Happy birthday to my favorite 8 year old!
Song from Wednesday July 6, 2011:
Little Room - The White Stripes
PEACE
Showing posts with label birthday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label birthday. Show all posts
Monday, July 18, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Feelin' Alright
THE (ALMOST) ONE WEEK POST HALF MARATHON POST.
(Is that a bit redundant?)
Now that the post race glow (sweat) is gone, I've had a little time to think about my 13th half marathon.
First of all, there are no glorious photo finishes of just me running through or anywhere else on the race course. I also have photo proof that the group of Elvises (Elvi?) could outshine a girl in day glow-green. Here's what I've got:
I'm *just* to the right of the group of Elvises. They were stopping for photo ops with other people during that stretch of the race, making it HARD for me to even pretend to look like Kara Goucher for that last .1 mile.
This is the post race photo op that I almost didn't stand in line for:
It turns out that this was my third fastest half marathon. My official PR is 2:13:11, which was Silver Strand 2007. Second fastest was also at Silver Strand 2009, clocking in at 2:13:30. I never would have guessed that last week's half marathon would rank third fastest thus far at 2:17:53. I'm thinking another Silver Strand half marathon is in my future, but I'm not sure about this year. This year isn't about speed. It's about being conservative and not pushing myself so hard that I yield to injury. 2011 is all about cruising.
I wonder if it's possible for me to cruise and PR? Perhaps it is. Hubs is cruising and PRing just about every race he's been in for the past year, even with foot issues. Speaking of Hubs, here's his glorious race action photo:
Soon after the San Diego Rock 'n' Roll event, I celebrate a birthday. I kind of wish my birthday would fall right on race day, but the logistics never seem to work out, but it's OK. My birthday falls during post race recoup week, and that sort of gives me an excuse to throw caution to the wind, relax and wear balloon hats.
We celebrated my birthday at the Corvette Diner, a throw back to the 1950s and 1960s, which was Hubs idea, since we wanted to include The Kid and still enjoy adult beverages.
Tuesday's Song:
Little Wing - Originally by Jimi Hendrix, redone by Santana featuring Joe Cocker
(Is that a bit redundant?)
Now that the post race glow (sweat) is gone, I've had a little time to think about my 13th half marathon.
First of all, there are no glorious photo finishes of just me running through or anywhere else on the race course. I also have photo proof that the group of Elvises (Elvi?) could outshine a girl in day glow-green. Here's what I've got:
This one is sort of OK. Just in case, I'm the one in the day glow tank top, right on the 5k marker.
I wanted to look like this.
This is as good as it gets!
This is the post race photo op that I almost didn't stand in line for:
Happy to have my third fastest half marathon in the books!
It turns out that this was my third fastest half marathon. My official PR is 2:13:11, which was Silver Strand 2007. Second fastest was also at Silver Strand 2009, clocking in at 2:13:30. I never would have guessed that last week's half marathon would rank third fastest thus far at 2:17:53. I'm thinking another Silver Strand half marathon is in my future, but I'm not sure about this year. This year isn't about speed. It's about being conservative and not pushing myself so hard that I yield to injury. 2011 is all about cruising.
I wonder if it's possible for me to cruise and PR? Perhaps it is. Hubs is cruising and PRing just about every race he's been in for the past year, even with foot issues. Speaking of Hubs, here's his glorious race action photo:
Hubs, early in the race, near the Aerospace Museum at Balboa Park.
Soon after the San Diego Rock 'n' Roll event, I celebrate a birthday. I kind of wish my birthday would fall right on race day, but the logistics never seem to work out, but it's OK. My birthday falls during post race recoup week, and that sort of gives me an excuse to throw caution to the wind, relax and wear balloon hats.
Balloon hats only after martinis.
I celebrated with these guys...
The Kid and The Dancer
The Guitar Hero
(Fuzzy, but The Kid was the photographer)
Me & Hubs
(From The Kid's perspective)
We celebrated my birthday at the Corvette Diner, a throw back to the 1950s and 1960s, which was Hubs idea, since we wanted to include The Kid and still enjoy adult beverages.
Of course I made a wish!
All is good. The martini glass IS empty.
Tuesday's Song:
Little Wing - Originally by Jimi Hendrix, redone by Santana featuring Joe Cocker
PEACE
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Ready To Start
The New(er) Job
What a difference. It's kind of like I went on a job diet. I have the same type of job with 50% less BS. No job is 100% BS free, but I've got a feeling everything IS going to be OK. I feel lighter already.
