Saturday, February 25, 2012
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Saturday Seven (things not miles)
1) Running - Complete two short runs earlier this week, 2.6 miles and 2.1 miles. Odd mileage, huh? I keep over-running my intended turn point a bit. Knee was feeling okay so I decided to run with* the group Saturday morning.
* Maybe "with" is stretching it a bit. They are all running further and faster than I am right now, so it was more like meeting with them in the parking lot, running the warm-up with them, and running the rest of my 3.5 miles solo. But it's all good. After so much down time due to my knee, I was super happy to be out there again. And the two people that usually run with me both happened to have conflicts this weekend, so I'm sure I'll have running partner(s) again soon.
2) Haiti - Remember me mentioning about my daughter going to Haiti during spring break? Well, as it turns out, I have to travel for work the week before she leaves. And I'm not going to return until 16 hours after she departs! Husband assures me that he can handle anything that she needs during that week, but I'm bummed that I won't be around for the final trip preparations or to see her off at the airport.
3) Weight - Once again, I seem to have packed on some excess poundage over the winter. It's all hands on deck as attempt to get back to "race weight." No more binge eating of Death by Oreo Cupcakes or peanut butter cookies. When I get the hankering for something sweet, I've been grabbing a fruited 0% Fage yogurt which has 120-130 calories (depending on the flavor) with 13 grams protein. A much healthier option, don't you think?
4) Weather - After snowing last Sunday, it cleared up for a few days, then snowed again on Thursday. I really shouldn't complain, but this off-and-on spring/winter weather is frustrating. Never quite sure what kind of day we're going to get, making it hard to plan things like bike rides.
5) Races/Events - I'm barely back to running and certainly not doing it well enough to have confidence to sign up for any races at this point. However, I *am* toying with the idea of a St Patty's Day hilly 5K. Also considering a metric-Century in June if the weather ever cooperates so that I get back on my bike outdoors. For what it's worth, I don't run on treadmills and I don't cycle on the trainer. I just don't. So it's outdoor training or nothing.
6) Zipp Fizz - A while back I was provided samples of Zipp Fizz to test out and review. I received the samples pretty much at the same time that my knee started acting up. I've *finally* had a chance to test the product so that I can share my thoughts. I'll just cut to the chase. I really wanted to like this product which promised to be an all natural, low calorie, energy drink. However, I was turned off by two things. First, to me it tastes too much like a children's vitamin in liquid form (which is not a good thing). Second, despite their claims to be an all-natural product, it does contain artificial sweetener (sucralose) which is a deal-breaker for me.
7) Crew Games - Last weekend I volunteered to help with crew games for a local hot air balloon rally. I was in charge of timing an "envelope roll" race. What a hoot that was! The balloon event was also at the other end of a park where a 5K/10K was occurring. So my other job was identifying lost runners and redirecting them to the correct end of the field for their race. :-)
* Maybe "with" is stretching it a bit. They are all running further and faster than I am right now, so it was more like meeting with them in the parking lot, running the warm-up with them, and running the rest of my 3.5 miles solo. But it's all good. After so much down time due to my knee, I was super happy to be out there again. And the two people that usually run with me both happened to have conflicts this weekend, so I'm sure I'll have running partner(s) again soon.
2) Haiti - Remember me mentioning about my daughter going to Haiti during spring break? Well, as it turns out, I have to travel for work the week before she leaves. And I'm not going to return until 16 hours after she departs! Husband assures me that he can handle anything that she needs during that week, but I'm bummed that I won't be around for the final trip preparations or to see her off at the airport.
3) Weight - Once again, I seem to have packed on some excess poundage over the winter. It's all hands on deck as attempt to get back to "race weight." No more binge eating of Death by Oreo Cupcakes or peanut butter cookies. When I get the hankering for something sweet, I've been grabbing a fruited 0% Fage yogurt which has 120-130 calories (depending on the flavor) with 13 grams protein. A much healthier option, don't you think?
4) Weather - After snowing last Sunday, it cleared up for a few days, then snowed again on Thursday. I really shouldn't complain, but this off-and-on spring/winter weather is frustrating. Never quite sure what kind of day we're going to get, making it hard to plan things like bike rides.
5) Races/Events - I'm barely back to running and certainly not doing it well enough to have confidence to sign up for any races at this point. However, I *am* toying with the idea of a St Patty's Day hilly 5K. Also considering a metric-Century in June if the weather ever cooperates so that I get back on my bike outdoors. For what it's worth, I don't run on treadmills and I don't cycle on the trainer. I just don't. So it's outdoor training or nothing.
6) Zipp Fizz - A while back I was provided samples of Zipp Fizz to test out and review. I received the samples pretty much at the same time that my knee started acting up. I've *finally* had a chance to test the product so that I can share my thoughts. I'll just cut to the chase. I really wanted to like this product which promised to be an all natural, low calorie, energy drink. However, I was turned off by two things. First, to me it tastes too much like a children's vitamin in liquid form (which is not a good thing). Second, despite their claims to be an all-natural product, it does contain artificial sweetener (sucralose) which is a deal-breaker for me.
7) Crew Games - Last weekend I volunteered to help with crew games for a local hot air balloon rally. I was in charge of timing an "envelope roll" race. What a hoot that was! The balloon event was also at the other end of a park where a 5K/10K was occurring. So my other job was identifying lost runners and redirecting them to the correct end of the field for their race. :-)
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
mid-week ramblings
I'll start with a few photos of what I've worn to work fairly recently (It's a weeks worth of outfits, but these aren't all from one week).I'm learning more about what looks good and not so good on me, but I think this is the last installment for a while. I am getting really tired of snapping self portraits in the bathroom mirror in the morning. Hahahahah.
There are two outfits that I wish to comment on. The first is the jeans and camel sweater (right side, second one down). I happen to like this a lot, so that is what I wore on my birthday. And yes, I had a lovely day, thanks for asking. :-)
Second is the long black skirt outfit (left side, third one down). Remember when I mentioned getting compliments on the black short skirt with boots outfit a few weeks ago? Similarly, this is the only outfit of the five from this post that I received any comments (all positive) about what I was wearing. I'm thinking I need to wear skirts/dresses a bit more often.On to a more running-related topic. I managed to get three runs in last week topping out at a 2.9 mile run as the longest of the three. I ran again today, just barely beating a storm, and got 2.5 miles in. I'm hoping to run at least two more times this week and work my way up to a 3.5-4.0 mile run. After that, I should be able to rejoin my group and it will be back to business as usual. This whole return-to-running thing is a bit discouraging as I am so far behind where I was when I had to take a break for my knee and I'm still a bit reluctant to push too hard.
Husband & I were hoping to get in a nice bike ride on Sunday only to wake up to find that it was snowing!! So no bike ride. I guess it *is* still the middle of winter, so I shouldn't be too surprised that the weather didn't cooperate, but it had been so nice all week that we really surprised about the snow.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
TTT - Short Runs, Decision Made, and B-day Weekend
Slow Short Runs - So far this week, got in another couple of short runs (2.5 and 2.1 miles). I'm currently running really s-l-o-w, but it's getting easier compared to the runs last week. It seems so unfair how easily it is to get out of shape, and how hard it is to get back into shape! But make no mistake, I am thrilled to be running again pain-free, no matter how slow or short the distance right now.
Decision Made - Talked it over with Husband, and we've decided not to do the Sweetheart Run this year. It comes down to not wanting to spend the $$ for a race when I know I'll have a frustrating result due to just barely being running again after a multi-month hiatus. I never wear the race t-shirts from this event, so getting another race shirt isn't motivating me. And it will cold Saturday morning (in the 20s) when the race happens, whereas we can run or cycle together later in the day after it warms up (40s-50s).
B-day Weekend - Husband & I have birthdays surrounding this weekend. His is Friday, mine is Monday.For some reason, even though this isn't a milestone birthday for either of us, I'm really starting to feel old. But I guess getting older beats the alternative! One of the things we are doing to celebrate is going out to dinner Friday then to a performance of My Fair Lady by Big League productions. This particular musical is special to me because I played the part of Eliza during my senior year of high school nearly 30 years ago.
Decision Made - Talked it over with Husband, and we've decided not to do the Sweetheart Run this year. It comes down to not wanting to spend the $$ for a race when I know I'll have a frustrating result due to just barely being running again after a multi-month hiatus. I never wear the race t-shirts from this event, so getting another race shirt isn't motivating me. And it will cold Saturday morning (in the 20s) when the race happens, whereas we can run or cycle together later in the day after it warms up (40s-50s).
B-day Weekend - Husband & I have birthdays surrounding this weekend. His is Friday, mine is Monday.For some reason, even though this isn't a milestone birthday for either of us, I'm really starting to feel old. But I guess getting older beats the alternative! One of the things we are doing to celebrate is going out to dinner Friday then to a performance of My Fair Lady by Big League productions. This particular musical is special to me because I played the part of Eliza during my senior year of high school nearly 30 years ago.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Actual running and stuff
You'll all be shocked an amazed to find out that I finally went out and bought a notebook to log my 2012 activities in because I needed it. Yes, that's right. I actually ran! and cycled!
The point is that I got out there and busted out 2.5 and 2.0 mile runs and my knee did not hurt one little bit. I also got out on my bike for a 12.0 mile ride.
It was slow and sluggish and a whole lot harder than it should have been. But that's not really the point. I mean, everybody's got to start somewhere, right? Besides, it was farther and faster than sitting on the couch eating cupcakes.
