Pulling out the big guns for NYE... only the best for my friends :)

In the process of cleaning up my house this morning, I came across a couple bottles of alcohol that I forgot existed (is that a bad sign? I have liquor stashed in unknown places)

This is what I came across...


The two bottles to the left are what I brought back from Costa Rica. The bottle to the left is a bottle of yummy yummy yummy rum.

But the bottle in the middle.

Oh the bottle in the middle.

That is what we can guaro, which can be roughly translated as hootch. It is the cheapest liquor you can find in Costa Rica and is distilled from sugar cane. I remember long days at the swim up bar drinking some drink called a "Banana Bongie" made from guaro but cannot find any remnant of the recipe online. Memories... this is where I met the craziest Texans in the world drinking out of their Bubba Kegs (run... don't walk... to Walmart if you do not have a Bubba Keg) and I almost got kicked out of my scuba lesson for swimming over to the bar in full gear for a cocktail (peer pressure)

Here is the scene of the crime... I will be back there soon. Alberto will be waiting at the bar with a Bongie in hand.


My friends will loooove that guaro! :)

The last bottle on the right is a wedding favor from my cousin's wedding a couple years ago. I happened to be the one responsible for their meeting and was in the wedding and blah blah blah. She told me I have dwindling time remaining to drink the wine before it becomes as potent as the guaro... and before her divorce is finalized.

CHEERS!!!

Rain rain GO AWAY!

You know that wonderfully peaceful, serene, and happy feeling you get when you wake up in the morning and hear the tip-tap of rain on your roof... and then BONUS!... you realize it is Sunday and you can sleep in? All the cares in the world just slip away because you can snuggle back up into bed and go back to sleep.

Yeah, I don't feel that when I know I need to get up and run.

It RAINED pretty much all of last night- yeechh. Therefore, the trails at the Greenway are crappy and muddy and not what I want to deal with today. I am sure the bikers are in heaven. I feel pseudo-guilty for rubbing in our beautiful weather just a few days ago. Wait, no I don't. Come the 100+ degrees, 100% humidity days of summer- I will be heading for the hills!

So, I am debating... head downtown and run through the streets there (assuming they are not flooded ha ha) and have to dodge all the tourists and out-of-towners for the New Year or just resort to a neighborhood run with the MP3 player by my side. Today is 9 miles so I might just suck it up and jaunt around here- lots of new construction and houses going up. Fun scenery, eh?

I went to go pick up my NYE dress at the dry cleaners yesterday. After she brought it out, I said, "Well, I guess I will be bringing this thing back Tuesday. I am running a race in it on Monday morning after New Year's Eve."

She looked at me with a weirdly concerned look and responded, "No, you cannot run race in this dress!!! You will ruin it."

I thought for a sec before responded and blurted out, "How is me running a race in it any different from me spilling beer and bourbon on it and people smoking around me? Besides, I need to win a bet."

She shook her head and I almost expected her to give me the "would you jump off a bridge if..." talk but I just paid my money and left.

Amateurs.

Graphs are FUN! (with the Garmin)

So, I finally downloaded the Garmin training center thingy. I just so happen to looove all types of graphs, maps, charts, etc. I could analyze this crap all day long.

Here is my last 5K race- what the hell happened to me around the 1.7 mile mark? Yea, I don't know either. I am hoping to beat this time (28:12) at the New Year Resolution 5K on Monday but then again... I also agreed to run it in my black cocktail dress that I will be wearing the night before!

Tiff's Reindeer Run pace chart

Just for a laugh or two, here is the elevation breakdown of the Cooper River Bridge (starting on the downtown side) running over to Mt. P and back. The below sea level portion is an area of Mount Pleasant that I tacked on. And to think- this is the largest hill you can get in Charleston! :)

Below is the pace chart and elevation for the Kiawah Half Marathon that I did several weeks ago. The spikes on the pace chart are when I stopped to take clothes off and to stretch.... I wanted to keep my time running. Lots of room to improve!

Kiawah Pace Chart

Kiawah Elevation- quite possibly one of the lowest races you can find!

I am mixing it up tomorrow and doing my long run on the West Ashley Greenway, a 13 mile stretch of trails with beautiful views and nice terrain. It should be a nice deviation from my normal roads I have been running... my neighborhood is starting to look really, really boring so I am open to any and all new route ideas!

Happy trails!

Great duos in history....

• Bert and Ernie
• Thelma and Louise
• Knight Rider and Kit
• Tiff and her Running Shoes

And for the inquiring minds...... they are Asics. Asics 2110. They are light blue. The running shoes that started this debaucherous blog.

Well, today was a sad day for the Asics. I went to put them on and realized there is a gaping hole in the top of one of them, by the toebox. I tried to mess around with it and made it exponentially worse. To further ghetto-fy the situation, I tried to duct tape them because it looked like it might rain.

Run temporarily derailed.

But hey! What better day to peruse online running sites for new shoes and watch football. Go Boston College! Go Texas Longhorns!

What a jackass...

This would never happen to me....

:)

Charleston Area Woman Reportedly has, “The Best Day of Her Life”

AP- CHARLESTON, South Carolina

A local 26 year old woman, known to her friends as “T-FAN", reportedly had the best day of her life on Friday, December 29, 2006. Said T-FAN, “I usually just assume that Fridays are going to be pretty damn good, but I just had a special feeling this morning… like the sun was shining a little brighter, birds chirping with more gusto, that this might be the day I hit the Tiffany Trifecta.”

For those unfamiliar with the Tiffany Trifecta, it includes a USC Gamecocks win, a Clemson loss, and Tiffany beating everyone at the Bimimi Ring game out by the beach. The ring game is just that, you hook a ring on a string on a hook by swinging it. T-FAN has spent many hours perfecting her form at home and training with professionals.