The Hubs
We celebrated Hubs birthday on Thursday. It was a kick-back occasion with a couple of friends and our immediate family. One of the highlights was this sweatshirt:
The Running
I've been sort of bad about attending the track club's Tuesday night track workout, but I attended last Tuesday. We did 800's with a 400m recovery. It would have been killer IF I had pushed myself harder, but I'm trying not to get hurt. This, too, shall pass. It's not the fear of injury, it's that I've decided to take a more conservative approach (this year) and build up gradually.
I also ran with the track club on Saturday, at the La Jolla Shores "Low Tide" run.
I love the beach and the idea of running right on the beach sounds sort of romantic - with the sight and sound of the waves crashing along the shore, the crisp ocean air after a rainstorm the night before, and the sight of a few hundred runners running on the beach...
...BUT I'm not a big fan of actually running on the beach only because I end up feeling more beat up than when I run on a paved road. The unevenness of the sand always leaves me feeling awkward. There's also a segment of the run where we have to slowly trek over a few huge mounds of rocks, and I almost always seem to tweak a muscle or tendon while making my way over those rocks. I often run at the beaches (here in the San Diego area) on the paved walkway that goes along the most of the beaches.
As I was saying, I ran with the track club on Saturday. This run goes from La Jolla Shores, up to Del Mar then comes back to La Jolla via Torrey Pines and the infamous hill. Since I'm not training for a marathon, I ditched the run up to Del Mar, and trekked directly up the hill after the jaunt on the beach. As slow as I was going, I was still in running formation, meaning: I wasn't walking. I kept running posture the entire time, up hill, the little engine who could. I believe this was the first time I've ever run up that particular hill without stopping or walking.
I'm glad this hill was a part of the run this week, just so I could wrap my mind around the idea of running up this hill halfway into the half marathon on April 17, 2011. Now that I've made it up (and down) that hill, I think I'm (mentally) ready.
There's a saying I've heard actor Will Smith use: "If you stay ready, you ain't gotta get ready." Those are great words to live by, especially when it comes to running. To be half marathon ready for months on end is a good thing.
I'm ready.
It feels good to say that.
Last Sunday's Song:
How Far We've Come - Matchbox Twenty
PEACE
What a difference. It's kind of like I went on a job diet. I have the same type of job with 50% less BS. No job is 100% BS free, but I've got a feeling everything IS going to be OK. I feel lighter already.
The Hubs
We celebrated Hubs birthday on Thursday. It was a kick-back occasion with a couple of friends and our immediate family. One of the highlights was this sweatshirt:
A sweatshirt from his SDSU daughter
The Running
I've been sort of bad about attending the track club's Tuesday night track workout, but I attended last Tuesday. We did 800's with a 400m recovery. It would have been killer IF I had pushed myself harder, but I'm trying not to get hurt. This, too, shall pass. It's not the fear of injury, it's that I've decided to take a more conservative approach (this year) and build up gradually.
I also ran with the track club on Saturday, at the La Jolla Shores "Low Tide" run.
Pre run C-C-C-C-C-C-COLD! Michelle and I were thinking warm thoughts.
I love the beach and the idea of running right on the beach sounds sort of romantic - with the sight and sound of the waves crashing along the shore, the crisp ocean air after a rainstorm the night before, and the sight of a few hundred runners running on the beach...
...BUT I'm not a big fan of actually running on the beach only because I end up feeling more beat up than when I run on a paved road. The unevenness of the sand always leaves me feeling awkward. There's also a segment of the run where we have to slowly trek over a few huge mounds of rocks, and I almost always seem to tweak a muscle or tendon while making my way over those rocks. I often run at the beaches (here in the San Diego area) on the paved walkway that goes along the most of the beaches.
As I was saying, I ran with the track club on Saturday. This run goes from La Jolla Shores, up to Del Mar then comes back to La Jolla via Torrey Pines and the infamous hill. Since I'm not training for a marathon, I ditched the run up to Del Mar, and trekked directly up the hill after the jaunt on the beach. As slow as I was going, I was still in running formation, meaning: I wasn't walking. I kept running posture the entire time, up hill, the little engine who could. I believe this was the first time I've ever run up that particular hill without stopping or walking.
Notice the elevation gain???
I'm glad this hill was a part of the run this week, just so I could wrap my mind around the idea of running up this hill halfway into the half marathon on April 17, 2011. Now that I've made it up (and down) that hill, I think I'm (mentally) ready.