Now a dilemma. The local Sweetheart Run is this coming weekend. I'm even entertaining the idea of signing up to run the 5K with husband. Kind of on the fence though. I don't really need to pay money to slowly run a race just to celebrate that I'm able to run again. I could just as easily run a 5K (or possibly try to go farther) on my own. We shall see.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
TTT - test run, wiw2wtw, & cupcakes
TEST RUN: After work yesterday I met with a friend who is a relatively new runner. She was doing a run/walk and I figured that was a great way to test my knee. I had decided that if all went well, I'd meet with my running group this weekend. If not, I'd wait another week and test it again.
In the end, it didn't hurt, but it didn't feel quite right either. I've decided to take the middle ground and go for a short 2 mile solo run this weekend rather than run 4 miles with the group.
WIW2WTW: I've included photos of how I've shown up at work thus far. Prepared this post before getting dressed for work, so today's outfit is missing.
The dress on Monday was comfortable, but I think I need a different belt. The peace sign belt made me look like a hippy. LOL.
The scarf that I wore on Tuesday is in high demand at my house. My daughter keeps "borrowing" it and "forgetting" to give it back. I'm not sure what to think of that other than she & I like similar colors.
And while I don't think it photographed all that well, I will tell you that I got a lot of compliments on Wednesday (black skirt outfit with tights and boots) whereas nobody said anything to me about what I was wearing any of the other days this week or last. So I'm thinking that outfit is definitely a winner.
CUPCAKES: Enough of you asked for more info on the death by Oreo cupcakes that I mentioned, so I am passing on the recipe. Be warned, they are addicting!! Recipe maked 24 cupcakes.
What you'll need:
1 pkg regular oreos
cupcake liners
1 pkg chocolate cake mix (I prefer Pillsbury chocolate, which has you add 3 eggs and for high altitude I add an additional 1/4 cup flour to the mix.)
For Frosting: Do not use this full recipe. Either make it all, use half and save the rest for later, or make half a recipe. Trust me on this.
8 oz cream cheese - room temp
8 T butter (1 stick) - room temp
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 t vanilla
2-3 T milk
Add cupcake liners to cupcake pan. Place an Oreo at the bottom of each liner.
Coarsely crush half remaining oreos (I break them up by hand). Prepare cake mix per instructions. Add Oreo pieces to mix. Fill cupcake liners with mix & cook.
Note: I cook for 15 min at 350 deg even though the boxed mix instructions say to cook longer. Not sure if that is a high altitude thing or because of that added cookies to the mix. In any event, I suggest checking after 15 mins.
Finely crush remaining Oreos (or, if you make half a recipe of frosting, eat 3 cookies and finely crush the rest. just kidding. sort of.). I do this in a food processor.
For frosting, mix cream cheese and butter with vanilla until smooth. Add powdered sugar. Add milk as needed to get desired consistency. Blend in crushed oreos.
Frost cupcakes when cool. Enjoy!!
In the end, it didn't hurt, but it didn't feel quite right either. I've decided to take the middle ground and go for a short 2 mile solo run this weekend rather than run 4 miles with the group. WIW2WTW: I've included photos of how I've shown up at work thus far. Prepared this post before getting dressed for work, so today's outfit is missing.
The dress on Monday was comfortable, but I think I need a different belt. The peace sign belt made me look like a hippy. LOL.
The scarf that I wore on Tuesday is in high demand at my house. My daughter keeps "borrowing" it and "forgetting" to give it back. I'm not sure what to think of that other than she & I like similar colors.And while I don't think it photographed all that well, I will tell you that I got a lot of compliments on Wednesday (black skirt outfit with tights and boots) whereas nobody said anything to me about what I was wearing any of the other days this week or last. So I'm thinking that outfit is definitely a winner.
CUPCAKES: Enough of you asked for more info on the death by Oreo cupcakes that I mentioned, so I am passing on the recipe. Be warned, they are addicting!! Recipe maked 24 cupcakes.
What you'll need:
1 pkg regular oreos
cupcake liners
1 pkg chocolate cake mix (I prefer Pillsbury chocolate, which has you add 3 eggs and for high altitude I add an additional 1/4 cup flour to the mix.)
For Frosting: Do not use this full recipe. Either make it all, use half and save the rest for later, or make half a recipe. Trust me on this.
8 oz cream cheese - room temp
8 T butter (1 stick) - room temp
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 t vanilla
2-3 T milk
Add cupcake liners to cupcake pan. Place an Oreo at the bottom of each liner.
Coarsely crush half remaining oreos (I break them up by hand). Prepare cake mix per instructions. Add Oreo pieces to mix. Fill cupcake liners with mix & cook.
Note: I cook for 15 min at 350 deg even though the boxed mix instructions say to cook longer. Not sure if that is a high altitude thing or because of that added cookies to the mix. In any event, I suggest checking after 15 mins.
Finely crush remaining Oreos (or, if you make half a recipe of frosting, eat 3 cookies and finely crush the rest. just kidding. sort of.). I do this in a food processor.
For frosting, mix cream cheese and butter with vanilla until smooth. Add powdered sugar. Add milk as needed to get desired consistency. Blend in crushed oreos.
Frost cupcakes when cool. Enjoy!!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Jan Totals
Numbers
Thoughts
Plans
- Injections #2 & #3 to complete the series
- 9 days with squats
- 24 miles walking
- 1 group run missed :-(
- 1 batch "death by Oreo" cupcakes to drown my sorrows
- 1 ten mile bike ride
- 1 midweek, full afternoon, spa retreat with husband
- 1 son back off to college
- 1 daughter in her final semester of high school
Thoughts
- It wasn't a great month from a fitness perspective, but it was still a pretty good month
- Finally got out on that bike on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Didn't go far or fast, but it was a start and it was glorious!
Plans
- Vacation get-away with husband in Grand Cayman
- More cycling
- Start running again if knee cooperates
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Weekend Whimsy
Well, my wiw2wtw post was better received than I expected. Whew! I think I may do this again next week. Remember, it helps me know which outfits look better than others and it gives me something to blog about while I remain benched. Thanks for bearing with me as I attempt to be more of a fashionista at work.
Speaking of which, my running group met Saturday morning for the first time this season. I stopped by to drop off my paperwork and say "hi" to the group. I've been fairly patient with this running hiatus up 'til now, but seeing them all decked out in running clothes ready to start the season without me was difficult. I'm hoping to join them this weekend or next. Fingers crossed that my knee will cooperate.
Feeling defeated, I went straight from the running group meeting spot to the grocery store to pick up the ingredients for "death by oreo" cupcakes (which are quite possibly the most fantastic cupcakes ever). Perhaps my habit of compensating for lack of running by drowning my misery in cookies and cupcakes has something to do with the extra weight I've managed to "find" over the past few months. Ya' think?
This afternoon it is supposed to be 52, sunny, and most importantly, no wind. *Fingers crossed* that today I finally get out on my bike. This cupcake-induced belly flab has got to go!!
Speaking of which, my running group met Saturday morning for the first time this season. I stopped by to drop off my paperwork and say "hi" to the group. I've been fairly patient with this running hiatus up 'til now, but seeing them all decked out in running clothes ready to start the season without me was difficult. I'm hoping to join them this weekend or next. Fingers crossed that my knee will cooperate.
Feeling defeated, I went straight from the running group meeting spot to the grocery store to pick up the ingredients for "death by oreo" cupcakes (which are quite possibly the most fantastic cupcakes ever). Perhaps my habit of compensating for lack of running by drowning my misery in cookies and cupcakes has something to do with the extra weight I've managed to "find" over the past few months. Ya' think?
This afternoon it is supposed to be 52, sunny, and most importantly, no wind. *Fingers crossed* that today I finally get out on my bike. This cupcake-induced belly flab has got to go!!
Thursday, January 26, 2012
wiw2wtw
Otherwise known as: "What I wore to work this week," a post that is sure to bore the guys and probably some of my other readers. Sorry. It's hard to figure out what to to blog about while I'm not running.
The dress protocol at my work is very casual. As in, it's okay to wear jeans. I had fallen into the trap of wearing jeans almost every day and was starting to look more and more like a slob as time went on.
In mid-December, I decided to try to dress a little more fashionably which has required expanding my wardrobe. I'm also a bargain shopper, and as I'm experimenting with new outfits, I've decided to photo chronicle some of my them to help me figure out which look better than others.
I like the outfit with the blue print top better without the sweater, but it was chilly that day, so I wore the sweater. The grey pants that you can't see very well are from the Limited. The top is Calvin Klein. Picked up the sweater at Marshalls, not sure what brand it is.
The skirt outfit was paired with boots. I find skirts to be quite comfortable. The only thing I don't like about them is that most of my skirts don't have pockets. And looking at the photo, now I'm thinking that skirts might make me look pudgy. I remember buying the top at Kohls and the skirt at Marshalls.
I'm big on wearing scarves. I just love them. I'm surprised that I only have one outfit with a scarf so far in my photos from the week. No surprise, that outfit with the scarf is by far my favorite of the four. The whole outfit is from Marshalls, and if memory serves me, I scored that sweater for a mere $7 from the clearance rack.
I succumbed to wearing blue jeans in the fourth photo. I really like that top paired with the black bolo sweater. But I think it would have looked much better with black pants. Oh well, at least I wore dark jeans.
So there you have it, the first installment (and who knows, maybe the last) of wiw2wtw.