Lo and behold, T-FAN got her Trifecta on Friday. She excitedly watched Clemson fall to Kentucky, the Gamecocks beat Houston, and got her ring game title, earning the name Mutha of the Ringmaster among the locals. T-FAN quipped, “I was not sure I could beat that last opponent, those 7 year olds really have the height advantage for the ring game. Good thing I practiced those extra hours before the competition. Can I get another beer, please?”

Eyewitnesses state that T-FAN was spotted jumping into the ocean later in the evening and then apparently she took a short recess to shower and appeared downtown at Tommy Condon’s, dancing the shag with a man in a kilt and then buying the entire bar a round of $1 PBRs at Big John’s. Her final stops of the evening included Henry’s and the bar at Oak Steakhouse for a Woodford Reserve Manhattan.

Sources say that traditionally, someone’s best day of their life is often followed by a not-so-good day.

In an effort to follow up on T-FAN’s wonderful day, we caught up with her this morning at Martha’s Beauty Salon. Vickie, T-FAN’s regular stylist, spent several hours this morning with the local celebrity. Said Vickie, “For some reason, T-FAN is especially quiet when she has early Saturday morning appointments. This morning was the worst we have ever seen. She worn an eye mask the entire time, sunglasses on top of that, and chugged several bottles of Gatorade. When I asked what she wanted done to her hair, she just murmured, ‘Jetaukuninckkoffff’. I could not comprehend what she was saying and she just waved her hand at me when I asked her to clarify. Oh well. Hopefully she will appreciate the new sideswept bang I gave her.”

And there you have it, folks.

bowl games bowl games bowl games bowl games bowl games bowl games bowl games

C...A...R...O...L...I...N...A...

Less than four hours til the GAMECOCKS play- I am pumped! GOOOOO GAMECOCKS!!!!!!!!

It's a beautiful 71 degree day and we are gearing up to go watch the game out at Off the Hook on Sullivan's Island. Yayy...I love it out there. And OTH is right across the street from Dunleavy's Pub, the site of our Polar Plunge on New Year's Day. Amazingly, weather.com states the ocean water on our coast is about 72 degrees? Doesn't seem right... but we may have to practice our plunge today if the Cocks win!!!

And as a special bonus feature today (mostly, because I am 3 beers deep already), here are my words of wisdom:

1. Just say NO to Clemson fans, they wear orange overalls. Hell, I grew up in Kentucky and they are just as red as the best of the Clemson fans. But Clemson SUCKS. Go Cats! Come to think of it... how did UK even get a bowl game? Oh yeah. They beat Georgia! Ha!

2. Beer is good.
3. I am packing my running shoes in the case of an impromptu Sullivan's Island pub run after our victory today. Yeah, we are winning. Yeah.
4. Beer is gooder in the afternoon.

5. OMG- UK has not won a bowl game since 1984. Geeezzz
6. Beer is gooderest in the morning.

My first run with the running group…

So, I took the sage advice of someone here in BlogLand and joined a running group here in Charleston. Boy, am I glad I did! I am starting to see that this is going to the best (and most enjoyable) way to improve my times and running.

Miles: 5.88
Time: 53:13
Weather: a chilly 58 degrees

I felt like it was the first day of school driving there to meet them at a local running shop. I had spoken with the gal that owns the shop earlier this week to introduce myself and inquire about the run. Apparently, there are all different types of groups that run throughout the week so I am planning on running with several different groups and hopefully (fingers crossed!!!) finding someone within my pace range to accompany me on my long runs over the next couple weeks- I am hoping to squeeze in some 10-14 mile runs in prep for 3M. I also have upped my weekly mileage goal to 25 miles.

I pull up to the store and see several people looming around- and they look like serious runners. I jump out of my car and introduce myself, wondering what I had got myself into. Everyone is super nice and seems happy to have a new face in the group. This particular group meets weekly for a 5-7 mile run. Perfect. They ran the bridge the last couple weeks- would I mind running through Mt. P and Old Village? Absolutely not! I had run the bridge earlier this week and usually try to mix it up.

We set off and I immediately realize they are running a tad faster than my usual 5K race pace- and we are scheduled to do around 6 miles. Plus (and this is something I am not used to), we keep the conversation flowing the entire time. I have to admit- running with a group is such a nice deviation from my lone runs. We talk about everything- races, work, the one gal that owns the running shop also is a running and biking coach. She tells us an inspirational story about a gal training for a marathon. The miles just seem to fly by, despite the fact that I am really pushing it past my normal pace…. And I feel surprisingly good!

We get to the 5 mile mark and I pick up the pace, even taking the lead. We run past one of my fav bars on Shem Creek and I jokingly say, "Are we not stopping for a beer?" They all laugh and ironically, the conversation turns to hashing. For several minutes, they start trading comments about what they’ve heard, the vicious rumors, what type of crazy people do it, how hashers drink during running, and they are a rowdy crew. One of them looks at me and says, "Tiffany, do you know what hashing is?" I couldn’t keep a straight face anymore- telling them about my hash experience out in Colorado. Several of them seemed interested in checking it out- possible recruits!

So, all in all- it was a great run. I will definitely be back next week (we are going to stick with Wed night runs in lieu of Thursdays next week) and think this will definitely help me!!

As a side note- Charleston's newest resident, Ms. Reese Witherspoon- is on TV now (or not- I don't know how things work in any other time zone besides mine) in Sweet Home Alabama, a cute (chick) flick. However, The Office is on at 8:30 PM tonight so that will definitely take priority!

C-A-R-O-L-I-N-A....

Less than 26 hours to kickoff in the Liberty Bowl...

Gooooooooo Gamecocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(and please, please, please... let Kentucky beat Clemson)

Relaxing on vacation... a little basketball commentary!

DISCLAIMER: the thoughts, opinions, and comments expressed by Tiffany are completely true and non-debatable. Therefore, if you have a problem with her and her opinions- go ahead and shove it because you are a total amateur with no idea what you are talking about. Have a nice day! :) (Go Tiff, Go Tiff... Go Go... Go Tiff!) Muwahahhahaaaa....

