Kids say the darnedest things

Walken Rocks

Big Peach 5K - May 3, 2008

I've got this guy's number.

I finished 315th out of the Men, 56/124 in my age class

26 min 36 seconds which comes out to 8:27 per mile.

This was my fastest 5K yet, onward and upward.

Nashville Part 1

It’s over; finito; fin, finished!!! I DID IT. I’ve completed my first Marathon!! On April 26^th, I ran and finished the Country Music Marathon in Nashville, TN. It took me a good while to finish, Four Hours and Fifty Eight minutes with quite a few difficult patches, but I did it.

But I didn’t do it alone. Hundreds of my TEAMmates from all over the country finished the Half and Whole Marathon along with me. We were joined by our families, our friends, and other well wishers. We had our terrific Coaches, Mentors, and the Leukemia Lymphoma Society Staff to help us all along the way.

I also had my own support team made up of all the wonderful people who sent me cards and emails, text messages and voicemails wishing me the best and telling me I could do it.

And, of course, I want to thank everyone who helped in such a big way with my fundraising efforts. This whole endeavor was really about that. Through my efforts I hoped to inspire others to give so that we could raise money to help fight blood cancers.

This past race weekend I was reminded over and over in many different ways of how important our work is. Helping people, like my Honored Hero Olivia, survive cancer; and honoring those people who did not, was the real goal.

All of us on Team In Training raised these funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. Your generous support not only helps fund research and lobbying efforts, it also helps individual families, literally fighting for their lives, pay for expensive medicines, pay for travel expenses, and gives all sorts of other help when they really need it most.

Please continue to make donations to support Team In Training and to help advance the Society's mission. Any amount will help; you can donate anonymously or be recognized as a participant of my team and the TEAM in general.

Running with the TEAM is one of the best things I've ever done, but I’ve only begun my journey.

Again, thank you so much for your support and generosity; I’ll see you at the next finish line.

Bridge Runnin'

I had a great time in Charleston this weekend. It was the 31st Annual Cooper River Bridge Run. The Ravenel Bridge is 2.5 miles long right in the middle of a 10K. I finished in record time for me, 58:47. Not fast enough to beat the Kenyans, of course. Or to beat my sister's friend Jami, who did it in 57:01. But I'm still happy with everything. Great seafood, almost perfect weather, and good times with my sister, Trellis, and her friends. Here's a few pics.

Jami, Stephanie, and Trellis with the Kenyans.

After the race

Here's the approach

Movin' On Up

To a deluxe apartment in the sky-eye-eye.

Only three more week's til Nashville,
and the 46,145 Yard Dash!!!

Cats with Frickin' Lasers

I love these SNL Digital Shorts. This series never fails to bring a tear to me eye.

Half Marathon

Thanks to everyone who came out last night to Tasty World... I really appreciate it. I'm running the ING Half Marathon in the ATL this weekend. And it's only 4 weeks or so 'til Nashville. The time she does fly by.

Thanks to everyone who has been so encouraging to me so far, both verbally and financially.

I've got about three weeks left to raise the reach my fundraising goal... so, if you've been thinking about giving, now's the time.

Love, Peace, and TEAM!!!

You know you are a TNT distance athlete if...

• You forget the dates of birthdays and anniversaries, but never the date of your first race.
• You have to make a serious effort to talk about something else other than training with your non-active friends.
• The back of your car looks like a locker room.
• You smirk on the inside when a non-endurance athlete asks how many miles are in a marathon or half marathon.
• The art in your house is the free Nike posters that you get from the local sports store.
• Your family groans as once again they find themselves in the car measuring how far you trained this morning.
• Your dog hides when you get the leash.
• Olive Garden is where you hang out.
• You are constantly washing training clothes, but you have to go through the pile of clothes on the floor to find something to go to work in.
• Your weekly training mileage is higher than your weekly driving mileage.
• You own your car but make payments on your bike.
• You can only get major projects done at home during taper weeks.
• You have a $4000 bike strapped to your $2000 car.
• You have trouble keeping lunch under 2000 calories.
• You think nothing of walking into public places dressed in tights like a super hero.