Post run with hubs. By the way, it was COLD. I had three layers on for this photo op. Yeah, I'll admit to being a weather wuss.
There's a saying I've heard actor Will Smith use: "If you stay ready, you ain't gotta get ready." Those are great words to live by, especially when it comes to running. To be half marathon ready for months on end is a good thing.
I'm ready.
It feels good to say that.
Last Sunday's Song:
How Far We've Come - Matchbox Twenty
PEACE
Friday, October 15, 2010
Keep My Head High
I really wasn't planning a blog hiatus, but the past couple of weeks have been crazy busy. Most of the crazy had to do with our rental house. I'll go into details about the rental house later. Right now I just need to catch up.
I'm still dealing with shin splints, however the soreness isn't as bad as it was just a couple of weeks ago. I've only run once in the past two weeks, twice if we count the Run Fit class at RU last night, but that was not continuous running -- We did circuit training. I've also made a discovery that the custom orthotic for my left shoe is most likely a contributor to making my shins splints worse than they needed to be. I took the orthotic out of my left shoe and replaced it with the original insole that the shoe came with. Guess what? I had little to no discomfort in my shin. At the Run Fit class I was able to SPRINT for the first time since about August, and there's no next day overwhelming soreness or pain. *WHEW* I must add that I still can't do a lot of side to side movements, but when I run it's not side to side -- it's forward. I like moving forward, and not just with running.
My dad left for for a Mediterranean cruise last week. I'm not sure of all the ports, but Morocco and the Egyptian Pyramids are on the itinerary. It's the perfect trip for him. He's traveling with a group from his church.
The same day my dad left for his cruise was the same day my cousin came up from Ensenada, Baja California - Mexico. The plan was for her to stay at my dad's house while he was away, but he forgot to leave the keys with us. My cousin had a lot of business to take care of while she was here and she ended up staying with us until we could have a set of keys sent down from Fremont, CA where my brother lives. It was great catching up with my cousin, but she needed a lot of assistance with looking for particular businesses and agencies. It's a long story, but her purse was stolen with all of her identifications in it, including her Military ID, California Driver's License, her Mexican residence ID, and so on. She was planning to stay with us only one or two days until the keys arrived, but it turned into four since a couple of agencies required long waits in line, such as the DMV. The advantage to my cousin's stay with us is that we were able to catch up on all of the relatives happenings and incidental gossip in addition to a lot of thought provoking conversations about spirituality.
My cousin is a veterinarian. It was funny that my cats and dog seemed to know she was an animal person. My cat, Lumpy, would not leave hear alone at all.
I'm still dealing with shin splints, however the soreness isn't as bad as it was just a couple of weeks ago. I've only run once in the past two weeks, twice if we count the Run Fit class at RU last night, but that was not continuous running -- We did circuit training. I've also made a discovery that the custom orthotic for my left shoe is most likely a contributor to making my shins splints worse than they needed to be. I took the orthotic out of my left shoe and replaced it with the original insole that the shoe came with. Guess what? I had little to no discomfort in my shin. At the Run Fit class I was able to SPRINT for the first time since about August, and there's no next day overwhelming soreness or pain. *WHEW* I must add that I still can't do a lot of side to side movements, but when I run it's not side to side -- it's forward. I like moving forward, and not just with running.
My dad left for for a Mediterranean cruise last week. I'm not sure of all the ports, but Morocco and the Egyptian Pyramids are on the itinerary. It's the perfect trip for him. He's traveling with a group from his church.
The same day my dad left for his cruise was the same day my cousin came up from Ensenada, Baja California - Mexico. The plan was for her to stay at my dad's house while he was away, but he forgot to leave the keys with us. My cousin had a lot of business to take care of while she was here and she ended up staying with us until we could have a set of keys sent down from Fremont, CA where my brother lives. It was great catching up with my cousin, but she needed a lot of assistance with looking for particular businesses and agencies. It's a long story, but her purse was stolen with all of her identifications in it, including her Military ID, California Driver's License, her Mexican residence ID, and so on. She was planning to stay with us only one or two days until the keys arrived, but it turned into four since a couple of agencies required long waits in line, such as the DMV. The advantage to my cousin's stay with us is that we were able to catch up on all of the relatives happenings and incidental gossip in addition to a lot of thought provoking conversations about spirituality.
My cousin is a veterinarian. It was funny that my cats and dog seemed to know she was an animal person. My cat, Lumpy, would not leave hear alone at all.
