This Boot Was Made for Walking....

I always find it a little difficult to pack up my summer sandals at the end of the season. Our summer temperatures linger into fall, and while I may switch from capris to full-length slacks, I can usually get away with wearing sandals for several more weeks.

Yet the time has come a little early this year. I've actually been advised to switch from this strappy little number ...


to something more in line with a boot. And they weren't talking about an up-dated Ugg or a cute little faux fur-trimmed number. More like this one in classic gray ....


And, no I'm not going snow skiing any time soon either. That's a top-of-the-line air cast. Big and heavy and not enjoyable to wear at all.

It seems that I may have a stress fracture in one or more of the metatarsal bones of my right foot.

Last time I had a stress fracture it was in my tibia after running a 20-mile marathon training run. The current stress fracture is a little more of a mystery. The physician's assistant said that I may have begun the process during my four-mile walks this summer and compounded the problem when I took my strappy-sandaled feet back to the hard, cold floors of the classroom.

Whatever the cause, I'll be sporting this boot around for the next three weeks.

And you know what? That's okay because my foot sure was hurting before I started wearing this thing.

Mosaic Monday: Running Route

Up until about four years ago, I was much more active... playing tennis and running. After a year of trying to juggle that with my new career as a teacher and as a parent and (well, you get the picture), I stopped doing the things that I should do to stay healthy.

I can't really call this my "running" route. It's more of a walking route. Four miles with a few hills and smaller inclines thrown in. About an hour's worth of exercise on a good day. Seven years ago, it was just part of my running route.... maybe one day I can call it that again. Until then, I'll keep walking. At least at this slower pace I can stop and smell the flowers along the way!

P.S. Mary didn't host Mosaic Monday last week, but I went ahead and created one anyway. If you like air and space, vintage newspapers and the original moonwalk, take a peep here! And for this week's Mosaic Mondays, visit Mary at Little Red House, where her beautiful beach mosaic will have you pining away for windswept clouds and ocean waves.... She also has Mr. Linky directing traffic to other Mosaic Mondays!

Mosaic Monday 4th of July

I decided to follow Caroline's lead at Whimsical Whispers and create a mosaic that captures the essence of my weekend. You can read about these photos of mine in the post immediately below this one. She also linked to The Little Red House, where you can find more mosaics to enJOY!

Have a wonderful week!

It's Not Always About Winning...

I was able to watch the winners of the Peachtree Road Race early this morning as they zipped by our hotel on their way to the finish line.

These runners are fast. It took the winner of the men's race just over 27 minutes to finish, and the first female to cross the finish line, Lineth Chepkurui, ran the 6.2 mile (10K) race in 31:30, just one-tenth of a second ahead of the second-place finisher. To put that into perspective, they run twice as fast as I ever have... on a good day.

I didn't run the Peachtree Road Race this year. Instead my daughter and I were on the side of the road cheering for the runners who passed by us.

Including this guy....

who would be hard to spot if we didn't have our own system worked out. (After taking pictures at about 13 of his 20 Peachtree appearances, I'm getting pretty good at this!)

I did say "20" Peachtree appearances. Yep, since running in his first Peachtree Road Race in 1987, Craig has run the race 20 times. Besides counting t-shirts, we also use hands (anyone's will do) to keep track of the math. This year Tyler was our behind-the-scenes hands guy with Hannah looking on and giving encouragement!

Like I said yesterday, winning this race is not the point.

Unless you fly around the world entering races you probably won't be taking the medal and prize money home for this race. Instead, it's the experience that counts. Of standing at the starting line waiting on your turn to start running... of seeing historic buildings and churches along the route... of looking up at gleaming skyscrapers stretched toward a dazzling blue sky... of looking at the backs of thousands of runners as they begin the slow run up Cardiac Hill... of hearing uplifting cheers or music nearly every step of the way... of quickening your pace as you make that turn on 10th Street and begin the last half mile to the finish.

It's an Atlanta tradition dating back 40 years when only 110 runners showed up at the starting line. Today, 50,009 runners' footsteps pounded the pavement along Peachtree Street. Of those, only two walked away with the winning runners' top prize. Most of the others walked away with a cotton t-shirt and a winning feeling that only comes when you've accomplished something you've set out to do.

Cheers to everyone who began the race at the starting line and finished it next to Piedmont Park! You all won today!

It's a Peachtree Kind of Day....

This weekend is BIG in America! It's the 4th of July, the holiday that celebrates our independence, our journey as a nation.

While you may not be celebrating at your house (depending on which continent you live), you're welcome to stay and celebrate with us. And while I can provide some photographs of our big day, the mouth-watering ribs and succulent corn-on-the-cob will have to be grilled and cooked over at your place!

If you decide to stay and celebrate with my family, you'll find yourself in the middle of 55,000 runners, 150,000 spectators, and 3,200 volunteers as we head to Atlanta for the 40th running of the Peachtree Road Race. This 10K race has been the mainstay of my summers since meeting my husband in 1989. No matter where we live, we try to get to Atlanta on that holiday.

Photo by National Geographic; Picnik Courtesy Me

One of the exciting things about this largest 10K on Earth is that people from all over the world descend on Atlanta to take part in this event, yet I've still randomly bumped into people I know and haven't seen in years!

Some people ask why the race is so important. If you're in the middle or back of the pack, you're definitely not vying for a fast finish. With so many feet pounding the pavement in front of, behind, and beside you, time is not a factor. Instead, you run it because you can! You are cheered on by thousands of spectators who line the route and by bands whose renditions of "Rocky" and other inspiring songs help you rise to the top of Cardiac Hill and make it one more mile to the finish line.

If you're there to watch, you have to get up early to cheer on those taking part in the wheelchair race. They begin at 6:55 a.m. sharp. Their strength and sheer willpower are amazing! Before you know it, the first men come racing by (and I do mean racing!), followed by the first female athletes. The fastest finishing time for a male is 27:04 and for a female 30:32. Ummm. Let me put this in perspective for you.... My fastest Peachtree time is about 54 minutes and that was while training for a marathon.

Here's a photo of Craig and me after that 2001 Peachtree Road Race:

Although running the Peachtree is definitely a fun experience, I still enjoy standing on the side with Hannah and cheering the runners on. Some of the people you see amaze you. There's usually a group of firefighters running in full gear. We're talking Atlanta humidity and heat. There's usually someone dressed up like the Statue of Liberty. And I'll never forget watching an older man several years in a row make his way slowly up the road with his number pinned to his shirt hours after the race was over, the barricades removed, and cars moving once again along the route. He never gave up!

While I have crossed the Peachtree finish line five times, my husband will be making this his 20th Peachtree Road Race. He's only missed three since his first race in 1987! (Go, Craig!) Here are all of his t-shirts from those 19 races!

We usually have friends join us from all over the country. When we do, we take time to "stoop" (or hang out on the front steps) after the race. This picture is from one of my non-race years when we brought Hannah with us. (Sorry about the poor photo quality. I snapped a quick picture of it this morning).

The day won't be over until we've lunched at Houston's and later taken a well-deserved nap.

I hope you've enjoyed a run-down of what's in store for our 4th of July! If you plan to be on Peachtree that day, let me know; I'd love to see you!