So, I was just taking a look at the clusterfuck that is the Top 25 for men’s college basketball and could not help but comment.

Seriously- Ohio St. is STILL overrated at #6 in the AP and USA Today polls. Am I the only person that thinks this? And I grew UP an Ohio St. fan (mostly football though- my dad would take me to all the home games up in Columbus). I thought they were overrated right from the get-go (coming out of the gate at #1? Riiiiight) when they dropped their first loss to UNC back in late November. Yeah, yeah… the “Thad Five” or whatever they are calling them… they got schlacked by Florida! 26 points? Eeeekkk… I might be eating my words come March… but come on.

Speaking of Florida- it was interesting to see them kill a ranked team by such a margin (even if it is Ohio St.) They started off the year with a very weak schedule up to this point and have done fairly well, with the exception of their narrow loss to Florida State. I don’t see them going all the way again this year. Just don’t.

Maaaann… Wichita State is hanging on… beating LSU and Syracuse… I would have surely wrote them off for a Cinderella holdover from March Madness! Now- SHOCKER- they have lost two in a row… Fortunately (or unfortunately) for them, the rest of their schedule includes mostly middle school rec-worthy teams.

Ooohhh- those North Carolina freshmen are tough. Yes, freshmen… Wright, Lawton, and Ellington. It is always interesting to see how freshmen react come tournament time though.

Butler? They would be better suited as a 13 seed somewhere- getting their ass kicked by some crappy 4 seed that should have been a 9 seed. They also are looking down the line at a very, very weak post-New Year schedule.

Still waiting to see how Pitt comes up against an actual Big East team. They snapped that 2 game losing streak with a 30 point cake walk… now is the time to step up though! They look good…

Clemson blows. It just burns me up to see them in the top 25 for ANYTHING. Grrrrr…

Feels kinda weird to not see Kentucky or Louisville anywhere in the polls. I won’t ever forget the infamous game- the Laetner jumpshot that ended UK’s dreams of a run at the title back in 1992…East Regionals in Philly… at least my mom allowed my bro and I to stay home from school the next day because we were all mourning the loss.

Ironically, most of my friends are scared of me come March Madness time. The night before the brackets are announced, I run to the store and buy a bunch of posterboard to make my own brackets, keeping one at home on the wall, one at the office, and a couple extra pieces for any screwups. I pour over the brackets and analyze my picks. After all, it is all done electronically and I need to keep face with all the loser dudes I work with that think they know the first thing about basketball. During the day games of Round 1 and 2, I am basically worthless at work. I get ESPN live streaming for the scores and sneak down to our employee cafeteria to watch the highlights and any close games. That is what the TVs are there for, right?

Basketball is in full swing- It is gonna be a good winter!!!!!!!

And I'm off!!!!

Here is a picture of me taking off. Do you like the new pink dress I bought at the after-Christmas blowout sale???

For those of you who are BLIND- that is a bottle of Woodford Reserve in my hand. Duh.

Cheers!

Blue skies smilin' at me...

Blue skies smilin' at me

Nothin' but blue skies do I see

Bluebirds singin' a song

Nothin' but bluebirds all day long

Nothing like Willie Nelson to get ya started in the mornin'... sing it, Willie! A gorgeous morning for a run- 60 degrees, not a cloud in the bright blue sky. Hitting the road for a run (or maybe a skip)...

and then...

and then...

Hitting the airport!!!

Any guesses where I'm going?

And good news on the spring vacation front... a couple more sales this year... and I am going on the President's Club sales trip this spring to JAMAICA... to the Sandals Resort. Luckily, I get to take someone with me (all-inclusive) so the bidding starts now :)

My favorite place to be in Jamaica!

HELL YEAH.

Tiff likey vacation.

P.S. Found out yesterday I am going to be an AUNT (finally!!)... how freakin' excited am I?!?!?

5 weeks til Austin!

Today's run- the BRIDGE and back!

Miles- 7.05
Time- 1:10
Weather- a beeeeautiful 67 degrees with a light breeze
Tiff's Mood- AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!

Today kicked ass. There is no other way to put it. Had I been running in a race, I would have run a 10K PR. I felt great the entire way, even up both of the hills when I managed to maintain between a 9 and 10 minute pace most of the way. If I was running the bridge run TODAY, I definitely would have run my goal of a sub-60 race!

My bridge running strategy is to start on the downtown side... I run through a slightly ghetto-esqe part of town (on the grass) and then hit the first hill around .75 miles into it. The first uphill (there are only 2, haha) is 2 miles long and pretty gradual. In the past, I use this hill as an excuse to run slower but today I kept my same pace and it worked out great. Get to the top and it is downhill on the Mount Pleasant side. I figured this is the best way to train because it puts me into running the steeper Mt. P side when I am 3 or 4 miles into the run and it is harder. I will probably do some repeats on the Mt. P side when I get closer to the race for fun too!

Most people start on the Mt. P side because the downtown side is a tad sketchier (I would never run from the downtown side at night in the dark- let's put it that way) and most are soccer moms pushing their double-wide strollers and totally pissing out the bikers. Read the signage on the ground, people!!!! Bikers have their own lane. I almost witnessed 2 wipeouts today- eeek!

I ran through a bit of Mt. Pleasant and then turned around to hit the steeper hill. Every time I run it, I feel like I get to know it better. There are parts of it steeper than others- overall it is about a mile long. Today did not help with the wind against me... but it is all downhill once you get to the top! I get to the top and see one of my co-workers walking with his family. He yells, "You are kicking ass, Tiff!!!!!!!!" and I felt pretty damn good. Yes, I was kicking ass. I was not wussing out like the rest of the people on the bridge that walk the uphills and run the downhills. Waiiit.... I think I used to do that :)

Another score for Tiffany against the Bridge.

