Scales of Justice: Part 172

Don't know if it's the lack of Barley, Malt and Hops, or fried food, or meat, or sweets, but whatever, something worked this last week. For the first time in 11 weeks or so, I managed a two pound weight loss!

So, that's good news, as is that this puts me over the Decca-pound loss since I started keeping track 10 weeks ago. Whooo Who!

I'm a camper and I'm happy, that makes me a happy camper! I-172 going down to 160 somehow, sometime, someweigh before Leadville!

Upson Downs

Auntie Mame wasn't a big fan of Upson Downs, (the name for the country estate of the Upson's, whose bitchy daughter was to marry her precious nephew, Mame put the wood to that relationship!) I'm not a fan of Ups and Downs either. You may not like life's Ups and Downs, but you better learn to deal with them, otherwise you're in for a miserable time.

Saturday as I was crewing for Roger, Becky, Woody and Dan, I also got in a few miles of my own. Running down the mountain I felt light, agile, and even fast. As I was cruising down the mountain, hopping from rock to rock and throwing my body into the perfect position to make turns, I felt like Rocky Bleier of the 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers. Bleier had his Ups and his Downs. He was seriously injured in Vietnam, but came back to play on four Super Bowl teams with the Steelers. He succeeded not because he was the best, but because he knew how to play, he was tough, and he was fearless. (Didn't hurt that Jack Lambert and Mean Joe Green were on his team and not against him!) I always think of Rocky's SI magazine cover from 1975 when I throw my legs from one side of the trail to the other to find the line. Rocky was dodging land mines or linebackers, with me it's just rocks, but the body motion is the same.

Any way, Saturday, that was my UP. I left the trail thinking, Western States, "Look out! I'm Ready!"

Today, the Downs :-( The leg, which I haven't iced since Saturday, didn't feel great. It was really hot, I ran with Davo, he's faster than I these days. I felt slow. I felt fat. I felt like Milli the pede I reported on a few weeks ago.

But, I'll make the most of it. I realize I am somewhere between Rocky and the hard place, and I don't know what will happen, but I'll give it my all, in just 10 days!

Georgia on my Mind

The Suspects: John "Woody" Wood. Wanted in several states, for destroying the mountains!

Dan "The Man" Miller: Never met a situation he couldn't find something wrong with. "Hey, is that a Dirty 100 Dollar Bill you are giving me?" (but in a good way)

Becky, The Sergeant. She kept the troops moving, even before 6 am!

Roger Sutton: Author, Artist, aerospace engineer, Renaissance man, our host. Our tour guide, I want to go back, so, like, he's a great guy and all!

And me, AndyMan, the goofball! The guy with the camera.

Thursday, June 12: Wake up. Pack Car, Feed Harley (Thank YOU JUNE! She's feeding and walking Harley for me while I'm away, what a gal! She's awesome!): Jump in car, go to Ocala to meet with Roger. Roger and I drive to GA. Only one thing eventful trying to find a vegetarian selection on the Arby's menu. Settle for Broccoli and Cheese potato with a hunk of plastic butter (I think it was plastic, it wasn't melting!) on top.

Get to GA, get excited when I see Roger's beautiful mountain get-away home. Then I figure out why he calls it a "get away" because Woody, Becky, Dan and I would stay in the "guest house."

Well, at least the ventilation is good! (he didn't really make us stay there, well, not all of us, but hey, Dan snores!)

Next Roger and I went for a warm-up jog. "No problem AndyMan, We'll just go for a 6 miler at Flat Creek loop." Cool, me thinks, Flat Creek, can't be any hills there. Wrong-O Mary Lou! I huffed and puffed and Roger wouldn't pass me and let me die in peace I had to keep going, he jogged and I raced like a bear was chasing me (there are no bears in GA are there?) and an hour later we were done. Roger told me good job, I couldn't answer back, I was breathing too hard.

Then the internationally famous Chris Wedge came over for dinner. Chris is now famous because his picture and quote are in the 2008 Western States glossy program. His quote is a page long, but here's a little snippet from said quote: "I crossed the line (which he often does, ask Deborah!) It was an emotional moment. .... Like the day you got married." Yeah, Deborah was there for both. Check. He was tired. Check. She looked better than he did. Check. I gotta agree Chris, 3 out of 3, a lot like your marriage day!

Friday morning at 4:15 the crew arrived, Becky, Dan, and Woody. We let let them sleep in while Roger and I met Chris for a loop at Stanley Gap. I wisely let them take off while I hiked. hiked out and up 4 miles. Slow solid climbing and flipped around. About 1 mile into my return journey my earlier question, "Are there bears in Georgia?" was answered by this fella:

He wasn't all that big, but thank you Jesus, thank you lord, he was running away! Of course once his course was well established I bowed up and hollered, "That's right, you better run, I need a new rug!" Yeah, I was a little more alert for the last 3 miles of a now quicker run back to the car!