The dress protocol at my work is very casual. As in, it's okay to wear jeans. I had fallen into the trap of wearing jeans almost every day and was starting to look more and more like a slob as time went on.
In mid-December, I decided to try to dress a little more fashionably which has required expanding my wardrobe. I'm also a bargain shopper, and as I'm experimenting with new outfits, I've decided to photo chronicle some of my them to help me figure out which look better than others.
I like the outfit with the blue print top better without the sweater, but it was chilly that day, so I wore the sweater. The grey pants that you can't see very well are from the Limited. The top is Calvin Klein. Picked up the sweater at Marshalls, not sure what brand it is.
The skirt outfit was paired with boots. I find skirts to be quite comfortable. The only thing I don't like about them is that most of my skirts don't have pockets. And looking at the photo, now I'm thinking that skirts might make me look pudgy. I remember buying the top at Kohls and the skirt at Marshalls. 
I'm big on wearing scarves. I just love them. I'm surprised that I only have one outfit with a scarf so far in my photos from the week. No surprise, that outfit with the scarf is by far my favorite of the four. The whole outfit is from Marshalls, and if memory serves me, I scored that sweater for a mere $7 from the clearance rack.I succumbed to wearing blue jeans in the fourth photo. I really like that top paired with the black bolo sweater. But I think it would have looked much better with black pants. Oh well, at least I wore dark jeans.
So there you have it, the first installment (and who knows, maybe the last) of wiw2wtw.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Questions, Questions, and more Questions
Also read to avoid long distance running. But no definition of what constitutes a long distance. In my mind, long distance means greater than a 10K. What does it mean to you and more importantly, what do you think it means in this context?
I was told to wait 3 weeks before resuming previous activities, and that it might possibly take up to 6 weeks. Not entirely sure what resuming previous activities entails. I'm fairly sure it means that I can try run training (3x week) starting next weekend if my knee isn't hurting. But can I try running before then if it's really short or just 2x week? Or do I avoid it all together for 3 weeks?
Why does the weather not cooperate with my plans? I mentioned in an earlier post about trying to get out on my bike for cycling last weekend. Decided to aim for Sunday. Saturday the weather was lovely. Sunday, not so much. So now I'm hoping for this coming weekend. Is cycling under that umbrella of previous activities or does it depend? I was just going to try something short-ish like 10 miles.
UPDATED to add: A few people have asked me about supplements. It has been recommended for me to take Move Free Advanced which is a glucosamine/condroitin product. I believe that it helps. I've even started my mother on it and she noticed improvement. Recently, I decided to start taking Move Free Ultra as well. This is a collagen type II product. Which some research says works better/differently than glucosamine/condroitin. I decided to take both rather than one or another. The question here, how will I know if this is helping since I started taking it a few weeks before I got the injections? Probably the real test will be about 6 months from now. Also, are there any other supplements that I should be considering?
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Eleven
I was recently tagged by Marcia at The Studly Runner, and I am playing along especially since it gives me something to blog about.
The Rules (as stated):
1. Post these rules
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself
3. Answer the questions set for you in their post
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer
5. Go to their blog and tell them you’ve tagged them
6. No stuff in the tagging section about you are tagged if you are reading this. You legitimately have to tag 11 people!
My Randoms:
1. The channel I usually watch before bed stopped showing reruns of The Office in favor of The Big Bang Theory beginning in September. After about two months, I finally started to enjoy The Big Bang Theory. But I really wish they'd go back to showing The Office.
2. I don't drink alcohol anymore, so now a Roy Rogers is my go-to "cocktail" when we go out. Husband cuts me off at two, otherwise I get jacked up on sugar/caffeine and can't sleep. LOL.
3. My guilty pleasure - powdered donuts from the vending machine at work. Recently they vendor interlaced chocolate donuts and powered donuts. I walked up 4 flights of stairs last Tuesday, checking the machines on each level for a machine with powered donuts. On three floors, they were blocked by chocolate donuts. On the fourth floor I finally had success!
4. We bought and sold our first house in just over a year. It wasn't planned. We were living in Ohio at the time and had just gotten married. We expected to stay there for a while, when a great job opportunity unexpectedly came along, bringing us to New Mexico. It was a good move in the grand scheme of things even though we lost money on that first house.
5. Three of my first four cars were totaled within two years of owning them. Two by my mother, one by me. Yes, you read that right, my mother totaled two of my cars. Isn't it usually the other way around?
6. When I was in high school, it was required to take either Home Economics or Industrial Arts. I signed up for Industrial Arts. The school called and told me that I needed to take Home Economics because I was a girl. I'm sure this wouldn't happen today, but it did back then. I told them I didn't want to take Home Economics, and I didn't see why I couldn't take Industrial Arts since the requirement was to take one or the other. I ended up talking them into it and was the only girl in my Industrial Arts class. By the way, I got an A.
7. I collected feathers one spring/summer when I was a little girl so that I could make myself some wings. I jumped off the picnic table and tried to fly. Needless to say, it didn't work.
8. I know I've mentioned this before on the blog, but I've melted not one but two tea kettles by leaving them on the stove and forgetting about them. I now have one that whistles when the water is boiling.
9. When I was a teenager, I didn't like pizza or soda. Weird, huh? BTW, Now I like both.
10. Not a fan of football. Or basketball. But I like baseball, preferably live, especially minor league. Go Isotopes!
11. I try to park in roughly the same spot on the top floor of the parking structure at work otherwise I have trouble finding my car. Most of the time that I try (and succeed) to get a closer parking spot, I end up forgetting about it after work until I've already gone all the way to the top floor anyway...
Questions from Marcia:
1. Do you have any pets? Yes! We currently have two dogs, Bandit and Stymie, and two cats, Mitts and Cookie. I can't imagine life without pets.
2. Most embarrassing moment? Probably wiping out coming out of the swim during my first sprint triathlon, resulting in scrapes & bruises to my face, shoulder, etc.
3. Favorite brand of running gear? Ummmmm, is that a trick question? No way I can pick just one single favorite.
4. Dream vacation? My favorite vacation was Moorea with Husband for our 20th anniversary. I really want to go back.
5. Dream race? Wow, that's a tough one. I guess I don't really think about dream races as much as dream race performances. I wish my knee would hold up for another half-marathon, but that seems unlikely.
6. Favorite GU flavor? Strawberry Banana Powergel.
7. Snow ski or water ski? I prefer snow skiing to water skiing, but I'm really not fond of either.
8. Do you get a flu shot? Absolutely!
9. Gold, sterling silver or platinum? Gold, and I really like jewelry with mixed yellow/gold.
10. What grade in school did you enjoy most? Least? - I have fond memories of 3rd grade, so that must have been my favorite. I think I liked 7th or 8th the least, awkward teenaged years.
11. How often do you get a haircut? Last time I went about 11 weeks between haircuts, but I usually go in every 6-7 weeks.
My Questions (Please embellish your answers):
1. Superman or Batman?
2. Coffee or Tea?
3. Sunrise or Sunset?
4. Facebook or Twitter?
5. Spring or Fall?
6. Breakfast or Dinner?
7. Books or Movies?
8. Beach or Mountains?
9. Early Morning or Late Night?
10. Glass half-full or half-empty?
11. Hill repeats or speed work?
My Tag-ees (is that even a word?):
ajh
lily on the road
raquelita
christine
laura
amber
lbtepa
irene
wes
amanda
carolina john
big daddy diesel
The Rules (as stated):
1. Post these rules
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself
3. Answer the questions set for you in their post
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer
5. Go to their blog and tell them you’ve tagged them
6. No stuff in the tagging section about you are tagged if you are reading this. You legitimately have to tag 11 people!
My Randoms:
1. The channel I usually watch before bed stopped showing reruns of The Office in favor of The Big Bang Theory beginning in September. After about two months, I finally started to enjoy The Big Bang Theory. But I really wish they'd go back to showing The Office.
2. I don't drink alcohol anymore, so now a Roy Rogers is my go-to "cocktail" when we go out. Husband cuts me off at two, otherwise I get jacked up on sugar/caffeine and can't sleep. LOL.
3. My guilty pleasure - powdered donuts from the vending machine at work. Recently they vendor interlaced chocolate donuts and powered donuts. I walked up 4 flights of stairs last Tuesday, checking the machines on each level for a machine with powered donuts. On three floors, they were blocked by chocolate donuts. On the fourth floor I finally had success!
4. We bought and sold our first house in just over a year. It wasn't planned. We were living in Ohio at the time and had just gotten married. We expected to stay there for a while, when a great job opportunity unexpectedly came along, bringing us to New Mexico. It was a good move in the grand scheme of things even though we lost money on that first house.
5. Three of my first four cars were totaled within two years of owning them. Two by my mother, one by me. Yes, you read that right, my mother totaled two of my cars. Isn't it usually the other way around?
6. When I was in high school, it was required to take either Home Economics or Industrial Arts. I signed up for Industrial Arts. The school called and told me that I needed to take Home Economics because I was a girl. I'm sure this wouldn't happen today, but it did back then. I told them I didn't want to take Home Economics, and I didn't see why I couldn't take Industrial Arts since the requirement was to take one or the other. I ended up talking them into it and was the only girl in my Industrial Arts class. By the way, I got an A.
7. I collected feathers one spring/summer when I was a little girl so that I could make myself some wings. I jumped off the picnic table and tried to fly. Needless to say, it didn't work.
