September 07, 2010

Weekend Fun

This is how my weekend started - sweaty but feeling great! 

The weather was overcast and looking like the rain was going to cut loose at any moment.  I decided to switch from a treadmill run to the great outdoors to enjoy a tranquil rain soaked run.

Only it didn't rain.  I dealt with the "just about to rain" humidity for 4.3 miles (50 minutes).  Not a bad pace for the heat, especially considering my first lap was done at a 10 minute mile pace!  I slowed considerably after that but I was thrilled just to maintained that pace for over a mile.

As with all good workouts, my blood sugar crashed when I wasn't able to eat within an hour of finishing my work out.  (Note to self: never, ever go to the grocery store after a run again.) With Pubsgal's help I got it back on track and finished my evening watching a movie with the mutant.

Saturday I met my mom & dad to go bike riding while Jay went to an auction.  "It'll go for a song." He promised.  I wanted to ask if he was pulling the song book out of his rear, but smiled sweetly and told him that I trusted him.

*Snicker*  You totally bought that right?  Okay so more accurately I heavily stressed how badly I did NOT want to spend any more of our savings on stoopid investment properties.

About 3 miles into the bike ride Jay called me to say that he hadn't bought anything.  He'd been the winning bidder on a lot, then someone came behind at the end and regrouped the lots - taking all of them.  Oh darn. 

When I reached mile 5 of the trail (and the turn around point) I decided that I'd meet back up with my parents and keep with their pace.  Two miles of backtracking and I finally found them - my mom was at the top of the hill trying to work up the courage to ride down. 

I'm not talking a molly-whopper here.  Just a modest little hill that could be ridden up without touching your gears.  The thing is she wrecks practically every time she gets on a bike, so naturally she's afraid.  And that fear causes her more accidents.

I stayed with them for another 4 miles but the slow pace was painful so once again I went ahead.  One of the houses on the main path was having a yard sale, so I stopped in and had a look around. My parents appeared on the path right about the time I was mounting back up.

Jay met up with us at the vehicles and my mom passed off her bike so she could rest while we got a few more miles in.  I wish I had pictures from Saturday, but Jay forgot his camera.  Bad mutant!!

Sunday we took my Papaw to Clingman's Dome. He's been on Mamaw watch ever since she had her foot surgery.  She's not comfortable getting around in her wheel chair, so for the most part they stay home all the time.  My Papaw was getting a little stir crazy so my mom relieved him for the afternoon and we took him to the mountains.

The weather cooled considerably this weekend, and being a 3 day holiday weekend the national park was crowded.  I'm not sure if I've ever seen it that busy.


The walk up to the dome is just a half mile, but the elevation change is so steep that there are benched every tenth of a mile for people to stop and rest at.  Its a paved path, so its one that people who wouldn't consider themselves hikers give a try.



The views from the top are spectacular.  There are photos at each section, showing which mountain ranges are in what direction.  Sunday was such a clear day, there were ranges in the distance that weren't even listed on those photos!


Of course my photobug husband wanted to take full advantage of this rare opportunity, so Papaw and I pulled up a rock on the way down to wait on Jay to take pictures.


I'm so glad that Jay and I got the privilege to spend the day with him.  I'm not sure very many 75 year olds would have been able to make the trek up.  I wanna be like him when I get old!!

12 comments:

  1. Looks like a beautiful weekend!! It's great that you all can be active together, that's awesome!! Beautiful views!

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  2. What an awesome day! The weather looked fabulous too.

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  3. That's awesome that your Pawpa can make that hike. I don't think many 75 YO can.

    It's beautiful up there. What a fun weekend.

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  4. What a great weekend! I love the pic of you & your Papaw!

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  5. Good for you for being so active this holiday weekend! I was soooo the opposite!! I admire you! :)

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  6. Looks like an awesome weekend! Have a great week :)

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  7. You're on the way to being like him!! =) My dad's 60...something (lol!!) and he walks about 3-6 miles a day. 'Course, I'd beat him in a race...lol!

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  8. Looks gorgeous and kudos to Papaw. I don't know if I could make that hike.

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  9. What a fun filled weekend! You will be like your Pawpa when you are his age, because you are working on it now!

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  10. Glad you had a good weekend, even with the slightly rocky start. Love that you all got a bike ride with your folks and a nice hike with your Papaw! (And yep, what Mari said: that will be *you*! And what a great reminder of why we do what we do to keep fit, even when we sometimes don't feel like it.)

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  11. I will never forget the very first time we hiked up to Clingman's Dome. It was probably 15 years or so ago. The kids were little and not happy when they finally got up there and it was all burned out. They didn't get the view part. They were just pissed because all the trees were burned and not green. To be honest, I was a little bummed myself. Guess I shold have read all the signs and I would have known that. It is quite the climb though, but beautiful and breathtaking.

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  12. wonderful weekend. i'm always jealous of the natural beauty you have around you and forget that radnor lake is literally within moments of my house. :)

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