Funny- when I got back to the downtown side- I ran into my friendly Shell station to grab a drink. They had a seasonal display of Yuengling right near the gatorade and I almost grabbed one :)

Who's Ready to Kick Ass in 2007?!? (Besides Lulu at the bar?)

(picture me raising my hand) Me! Me! Me!

Not TOO bad for just 5 months of being back into running....

• Five 5Ks
• One Beach 4-miler (in August in Charleston... shoot me in the head!)
• Two 10Ks
• One Half Marathon

Here is the proof for yall that just think I drink when I say I am racing :)

Wooohoooo!!! Here's to 2007!!!!!!

Strangely, I feel like I might have a mild concussion. Apparently, I slipped on the ice the night before I left Colorado when leaving the bar (who said wearing 3 inch heels was a bad idea?) and I hit my head. I thought it was just my hangover yesterday killing my head but it still hurts.

It is official- I have reached a new low as a road warrior... this is what I see when I actually open the frig... beer, water, kool-aid, and 2 slices of Kraft fat free cheese. However-to the side (unseen) are my two cuban cigars... ripe and ready for a perfect time to smoke 'em on my porch.

OK- off to run! :)

Tiff's Travels: The Year in Review

Alrighty YALL- I am assuming my travels for the remainder of 2006 have come to a close….although I did say the same thing last year and ended up booking a last minute flight to NYC for New Year’s Eve. I get restless if I do not visit the airport at least once a week. I also think that Delores at the security checkpoint at CHS airport starts to get worried about me too...

This year was a DOOZY for me, travel-wise. I covered the most ground and had a blast along the way!

Let’s take a look at 2006 in review…

Miles flown: 131,692
Number of segments flown: 153 (hey, I have to connect everywhere!)
Countries visited: 9
States visited: 36
Canadian provinces visited: 4
Most commonly visited states-

• Pennsylvania (lots of cultural clients there)- 9 trips in 2006
• DC/Maryland area- 8 trips
• California- 6 trips
• New York-6 trips
• Massachusetts-6 trips
• Texas- 5 trips

Fun fact: only ONE flight I took this year cancelled and caused me to have disrupted travel plans…. And that is the trip I just took to Colorado. Ironic, huh? The last trip of the year! (Unless I go to the Bahamas next week which is likely)

Among my favorite highlights of the year:

• 3 for 1 happy hour in New Orleans on Bourbon Street… and a pretty successful night at the Blackjack table at Harrah’s
• Biking the Sea Wall in Vancouver on a clear June morning- amazing views!
• My FIRST hash in Colorado with the Kimchi and Pikes Peak crew (Hi Nascock)
• COSTA RICA- ziplining through the rainforest, horseback riding down Arenal
• My first Scottish Highland Fling in London- men in kilts!
• Freedom Trail Run/Bar Crawl in Boston (we got a little diverted off the trail at times)
• Beating Clemson!!! (OK, that had nothing to do with travels... still it still rocked!)
• The “Best Game of Blackjack” at Barona Valley Casino in San Diego- SUPER FUN 21
• Snorkeling in Grand Cayman (yes, I am still working on my scuba certification)
  

Current Delta SkyMiles balance: 312,993 (that last minute 70,000 mile Costa Rica award ticket I used a couple months ago did not even leave a dent)- this leaves me with over 12 free domestic tickets in the bank. Yeeeaah!

Lifetime Million Miler Miles for Delta- 356,721. I will win something BIG (like a luggage tag) when I hit 1M, 2M, and 3M miles over my lifetime...muuwahahhaaaa

States I have yet to visit (45 down, 5 to go!) - Hawaii, Alaska, Maine, Vermont, Idaho

Why do I travel so much? Well, I work in sales. Also, I think the great Allman Brothers said it best… let me tweak the lyrics a tad…

Lord, I was born a ramblin' (wo)man,

Tryin' to make a livin' and doin' the best I can.

And when it's time for leavin', I hope you'll understand,

That I was born a ramblin' (wo)man.

Home.

Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home.

I'm Home.

It is 71 degrees here. And raining.

Woohooo!!!

Feels great to be home... and just in time for Christmas too! :)

Here is a pic of Tiff, circa 1981



On an unrelated note- this is pretty interesting- http://www.hollywood.com/news/detail/id/3600996

Reese Witherspoon and her two children have moved to Charleston! It is only a matter of time before the rest of Hollywood follows and I will surely have to leave town. I can only take so much of the papparazi as it is... and Reese sure ain't making it any easier on me.

Arrivederci!

Christmas in Colorado... and the Cooper River Bridge Run

So, I am o-fficially screwed trying to get home. They can't get me out of Colorado Springs or Denver until Christmas Day so I am hedging on flying out of Albuquerque on Friday or Saturday if the roads are passable to make the 5 hour journey.

On a good note- I had lots of time today to catch up on juicy gossip back home, read people's pointless blogs (not yall's, of course) and peruse our Charleston race web sites for the next couple months... including my personal homecoming race, the Cooper River Bridge Run!!! Of course, thinking happy warm weather thoughts detours from the swirling snow cyclone outside.

Enough whining :)

Now, people in Charleston start to get really fired up about the Cooper River Bridge Run right after the New Year. It is our big 10K (over 46,000 participants last year) making it the second largest in the country behind Peachtree in ATL and it has a special place in my heart. This year, it is being run on March 31st- slightly unfortunate timing due to the inaugural ING Georgia Marathon/Half the week before in ATL. However, I think I might sit out the GA race (after doing 3M Half in Jan and Myrtle Beach Half a couple weeks later in Feb) and just get ready for the bridge.

I will admit- compared to some people that read my blog that climb mountains every day, it may not seem like a big deal. Our "incline" from the Mt. Pleasant side is a 4% grade and about a mile long.