8. I know I've mentioned this before on the blog, but I've melted not one but two tea kettles by leaving them on the stove and forgetting about them. I now have one that whistles when the water is boiling.
9. When I was a teenager, I didn't like pizza or soda. Weird, huh? BTW, Now I like both.
10. Not a fan of football. Or basketball. But I like baseball, preferably live, especially minor league. Go Isotopes!
11. I try to park in roughly the same spot on the top floor of the parking structure at work otherwise I have trouble finding my car. Most of the time that I try (and succeed) to get a closer parking spot, I end up forgetting about it after work until I've already gone all the way to the top floor anyway...
Questions from Marcia:
1. Do you have any pets? Yes! We currently have two dogs, Bandit and Stymie, and two cats, Mitts and Cookie. I can't imagine life without pets.
2. Most embarrassing moment? Probably wiping out coming out of the swim during my first sprint triathlon, resulting in scrapes & bruises to my face, shoulder, etc.
3. Favorite brand of running gear? Ummmmm, is that a trick question? No way I can pick just one single favorite.
4. Dream vacation? My favorite vacation was Moorea with Husband for our 20th anniversary. I really want to go back.
5. Dream race? Wow, that's a tough one. I guess I don't really think about dream races as much as dream race performances. I wish my knee would hold up for another half-marathon, but that seems unlikely.
6. Favorite GU flavor? Strawberry Banana Powergel.
7. Snow ski or water ski? I prefer snow skiing to water skiing, but I'm really not fond of either.
8. Do you get a flu shot? Absolutely!
9. Gold, sterling silver or platinum? Gold, and I really like jewelry with mixed yellow/gold.
10. What grade in school did you enjoy most? Least? - I have fond memories of 3rd grade, so that must have been my favorite. I think I liked 7th or 8th the least, awkward teenaged years.
11. How often do you get a haircut? Last time I went about 11 weeks between haircuts, but I usually go in every 6-7 weeks.
My Questions (Please embellish your answers):
1. Superman or Batman?
2. Coffee or Tea?
3. Sunrise or Sunset?
4. Facebook or Twitter?
5. Spring or Fall?
6. Breakfast or Dinner?
7. Books or Movies?
8. Beach or Mountains?
9. Early Morning or Late Night?
10. Glass half-full or half-empty?
11. Hill repeats or speed work?
My Tag-ees (is that even a word?):
ajh
lily on the road
raquelita
christine
laura
amber
lbtepa
irene
wes
amanda
carolina john
big daddy diesel
Friday, January 20, 2012
This and That
Still not running, but I did get around to reading and commenting on some blogs. You all have been a busy bunch! Makes we want to take some time to mention a few things that are going on.
- I read something about squats being good for OA of the knee. So I decided to try it. I've done three sets of squats 5 times and each time my knee makes all kinds of weird noises that I don't think it's supposed to be making when I do these. Kind of freaks me out. So I'm not sure that I'm going to continue.
- I've been trying to do a decent amount of walking. Hoping to hit about 30 miles for the month (avg 1 mile per day). I'm at 20 miles for the month and it's the 20th, so it seems I'm on track for that. Yay, me!
- It is also my son's 20th birthday. Man o' man, time flies!
- There is a local 5K in 3 weeks, essentially right when I'm ready to start running again. I may or may not sign up for it.
- I'm going to be doing a 365-day photo project starting on March 1. At the end, I hope to be better skilled with my camera.
- Husband & I have a trip to Grand Cayman booked for 5 nights in February, just the two of us. Woot!
- I've been thinking about doing a local spring triathlon that is scheduled for mid-April. I'm holding off just to make sure I know which weekend it is. I would need to start cycle training SOON if I decide to do this.
- I'm anxious to get on my bike again. Maybe this weekend if the weather holds up. *fingers crossed*
- I started painting our Great Room this morning. We have to paint with a brush to get the adobe bricks covered, which seems to take about 4 times as long as painting a flat wall with a roller. Plus, it's a fairly large room. Trying to break this down into smaller segments so I don't get discouraged.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Almost...
Thought I'd check in. I've completed the series of three injections for my knee. I'm already feeling pain relief, but it will still be about 3 weeks until I can run again. I promise that I will be back to regular posting and reading by that time. I'm almost ready for my re-entry to the blog world, but not quite. Until then, I hope everyone is doing well!
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Dec Totals
Numbers
Thoughts
Plans
- 30.0 miles walking
- 4000 yds swimming
- 1st of 3 injections for knee
- 1 son home from college for break
- 1 daughter on break from high school
- 2 weeks off work
- 3 movies seen in the theatre
- 1 piano concert
- 1 bedroom painted
- 2 work-related Christmas dinners
Thoughts
- I'm a wee bit envious of those of you who are starting the year off with a New Years Run.
- Lost my motivation for swimming in the middle of the month and fell way short of my 8000 yd goal
- Did okay with walking and hit my 30 mile goal.
- Happy that the days are getting longer again.
- Back to work on Monday. Ugggh.
Plans
- Injections #2 and #3
- Trying a new supplement - Move Free Advanced Ultra
- Patience, grasshopper, patience...
Happy New Year everyone! May it bring health and happiness to you and yours!
Friday, December 30, 2011
One down, two to go & a time of reflection
Yesterday I received the first of the series of three injections for my knee. I expect to be running again mid-February. Until then, I apologize in advance for not doing much blog posting or reading. As many of you who have been benched understand, it's tough to read about everyone else's running adventures when you can't join in on the fun.
[FYI - I'll probably need to keep going back about every 8-10 months or so to repeat the series for as long as this continues to work. After that point, I'm not sure what will happen. I'm not happy that my knee can't be 'fixed', but I'm happy to have a treatment plan that works well enough for now to allow me to do most of the things I want to do.]
In the past few weeks, I lost my motivation to focus on swimming and walking. I just really miss running. And I guess that's okay. Nothing wrong with taking a break, right?
Overall, it was a good year. I started off with an unexpected 5K PR in February. I had to give up plans to run a spring HM due to issues with my knee, but switched focus to shorter running events and triathlons. Had another 5K PR July. I had a blast at the inaugural Live.Love.Tri in August, the first all-women tri in NM. I took a good ten minutes off my Patriot (sprint) Tri time in September, mostly an improvement in cycling. I had a 10K PR in October. Cycling training with Husband was successful and we capped it off with a strong 50mile charity ride with more climb than I thought I was capable of. My knee held up until race season was over, and I'll be ready soon enough for next year.
Hope the New Year is a good one for everyone!!
[FYI - I'll probably need to keep going back about every 8-10 months or so to repeat the series for as long as this continues to work. After that point, I'm not sure what will happen. I'm not happy that my knee can't be 'fixed', but I'm happy to have a treatment plan that works well enough for now to allow me to do most of the things I want to do.]
In the past few weeks, I lost my motivation to focus on swimming and walking. I just really miss running. And I guess that's okay. Nothing wrong with taking a break, right?
Overall, it was a good year. I started off with an unexpected 5K PR in February. I had to give up plans to run a spring HM due to issues with my knee, but switched focus to shorter running events and triathlons. Had another 5K PR July. I had a blast at the inaugural Live.Love.Tri in August, the first all-women tri in NM. I took a good ten minutes off my Patriot (sprint) Tri time in September, mostly an improvement in cycling. I had a 10K PR in October. Cycling training with Husband was successful and we capped it off with a strong 50mile charity ride with more climb than I thought I was capable of. My knee held up until race season was over, and I'll be ready soon enough for next year.
Hope the New Year is a good one for everyone!!
Monday, December 19, 2011
not running -> not blogging
Still not running. In fact, I'm still waiting on the insurance authorization for my treatment. I think I'll call later today and find out where that's at.
Without running, and with the weather too cold for my liking for cycling, I'm at a loss for interesting blog topics. Hence, this is my first post in over a week. I can't think of a topic that you'd find interesting, so I'll leave you with a few random thoughts.
Without running, and with the weather too cold for my liking for cycling, I'm at a loss for interesting blog topics. Hence, this is my first post in over a week. I can't think of a topic that you'd find interesting, so I'll leave you with a few random thoughts.
- One of my cats is over-weight. In an effort to get her health back on track, I've switched both cats to canned cat food exclusively. Rotating Natural Balance and Wellness brands at the moment. I was also hoping to switch to an evening feeding to get my fat cat to stop jumping on my head in the morning when she wants to be fed. Well, she still jumps on my head in the morning. And now she begs for food at dinner time too. *sigh*
- Son came home Saturday for winter break. He will be here for 4 weeks. He's not coming home for spring break and he's trying to get an internship in CA for the summer. I will enjoy the time with him while I can.
- Daughter is on her third Christmas working in retail. Her days off for winter break from school are filled with extra hours at work. It's good for her bank account, but it doesn't seem like she's getting any real time off to de-stress from school.
- Husband & I are on day one of our two week break from work. Ahhhhhhh.
- Yesterday I started taping in our bedroom to prep for painting. Isn't that how everyone spends their time off from work?! No?
- I made a conscious decision to really scale back Christmas consumerism this year. I've complained about it for years, but was still stuck in the trap. Not this year. The result? Much less stress. More time reflecting on the true meaning of the holiday. Wish I had figured this out years ago.
- It's snowing. This is the third snowfall so far since November. After an insanely dry spring/summer we certainly need the moisture. I just wish it wasn't during the cold part of the year when the streets turn icy. It also probably means that the inlaws are NOT coming down from Colorado this week. Bummer.
