Myrtle Beach 1/2 marathon

... is less than 2 months away. I'm feeling pretty good about my runs. I feel like I'm in better running shape at this training stage than I was when training for my first one. I ran 4.5 miles yesterday, though 1/4 mile of it was warmup/cooldown (walking). I'm very much looking forward to this one as I think the run itself and the view will be great for me, especially finishing up running along the boardwalk. Assuming, of course, it's not accompanied by a N'oreaster or some other uber unpleasant weather. Sure wish I were 20 or 30 lbs. lighter. Sadly, I have no discipline when it comes to food. :-(

Ran my first 5K today. It was pretty cool. I was a bit nervous about it, and was afraid I would go to fast, but no. Actually, I realized after that I probably could've gone a bit faster, maybe the adrenaline. Finished 6th in my age group.
Yay me!

sportstracklive.com

Is stress considered cross training?

uuuweeee! It's been a week! Between the dog and the benz... my workout regime has been nothing short of FUBAR! I really think I should get some kind of credit for handling all the stress without ripping any heads. Otherwise, no decent runs since last Monday (super sad face). We don't even need to discuss my diet. Not the worst, but not good. I got out today and did a quick 2 mile. Didn't want to risk overdoing after not having run most of the week, and tomorrow is supposed to be 70ish, so that makes for a lovely day to run outside. I'm going to shoot for a nice long jog tomorrow.

dreadmill? maybe not after all

Well most certainly Armageddon must be right around the corner. When I can do 45 minutes on the treadmill, without having to force myself past the 20 minute mark, then obsessing about every 5 minutes that goes by as if it were a life and death matter, surely the world must be coming to an end. But alas, that's exactly what happened. I did 45+ minutes today, and was in a good mindset, and actually did 3/4 of a mile more than I had planned. I'm feeling pretty good about that frankly. :) I also spent the last bit of it jogging at 7.5, then down to 5, and back up to 7.5, twice. I'm pleased that I'm finally able to change my mindset to a more positive view. yay me!

morning run

Had a short little 2 mile run today. Very nice! Perfect weather albeit a little windy. I finally got a sport arm band for my phone so I can use one of the apps I have to track my progress. Today - SportsTrackerPro Very cool app!, though it took me a bit to figure it out. Guess I should've done that BEFORE I started my trek ;) Anyway, it tracks exactly your pace, altitude, speed, distance, time... among a ton of other things and you can upload your results. Very very nice! Recommend.

training for your 1st half marathon (Hal Higdon)

Training for your first Half

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
1	Stretch & Strengthen	3 m run	2 m run or cross	3 m run + strength	Rest	30 min cross	4 m run
2	Stretch & Strengthen	3 m run	2 m run or cross	3 m run + strength	Rest	30 min cross	4 m run
3	Stretch & Strengthen	3.5 m run	2 m run or cross	3.5 m run + strength	Rest	40 min cross	5 m run
4	Stretch & Strengthen	3.5 m run	2 m run or cross	3.5 m run + strength	Rest	40 min cross	5 m run
5	Stretch & Strengthen	4 m run	2 m run or cross	4 m run + strength	Rest	40 min cross	6 m run
6	Stretch & Strengthen	4 m run	2 m run or cross	4 m run + strength	Rest or easy run	Rest	5-K Race
7	Stretch & Strengthen	4.5 m run	3 m run or cross	4.5 m run + strength	Rest	50 min cross	7 m run
8	Stretch & Strengthen	4.5 m run	3 m run or cross	4.5 m run + strength	Rest	50 min cross	8 m run
9	Stretch & Strengthen	5 m run	3 m run or cross	5 m run + strength	Rest or easy run	Rest	10-K Race
10	Stretch & Strengthen	5 m run	3 m run or cross	5 m run + strength	Rest	60 min cross	9 m run
11	Stretch & Strengthen	5 m run	3 m run or cross	5 m run + strength	Rest	60 min cross	10 m run
12	Stretch & Strengthen	4 m run	3 m run or cross	2 m run	Rest	Rest	Half Marathon

http://www.halhigdon.com/halfmarathon/novice.htm

5k Intermediate training (Hal Higdon)