Computer companion
Since just before the end of September we were dealing with our rental house. A friend of ours had lived there for over three years, but work was about an hour drive one way. He decided to move closer to work. He kept telling us that he was working on cleaning the house and getting it ready for the next renter. Hubs and I figured all we needed to do was paint and shampoo the carpets, plus some small repairs and a little yard work. We were wrong. So many things were broken or dirty beyond cleaning. We were shocked. Our friend hired a cleaning company to help him out, but it was so dirty that even the cleaning company charged him extra... and it was still not up to par when the cleaning company left. Trash and rotten food were left behind in the driveway. Some personal items were left behind, even though our friend said he took everything and that other stuff was ours. In all fairness, we did keep a few things in the garage, but mostly Hubs' drafting equipment, a desk, a dresser, rolled up blueprints, and a few toys from when the kids were little, but that's all. These items were all off to the side and out of the way. Our friend's kid's photo album, some of his furniture, bird care supplies and clothing items were definitely not ours. We have a long list of things that were broken and needed to be replaced such as entire closet doors. We really did not expect this since he rented another house from Hubs folks a few years back and everything was fine. Our friend was expecting his security deposit back, but the cost of getting everything fixed and cleaned exceeded that dollar amount. Needless to say, our friend is a bit miffed with us, but mostly with Hubs since they handled the agreement together. I'm not sure what will happen with this relationship, and I hope we can get past this mess.
Hubs and my son worked at the house every singe day for the past two weeks painting and doing repairs. My cousin even helped us a few hours hauling trash and cleaning cupboards. I sanded and varnished the kitchen floor and part of the living room floor. I also spent time scrubbing various things like greasy drawer pulls in the kitchen, the mold off of the ice and water dispenser on the refrigerator door, and the fireplace that was left full of soot, ashes, and wood.* Since we didn't rent a dumpster, we put trash in receptacles where ever we could, which meant hauling bags of garbage to our house, my inlaw's house, my sister-in-law's house, a neighbors house (she offered) and my dad's house. New carpet has been installed and everything is beyond ready for the renter, who should have moved in when our friend moved out.
*SIGH*
If that weren't enough, someone rear ended the back bumper of Hubs' car while he was idling at a stoplight after a trip to Home Depot, buying items to finish fixing up the rental. No one was hurt, just the bumper. Hubs had to laugh because it has been a draining past couple of weeks -- then the car gets bumped. At some point you just have to laugh because it's so ridiculous.
If there's an upside, sanding and varnishing floors is a really good workout.
Now that we have some momentum going, we need to get back to caring for the house we live in. I need to sand and refinish parts of the dining room floor where the dog likes to hang out.
My boss turned 60 last week. She looks amazing for 60. If you met her you would never guess that she's even close to 60. There's something to be said about healthy living. Her family arranged a surprise party and had a small gathering. I was quite touched to be included since I haven't been summoned to the office in several months due to a very stable staff. One of my former co-workers flew in from Texas to be here for the occasion. It was so good to see her again. This birthday event was somewhat like a family reunion, even though it was people I have worked with. I guess it's a good thing when you can consider people you work with as family. I thought Hubs brought a camera, but he didn't use it. My boss was given a toga, crown and gold tone asps to wear at her party. It was great. I must explain that my boss is notorious for pranks, and you know what they say about payback. It was awesome.
Good news. My daughter finally got into San Diego State University. SDSU was being a bit stingy with admissions, but recently let more students in. SDSU is only a 15 minute drive down the interstate, but it will take much longer just to find parking.
Saturday, October 16, is my daughter's 27th birthday. Since she has a gig working behind the scenes at a college play on Saturday evening, we'll be taking her out for lunch. She has plans to spend next weekend in Las Vegas to celebrate.
There's plenty of blog fodder ruminating in my head, but there's so much that it would quality as the longest blog post ever if I were to write it all down. Two extremely busy and emotional weeks will fill a head. I'll spare you all. Besides, there's too much fodder to even process. I'm exhausted.
Song from 9/29/2010:
It Happens - Sugarland
PEACE
*My cousin kept calling me "Cinderella."