- I bought a new phone about 10 days ago. Upgraded from the original Motorola Droid to an HTC Rhyme. Love it.
- I've started referring to our neighbors as Old McDonald. Back in October, they build a shed and put up a little corral in the corner of their yard near our fence. Then they bought chickens. Including a rooster. Uggg. Then this week they brought home a burrows or donkeys or some such creatures. I wonder what's next?
- I held off on making Christmas cookies until my son asked specifically requested them. I'd be happy not making them at all because I end up eating my weight in cookies. But how could I say no?
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Just keep swimming...
We are now one third of the way into the month and my swim total so far is 3200 against my goal of 8000 or 40%. Just like in Finding Nemo, I just need to stay calm and keep swimming, and I will achieve my goal.
Not doing quite as well with the walking goal. I've only walked 8.5 miles so far this month, which is 28% of my goal. However, just this realization alone is likely to motivate me to get out there and walk the dogs today and tomorrow to get caught up.
In other news, one more full week of work and then I am taking two weeks off. Work has been crazy busy, so I cannot wait!
Also, only 12 more days until the days begin to get longer again. WoooHooooo!!!
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Knee update
Orthopedic appointment on Monday went as well as can be expected. Bottom line is that I have Chondomalacia patella or essentially "worn cartilage behind the kneecap". Also the beginnings of a slight bone spur, but nothing too serious. The shots I get for treatment are basically replacement joint fluid which works to lubricate the joint and protect the cartilage. Unfortunately, this only seems to last for somewhere in the 6mo to a year range. Right now I'm waiting on insurance to authorize the treatment, then will need to go in for another series of three injections. BTW, he assures me that my knee issue isn't/wasn't caused by running. In fact, he thinks running is great, as long as it doesn't hurt. But when it does hurt, I need to find ways to be active that don't worsen the pain. Which is why I'm focusing on swimming and running for December and January.
On that note, I did manage to drag my lazy butt out of bed on a cold 9 deg morning (which is a quite a feat in itself, let me assure you) and got myself to the pool this morning. My goal was to get in at least an 800yd swim; however, I stopped and got out of the pool at 600 yds because at that point I was both bored out of my mind and having problems with my goggles. Sat in the hot tub for a bit and quickly realized that I wasn't going to be happy ending it at 600yds at my total for the day, so I decided to suck it up and jump back in for another 200. Yay me!
Sunday, December 4, 2011
New Month & Progress to Goals
For those who read my November Tally post, you know that I said I was ready to stop pouting about my cranky knee and start getting active again. We're one weekend into the new month, let's see how it's going so far.
I set a swimming goal of 8000yds this month. That breaks down to ~2000 yds per week. Or 10 swims of 800yds each (which seems doable) or 8 swims of 1000 yds each (which seems less doable based on my current swim habits).
So far I'm at 1600 against my goal, or 20%. Not bad! As long as I stay committed, I know I can achieve my swim goal. The hard part is finding those times that work with my schedule when the pool isn't being used for an aquatics class.
NOTE: I should mention that I find swimming laps to be incredibly boring, which is why I have a hard time staying in the water past 800 yds. I'm pondering some sort of waterproof mp3 system that allows me to listen to music while I swim. If any of you have experiences, good or bad with this, I'd really appreciate hearing about it.
I also set a walking goal of 30miles. That breaks down to 15 walks up and down the hill (2mi route) with my dogs. Or maybe 9 walks with the dogs and 3 longer walks of 4 miles. It's aggressive, but also doable.
So far I'm at 6 miles against my goal, also 20%. Nice! This one requires more time investment, but it's easy to do from home. And as an aside, I only count intentional fitness walking, not the walking that I do from the parking lot to my office, up and down the stairs at work, etc.
One last item worth commenting on. I originally added yoga to my list of goals for December, but later crossed it off my list. The truth is, I'm really not committed to doing yoga right now. Plus I find that many of the postures bother my knee right now. I'll revisit this in Jan or Feb.
How's the new month coming along for the rest of you?
I set a swimming goal of 8000yds this month. That breaks down to ~2000 yds per week. Or 10 swims of 800yds each (which seems doable) or 8 swims of 1000 yds each (which seems less doable based on my current swim habits).
So far I'm at 1600 against my goal, or 20%. Not bad! As long as I stay committed, I know I can achieve my swim goal. The hard part is finding those times that work with my schedule when the pool isn't being used for an aquatics class.
NOTE: I should mention that I find swimming laps to be incredibly boring, which is why I have a hard time staying in the water past 800 yds. I'm pondering some sort of waterproof mp3 system that allows me to listen to music while I swim. If any of you have experiences, good or bad with this, I'd really appreciate hearing about it.
I also set a walking goal of 30miles. That breaks down to 15 walks up and down the hill (2mi route) with my dogs. Or maybe 9 walks with the dogs and 3 longer walks of 4 miles. It's aggressive, but also doable.
So far I'm at 6 miles against my goal, also 20%. Nice! This one requires more time investment, but it's easy to do from home. And as an aside, I only count intentional fitness walking, not the walking that I do from the parking lot to my office, up and down the stairs at work, etc.
One last item worth commenting on. I originally added yoga to my list of goals for December, but later crossed it off my list. The truth is, I'm really not committed to doing yoga right now. Plus I find that many of the postures bother my knee right now. I'll revisit this in Jan or Feb.
How's the new month coming along for the rest of you?
Thursday, December 1, 2011
November Tally
Numbers
- 32.3 miles by feet (11.3 miles running, 21.0 miles walking)
- 4 hill workouts
- one cranky knee
- one mysterious heel pain incident
- Worst exercise month in a long long time, and I'm ready to stop pouting and get active again.
- Orthopedic appointment next week
- Get to the pool and start swimming!
Do yoga- Walk more regularly
Updated with December Goals:
- walk 30 miles!
- swim 8000 yds!
GAME ON!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Update
Where to begin? Let's see....
I had friends lined up to run with me me on Thanksgiving morning. Which is good.
However, Son's flight was very late. Daughter picked him up from the airport so I could sleep. Which is good.
But they didn't get home until about 2am, and I couldn't really didn't sleep soundly until after they got home. Which is bad.
So I overslept in the morning and missed out on running with friends. Which was also bad.
Rather than skipping running, I ended up running solo. Which was good.
But then my knee started acting up about 1.4 miles into the run. Which was bad.
Since then, my knee has been bothering me even when I walk. Which is bad.
I haven't even tried running since then. Which is also bad.
I think it means that I'm going to need to go in for my injections again. But I haven't called for an appointment yet. Which is not so good.
At least I have a potential treatment plan that seems to work and this last time kept my knee working well for about 8 months. Which is good.
But it probably means I'll need to take off a few months from running. Which is bad.
I'm thankful that my knee didn't cause problems during the peak part of my race season. Which is good.
And I suppose I could get back in the pool this winter and swim. Swimming doesn't bother my knee. Which is good.
But I really dont' like swimming all that well. Which is bad.
Anyway, I haven't called for an appointment yet. Stay tuned...
[update: I called today and got lucky as someone had just called to cancel for Monday afternoon and I was able to snatch up that slot! score!]
I had friends lined up to run with me me on Thanksgiving morning. Which is good.
However, Son's flight was very late. Daughter picked him up from the airport so I could sleep. Which is good.
But they didn't get home until about 2am, and I couldn't really didn't sleep soundly until after they got home. Which is bad.
So I overslept in the morning and missed out on running with friends. Which was also bad.
Rather than skipping running, I ended up running solo. Which was good.
But then my knee started acting up about 1.4 miles into the run. Which was bad.
Since then, my knee has been bothering me even when I walk. Which is bad.
I haven't even tried running since then. Which is also bad.
I think it means that I'm going to need to go in for my injections again. But I haven't called for an appointment yet. Which is not so good.
At least I have a potential treatment plan that seems to work and this last time kept my knee working well for about 8 months. Which is good.
But it probably means I'll need to take off a few months from running. Which is bad.
I'm thankful that my knee didn't cause problems during the peak part of my race season. Which is good.
And I suppose I could get back in the pool this winter and swim. Swimming doesn't bother my knee. Which is good.
But I really dont' like swimming all that well. Which is bad.
Anyway, I haven't called for an appointment yet. Stay tuned...
[update: I called today and got lucky as someone had just called to cancel for Monday afternoon and I was able to snatch up that slot! score!]
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Being Happy
I truly believe that our happiness is the result of our attitude rather than about the things that happen to us. It's that whole glass half full, or half empty thing. Today I choose to be happy. I've compiled a list of ten things that make me happy today:
1) Got the glass replaced Monday afternoon in the Fit. Still need to have the tint applied, but that is a nice-to-have thing not a necessity. The Fit is back in action.
2) I ran yesterday! 2.8 miles with hills and my heel was okay until the very end. Yay!
3) Son is coming home for Thanksgiving. He didn't last year, so this was a somewhat unexpected surprise.
4) Son seems to be doing well, albeit very consumed with homework, at school. He's also now considering double majoring in Cognitive Science and Electrical & Computer Engineering. Sounds super cool to me.
5) Daughter is making good progress on college admission and scholarship applications. She is considering a degree in social sciences, possibly Anthropology, Communications, or Advertising. This also sounds very interesting to me.
6) Seems like the worst of my required overtime at work has passed. Should be back to normal next week.