How to Improve Your 5-K Times

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
1	Rest	3 m run	5 x 400	3 m run	Rest	3 m run	5 m run
2	Rest	3 m run	30 min tempo	3 m run	Rest	3 m fast	5 m run
3	Rest	3 m run	6 x 400	3 m run	Rest	4 m run	6 m run
4	Rest	3 m run	35 min tempo	3 m run	Rest	Rest	5-K Test
5	Rest	3 m run	7 x 400	3 m run	Rest	4 m fast	6 m run
6	Rest	3 m run	40 min tempo	3 m run	Rest	5 m run	7 m run
7	Rest	3 m run	8 x 400	3 m run	Rest	5 m fast	7 m run
8	Rest	2 m run	30 min tempo	2 m run	Rest	Rest	5-K Race

http://www.halhigdon.com/5K%20Training/5-Kinter.htm

5k training regimen for the novice (Hal Higdon)

Training for your first 5-K

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
1	Rest or run/walk	1.5 m run	Rest or run/walk	1.5 m run	Rest	1.5 m run	30- 60 min walk
2	Rest or run/walk	1.75 m run	Rest or run/walk	1.5 m run	Rest	1.75 m run	35-60 min walk
3	Rest or run/walk	2 mi run	Rest or run/walk	1.5 m run	Rest	2 MI run	40-60 min walk
4	Rest or run/walk	2.25 m run	Rest or run/walk	1.5 m run	Rest	2.25 m run	45-60 min walk
5	Rest or run/walk	2.5 m run	Rest or run/walk	2 m run	Rest	2.5 m run	50-60 min walk
6	Rest or run/walk	2.75 m run	Rest or run/walk	2 m run	Rest	2.75 m run	55-60 min walk
7	Rest or run/walk	3 m run	Rest or run/walk	2 m run	Rest	3 m run	60 min walk
8	Rest or run/walk	3 m run	Rest or run/walk	2 m run	Rest	Rest	5-K Race

oatmeal ... bleh!

I hate oatmeal. It's not logical.. we all know it actually tastes good.. it's a throwback from my childhood. I was traumatized by oatmeal.. I have PTOD (post traumatic oatmeal disorder). But alas, I must overcome my mental roadblock and learn to eat the s**t. I've known this for years, but I've been fighting it, fairly successfully actually. In keeping with my goals, (weightloss, health, running a half marathon) seems oatmeal is one of those golden tickets. So I will boldly wade into the world of oatmeal. Big D eats it almost everyday for the bennies.. helps regulate glucose levels.. so I'll just make some for both of us. I'm hoping it's like water and once you start you get used to it and don't know how you ever went a day without drinking a gallon of it.

Some benefits of eating oatmeal:

The benefits of oatmeal are due to the fact that it's made from oats and oats are a good source of both soluble and insoluble fiber.

1. Insoluble fiber's cancer-fighting properties are due to the fact that it attacks certain bile acids, reducing their toxicity.

2. Soluble fiber may reduce LDL cholesterol without lowering HDL cholesterol. LDL is bad; HDL is good.

3. Soluble fiber slows down the digestion of starch. This may be beneficial to diabetics because, when you slow down the digestion of starch, you avoid the sharp rises in your blood sugar level that usually occur following a meal.

4. It has been found that those who eat more oats are less likely to develop heart disease, a disease that is currently widespread in the United States.

5. The phytochemicals in oat may also have cancer-fighting properties.

6. Oats are a good source of many nutrients including vitamin E, zinc, selenium, copper, iron, manganese and magnesium. Oats are also a good source of protein.