Hubs and my son worked at the house every singe day for the past two weeks painting and doing repairs. My cousin even helped us a few hours hauling trash and cleaning cupboards. I sanded and varnished the kitchen floor and part of the living room floor. I also spent time scrubbing various things like greasy drawer pulls in the kitchen, the mold off of the ice and water dispenser on the refrigerator door, and the fireplace that was left full of soot, ashes, and wood.* Since we didn't rent a dumpster, we put trash in receptacles where ever we could, which meant hauling bags of garbage to our house, my inlaw's house, my sister-in-law's house, a neighbors house (she offered) and my dad's house. New carpet has been installed and everything is beyond ready for the renter, who should have moved in when our friend moved out.
*SIGH*
If that weren't enough, someone rear ended the back bumper of Hubs' car while he was idling at a stoplight after a trip to Home Depot, buying items to finish fixing up the rental. No one was hurt, just the bumper. Hubs had to laugh because it has been a draining past couple of weeks -- then the car gets bumped. At some point you just have to laugh because it's so ridiculous.
If there's an upside, sanding and varnishing floors is a really good workout.
Now that we have some momentum going, we need to get back to caring for the house we live in. I need to sand and refinish parts of the dining room floor where the dog likes to hang out.
My boss turned 60 last week. She looks amazing for 60. If you met her you would never guess that she's even close to 60. There's something to be said about healthy living. Her family arranged a surprise party and had a small gathering. I was quite touched to be included since I haven't been summoned to the office in several months due to a very stable staff. One of my former co-workers flew in from Texas to be here for the occasion. It was so good to see her again. This birthday event was somewhat like a family reunion, even though it was people I have worked with. I guess it's a good thing when you can consider people you work with as family. I thought Hubs brought a camera, but he didn't use it. My boss was given a toga, crown and gold tone asps to wear at her party. It was great. I must explain that my boss is notorious for pranks, and you know what they say about payback. It was awesome.
Good news. My daughter finally got into San Diego State University. SDSU was being a bit stingy with admissions, but recently let more students in. SDSU is only a 15 minute drive down the interstate, but it will take much longer just to find parking.
Saturday, October 16, is my daughter's 27th birthday. Since she has a gig working behind the scenes at a college play on Saturday evening, we'll be taking her out for lunch. She has plans to spend next weekend in Las Vegas to celebrate.
1983
2010
There's plenty of blog fodder ruminating in my head, but there's so much that it would quality as the longest blog post ever if I were to write it all down. Two extremely busy and emotional weeks will fill a head. I'll spare you all. Besides, there's too much fodder to even process. I'm exhausted.
Song from 9/29/2010:
It Happens - Sugarland
*My cousin kept calling me "Cinderella."
Sunday, September 26, 2010
It Happens
I received almost ALL of my lab results back. I'm still waiting to do the pulmonary tests in a few days. Nothing unusual showed up which would explain my fatigue, but I was sort of stunned to see that my cholesterol was borderline high. I exercise and run on a regular basis. My weight and BMI are within a normal range for my height. I eat really healthy 5 to 6 days a week, with a couple of splurges during the week, usually Thursday date night with Hubs and maybe a one meal splurge with breakfast or dinner on Saturday or Sunday. I rarely eat foods that would cause my cholesterol to be high, and I eat a lot of foods that are supposed to help it stay low. I'm perplexed, but genetics is a funny thing.
Saturday morning's group run with Rehab United turned out to be just Hubs and myself. Everyone else had other plans or run events. We ran from the RU 2 location near Sorrento Valley Road to the Coast Highway near Torrey Pines State Park and back. Hubs has never run this route before and I needed to slow my pace so that he could keep me in sight, but it was just as well because of my shin splints. We ran about 5 miles. Lucy says it was 4.9, but I forgot to hit the start button when we set out.
The novelty for the morning was sun. All summer our runs have been with overcast skies. We haven't had much of a Summer this year, and it figures that we're a few days into fall and we get hit with hot weather. It was inching into the 80s by the time we were finished with our run. I managed to get a decent photo of this stretch of run along the coast with my cell phone camera:
Just so you know, shin splints still suck. Shin splints make it hard to achieve runner's high.
My son turned 23 on Wednesday. He didn't want a big to-do because he was volunteering at the food bank. I made him chicken enchiladas with all the trimmings, which he later ate, and we still had a cake with candles and sang "Happy Birthday To You" because we just HAD to. Hubs made margaritas because I said he had to, and, well, why not?
Also on Wednesday, Evan came home from school with a different smile. It turns out one of his buddies at school assisted him by pulling out his dangle-y tooth.
I'm surprised Evan let his buddy pull out the tooth since he didn't let any of us near it.