7) Mitts, our oldest cat, has been on supplements to help with his arthritis for the past several weeks. I think his activity level is increasing, which suggests that the supplements are working.
8) My Ipad arrived. I'm still not entirely sure what to do with it, but I discovered a free Euchre game application which I am now hooked on.
9) The running that I did yesterday was with a friend who is new to running. It's great to be able to encourage new runners.
10) Husband is working a modified schedule for the next several weeks. There are some downsides to this, but the best part is that we will have a few Friday's off together.
1) Got the glass replaced Monday afternoon in the Fit. Still need to have the tint applied, but that is a nice-to-have thing not a necessity. The Fit is back in action.
2) I ran yesterday! 2.8 miles with hills and my heel was okay until the very end. Yay!
3) Son is coming home for Thanksgiving. He didn't last year, so this was a somewhat unexpected surprise.
4) Son seems to be doing well, albeit very consumed with homework, at school. He's also now considering double majoring in Cognitive Science and Electrical & Computer Engineering. Sounds super cool to me.
5) Daughter is making good progress on college admission and scholarship applications. She is considering a degree in social sciences, possibly Anthropology, Communications, or Advertising. This also sounds very interesting to me.
6) Seems like the worst of my required overtime at work has passed. Should be back to normal next week.
7) Mitts, our oldest cat, has been on supplements to help with his arthritis for the past several weeks. I think his activity level is increasing, which suggests that the supplements are working.
8) My Ipad arrived. I'm still not entirely sure what to do with it, but I discovered a free Euchre game application which I am now hooked on.
9) The running that I did yesterday was with a friend who is new to running. It's great to be able to encourage new runners.
10) Husband is working a modified schedule for the next several weeks. There are some downsides to this, but the best part is that we will have a few Friday's off together.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Weekend Woes
The BAD (aka "Why my weekend sucked")
1) Had to work on Friday (normally one of my days off)
2) The car that Daughter drives was broken into Saturday morning while she was at work. Smashed window, stolen ipod, camera, purse, wallet, etc. Our insurance deductible won't be met, so the cost to replace the window is coming out of pocket.
3) Had to work Sunday (also normally one of my days off)
4) Going into work early today and will probably be staying late.
5) Haven't run for 10 days
The GOOD (aka "In the grand scheme, it's really not that bad")
1) I'm valued enough at my job to be pulled in for critical assignments. Sometimes this means working overtime/ weekends, but I do recognize that being valued at one's job is not to be taken for granted.
2) Nobody was hurt. It's just glass and stuff. The glass is easily replaceable. Her ID and debit card weren't in the purse. It could have been a lot worse. Plus now I have some ideas about what to maybe get her for Christmas.
3) Heel is no longer throbbing; I think it is getting better. I'm hopeful to be running again this weekend. In any event, this happened after my scheduled races, so it's as good a time as any to need to take a few weeks off.
1) Had to work on Friday (normally one of my days off)
2) The car that Daughter drives was broken into Saturday morning while she was at work. Smashed window, stolen ipod, camera, purse, wallet, etc. Our insurance deductible won't be met, so the cost to replace the window is coming out of pocket.
3) Had to work Sunday (also normally one of my days off)
4) Going into work early today and will probably be staying late.
5) Haven't run for 10 days
The GOOD (aka "In the grand scheme, it's really not that bad")
1) I'm valued enough at my job to be pulled in for critical assignments. Sometimes this means working overtime/ weekends, but I do recognize that being valued at one's job is not to be taken for granted.
2) Nobody was hurt. It's just glass and stuff. The glass is easily replaceable. Her ID and debit card weren't in the purse. It could have been a lot worse. Plus now I have some ideas about what to maybe get her for Christmas.
3) Heel is no longer throbbing; I think it is getting better. I'm hopeful to be running again this weekend. In any event, this happened after my scheduled races, so it's as good a time as any to need to take a few weeks off.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Ouch
Spent the weekend in Nashville attending my nieces wedding. I had never been to Nashville before, so it was interesting to check out someplace new. While we were there, we walked around a museum, we walked around downtown (stumbled upon the end of a multi-day relay race), walked around the grounds for the wedding/reception, walked to breakfast, walked around the Vanderbilt campus, and walked through the airport. Lots and lots of walking. Which is a good thing. Except that my left heel started bothering me.
Now that I've been home a few days, I've done a little online research for heel pain and of course the first thing that comes up is plantar fasciitis which is NOT something that I want to be dealing with. [Granted, I don't know for certain that it actually is plantar fasciitis, but in this age of instant online self-diagnosis, I'm assuming for the moment that it is.]
On Monday, I bought some Dr Scholl heel pain orthotics for my shoes. Tuesday, my heel was feeling better. Then I wore a different pair of shoes and Tuesday and forgot to move the orthotics. This morning, my heel is bothering me again. So I guess I'm back to trying the orthotics today.
Needless to say, I haven't run since last Thursday. At the moment this isn't breaking my heart because I don't have any races planned, but nobody likes to be sidelined due to pain/injury. *sigh*
Question of the day: Have you ever experienced heel pain? What did you do about it?
Now that I've been home a few days, I've done a little online research for heel pain and of course the first thing that comes up is plantar fasciitis which is NOT something that I want to be dealing with. [Granted, I don't know for certain that it actually is plantar fasciitis, but in this age of instant online self-diagnosis, I'm assuming for the moment that it is.]
On Monday, I bought some Dr Scholl heel pain orthotics for my shoes. Tuesday, my heel was feeling better. Then I wore a different pair of shoes and Tuesday and forgot to move the orthotics. This morning, my heel is bothering me again. So I guess I'm back to trying the orthotics today.
Needless to say, I haven't run since last Thursday. At the moment this isn't breaking my heart because I don't have any races planned, but nobody likes to be sidelined due to pain/injury. *sigh*
Question of the day: Have you ever experienced heel pain? What did you do about it?
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Thursday Thirteen
1) The race from the weekend has posted photos. There really aren't any good ones of me.
2) However, this one (you'll have to click the link) gives a good idea what the single track portion was like. I'm in the middle (black and pink) and my running partner is right behind me.
3) I'm really struggling to find my motivation. Monday was a planned rest day. I skipped my run on Tuesday. Walked the dogs yesterday. Ran and then walked the dogs today, although shorter distances for both than I originally intended.
4) Daughter turned 18 today. Despite my protests, her first act of adulthood was getting her nose pierced. Twice.
5) While I applaud her for expressing her individuality, I can't say that I'm all that happy about it (just to be clear, I'm okay with a single nose piercing, but I'm not fond of the double on one side that she decided to do).
6) I had two dozen raspberry filled chocolate cupcakes with chocolate butter cream and a raspberry on top specially made for Daughter's birthday. They are delicious.
7) I've probably eaten six already.
8) Oh, and I also ate the majority of a pumpkin pie over the weekend.
9) This, combined with the lack of motivation is wreaking havoc on my waistline.
10) Tried on the dress that I'm wearing this weekend for my niece's wedding and realized that it looked better 5 pounds ago.
11) Luckily, nothing that a pair of control-top nylons can't fix. I haven't worn nylons for a long, long time, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
12) I got a notice that the Ipad that I won has been shipped. Expecting to receive it on Monday.
13) I'm still not entirely sure WHAT one does with an Ipad, but I'm sure I'll figure it out.
2) However, this one (you'll have to click the link) gives a good idea what the single track portion was like. I'm in the middle (black and pink) and my running partner is right behind me.
3) I'm really struggling to find my motivation. Monday was a planned rest day. I skipped my run on Tuesday. Walked the dogs yesterday. Ran and then walked the dogs today, although shorter distances for both than I originally intended.
4) Daughter turned 18 today. Despite my protests, her first act of adulthood was getting her nose pierced. Twice.
5) While I applaud her for expressing her individuality, I can't say that I'm all that happy about it (just to be clear, I'm okay with a single nose piercing, but I'm not fond of the double on one side that she decided to do).
6) I had two dozen raspberry filled chocolate cupcakes with chocolate butter cream and a raspberry on top specially made for Daughter's birthday. They are delicious.
7) I've probably eaten six already.
8) Oh, and I also ate the majority of a pumpkin pie over the weekend.
9) This, combined with the lack of motivation is wreaking havoc on my waistline.
10) Tried on the dress that I'm wearing this weekend for my niece's wedding and realized that it looked better 5 pounds ago.
11) Luckily, nothing that a pair of control-top nylons can't fix. I haven't worn nylons for a long, long time, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
12) I got a notice that the Ipad that I won has been shipped. Expecting to receive it on Monday.
13) I'm still not entirely sure WHAT one does with an Ipad, but I'm sure I'll figure it out.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
October Tally
Numbers
- Miles by feet: 59.6 (15.5 walking, 44.1 running)
- Miles by seat: 185.2
- Hill workouts: 5
- Events: 1 10K (PR!) , 1 half-century
- Rest days (planned): 5
- Lazy days (unplanned) : 6
- Pounds gained: see Lazy days
- days remaining for parenting a minor: 2
- I feel like it was successful cycle-focused month aimed at the half-century with a bonus 10K PR at the end. Good stuff.
- In two days, my 'baby' turns 18. How did this happen?
Plans
- I don't currently have anything on my calendar for Nov/Dec. Need to fix that so that my lazy days and weight don't continue to creep up!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Boogie that Bosque!
