Looking for a way to become committed to adding regular cardio workouts to my schedule, I joined a running club back in April called No Boundaries.  The tag line was "couch to 5k in 10 weeks!"  The joining fee included a technical tee, weekly scheduled runs and entrance to the Firecracker 5k held on July 3rd.  Always complaining that I am limited in what I can commit to in Nashville because of my intense travel schedule for work, I decided to sign up when I saw that the weekly runs were scheduled for Thursday nights at 6:30 PM, a commitment I could in fact make.

The first meeting was a bit hectic.  There must have been more than 75 attendees ranging in age and physical condition.  Some folks were wearing Music City Marathon t-shirts just held earlier in the month and others looked as though they had indeed been sitting on their couch for a couple years.  As it turns out, two friends of mine were also in attendance, none of us knowing that the others had signed up.

I had three goals in signing up for this program: 1) to learn how to run and build up enough strength to run the entire 5k (no walking), 2) lose 5 pounds and 3) to pace at an 11 minute mile or better.  Nathan, working nights, could not join the club with me but was committed to running the 5k.  He trained during the week on his own and we'd run together on the weekends.  One Saturday morning on our way out to the park a neighbor passed by and said, "A couple who runs together, stays together!" We certainly felt challenged and encouraged by one another and it was a great experience.

I am happy to report that I reached all three of my goals!  Nathan and I are now looking for our next 5k so that we continue to stay on the running trails!

The Stats:

#31 out of 66 in the Female 30 - 34 Group

#674 out of 998 Overall

Averaged 10:44/mile for overall time of 33:15

Left to Right: Khakki (neighbor and friend that was in No Boundaries with me), Nathan, me and Derek (neighbor and runner extraordinaire).

This entry is more than belated and for that my apologies.  The weekend following the historic flooding in Nashville, Nathan and I decided to go on our first camping trip together.  Originally we had planned on going the first weekend in May but obviously the rain kept us from our adventure.  As it turns out, the weather following the storm couldn't have been more perfect.  Highs in the low 70's and evening lows in the mid-50's made for ideal camping conditions.

With a packed cooler, tent, sleeping bags and pads, camelbacks and probably more stuff than we needed, we headed out on Saturday morning, May 8th. Destination: Fall Creek Falls State Park, about an hour and a half drive from Nashville, settled in the midst of the Cumberland Plateau.  The park itself has a tremendous amount to offer from hiking to biking, cabins and RV sites, restaurants and fishing it is a popular destination in Middle Tennessee.  But tucked away from the other 200+ full service camp sites, there are 16 walk-in sites that offer a lot of privacy and the feeling of being "out in the woods" with shower and toilet houses just a couple minutes walk away (my kind of camping).

Once we finished setting up camp we filled our packs and decided to take the 3 mile hike to Fall Creek Falls.

According to the information I gathered during our hike, Fall Creek Falls is the highest waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains (seems like a bold claim and one that neither Nathan nor I expected) at 256 feet.  It was gushing over the rocks, especially heavy with rainfall from the previous weekend.  Some photos taken during our hike and the rocky decent to the bottom of the falls: 

It was impossible to get too close without getting drenched in mist from the spray.  The hike was perfect for stretching our legs.  It was nearing 5:00 PM as we were headed back to our car to return to camp when we decided to try out a very short yet very steep hike to the pool at the bottom of Cane Creek Falls.  Despite the signage at the trailhead, we decided to brave the rock bed below, carefully using the secured cable as we went.

We were treated to a wonderful silence and beautiful view of the falls from our perch on a rock anchored in the stream.  We sat and talked, enjoyed the nature surrounding us, tried to catch a shot of us both AND the falls and that didn't work too well.  This particular spot is one we will treasure for years to come...

Just moments before I grabbed hold of the cable to begin my climb up, Nathan nudged my shoulder, I turned around, and in his (almost trembling) hand was a box with a ring.  He asked very sweetly if I'd marry him and I said, "YES!"  Grinning from ear to ear, we finished the assent and made it to camp before dark. Dinner was baked potatoes (tossed in the coals of the fires with onion slices set into cuts made in the potatoes) and grilled steaks - so good!  What a perfect day.

Sunday we decided to brave the "overnight trail," having been told we'd be able to complete the 13 mile hike in 10 hours.  We are not yet overnight packers but it seemed as though we could do 13 miles with our camelbacks filled with water, sandwiches and snacks for the day.  For most the entire hike we were under the canopy of the virgin hardwood forrest, the beginning 2 miles or so meandered through fairly flat terrain.  Then in a matter of 1.5 miles (if memory serves correct) we made an 800 foot descent into the bottom of the gorge and then climbed back out.  That was an intense section of the hike.  I can see how much more of a challenge it would have been with a 30 lb. pack on.  There were a lot of rocks to maneuver in this portion of the hike.  We rested at the bottom near the stream and ate on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  Once we were back to the top of the gorge and further along, we decided to take a mile detour that would give us views from where we had just come.  I took advantage of the bench that was at the lookout point:

The rocky outcropping and the green hillside out straight in front, is where we had come from. No wonder I needed a rest!  Including our breaks, lunch and a pit stop at the ranger station before making it back to the car, we managed this hike in a total of 7.5 hours, and were very proud of ourselves indeed!

With Nathan working night shift, we stayed Sunday night, crashing early (following our evening snack of S'mores of course!) and headed out on Monday morning. What a wonderful weekend and such a great way to begin our next exciting adventure together...