... he ain't heavy.... ;)

Had a very good little jog today. Full hour and 5 minutes! :) Still not very fast (just over 5 miles), but as I said, I'm putting my focus on time instead of distance. Haven't heard much from my brothers. Perhaps they're planning on a big surprise to all of us on how well they're doing 8-]
CRH, where I work, has a monthly newsletter that includes a wellness section. They're including a little snippet about my weight loss in an upcoming issue. During the interview I suggested possibly starting up a runners club for employees. I think that would be very cool, as I think working toward these kinds of goals would be easier and more fulfilling with some support from people doing the same things. Would be nice to have a running partner, SINCE MY BROTHERS SEEM TO HAVE FALLEN OFF THE TRAIL :( (sigh) but also, still would be nice to have an actual person running with me.. instant encouragement through the tough parts and all that.

back on the wheel..

nice little jog today. 1 hour on the deathmill with a very good Pandora music experience :) Nice stretch after and I feel pretty good. No problems with my leg. Still feels like a slight charlie-horse but no worse after running or stretching.
I wrote 160 on the base of my thumb with a sharpie marker as a reminder of my goal to lose a few more pounds. You know, that really works! It's a gentle yet obvious reminder whenever I'm thinking of eating something I really don't need. I got the idea from a 'biggest loser' commercial where I heard one of the contestants say he did that.

resting

I'm taking a couple of days off running. I was doing lunges the other day and felt sometime stretch that shouldn't be stretching.. under my skin.. in my left thigh. Doesn't hurt, more like a charlie horse, but thought some rest in order. Back to it tomorrow.

It's a new day

Feeling a little down? Got the winter blues? Straight up depressed? I got somethin' for ya. Carry your happy azz outside and run just as hard as you can run for as long as you dare (which is likely about 10 seconds if you haven't done this in .. oh.. a decade or two).. walk til you recover your heart and lungs, repeat. Yes, yes, I know it's (insert curse word) cold outside but we're only talking about a few minutes here. Seriously! I challenge you to get off the couch and do something to make yourself feel better. If your knees are bone to bone (you know who you are), then walk as fast as you can walk, or get on an eliptical/stair stepper/bike, but do it. Your brain will go into overdrive releasing a bunch of chemicals that is the equivalent of a crack pipe high. Technically, it's all about endorphins and such. Google the benefits of running and you'll find all kinds of research about anti-aging / bone density / nuerological benefits, but the biggest thing is just that your brain feels so much better. Special note for you smokers and recent or not ex-smokers. I used to smoke. Even when I was going to the gym and working out, I smoked (I know right?), but I didn't really press the cardio stuff past about 40-45 minutes. Once I quit smoking, and started running outdoors, and for longer times, I realized there was a whole new area of my lungs that had not been acquainted with oxygen for a really long time.. and telling me about it! I about hacked up my lungs at the end of my runs initially, and would cough for an hour or two after. My ribs hurt and my lungs hurt. But I also realized just how damaged my lungs were from over a decade of smoking. It passed after a month or so, but solidified the fact that smoking kills. I hope you all stay with your plan to quit smoking, but understand when you quit, you're starving your brain of that "nicotine high" and you WILL subject yourself to depression to some degree. Also, because of the chemical changes in your body, you WILL gain weight, even if you don't eat more (unlikely). Exercise, particularly, strenuous and cardio types, is a critical component of success.

I just finished stretching after a solid hour on the treadmill. I did strides for about the last 10 minutes <- run hard for 1 minute, walk for 2, repeat 3x. Funny how I can do the jog for 45 minutes or so, feel really done with it, do a few strides and feel great. I think I'll try to add another 10 or 15 minutes jogging after the strides and see how that works. Theoretically, that should get me over my block.

I remembered today that your mind WILL follow your body. I learned that in my younger days as a result of my love of tequilla. Seems, 1 shot, your frontal lobe (judgment and decision making part of your brain) lags behind your body about an hour, 2 shots = about 6 hours, 3 shots = 12 hours, 4 shots = oh my, please tell me I didn't really do that! 8-/ I found that my body would do things that sans tequilla, you know, I just might not have thought a good idea. But a good lesson none the less. I really don't drink tequilla unsupervised anymore, but still, I know if I make my body tough it out through something, my mind will succumb eventually. Thus, stay on the treadmill, or jogging path for the length of time it will take to meet my goal and eventually my brain will understand that it's going to have to succumb and cooperate (assimilate?)

1/2 marathon

I decided to track my progress here, as opposed to my FB page. That way, those that are interested can read and make suggestions, and those who aren't interested, won't be subjected to my daily notes.