This morning Husband and I and my running partner ran a 10K all terrain race in the beautiful bosque. Last year it was mid-forties for this race. Yesterday it was 32 degrees at 7am. I wasn't sure what to expect weather-wise, but was happy when I checked the weather and saw 41 degrees at 6:30am. Decided to wear a light pair of tights, a short sleeve shirt under a long sleeve shirt, light gloves, and a beanie. I also put my number on a race belt so that I could remove my long sleeve shirt if needed and still have the number out front since the timing device was on the back of the race number.
If you recall, my goals for the race were something on the order of "Don't fall, have fun, meet or beat last years time (1:03:14) and 1:02:00 would be even better."
I probably should have spent a little more time determining a race strategy to achieve those goals. Preferably one where we didn't start out too fast. But I didn't (determine a race strategy). And I did (start out too fast).
The way this course is laid out is that you start out on a hard surface road, then you turn onto a wide dirt road, then into beautiful single track for a few miles. Then it brings you out of the single track onto dirt road for a long stretch before you finish back on the hard surface. Personally, I find the single track difficult to run in, but it is a lot of fun and very pretty. The dirt road is much easier and nice on the joints, my favorite running surface overall. And the hard surface is of course the fastest, but probably the most boring.
Anyway, while running this race, I remembered why I don't like 10Ks. For me it is too far to maintain a 'fast' pace, but too short to really slow down and have fun like I do for half-marathons. I expected to be a little behind a 10:00 pace while in the single track, be able to maintain close to 10:00 pace on the dirt road, and then and then make up time on the hard surface, and this is generally what happened. I kept my eye on the cumulative time at each mile marker and knew I was on track to hit my 1:02 goal if I could push it for the final bit. But admittedly, I was really struggling at the end.
My final time was logged as 1:01:44 gun time, 1:01:38 net time (I think that is taking into consideration when I crossed the start mat). 6th of the 20 women in my age group (F45-49); 83 of 221 women running the 10K. Not only did I make my 1:02:00 goal and a beat my time from last year for this particular all terrain course, but it was actually a 10K best for me by about 30seconds. WoooHooo!!
Final thoughts: This is a great course because of the venue, absolutely beautiful this time of year. So glad we ran it even though I'm not a fan of 10Ks. I keep thinking I might have it in me to break an hour on a flat road race, but I dislike this distance enough to keep me from actually testing that theory.
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| On our way to boogie that bosque! |
I probably should have spent a little more time determining a race strategy to achieve those goals. Preferably one where we didn't start out too fast. But I didn't (determine a race strategy). And I did (start out too fast).
The way this course is laid out is that you start out on a hard surface road, then you turn onto a wide dirt road, then into beautiful single track for a few miles. Then it brings you out of the single track onto dirt road for a long stretch before you finish back on the hard surface. Personally, I find the single track difficult to run in, but it is a lot of fun and very pretty. The dirt road is much easier and nice on the joints, my favorite running surface overall. And the hard surface is of course the fastest, but probably the most boring.
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| Splits for the race |
My final time was logged as 1:01:44 gun time, 1:01:38 net time (I think that is taking into consideration when I crossed the start mat). 6th of the 20 women in my age group (F45-49); 83 of 221 women running the 10K. Not only did I make my 1:02:00 goal and a beat my time from last year for this particular all terrain course, but it was actually a 10K best for me by about 30seconds. WoooHooo!!
Final thoughts: This is a great course because of the venue, absolutely beautiful this time of year. So glad we ran it even though I'm not a fan of 10Ks. I keep thinking I might have it in me to break an hour on a flat road race, but I dislike this distance enough to keep me from actually testing that theory.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Goal for upcoming 10K
The all terrain race is just around the corner. My running partner & I ran the course s-l-o-w-l-y this weekend. I made the mistake of trying new shoes, the Brooks Cascades that I won in a give-away, for a longish run. I've been walking in them with my dogs on trails and the soles are more grippy and better suited for single track than my Kinvaras, but I've been running in Kinvaras for months and switching back to regular shoes for a 7.3 mile run was not a good idea. My hips were sore! My body really likes the lower profile of the Kinvaras, so I'm sticking with those this weekend even though Kinvaras aren't ideal for trails.
While we were running, I mentioned that I don't feel prepared to run a 10K well. I'm confident that I can run it, just not run it as well as I would like. I mentioned that I need a goal, a plan, a strategy, something to focus on for race day. But I hadn't figured it out and decided I needed a few days to think about it.
A few days later, my running partner texted me, "So what's the plan? ;-)"
I went back and found my time for this race from last year, 1:03:13. If this was a road race, I'd like to try to beat an hour, but it's a single track/dirt road/asphalt mix and will be slower. I really like to run 1:02:00, but I don't know that I've trained correctly for that. That's why I don't feel like I can run it well.
My response "Don't fall! Have fun. Meet or beat last year's time. 1:02:00 would be even better"
Her response was simple, "Sounds like a plan. Let's do this!"
While we were running, I mentioned that I don't feel prepared to run a 10K well. I'm confident that I can run it, just not run it as well as I would like. I mentioned that I need a goal, a plan, a strategy, something to focus on for race day. But I hadn't figured it out and decided I needed a few days to think about it.
A few days later, my running partner texted me, "So what's the plan? ;-)"
I went back and found my time for this race from last year, 1:03:13. If this was a road race, I'd like to try to beat an hour, but it's a single track/dirt road/asphalt mix and will be slower. I really like to run 1:02:00, but I don't know that I've trained correctly for that. That's why I don't feel like I can run it well.
My response "Don't fall! Have fun. Meet or beat last year's time. 1:02:00 would be even better"
Her response was simple, "Sounds like a plan. Let's do this!"
Friday, October 21, 2011
A little bit of running
1) Cupcake Classic: We'll call this one my cupcake classic virtual run. This was another run with a warm up, then a few miles tempo, then a cool down. Happy 37th B'day, Jess!
2) Interval Run: The first and last splits (10, 10:30 paces) were about a mile long, the run/walk segments in the middle were timed to be one minute each. The fastest split had me going at about a 7:11 pace. That was too fast. Most of them were closer to 7:30, which was tough, but doable.
3) Planned Run: Saturday I hope to go 6.5-7.0 miles easy on a mixture of single track, dirt levee road, and hard road in preparation for the all-terrain race the following weekend.
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| Cupcake Run Splits. Time at 3.7 miles = 37:27 |
2) Interval Run: The first and last splits (10, 10:30 paces) were about a mile long, the run/walk segments in the middle were timed to be one minute each. The fastest split had me going at about a 7:11 pace. That was too fast. Most of them were closer to 7:30, which was tough, but doable.
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| Interval Run/Walk. Holy Heck that was hard work! |
3) Planned Run: Saturday I hope to go 6.5-7.0 miles easy on a mixture of single track, dirt levee road, and hard road in preparation for the all-terrain race the following weekend.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Stubborn Persistence
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| Elevation Profile from Half Century |
Oh-my-freaking-gosh, no wonder I was exhausted afterwards!
In yesterday's post*, when I mentioned the long slow climb being not too bad, that was 7 miles from mile 14-21 which gained about 1100 ft over 7 miles.
The short steep climb that I mentioned was the little peak in the center that gains about 350 ft in about 1.5 miles. Aye carumba! Whatever grade that works out to be is enough to make me go so slow that I nearly fall over. I knew we were almost at the turn point. I was also certain that if I stopped I wouldn't be able to get going again and would end up walking my bike. I really didn't want that to happen. I just kept repeating to myself "Don't stop. Don't fall over. Almost there." I'm convinced that it was nothing more than stubborn persistence that got me to the top.
With a little stubborn persistence, sometimes we can do more than we think we can. What is it that you are training for that will require stubborn persistence?
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*Oh, and I should have added one more lesson to yesterday's post: Cycling tan lines are not sexy. You're welcome.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Ten Lessons from Half-Century
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| Happy Cyclists - Day of Tread morning |
2) At about 35-40 miles, I'm ready to be done
3) I'll probably never want to do a full century (see #2)
4) With more practice, it gets easier and easier to fix flat tires (learned during training. almost.every.time.)
5) Rides without flats or mechanical problems are extra awesome (discovered on day of half century, yay!)
6) The long slow climb up Tramway isn't as bad as I expected
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| Mid-point Rest Stop |
8) Peanut butter sandwiches seem to have magic powers
9) I have more confidence with my bike handling skills than I did a few years ago
10) Riding downhill isn't as scary a it was a few years ago (see #9)
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Three Things Thursday: Hills, Plans, Hat
1) My running partner & I finally made it to the hilly course on Tuesday we had planning on running for the past two weeks. Twice we were rained out. Not this time, though! That hilly course is tough, but it was a very satisfying workout.
2) Husband & I took the day off work with the plan of going for one more ride before the Day of the Tread this weekend. Not sure if we are going to aim for 30 miles on a mostly flat course or if we go shorter and ride the hilly part of the weekend route. We'll decide in a few hours. Looks like we're going to have a nice day for the ride. I'm also supposed to be running 4 miles tonight, not sure how that is going to go, but it's still the plan.
3) One of the best things about cooler weather is that I get to wear fun hats. My daughter knows that I like sock monkeys and fun hats and bought me a gift. That strange expression is me squealing with joy when I tried it on. I love it!