Here is the race course-


The 2006 Bridge Run marked my (later in life) return to running- I was initially driven to complete it because it was the first year on the new Ravenel bridge and I wanted to say I did the inaugural run. I did not really train for it, ran/walked it, and did it in 1:18.

As a benchmark, I did a 10K a couple weeks ago in 1:03, taking 15 minutes off. Not bad.

This year, I have set my goal (sub 60 min) and am hell bent on reaching it. That Mount Pleasant side no longer kicks my ass... I actually run over it and back during my training runs and can still maintain at least a 9:00-10:00 min pace on the uphill portion, both ways! I only have to run the Mt. P side during the race... wooohoooo....

Oooooooh I love that Bridge Run!!! I am so pumped up today, I even made a lame countdown.

And another thing I forgot to mention- it is one of the biggest PART-TAY weekends in Charleston. Not that I would know anything about that :)

Colorado Border Patrol won't let me go home

I thought I was flying out today.

I get to the airport in plenty of time. They gave me my ticket. Great! I am getting out... and First Class too! As I am passing through the security line, I start to feel a little nervous. You know- that raw feeling that hits your stomach when you just know something is wrong. I see a couple TSA guys huddled together, studying a photo intensely. They start glancing towards me and then one of them yells, "That her. That's Tiffany!!"

The next few minutes were totally ablur. When I finally came to, I had a dull pain in my head and I found myself in the back room of Colorado Springs TSA Official Security Checkpoint Central. Let me tell ya, folks... this was no picnic. The lighting was dingy, water was dripping from the ceiling, and it smelled like burnt rust. For three long hours, they grilled me on every detail about what I had done while in Colorado Springs, who I had hung out with... all the gory details.

I finally broke down into tears. I could not take the pressure anymore. After copying down a full account of everything I said- they refused to allow me to leave until my lawyer could make it in from Charleston to iron out my charges.

OK, just kidding.

CO Springs got schlacked by snow and I am stuuuuuuuuuck. Living it at the Hilton and hoping to make it to Denver tomorrow to catch a flight.

Suckers!

Believe it or not... a blog about running (imagine that)

So, I have been taking things fairly easy since my half... have done a few short runs and spent some QT on the elliptical machine. I am planning on jumping back into training for my next half starting NOW, beginning with Week 6 of Hal Higdon's Half Marathon (Intermediate) training plan. Yes, you are right... I do one half and suddenly propel myself out of the novice category.

So, after taking a hiatus from training for a little while to party down with the best of 'em, I am back to business.

First of all, I am a nerd. I admit it. Let's just get that out of the way.

I love to download my race routes from my Garmin to my computer and analyze my running. From my half marathon split times, I really fell off about the mile 9 mark. Prior to running the half, I had only run 8 miles. I know, I know... I lied to Hal Higdon and said I did that 10 mile run and 9 mile run but WHATEVER. Life got in the way. Well, it totally came to be during my half. I ran the first 6 miles with relative ease... ran a fast mile 7 and 8 (only because I had just seen my VP pass me and Outkast's "Bombs over Baghdad" came onto my MP3 player)... and in true form, I totally bombed out miles 9-11. Isn't it ironic? Don't you think?

So, today is the first day of starting training again.

I am still in Colorado for work so decided to run the Jack Quinn Tuesday night run (5K course)- and I must say, I really really enjoyed running on trails as opposed to all road. It definitely breaks up the monotony of the road. Too bad we are seriously lacking with trails to run in Charleston. Note to self- check on this.

Tonight I bundled up the best I could and took to the trail with Nascock (Kirk). I even toted my camera along for any impromptu picture opportunities. I soon realized the camera was a pain in my butt and put it in my pocket not thinking to zip up that packet (Amateur mistake). We are running along at a good pace and I stop to stretch my hamstring out and Nascock asked to take my picture (I could not stop laughing at the fact that I was wearing a headlamp/headlight thingy) and I realize the camera is GONE out of my pocket, case also including my driver's license, a wad of cash for post-run beer, hotel key, and camera. Oh yeah- and my lip gloss.

Shit.

We immediately start backtracking and shining our lights in to the brush to the side of the trail.

I start to get a grim feeling in my stomach. Without my license, how will I get on plane tomorrow? My new camera... gooooone... and I had not even downloaded my pics from London yet. I was just imagining some punk ass kid finding my camera case and feeling like he had won the jackpot.

Nascock and I keep running- more than a mile in reverse on the trail. Nothing.

We agree to split up and try to find it. He will run back to the bar where we started and see if someone turned it in. Meanwhile, I am cell phone-less, running this dark trail in freezing weather, trying to find a black camera case.

Yeah, great idea Tiff.

Long story short, I have been running for about 30 minutes since I left Nascock and I see a light in the distance. It is him! I pray he has good news. He has the case! Someone turned it in right after I dropped it and they had called him immediately. Apparently, he could not hear them and thought I was back at the bar when I was really roaming the trails alone in the dark. (Quit apologizing though)

So, by the end of the night... my Garmin read that I had run almost 6 miles total. Funny thing is, the altitude does not bother you as much when you are freaked out about something else :)
And the best part, you should see my Garmin race route from tonight- it looks like one of those Family Circus cartoons. Yeah- you know what I am talking about.

Holla and back on track,
Tiff

No longer a hash virgin!

After drinking about four dozen beers, smoking one cigar, playing unlimited games of Photo Hunt, and doing shots at the Mexican beer with some Mexican that didn't even speak Spanish... I feel a little rough today. The hash was great though! I just wasn't prepared to be totally f'ed up by 4:00 PM. Luckily, there was another virgin in the group. Well, two actually but the other was a dog. And ironically, the other virgin was a South Carolina Gamecock too! What are the odds? It was nice having 3 Gamecocks there to yell out random cheers when I was not singing my sorority rush songs from back in the day.

Riiiiiight.