My goal - run a 1/2 marathon, has turned out to be harder than I had anticipated. I'm currently very stuck at about 5 miles. I can jog/run for about 55 minutes a day but haven't been able to break through past that. I've recently changed training regimens and have been having a little more success. I run/jog everyday now. Previously, I was doing every other day, but realized after about 4 weeks, I wasn't getting stronger, and actually, was running fewer miles than I had been while I was working on weight loss. While I was actively working on losing weight, I ran everyday except Sunday. EVERYDAY, no matter what! I did interval runs, where I started at 3 minutes walking, and 2 minutes running, and worked my way up to 2.5 minutes walking, 5 minutes running. That worked great for losing weight! - 60 lbs in about 6 months.

I realize my biggest issue is in my head. I hate hate hate running on a treadmill, so it doesn't take much to talk myself out of it. Currently, after about 15 minutes, I find myself trying desperately to think about anything except what I'm doing. I listen to music - very good music - but still, some days I just struggle through it and spend the last 20 minutes, literally, counting down the minutes. I enjoy running outside but the weather has been atrocious and cold.

Physically, I'm fine. No pain after to speak of. Sometimes, my right knee is a little sore, but mostly only if I walk too fast. That's from a little torn cartilage I have from a work related injury. I do strength training 2 or 3 times a week. One day - chest, biceps, triceps, one day, - back and shoulders, one day - core and legs. On those days, I do the strength training first and then my jog/run. I go as long as I can with a minimum of 3 miles or 30 minutes.

I'm hoping my brothers are training as well, so we can run a 1/2 together as a team. I think this would be much easier if I had a training partner, but as of yet, I don't know anyone around here that is willing. My fiancée (Big D) is very much into fitness, but his knees are too far gone for running/jogging.

No running today because I've gone every day, including Sunday and I need a little break. I did lunges and another drill that focused on quads, hamstrings, gluts that I'm paying for a little bit. So I think, since I go to work early on Tuesdays, I'll use that as my off day instead of Sunday.

That's all for now.

Suggestions and tips appreciated.

Woodstock - the second one

My niece just posted pics from our adventure at Woodstock. This event rates in the top of my list of most memorable events of my life. Right after we got back I wrote down our adventure so I wouldn't forget it. The account has been buried on my computer (and copied from old to new computer over the years) and is now making it's way to my blog. In glancing through, I see I never got around to typing up Sunday's events from my handwritten journal. Now I'm going to have to find the journal. I have it, but I'm just not sure where it's at just this moment. Also, it's odd to read through the content. I've changed so much since then. It's quite amusing. I hope you – reader- enjoy it as we did.

Woodstock:

I don't know who arranged the line up for this event, but as far as I'm concerned, having Joe Cocker as the first act was near genius. I don't think that I can explain how he affected his audience. For certain he appeared to have everyone in the palm of his hand. I know I was wrapped. At some point in his set I sat down. I could hear him and I could see him in my mind, but more importantly, I could feel him. His music was affecting me more than I had anticipated. He set a mood, when the tear fell down his cheek, he created an aura. I believe his demeanor influenced the entire weekend into a caring, peaceful time for everyone to share. When I heard the first line.."What would you do if I...", I had to put my head down and take a few deep breaths. I had goosebumps on my arms and a lump in my throat. I could feel my heart beat. There are very few artists that can affect me like that, and I didn't know Joe Cocker was even one of them. I think he did that to a lot of people that day. People that only knew Joe Cocker as someone who did weird things when he sang. What he does is from the heart and soul, and he touched many people that day. I will remember that and feel that forever. It's a very special thing. Joe Cocker is an artist of music and spirit, and that is a rare thing, indeed. In all fairness, I suppose I would not have wanted to follow Joe on stage, especially that day. So maybe that could help to explain the performance of Blind Melon. But being just as fair as I can be, and cutting Blind Melon as much slack as I possibly can, I would have to say that the best review I can give them is that they sucked. And as for Shannon Hoon? The boy ain't right! Patricia and I decided this would be an appropriate time to go pee and grab something to eat. A wise choice. I am not particularly fond of rap music in general, so I pretty much rested through most of Cypress Hill. Dana enjoyed their performance, and gave them thumbs up. I wasn't happy, I kept getting stepped on. The Rollins Band doesn't count in my top ten either (or 100), but they were interesting. Henry seems a bit extreme maybe, but he was a good 100 feet away, and that was a good thing. Definitely a well built young man. Trish and I agreed on that. Melissa Etheridge put on a good show. I have only recently become familiar with her music. We all liked her set, again the sound system was extraordinary. When you see someone performing, it allows you to put a face and an action with a song. A personality to go with a person. That's what makes concerts different than videos. Videos are images and illusions conjured up by some writer/director that has to do with fantasy more often than reality. A concert is real life and it's s lot easier to spot a phoney. Then you can enjoy it or blow it off for what it is. We enjoyed Ms. Etheridge. She allows a great deal of herself to flow through her music. There is one thing I'd like to add here. Something that musicians and others in the entertainment industry do that just rubs me wrong. There were several instances this weekend, when artists and speakers found it necessary to voice their own personal opinions and/or plug their particular causes. Now I understand that there are a great many atrocities, tragedies, inequities and cruel, unforgivable things that go on in this world. I also understand that entertainment figures have the power and influence and even perhaps, the responsibility to do what they can to change things. However, I also believe there is a proper place to accomplish your goals. If you want to sway people into forming an opinion or taking action to further your cause, I think you will likely get further toward your goal if you act when people are receptive to hearing what you have to say. If you begin spouting off about sexual preference, intolerance of today, environmental sins, or starving babies, when your audience is intent on a good time and great music, your are not apt to get any king of positive result. Though everyone who spoke of their particular cause was in my opinion absolutely right, they all did it with negativity and at inappropriate times. If I want to hear or see someone state their views, I will pick up a paper, turn on the news, or go to a rally, all of which I have done. When I go to a concert, I expect to hear music and be entertained. I think when an artist takes the stage they should play music and entertain. That is the job they have chosen. To influence an action in a person, first you have to get them to think. Spouting off two or three sentences of negativity between songs, only serves to promote negatives. If your cause isn't worthy enough to spend your free time on it, instead of the time your supposed to use entertaining, then perhaps you should reevaluate the cause. And then there was Crosby, Stills and Nash. I like C,S&N, they sounded good. I really like seeing artists and musicians that have some history and longevity, albeit rocky. So many times these days, bands can't seem to stay together even though there is a real talent. I don't know if it's egos getting in the way or attitude, but I know it says something about a group of people that can, if nothing else, work together and create something good consistently for years on end. They deserve a certain amount of respect for that alone. Makes me wonder where Blind Melon will be in 25 years. And when they got around to it...low and behold, Nine Inch Nails would bless us with their appearance! When they got around to it. It was a very long time between C,S&N, and NIN. All I could think of was that it would be very, very late before we saw Aerosmith. It had already rained pretty hard once that day. We had to rethink everything. It rained heavily! We put trash bags under our stuff and a poncho over our stuff. We had the other two draped over us, tarp style. They worked well and we stayed fairly dry. Nothing else stayed dry.