2) Husband & I took the day off work with the plan of going for one more ride before the Day of the Tread this weekend. Not sure if we are going to aim for 30 miles on a mostly flat course or if we go shorter and ride the hilly part of the weekend route. We'll decide in a few hours. Looks like we're going to have a nice day for the ride. I'm also supposed to be running 4 miles tonight, not sure how that is going to go, but it's still the plan.
3) One of the best things about cooler weather is that I get to wear fun hats. My daughter knows that I like sock monkeys and fun hats and bought me a gift. That strange expression is me squealing with joy when I tried it on. I love it!
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| Rockin' the Sock Monkey Hat |
Monday, October 10, 2011
Run, Rain, Run, Ride
THURSDAY: The plan was to meet with the run group in the evening. The plan was: half mile warm up, 1 mile @~10:15, 1 mile @~9:30, 1 mile @~10:30, cool down. Here is the graph by half mile increments (because of the half mile warm up). I did okay through mile 3, had a little trouble holding the pace target for the last mile, and my cool down was too fast. But, other than that, it was a pretty good run, and a good way to practice various paces.
FRIDAY: We had bought park&ride tickets for the Special Shapes mass ascension Friday morning. Woke up at some ridiculous hour only to find that it was raining. Waiting about an hour, the official status was that the events were delayed, not cancelled. Decided to go for it. Arrived at the park, had something to eat, and got the word that the morning events were now cancelled. The field was open and balloons had the option to inflate, but no flights. We saw a grand total of one single balloon while we were walking back to the bus to go home. It ended up raining most of the day, which is actually a good thing as we really need the rain. However, it also messed up my plans for a bike ride. Oh well.
SATURDAY: They have finally opened registration for the upcoming all-terrain race. Yippee!! Met my running partner at 7:15 to run the course. Since it had rained all day Friday, the single track was slippery and muddy. Lots of puddle jumping involved. The footing on the dirt levee road wasn't too bad, and we had a nice view of the balloons in flight that morning. When I got home, my shoes were a muddy mess, but it was a really fun run. Still very much looking forward to this upcoming race.
SUNDAY:: It was chilly in the morning. Husband & I were planning a 50 mile ride and postponed our start time a few hours so that it would warm up. This ride didn't go nearly as well for me as our ride last week. Not entirely sure why. But we got it done. When I got home, my bike computer said 49.8, close enough for me!
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| Thursday's run splits in half mile increments |
FRIDAY: We had bought park&ride tickets for the Special Shapes mass ascension Friday morning. Woke up at some ridiculous hour only to find that it was raining. Waiting about an hour, the official status was that the events were delayed, not cancelled. Decided to go for it. Arrived at the park, had something to eat, and got the word that the morning events were now cancelled. The field was open and balloons had the option to inflate, but no flights. We saw a grand total of one single balloon while we were walking back to the bus to go home. It ended up raining most of the day, which is actually a good thing as we really need the rain. However, it also messed up my plans for a bike ride. Oh well.
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| Move along, nothing to see here, folks! |
SATURDAY: They have finally opened registration for the upcoming all-terrain race. Yippee!! Met my running partner at 7:15 to run the course. Since it had rained all day Friday, the single track was slippery and muddy. Lots of puddle jumping involved. The footing on the dirt levee road wasn't too bad, and we had a nice view of the balloons in flight that morning. When I got home, my shoes were a muddy mess, but it was a really fun run. Still very much looking forward to this upcoming race.
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| Yes! Finally able to register |
SUNDAY:: It was chilly in the morning. Husband & I were planning a 50 mile ride and postponed our start time a few hours so that it would warm up. This ride didn't go nearly as well for me as our ride last week. Not entirely sure why. But we got it done. When I got home, my bike computer said 49.8, close enough for me!
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| Pre-ride Determination: 50 miles or bust! |
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Wednesday Whine and Love
While I'm generally in a fairly positive mood, I must admit to having a case of the mid-week grumpies. Here is a list of my current WHINES:
To balance it out, I will list some of the cool things that are going on in my life. In the grand scheme, those whines are nothing but inconveniences. Here a list of LOVES:
- My run yesterday got cancelled due to rain. While I'm well aware that most of you would have run in the rain, I did not. To my credit, I think I run outside in hotter and/or colder weather than some of you do. But not in rain. Not by choice. We really needed the rain, so I'm not unhappy that it rained, but I think the timing sucks. Why couldn't it have rained on Monday, my rest day?
- Looks like Thursday's run might get cancelled due to wind. If the weather forecast is correct, they are predicting 40-50 mph winds with 60+ mph gusts. No thank you.
- The all-terrain race that I'm targeting at the end of the month STILL hasn't opened registration. What the heck!?! Does this mean it's not happening? It's still posted as a planned event on the organizers website, but no way to register for it.
- I'm interested in getting a pair of Merrell lithe gloves for colder weather. The pace gloves are great for summer, but as it gets cold, these aren't going to keep my feet warm enough. I drove over to the local store that carries them and discovered that they had them in pretty much every size in stock except for the size that I need. I guess I'll be ordering them online.
- I've mentioned the toddler sized quilts that I make for Project Linus before, right? I go in and out of quilt making phases during the year. I decided this weekend that I was going to start making another batch. About one hour into the first one that I was working on, my sewing machine started having problems. Took it into the shop on Monday and they say it will be about two weeks before they can get to it. *sigh*
To balance it out, I will list some of the cool things that are going on in my life. In the grand scheme, those whines are nothing but inconveniences. Here a list of LOVES:
- Daughter, who is a senior in high school, is planning to spend spring break on a mission trip to Haiti to do work at an orphanage. I happen to think that it is super cool that she has a heart to help others and is choosing to do this volunteer work at this time of her life. This weekend they are doing a fund-raising event for the trip. I'm very proud of her initiative.
- I am really enjoying the cycling time with Husband. It's much more enjoyable riding with him than it was riding solo to prepare for my sprint Tris. I think I will look at doing a charity ride with him next spring as well.
- One of my favorite light weight jackets (by New Balance) had a broken zipper. I considered retiring said jacket, then decided to take it to a tailor to have the zipper replaced. Yes, I sew, but replacing zippers can be a pain. $15 later, and the jacket is as good as new. Yay!
- The temps have been heavenly lately. And the leaves are starting to turn. I just love fall!
- Booked flights and hotel for a weekend trip to Nashville in November to attend my niece's wedding. I've never been to Nashville before. Even though it will be a quick trip, I'm looking forward to it.
- I've been feeling really good on my runs lately. And my knee is still holding out. Pain-free running is a very good thing.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Monday Musings
Technology
Running
Cycling
Fiesta
Garden
- I found out over the weekend that my work team won IPads from a company sponsored raffle related to a project that we completed earlier this year. Nifty!
- Have you heard about the HTC Rhyme? That purple phone? I'm extremely interested in it. Waiting to read actual user reviews before deciding. I would be upgrading from an original Motorola Droid. Big question is whether or not I can live without the physical keyboard.
Running
- As I mentioned in my September Summary post, I want to spend some time on single track this month. Started off the month with a 5.3 mile run that included 2 miles of single track. I'm off to a good start!
- I'm also planning to continue running hills. I'm going to try to run the Live.love/Patriot aka killer hill course once a week. Hills makes us stronger, right.
Cycling
- Our 44 mile ride went MUCH better than the 40 mile ride from the previous week. I felt better. We went faster. It was more enjoyable. Next weekend, 50.
- This weekend we finally got the Yamika RailGrabbers and bars for my Jetta. We already have the bike mount pieces from use on our 18+ yr old Explorer. Haven't installed yet, but the idea for the short term is that we will be able to mount Husband's bike on top of my Jetta, with my bike inside the car. This allows us to leave one mount on the explorer as well. I'm all kinds of excited about this.
Fiesta
- The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is a HUGE event. Broke a world record on Saturday by launching 345 balloons within one hour. There were over 550 balloons total in the air yesterday. It's crazy.
- We have mixed feelings about it when the wind brings the balloons our way. On the one hand, it is neat to be able to see them. On the other hand, it makes Bandit very unhappy. Stymie is unfaze, but Bandit highly dislikes them. Poor doggy.
Garden
- Well, it's October and my watermelons are still growing, but several plants are starting to die off. Harvested quite a bit this weekend. It's been a good year. I'll be making more changes next year, constantly seeking the perfect mix of stuff to grow. Fun times.
- Discovered that Stymie likes cherry tomatoes. Bandit won't touch them, but Stymie acts like they are candy. Whenever I go into the garden, he now sits by the gate waiting for me to bring him a snack. Cute.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
September Tally
Numbers
Thoughts
Plans
- 64 miles by feet (40.0 running, 24.0 walking)
- 144.9 miles by seat
- 1800 yds in the pool
- 5 hill workout
- 5 yoga workouts
- 3 planned rest days
- 3 unplanned rest days
- 1 race (sprint tri)
Thoughts
- It doesn't make sense to pay for the gym just for pool access in October - I need to either save my $$ or spend more time at the gym, probably the former rather than the latter.
- I'm glad to see my cycling mileage go up.
- Tried yoga a few times at the end of the month. Not excited about it.
- I hope my tolerance for the bike increases so that the end of the 54 mile charity ride isn't miserable.
Plans
- Spend some time on single track
- Keep running hills at least once a week
- 44-50-54 <-- planned long bike rides
- Day of the Tread half century (54 miles)
- Bosque Boogie 10K (all terrain run)
[edited to add: so far in October I have had one run with a few miles on single track and completed the 44 mile bike ride. I'm off to a good start!]
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