Pass the Duct Tape - 23 Days Until The Chicago Marathon

It's 23 days until the Chicago Marathon and I've resorted to bribing my body to hold it together. "Stay healthy, sweetie, and Mommy will buy you some pretty new matching underwear for after your race!" type thinking. 

The body is starting to, if not exactly fall apart, show some wear and tear at the seams. The right leg pinching I had last year is back with a vengeance although, thankfully, it rarely hurts when I run. I rolled my right foot earlier this summer and there's some lingering tightness there. My left bicep (WTF??) feels like there are tendons tangled up in it and it's getting harder to raise the arm above my head. 

None of it is debilitating or prevents me from running.

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A Happy Ending: Almost Jack Finds His Forever Home

Remember Almost Jack? The starved puppy my friend Dawn found on the side of the road? Almost Jack has been given a second chance at life. Hooray!! Here's Dawn's description of Almost Jack's (now known as Colin Jack) new life:

Almost Jack was adopted by a single mother and her four-year-old daughter who just moved from Greensboro to a place out in the country in Summerfield. The mom has been involved in pulling dogs out of high kill shelters in the past.  Colin will belong to the daughter.  Mom bought the daughter a bunk bed so the little girl can take the top bunk and Colin can have the bottom.  The girl picked a Tinkerbell comforter for him to sleep on, and got him matching collar and lead so he would be color coordinated.  

The mom took in another dog recently that had been pulled and then refused by the rescue group.  I had kept him for a few days while they were moving, and when Roth showed up at her new place he marked several places in her house.  She did not get upset, simply asked me what the best way to curb it was.  I was impressed with that – she understood he was just doing dog things, and that he’d have to be taught.  She called me the next morning and told me that Colin, Roth and her two dogs had all slept in the bed with her and they hadn’t had any trouble at all.  I bet Colin thought that was GREAT!  He’s probably never felt anything that soft before!

Colin’s biggest problem now is that he is going to be REALLY spoiled.  They have invited me to stop by any time and see him.  I told her I really wanted to see what he looked like when he grew up.  She and I have been e-mailing pretty regularly, and looks like we’re going to end up friends, so I should be able to watch him grow up. 

September: Month of the Hungry Runner

I'll get right to the point. I'm hungry.

And it's not just me. It's September, which means any runner training for a Fall marathon has but one thing on their mind: FOOD.

It's not that we're not eating. Well, some of the more disciplined runners are closely watching their diet but we never really cared for them, anyway. No, most of us are more than getting our fill of food. The problem is that it's not helping. 

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The Married Life: When Your Prince Brings Home A Frog

Say hello to Froggy. Froggy, who works the day shift as a ceramic spoon holder, was on the kitchen countertop next to our sink when I returned home from this morning's run. It's startling to come across a pink and green frog in your kitchen, although not necessarily in a bad way. 

There had been a chili pepper spoon holder in the spot where Froggy sat as recently as the night before, but there was a tragic dishwasher loading accident that I shan't go into here.

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