Run Like The Wind To Be Free Again

One Garmin 305 Forerunner GPS - $199.00
One Ipod Nano - $99.00
One Really Fancy Water Bottle - $9.99

GPS - dead battery
Nano - dead battery
Ultimate Direction Water Bottle - dirty

Finding out that maybe I don't need all this stuff - Priceless

I just left the house yesterday and ran. I had a destination in mind, but that was it. No music (AHHHH!!!) No way to track my pace. Just my shoes, and a deer park water bottle. (and shorts and a t-shirt, come on) I ended up running 6.4 miles (measured with the car later) in around an hour. And it felt great. Now I did take a break and talk to a certain pretty neighbor of mine, but, Hey, that's what it's all about, right?

I'm doing a 16 mile run tomorrow morning, so expect an update after that. I feel great right now, but we'll see how it goes.

I've got a little under two months until the marathon, and the one thing that is scaring me is my fundraising, so if you want to contribute to the cause I would really appreciate it.

Go to http://www.active.com/donate/tntga/tntgaAPayne to find out more, and give, give like the wind...

Go Athens, Go Athens

Athens' own DJ Emeritus- Daaannnggeerrrr-Moouussee!! Check out this new video from Gnarls Barkley... pretty awesome stuff

My Latest Project

This is new album cover from my side project, Grafenstein. We're getting a few hundred pressed. We'll see how sales go, and how our reviews are, and then start promoting the hell out of it.

The Strike is Ovah

SNL is BACK!! Fred's Obama is very subtle, but I think he is dead on!!

This movie, "The Spirit of the Marathon" looks incredible. It was supposed to only be in theaters on one night, but they are having an encore showing on Thursday, Feb 21. Go to MarathonMovie to learn more and check showtimes. The closest to Athens is the Mall of Georgia. I've only watched the trailer for it... posted below. And it is so moving, I can't imagine the whole movie.

Needless to say, when it comes out on DVD, it might be the perfect time to really break out the home theater and have a showing at my house.

Here's the full trailer...

14 Miler

Hey Guess What,

I didn’t die last night... actually the run went pretty OK. The constant pain in my left knee after a few miles made me stop and walk enough that I didn’t really get too exhausted-ed. I did get scared twice though, (A) almost got run over in the Supermercado parking lot, and (2) I’m pretty sure some vampires and/or serial killers were watching me from the trees right before Old Jefferson Rd and Walker intersected. But that could have been the ibuprofen talking, not really sure. I’m serious, that stretch of road is like the scene in the movie where the terrorists/government assassins (depends on how you look at it) are stalking the President’s brother, and he runs out of sight behind some trees, but the camera keeps going, and then he doesn’t come out of the other side. And then Clint Eastwood and Tim Roth are watching the videotape, and they’re like... "Let's Roll"

http://www.active.com/donate/tntga/tntgaAPayne

So anyway, I did 14 miles in 2 hours and 34 minutes... I’m pretty stoked about that. If you are impressed by that, or really, anything else about me, or really hate cancer and what it does to people... Please Donate, Donate like the wind... Prove to me you’re a good person. Prove it to yourself... you big ol’ softie you.

I’m kidding. I know you’re a good person. Even if you’re cheap.

Still Going

So far I've run over 170 miles towards the finish line of the Country Music Marathon in Nashville on April 26th. I'm running at lunch, in the mornings, late nights, on the street, on trails, and on the treadmill. Running, running, running... but now it's time to spend just as much time fundraising. I'm not even at 25% of my goal and time is counting down.

Remember, your checking balance may get a little smaller, but your heart will get a whole lot bigger. To those who have given so much already, I thank you. And to those who have encouraged me along the way, thanks for that too. I am so fortunate, please help me help those who aren't as lucky as us. Help fight Leukemia and Lymphoma today.

Valentine's Day is a day of love and giving... This would be a little bit of both.