Simply the Best...

Hello all. Happy belated 4th of July! Hope you were able to celebrate your independence while hitting some barbecues and fireworks! Me, I attempted golf with my friend Shawna B. (attempt is the key word - after a 5 year hiatus, I haven't quite found my swing!And, along the way, we saw turkeys running around on the course! FORE!), went running, saw the Yankees spank the Sox (yeah, even the Yankees fans were chanting "Madonna" at A-Rod!) and yes, caught some (not a lot I tell ya) R&R.

Before I get started, thanks again to all who have donated to the charity run that I'll be doing on 8.10.08. I'm more than half way to my fundraising goal. To read more about The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and to donate, click here.

Anyway, I promised in my last blog that this posting would be all about my high school track days with one of my BFF's Kristin M. (pictured with me on left 5/88) complete with some embarrassing pics, but no dice...I haven't had time to dig out the pics just yet, so hopefully in the next week I can get it done and you can read all about it!

So, I was in a quandary about what to post, but I'm a solution-oriented kinda gal and went for a run, hoping for some inspiration... so, here it goes....

To celebrate 7.7 (the anniversary of my birth) I started yesterday with a nice run...It was 100% pea soup weather, but with the sun hiding behind the clouds, there was a tiny bit of relief. There I was running, lost in thought and snapped out of it when I saw a nice looking guy running toward me. He smiled and nodded. I wish it was some kind of signal that meant, "You're a hot chick, let's run together - for life." LOL! Sorry, I digress and daydream all in one! Actually, this kind of smile and nod thing is typical communication between runners of all ages and types and I love it. Makes me feel like I'm part of a really large community pounding the pavement, getting some miles under my belt. So, with that, it got me thinking about some of the things I really love and some things I don't love so much about running.

So, this'll be a short but sweet blog posting celebrating the #7 and the good and the ugly when I run. Would love to also hear from you runners out there on your best and worst, too!

Top 7 - Simply The Best when running...

7. A friendly nod from a passing runner.

6. A clear day with no humidity.

5. Getting a race bib and T-shirt at races (hey, it's the little things in life!)

4. Recovering with dignity (yeah right!) from a wipe out.

3. Passing a runner in front of me. (Eat my dust, baby!)

2. Conquering a steep hill.

1. Beating my previous best time.

Top 7 - Not so simply the best when running...

7. People and cars that don't yield when they should. (I've come close to being hit a few times. Yikes!)

6. Dog poop on the sidewalk (when running in NYC, could be any kind of poop - who knows?!)

5. Pouring rain, high winds, brutally cold weather.

4. Wedgies. (Hey, I'm trying to be really honest here! And, don't want cute runner guy behind me when I need to get rid of it!)

3. Getting passed by another runner, especially when that runner is pushing a stroller with not one, but two children in it! (grrrr...the nerve! Makes me run faster though...)
2. People who's spit is carried in the wind in my path. (EW!)

1. Wiping out! (Anyone who runs has wiped out at one time or another and yes, someone always sees it! Ouch! That's my pride that's saying, "Ouch!")

I'll try to have my HS track glory stories (yeah right!) for you next posting! Have a great week and keep on running!