On another note, Brownie and I went to some bar that opens at 7 AM. We roll in there around 11:30 AM right after I get off my plane. Fast forward to 9 or 10 at night and we go again.... Brownie points out one guy in the corner that was there THAT MORNING and he is sitting in the same spot, wearing the same clothes. I have no doubt he just made a day of it sitting at that barstool.

So, long story short. Still alive. Drank like a rockstar. Feel rough.

Let's just blame it on the altitude, eh?

My 13 hour jaunt home...

So, I am back in Charleston. For 13 hours. Today's theme is luggage.

In summary, I have been traveling almost weekly for the past 3 years. I was just thinking to myself last week, "WOW! My luggage sure has held up well- I have not had to replace it once yet!" Of course, I managed to be a carry-on traveler for most of the 3 years before the liquid restrictions came to be as a girl like me could not live without her 3.4 ounce bottle of Chanel Number 5 perfume. My luggage has held up well- a few signs of wear and tear but nothing major.

I was flying back to L.A. today. Great flight- painless. Good seat. First class. Nice person next to me that knew when to shut up :)

The most painful part of my travels is waiting for bag claim at Charleston (International) Airport. Yeah- you heard me... International.... I think we might have had one charter plane back in the 80's that take a group of senior citizens to the Bahamas or something. The process is so painful because it is sloooooower than Christmas. Now, I am a fairly impatient person but waiting for over 30 minutes to get your bag off an MD-88? Or worse yet, a CRJ? We aren't talking about a 777 people. (Kudos to those of you who actually understood my last 3 sentences). I imagine there are a couple stoners working the bag claim shift and wait to unload the plane after they finish off their doobie and bottles of MDG. "Duuuuuuude, I think the plane came in.... maybe we should walk over there and do something...." and, "Nooo dude, let me just call my girl first.... she is not happy about me passing out in the front yard last night."

So, the bags start rolling onto the carousel today. I see in the distance a bag that looks like mine (hey- it's black) but it is fully wrapped in bright YELLOW tape that says, "Handle with Care, Danger to Passenger" or some other alarming message. The bag looks beyond mangled and everything is staring at it in disbelief as it rolls by them. I see 2 girls to my left snickering at it as it passes them and I take a closer look only to realize it is my bag!

What to do, what to do.

Some people might have let the bag pass and go around and around and then pick it up later to save face.

What do I do? I yell, "Geez- how embarassing for that person! What a piece of shit." to which they laugh and agree and then I grab it off the carousel. Amateurs.

The story does not end here.

I start to feel nervous. My other bag (a garment bag) did have a couple small tears on the side when I checked it. My friend mutters, "Tiffany, isn't that your bag?" and points to a large plastic tupperware-ish container. Lo and behold, the side of my garment bag was ripped open and my nice business suits and one of my personal undergarments was exposed to everyone and was sitting in the container.

Really, guys. I could not make this up if I tried.

Without passing GO and without collecting $200, I left the airport and zipped directly to the store to buy new luggage. Hope my new pieces make out better tomorrow as I head out west again.....

Colorado, here I come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am officially crazy...

...it is 2:04 AM Pacific time out here in LA (5:04 AM EST for you dummys) and I am still UP working on a sales presentation tomorrow.

I am crazy.

I am a perfectionist.

I am tired.

I have been wasting the last couple hours reading astrology compatibility charts and browsing eBay for a new Coach handbag.

The truth finally comes out.

Part II to this blog- it is now 4:57 AM PST (7:57 AM EST) and I am still up working on this. I am about ready to go c-c-c-c-crazy.

Coach, am I able to start running again yet? :)

I don't wanna go... I don't wanna go...

I feel like a 5 year old that is whining about having to go to the dentist... I really do not want to get back on the road tomorrow... and I go all the way to L.A. tomorrow until Friday.

Then back to Charleston (right, other side of the country) and then on to CO Springs 15 hours later. I make absolutely no sense.

OK, whining is over.

On a good note- I think I might attempt running tomorrow. I feel weird taking a couple days off and misssssss it. Kinda like I miss my bed while on the road. But more.

Today was a good day.

Ice Cube couldn't have said it better. Today was a good day. (Cue the music. Yeah- you know the song)

It started with a glorious morning. Sun shining. Birds chirping. I slept in a little and I drove to work with a smile on my face, even pausing at a stoplight and belting out Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" while using my travel lint brush as a microphone. The guy next to my at the stoplight could not stop laughing and gave me a big thumbs up. Thanks, buddy! I am gonna rock this Monday!

Why in a good mood?

Why not?

My friends totally rock!! They are so supportive of me. I love them.

I am still alive after my half and totally looking forward to my next. My pals were so proud of my medal today- they had to take a pic. I know, I know... I am cheesy.


Sue me.

I am in a good mood.

And I don't think everyone can change that today.

Cheers!

Phew... another weekend gone bye-bye...

Damn.... I feel like I accomplished a lot this weekend:

• Ran a half marathon
• Made 10 dozen cookies today for a cookie exchange (I made buckeyes in honor of Troy Smith, Heisman winner....yes, I am sports fanatic)
• I helped a gal friend realize her boyfriend was a total f'in loser and dump his ass
• I put up my Xmas tree and it looks maravilloso!
• I found my "Society of Bourbon Spokespersons" certification (see below). I even think Brownie was pseudo-impressed with my credentials. Or maybe just the fact that I am a southern ex-sorority president that drinks whiskey and smokes Cuban cigars that I smuggled back from El Salvador.

Well, I can also say the half marathon soreness has mostly subsided and I can't wait to get back to running!! Only 7 weeks til the 3M Half! It actually felt pretty good to get out on the driving range today and break in my new pitching wedge. Who cares where the ball went?