We returned and the gang was up. Becky, bless her heart, made breakfast for all, I cleaned up and they all (including Roger who was up for more even though he and Chris answered my slow 8 with a rapid 11 of there own) went out for an afternoon 20 mile run on the AT. I got the better end of the deal there. I laid around, read, and watched Tiger work his way in to contention at the US Open. I'll tell you, any day you can see a bear and a Tiger on a day that doesn't involve the zoo is a good day!

After an early dinner, off to bed and ready for an early morning on the AT.

Saturday I was to provide assistance to the gang while they ran 30 miles on a tough section of the Appalachian Trail. Once again, Becky (you guys owe her a big thanks, and I don't mean maybe!) made sandwiches and got together nutrition for all and packed coolers with drinks. For the run I dropped the crew off near Springer Mountain and they ran 8 miles to the first sag stop while I goofed off.

At the first stop everyone refilled while Becky waited patiently (er, well, er, yeah, patiently that's right, yeah, I meant that!) And here they come now!

Then off to the next stop 4 miles down the trail. And I got much better at Crewing. See I spread things out, so no one had to be patient.

Then I even had time to get some running and jumping in.

(I just love that timer on the Camera!)

And then have a well deserved drink of my own!

Then off to Woody Gad 4 more miles down the trail.

Thankfully, Roger made me climb to the high point a mile in.

....................... Totally candid shot, I swear! ............

Then the gang soldiered on towards the run's fruition at Blood Mountain. After a tough 10 miles on the rocky trail we reunited and it felt so good!
























So, now we wave goodbye from Roger and Jill's Appalachian Getaway:


What a wonderful trip with people I really dig! Thank you Roger! When we going back?!

Song of the Week 44: I AM what I AM

From the beautiful Mountains of Georgia this week, from Colorado last week, from California in less than 2 weeks; I am what I am and what I am is ....... well, I let Steve tell you, what am I?

That's right Steve! Iam a R-A-M-B-L-I-N Ramblin Guy!

See you soon!

June's Words of Wisdom

June, what a great month, if you are a teacher, which I am!

June, what a great runner.

June, what a great friend (Yall, she's watching Harley for me while I'm hiking the mountains in Georgia and NC, How cool is that? VERY!)

June, what a great sense of humor, if you've ever done a loop with her, you haven't done it without laughing out loud at one time or many others, tellyouthatrightnow!

June, what great words of Wisdom. And here are her thoughts regarding Friday's night run (I love this list!)

1. No matter how bad the trail is during the day, it's worse at night. (how many times can I fall?)

2. You can be very hungry at 3am

3. The darkest hour is not just before the dawn. It's about mile 30.

4. Falling into spider webs is just as scary at night as during the day

5. Animals sound 100# heavier creeping through the brush at night.

6. Some birds don't sleep, same with some trail runners.

7. Beer is just as good at 7 am as 7pm.

8. A boiled potato is better than a power bar.

9. A road shared with friends is a better road than the one you would have been alone on.

10. The world is always turning toward the morning.

Hey, not bad Rook! I already knew most of that, well, maybe not most, but some, well, I did know one thing; that a beer can be just as good at 7 AM, that I did know (Learnt that on Spring Break in Panama City, Whilst attending Auburn (aka, THE University of Alabama!)

So, I'm outta town while June watches Harley, and, I kilt the battery in my computer, so I'm not even bringing it. Unless Roger has one stashed in the GA house, I'm out of commission until Sunday, but when I come back, I'll have pictures, oh yeah, I do bring the camera everywhere!

Scales of Justice: Week 174

The scale has been very fair to me. It only took 10 weeks to realize that.

I've come down from 183 to 174 in 8 weeks. And truthfully, I I was like 188 a couple of weeks before that.

It's not the scale's fault that I didn't start soon enough.

It's not the scale's fault that I like movie theatre popcorn, and beer, and pizza, and nachos, and beer (did I already say that? I like beer.)

Yep, a pound a week is quality weight loss, and that's what I've been losing, if I'd have started weigh back in January I'd be Candi Ashley by now!

But (Star Close your eyes) look where I started! I'm doing A-OK! That fatty couldn't even run, look at me now! Woo Who! I'm running down the hill, I'm flying (much like TS Garp was flying at the end of his World According To, but flying none the less!)

Ok, you can open them now.

Yep the scale is fair....... Darm effin' scale!

A Hellgate of a Good Book!

I'm not Joshing you, our buddy Roger Sutton has written a great book in, Hellgate; Awakening a Runner's Soul.

If you can't con Roger out of a copy, look for this on Amazon:

I had no idea what to expect when I read this book. I knew Roger to be smart, but had no idea that he could write. I knew Roger could run, but didn't know how he felt about running.

All I can say is, people ask me all the time, "Why do you do it? What makes you run 100 miles?" Now I can tell them, "Read Hellgate, and if you don't understand then, you never will."

Well done Roger, bravo!

AndyMan

ps, SuperDave, don't tell Roger, but I'll send you my copy.