The mud was unbelievable! We didn't move from our place. Mud children became a segment of the population. I was a little envious of how everyone willingly and quickly moved to let them through. Just a little envious. Still waiting for NIN. I wasn't all that familiar with their music (or his). I had heard a few tunes on the radio. We were all pretty neutral about their music, though getting a tad pissed about having to wait so long. Finally!!!We hear music. They had arrived...covered in mud! Head to toe!! That was funny!! We had binoculars, and could see the boys as if they were 5 feet from us. They were entertaining, and they were destructive! The crowd seemed to really enjoy their performance. The Trent man destroyed several musical instruments. I wasn't particularly impressed with that. He was also very animate, as were the other band members. They were very energetic and considering that the mud that they were covered with and in turn covered everything else in, was most likely very uncomfortable, they endured quite well and even somewhat enthusiastically. These are definitely showmen..actors and entertainers. We were for the most part entertained. Trent said he was happy to be able to say the "f**k" word on pay-per- view. We were all happy for Trent. I mean, really, how often does a person get an opportunity to say f**k on PPV. Certainly must have been a life achievement for Trent. After 45 to an hour of NIN, we had pretty much fallen into the "OK, did it" mode. Lets move on to Metallica. This would be a long time coming. We are all now way tired. We all now have a firm, unshakable grasp on the whole concept of tired. It is tired everywhere. Someone points out, we have had very little sleep. NIN finishes there set...there is a god! It takes an extremely long time to clean and repair the stage from the NIN mudfest. We were more than a little pissed, as were many around us. A little too tired to be forgiving and understanding at this time. We estimate two hours before Aerosmith. This is taking every ounce of strength I have. I don't know how Theresa and Dana can endure this. Trish is used to staying up all night, being a bartender. And I've been known to stretch the limits of physical tolerance, but this is really very difficult. I have had 2 hours of sleep in 44. I am more tired now than I have ever been and will ever be again. When I stood, my legs wobbled. When I sat down, I would get more tired because my body would relax enough to sleep, but my mind wouldn't. Even through this haze, I was excited about being here. I would nearly fall over, then catch myself. It was too crowded to lie down, so the best you could do was sit long enough to rest your legs and back, then get back up. For me it was up 15, down 5 through most of Metallica. Theresa and Dana were roughly opposite of that. I think Patricia slept, or rested through most of Metallica. Metallica is number 2 of the two main musical reasons I wanted to come to Woodstock. Aerosmith being number one. I really wanted to see Metallica. They are, without question, one of the most intense rock-n-roll bands I have ever seen or heard. All around us the young guys were hollering the lyrics to the songs as they were being played. I had never seen a Metallica performance before and I was impressed. As far as you could see, arms and fists in the air pulsing to the beat. The boys had it goin' on. I think even the boys were impressed. Metallica was most certainly well received at Woodstock. I have two Metallica CD's, both of which I like very much and play fairly often. I don't know if it was because I was so tired or what, but much of what they played seemed unfamiliar to me. It was very hard for me to stay in touch with what was going on, on the stage. I remember thinking that I'd really like to see them when I was coherent. Shame that's not likely to happen. Arena concerts are pretty much a thing of the past for me, as I don't care to subject my body to mosh pits, or being smashed among hundreds/thousands of people. Someday maybe I'll understand why it is that young people insist on making a rock-n- roll concert an athletic event. We were so tired now, that we had entered the "silly zone". We started talking about the lasagna Patricia's Mom had fixed for us when we arrived in NY. This pan of lasagna grew to the size of a football field, and the meatballs, the size of basketballs. As we relished in how good it would be to get back to Patricia's Mom's house, we began to exaggerate just how good it was. The whole time, we were laughing almost hysterically. Crossing our legs to keep from..well, you know. Our ribs ached from laughing so hard, at something that was only mildly funny. "OK, stop now! I mean it Theresa, stop giggling!" Of course, that would only make matters worse, and before we knew it, we would all be hysterically laughing again. I'm sure everyone around us thought we'd gotten into the wrong color acid the announcer's were warning of. We were just stupid tired. Someone onstage used the "groovy" word, and we were off again, that being the only word we all agreed not to use this weekend. Trish thinks of Marcia Brady whenever she hears the word, and that's just too traumatic for her to endure during Woodstock. Metallica finished their set. They were visibly ecstatic with the response from the crowd. They had stolen the show! Aerosmith would be up for a