OMG- how much do I looooooooooove the Cooper River Bridge Run design for next year?? It is sooo fetch (OK, I have watched Mean Girls too many times today) I am really looking forward to kicking the Bridge Run's butt this year- I definitely have its number after last year! The 2005 Bridge Run marks my official year anniversary of getting back into running after a 8 year hiatus. Of course, I only spent 2 weeks training in anticipation of last year's run so I am sure to blow this thing out of the water! Wooooooohhhhhhoooooooooo

T-$

Oh my heavens- the soreness, the pain...

Uh OK. Running a half marathon was SUPER FUN. Now I cannot even walk. Yesterday's remedy was to drink a couple beers, pop a few ibuprofen, and nap it off. Now I feel like someone shot my legs. Took a gun and shot them. No camo required as I was moving at a snail's pace yesterday too.

I am feeling like it not really acceptable to be drinking beer on a Sunday morning?? I think I am currently within the window of holy time.

So today I am supposed to be baking Christmas cookies with the gals for a cookie exchange Monday night before my flight to LA. Let me tell you how it normally works...

We all meet for the exchange- usually around 20 girls. And 20 bottles of wine.
Everyone brings around 6-7 dozen cookies.
You trade cookies, taking 3 or 4 of the ones that everyone else made- the whole point being that you end up with an assortment.

• Inevitably, at least two of the gals burn the hell out of their cookies. They are black and crispy and no one likes them. Then everyone talks shit about you for the entire year and you have only the next yearly exchange to redeem yourself.
• At least a few ladies make the SAME cookie and feel like they are competing against the other (similar to how you feel when someone shows up at a party in the same evening gown)- this is a huge issue. I happened to make the same hershey kiss cookie as someone else last year and it was pretty brutal competition.
• Every year, a couple gals get so drunk- they can't pass the tins of cookies without dropping some/all of them on the floor. I happen to find this funny although my cookies have never been dropped.

On another note- my travel schedule is showing no signs of letting up. This week- Los Angeles. Next week- Colorado Springs. Week off for Xmas and New Year. Fire it back up January 2 with MN and WI (again), then DC and VA, Philly, Austin and Houston.... hoping to make it over to China or Australia in the spring for some vacaaaaation which sounds so nice right now.

Happy Sunday (aka Tiffany Blog Day)

Ta da!! My first half marathon is in the BAG!

Good news!! I am still alive!! :) The race went extremely well- although it was sooo cold (22 degrees at race start time- it is usually around 50-60 degrees so it was chilly!)

I finished in 2:18 which was 12 minutes off my 2:30 goal. I am very happy with the finish and look forward to cutting a couple minutes off my time at the 3M half in Austin. Not to mention the (pre) post-race margaritas and karaoke (did I make that up?)

A couple notes:

• I am very competitive. I wanted to beat my VP after he beat me by one second at a 10K last month. I saw he was ahead of me by 4-5 minutes at the 6-7 mile turnaround point. I knew I could catch him as I saved myself for the second half of the race. I ended up catching up with him just after the 12 mile marker... passed him... and beat him by a couple minutes. Woohoooo- I rock.
• The pain in my calves after finishing... damnnnnn
• In typical Tiffany fashion, I did manage to zip my neck into my jacket beforehand and slip on a patch of ice before the race and bruise my knee. NOT the best way to kick off a 13.1 mile race!
• My longest training run before the race was 8 miles. Miles 9-11 were not the prettiest. But as I pointed out to the guy running next to me at the 10 mile point- the remainder was like a 5K with a 10 mile warmup. Riiiiiiiight. I am always the optomist.
• On a personal note- sports bra chaffing is not good. My boobs hurt. Maybe they are too big- ha ha hahaa....I put rubbing alcohol on them afterwards and have never felt pain like that in my life. Brutal. At least it took away from the pain in my legs. Sorry for the graphic visual- that is just the way it is right now, OK? Funny they did not offer to massage that area after the race. Hmmmm....
• Now I am snuggled up in a blanket on my couch. I plan on sitting in this same spot for as many hours straight as possible. A little peppermint lotion on my feet and snuggly socks and I am all set.

I am too tired to come up with a poem about the race. Here is the quick summary:

Cold running

Boobs hurt

Drink beer afterwards

Snuggly blanket rocks.

Twas the night before my half...

and all through the house,

Tiff's friend Edi was sleeping as sound as a mouse.

Tiff drank beer at her pre-race dinner,

Chugged 'em down to show she was a sinner.

She polished her nails, she downloaded Jay Z,

To round out her music collection on her MP3.

Alarm set for 4:30 AM, what will she do?

Procrastination setting in- you know it's true.

Pop the cork on some vino, just one little nightcap,

Soon she will lay down for her pre-race nap!

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaay she is not tired-she is wide awake,

She considers the drunk dial calls she will make.

P.S. I found the man of my dreams :)

COUNTDOWN TO MY FIRST HALF MARATHON....

39 HOURS!!!!!!!!!!!

Woooohhhhhhoooooooooooooooooooooo

I'm in heaven... college bball has started!!!

Ooooohh how I looooove college basketball. I have to admit, college football season is one of my favorite times too... but I am ready come Nov/Dec for some baaaaaaaasketball. Therefore, I am knocking out some work emails tonight in Milwaukee watching Arizona and Louisville in the Jimmy V Classic. Gooooooo Cards!!! I am in heaven.... heaven... heaven....

Phew- I am getting a little antsy about my half marathon on Saturday. Life has been totally crazy the last couple months with traveling almost every week for work and I feel like I am drinking out of a fire hose! I head back home late tomorrow night, couple days in the office, half marathon day, and then I pack up for Los Angeles. Spend a week or so out there... head home for a couple hours to do laundry, and head to Colorado Springs (I know, I know... makes no sense coming back to Charleston, SC in between those trips!)

Sadly, I am debating whether to even put my Xmas tree up. Here is a pic from last year- I really got into it! (Not to mention the 3 bottles of wine my friend and I put back when decorating!)




















