Labor Day Weekend

Continuing all the spoiling that has been happening in the last few weeks, my great-grandmother treated Andrew and me and the rest of the family to dinner at Oak Ridge's Flatwater Grill.  The problem is that it was for her birthday.  Her birthday.  Her treat.  Papaw Johnny decided that's the way this family would be handling things from now on.  On your birthday, you take everybody else out to eat.  Hey, you get to pick the restaurant, so it's only fair.  Thanks Mama Ese!  I definitely recommend the fried shrimp and the birthday brownie dessert.  

MaryAnn, Papaw Johnny, Carl (yes, he is really that tall), Mama Ese, and Mary Lou.

I'm still trying to talk her into going to Europe with me next Summer.  She just has to see Paris.

The whole crew minus photographer Carl.

Dad giving me the cold shoulder after I told him I didn't particularly enjoy The Shack.  Sorry, Dad.

After peeling myself out of bed Saturday morning, Rachel and I hit the pavement for our weekly long run.  We were doing another 6-miler.  No problem, right?  We both did it on our own last week.  Well, around mile four I began having trouble breathing.  Rachel said it kind of sounded like an asthma thing - shallow breathing.  So, we stopped, I sat for a minute, then we started walking, and I thought I was ready to start running again.  Not even 10 yards later, we were forced to stop again, but for a different reason.  

Let me try to set the scene.  We are running on Cumberland right under the overpass.  Just as we stepped on the railroad tracks, I heard a train.  Not in an off in the distance kind of way, but in a step-on-it, you-are-about-to-be-hit-by-a-train kind of way.  I'm ashamed to say my first reaction was, "Oh S***!"  I scared Rachel to death, and her more appropriate reaction was "Jesus!"  (At least one of us was calling on the giver of life in this life threatening moment.)  

It turns out that the train was just behind us on the bridge, but for a few moments, I thought my life was over.  Mix that with the shallow breathing incident, sunny 85 degree weather, and my body just couldn't take anymore.  We doubled over in laughter for a few seconds, then everything started spinning, then it went black, and I went to my knees on the sidewalk of Kingston Pike (a.k.a. Knoxville's most traveled road).  Needless to say, this was all quite embarrassing, but Rachel did tell me later it looked like I was praying.  Maybe repenting for my earlier reaction.  My favorite running partner then sprinted to the nearest gas station and brought back an cup of ice cold refreshing water.  So I ruined our long run because we had to walk the lasts two miles (Sorry Rachel), but at least we have Labor Day to make up for it.  So much for sleeping in!  I'm getting out before the heat tomorrow!  Check my training stats on the left to see if I make it!