challenge. We had heard crowd estimates of up to 350,000 people. It appeared as though 349,999 of those people were completely enthralled by Metallica. Trish's loss. I know it didn't take all that long to change the set, maybe 1/2 hour, but it seemed an eternity. I was overwhelmed with everything going on within myself at that point. The exhaustion, impatience, expectations and anticipation. The next band to play was the number one reason I had endured. There is no other band I would have stayed for. Theresa, Dana and Patricia were hanging in for me. Dana and Theresa really like Aerosmith, as does Patricia, but for me, these boys were something I've carried from my youth. Aerosmith was my first record album, my first hit song, my first very strong interest in rock-n-roll. They got my feet wet. I've been listening to their music for 20 years. They have a collection of music that can suit any mood. They've been to hell and lived to talk about it. They have something everyone can relate to. I respect them. They are the only band that can drag me to an arena show. Last year, when Aerosmith came to our area, I insisted on going and pretty much, told Theresa, she would be going also. We saw them twice, and she was hooked. Though I had tried to explain to her about seeing them perform live, you just can't get it until you see it up close and personal. Going to Woodstock would've been something I would've wanted to do with or without Aerosmith, it's just that having them here pretty much cinched it, as something I definitely would be doing. There would be no question as to whether or not I would stay to see them, no matter how tired. The announcer came on stage. A bad thunderstorm was approaching. Warnings came to stay away from the towers, fences, stage and any trees. If the lightning gets bad, lie down on the ground. It began to rain immediately. Not a little rain, a downpour out of nowhere. We were wet before we could get our ponchos on. F**K!! We were way too tired for this!! We could barely hear the drums, characteristic of Aerosmith's intro. I couldn't look toward the stage because the rain would blow into my face. I could see the large screens, but poorly. I am bummed bad. Lightning flashed bright right behind the stage, and I knew Theresa was not liking this, and neither was I. If I were by myself, whatever happened would've happened, but I wasn't alone. I could not ask these people with me, to stay at such risk, not even for Aerosmith. I looked at Theresa and I said "This is f**ked!" Patricia said let's go. I started walking, and they followed me. I couldn't believe this was happening. I had traveled so far, and endured so much to see this band here, and I was walking away. I couldn't think of all the really great things we had experienced up until then, I was just so bummed and so very pissed. I took the lead because I couldn't talk about it. We could hear them playing all the way out to the buses. Things I hadn't heard them play live before.."Say you're leavin on the 7:30 train and you're head'n out to Hooooollywooood." That sucked so hard for me. I literally had to force myself to think about the good things. How lucky we had been. I started talking, probably because I was so exhausted that had I let myself think about what I was walking away from, I would have either cried or turned back and went to watch alone. At any rate, I babbled on about how lucky we had been up until then. Nothing had gone wrong, everything had gone in our favor. This was the first and only really bad thing that had happened. Disappointment doesn't even begin to describe how badly I felt. Trish, Theresa and Dana tried to make it better, but I just didn't want to hear it. The bus situation had become ugly. When we got to the loop, we got lucky enough to arrive just as a purple lot bus was coming to a stop. We were near the door, however, everyone surged toward that bus door like it was the last helicopter out of Vietnam. Trish was in front of me and Dana and Theresa were behind me. Trish got on the bus, as I did. We are both big enough and mean enough to not let these men shove us out of the way. Dana on the other hand, is a bit timid, and Theresa was behind her and smaller. I stopped and turned just inside the door of the bus to see a panicked Dana. The men would not let them on. I reached out for her arm, but couldn't quite reach her. I asked the guys to cut some slack, but that fell on deaf ears. The ones that did respond were asses. Then I started cussing. I was tired and testy, and no one to mess with right then. One man shoved Dana just enough for me to grab her arm and I literally pulled her in/over/around, whatever, to get her on that bus. Theresa had the good sense to hold onto Dana. It was quiet on the bus ride back to the parking lot. I could hear the dull echo of Aerosmith playing, and I know the others were talking, but I didn't care to hear. I still don't care. The ride to the pop-up was long, and full of talk of Chunky soup and cheese and crackers. We were hungry but too tired to care. We got to the pop-up and pretty much stripped to our underclothes outside the door. We had a large box of baby wipes that we used to clean up with. We used the whole box. I still felt dirty. I crawled into bed. Trish made soup and cheese crackers. I ate and went to sleep. Apparently Trish had to climb over the top of me several times for various things before she actually went to sleep. I didn't notice. Normally, I'm an extremely light sleeper, but by this time, I think Aerosmith could have pulled up to our pop-up door and played and I wouldn't have woke up. I was out. It was about 3:30 a.m.