I am debating whether to just keep the thing in storage already pre-decorated. I think I am just feeling a little burnt out, work-wise :)

I have already deemed it too cold to run outside in the morning so I am gonna log a couple miles on the treadmill in the morning and do a little elliptical.

OK, halftime is almost over. Back to biz-NASS!

Treadmill + Tiff + MTV Reality TV= 7 miles!

I know, I know... you probably come read my blog for the fantastic running commentary and all that crap... I know I have been a little off base lately due to my social butterflyness.

Yes, I did run tonight. 7 miles on the treadmill and it wasn't that bad! MTV Reality def helps.

Those 7 miles definitely bought me enough burnt calories for a couple glasses of vino tonight.

YAHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Arriverderci, kids :)

Hay yall- It don't git much better thun this!

Uhhh yeah. I am in Minneapolis. NOT the place you want to be in December. And to make matters even better, I go to Milwaukee tomorrow. Milwaukee... as in Wisconsin. Trading up? Not exactly. It is 9 degrees here. That's farenheit, folks. This poor southern gal is freezing her ass off- at least I am having a good hair day to mask my frozen over ass.

Well... one thing is for sure... people that live in really cold weather have nothing to do besides drink. Luckily, I am meeting up with a pledge sister from my sorority (aka wreckless drinking) days that lives here. She is southern too so we can freeze together- and drink wine!!

Just checked into the hotel and am deciding my workout attack. It is too cold to run outside (plus Minneapolis does not seem like the best place to be running outside). My hotel has a fitness "suite" which is code for a hotel room with a bunch of gym equipment crammed in. They also have some arrangement with the gym across the street (for a mere $11/day which might actually include tomorrow morning too) which is the REAL deal- machines, classes, etc. Basically, a dream come true for me.

Truth be told, I secretly LOVE aerobic and step classes. I usually line up in the 2nd or 3rd row to let the 4'8" gals see themselves in the mirror- I am a towering 5'11" and would eclipse the entire studio. I would do aerobics every day if I could. Just a fact.

OK, enough blogging. I did my work today- woke up at 5 AM, took 2 flights to get here, did an hour long sales call, and I am off...

Oh yeah- the life of a traveling diva :) Riiiiiiiiiiiight.

Sunday Blog Buffet

For some reason, I find myself blogging a lot on Sundays. I think it goes back to my procrastination habits and usually, blogging is a lot more fun than cleaning, packing for my MN/WI trip tomorrow, hauling the Xmas tree out of storage, doing work work, running 10 miles, or talking to most of my relatives on the phone (Sundays are when they all call me- I know, I know... that was harsh) There are times that it is really pointless to sit on the phone and basically talk about nothing.

Let me break it down. My life is both incredibly simple and complex. Definitive, right? I travel every week for work (which I love), I run, I pay my bills and do laundry, and I like to hang out with friends when I have time. Through subtle hinting and comments, I think a lot of my family members are just waiting to hear the magic words from me, "Yes, I've met someone! Yes, we're getting married! Yes, we are having x number of children! My life is now complete!" No offense to anybody- but that it not what will make me feel complete. Yes, that will be a nice complement to my existing life- but there is soo much more out there for me right now.

So- (insert name of relative)- quit asking me! I will be sure to invite you to my wedding one day and you can dance to Kool and the Gang and drink all the bourbon you want... on my dime! :)

OK, I know that was a heavy blog to read- especially when I am supposed to be writing something about running, right?

The weather outside looks crappy- it is bleak (bleek?) and looks cold. I will admit- I have not been outside yet. I had planned on running 10 miles today- my ankle is still a little sore from yesterday and I think I might actually can my long run this week and just focus on a couple shorter runs this week in anticipation of Saturday's half. Hal Higdon might not approve though- I have been following his lead since May when I started running again. Oh well... I guess I should also explain one of the MAIN reasons why I do not feel like running today. Maybe these photos from last night will explain it better than words:







Yes, that is me in the front middle with the umbrella behind my ear. You can't hide class.

I find myself wondering today who actually reads these blogs. Who sort of demographics make up my readership? Men? Women? Single? Married? 6 mile pace? 12 mile pace? Possibly reading this blog during recreational time in prison? (no thanks)

So... in a gallant attempt to find out who the hell you are... tell me a little something about yourself. I promise I don't bite :)

Reindeer Run Recap

Ran the Reindeer Run this morning downtown... perfect running weather... high 50's, low 60's. Peeeeerfect. I started closer to the front of the pack after the start line debaucle at the Turkey Trot and having to run on the sidewalk. First mile- 8:08- VERY good (and fast) for me... until I stepped on one of those damn reflector thingys in the middle of the road and twisted my ankle. It hurt like hell for about 25 seconds and then I could not feel it. I finished up the race in 28:01- knocking another 17 seconds off my time but narrowly missing my goal of a sub-28 min 5K. Oh well... I avoided the post-race beer in lieu of stretching out and having breakfast with some gal pals. OK, that's a lie. I had 3... no 4... beers. My ankle really felt good then.

I get home and start moving my ankle around and it hurts like hell. I am going to ice it and hope for the best. I really need to get in my last long run tomorrow (10 miles) before my half marathon next week. I guess I am a little mad I ran this race today just for fun, knowing I should have knocked out my long run today. Tsk. Tsk.

I will admit- I am just feeling a little nervous about next week. I was supposed to run the half with my friend Edi- she ran Marine Corps a few weeks ago and is totally burnt out now. She had a couple nagging injuries and will still do the half- but not run the whole thing. I am determined the run the entire way... and will probably just find someone else to pace with... or it is just Me, My Running Shoes, My Garmin Geek O' Meter, and the MP3 player.

Well, no use in crying over a twisted ankle. I have a part-tay to hit tonight... one of my bestest friends kicked cancer's A$$ and we owe him a big celebration. Looooove his shirt :)