surprised. Actually, I had drove in to a pharmacy to pick up some medication for a resident as her son was out of town. The day before another resident had said to me, "Can I ask you a favor?" Of course he could. His favor? He ask me if I could sift the pancake flour before making his pancakes. I replied sure, turned around to go do so, and turned back around and said, "I lied. I can't do that because I don't have a sifter." I had one years ago, but must have used it for some craft project. And who sifts flour anymore these days anyway? So I went to the grocery store (it is one of those one stop shopping places) to pick up a sifter for his pancake mix. And on the way home from there...

I dropped off a couple of Gatorades for my eighteen miles. As I was making the drive I kept thinking about how far from home I was going. My other routes had including running up and down side roads off the main road, but this new one was more like a giant square so seemed farther. The more I thought about how far it seemed driving, the more powerful I started feeling about the fact that I could actually cover that distance on foot. Not that long ago, I would have been intimidated by the distance, and I wasn't. Way cool!

Speaking of cool... When I took off at 5:45 AM it was a wonderful 62 degrees, not a hint of humidity in the air. Since this route started out going through, and then out of town, I had street lights to help my vision, and it was starting to get light by the time I was away from them (I was going slow, but not that slow... the lights go a good distance out of actual town).

Funny thing about this run. It seemed to fly by. Of course it didn't, and it actually took me four hours to do the eighteen miles which is w-a-y slow, but my mind was very entertained and that made all the difference in the world. Here I was, traveling down roads that I had been traveling down for a good twenty years and it was as if I had never been down them before. There is a HUGE difference in traveling at sixty (plus) miles per hour and snails pace. I saw beautiful flower beds that I had never noticed before, lawn art, and very creative house number signs. Heck I even saw a couple of small cross roads that I didn't know existed. It was quite the adventure.

I made it home safe and sound, AFTER most of the morning care was done (thanks honey), feeling kind of crappy. I had needed the side of the road several times (and have a wonderful mystery rash to prove it), and the tummy was churning. I was well hydrated and had eaten well, but did have a salad on Friday, so I am going to blame that.

Did I mention that I was feeling not so great after this run? Well, not so great, but not so bad that I had to cancel double points shoe shopping afternoon. I found the MOST ADORABLE pair of red and black argyle shoes (see my other blog for pictures). So worth all the trips to the public restrooms!

By the time we got home I was about done. I had promised my youngest I would make her pasta, and after that was done I went to bed (again, thanks to (my) Mister for doing OP care) and slept for eleven hours. Not straight, but I was able to go right back to sleep when I woke up which is great for me. I had not had much sleep during the past week, and with the mileage I really needed it. I felt like a new woman on Sunday morning (with old feet and ankles, but one can't have everything now can one?). One more thought before I end this post...

Do you think they are going to let me store all of my shoes under my bed in the nursing home or if it will be considered a fire violation? I might not be able to use/wear them (then), but it sure aint gonna stop me from looking (at them).