A friend of ours, Tim, is temporarily in town to say goodbye to his father who passed away last week. I met Tim a zillion years ago at a church group function while in high school. We dated for a few months until he thought he found the love of his life* and dumped me. It's just as well because Tim was a lousy boyfriend, but turned out to be a good friend, and I met Hubs through him. Saturday afternoon we attended a "Celebration of Life" for Tim's father instead of a funeral. It was actually quite lovely. Family and friends met at Tim's parent's house, and three military (Navy) personnel were there to present the flag and play taps. Tim, his brother, and sister-in-law each said a few heartfelt words about their father, then we proceeded into the house for a reception, and to reminisce while viewing a slide show of happier times. We were also able to catch up with friends from the past, such as the lady (who was the girl) Tim dumped me for, and other mutual friends. It was somewhat of a walk down memory lane. It was a bittersweet event, not only because of the passing of Tim's father, but because his mother attended and is dealing with the latter stages of Alzheimer's disease. It was the first time she had been back to the house in a few years, and will be the last because the house will be sold. It's hard to let go, sometimes, but there are always the memories.
Tuesday's Song:
Push - Matchbox Twenty
PEACE
*She ended up dumping Tim for someone else and got married. ;) ... and everyone sort of lived happily ever after. Tim now resides in Texas and is happily married to his lovely wife Kristi, and has two teen-aged children. Tim's family could not make the trip from Texas.
Saturday morning's group run with Rehab United turned out to be just Hubs and myself. Everyone else had other plans or run events. We ran from the RU 2 location near Sorrento Valley Road to the Coast Highway near Torrey Pines State Park and back. Hubs has never run this route before and I needed to slow my pace so that he could keep me in sight, but it was just as well because of my shin splints. We ran about 5 miles. Lucy says it was 4.9, but I forgot to hit the start button when we set out.
The novelty for the morning was sun. All summer our runs have been with overcast skies. We haven't had much of a Summer this year, and it figures that we're a few days into fall and we get hit with hot weather. It was inching into the 80s by the time we were finished with our run. I managed to get a decent photo of this stretch of run along the coast with my cell phone camera:
I almost forgot what clear skies looked like! It was gorgeous.
Here comes Hubs. He's wearing a blue shirt, almost in the center of the picture.
Just so you know, shin splints still suck. Shin splints make it hard to achieve runner's high.
My son turned 23 on Wednesday. He didn't want a big to-do because he was volunteering at the food bank. I made him chicken enchiladas with all the trimmings, which he later ate, and we still had a cake with candles and sang "Happy Birthday To You" because we just HAD to. Hubs made margaritas because I said he had to, and, well, why not?
Cheers!
Also on Wednesday, Evan came home from school with a different smile. It turns out one of his buddies at school assisted him by pulling out his dangle-y tooth.
I'm surprised Evan let his buddy pull out the tooth since he didn't let any of us near it.
A friend of ours, Tim, is temporarily in town to say goodbye to his father who passed away last week. I met Tim a zillion years ago at a church group function while in high school. We dated for a few months until he thought he found the love of his life* and dumped me. It's just as well because Tim was a lousy boyfriend, but turned out to be a good friend, and I met Hubs through him. Saturday afternoon we attended a "Celebration of Life" for Tim's father instead of a funeral. It was actually quite lovely. Family and friends met at Tim's parent's house, and three military (Navy) personnel were there to present the flag and play taps. Tim, his brother, and sister-in-law each said a few heartfelt words about their father, then we proceeded into the house for a reception, and to reminisce while viewing a slide show of happier times. We were also able to catch up with friends from the past, such as the lady (who was the girl) Tim dumped me for, and other mutual friends. It was somewhat of a walk down memory lane. It was a bittersweet event, not only because of the passing of Tim's father, but because his mother attended and is dealing with the latter stages of Alzheimer's disease. It was the first time she had been back to the house in a few years, and will be the last because the house will be sold. It's hard to let go, sometimes, but there are always the memories.
Tuesday's Song:
Push - Matchbox Twenty
PEACE
*She ended up dumping Tim for someone else and got married. ;) ... and everyone sort of lived happily ever after. Tim now resides in Texas and is happily married to his lovely wife Kristi, and has two teen-aged children. Tim's family could not make the trip from Texas.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Push
Wow. I have a moment. I can get in some blogging...
I did see the doctor last week for the fatigue I've been dealing with. He ordered fasted blood tests (thyroid, iron, vitamin D, adrenals, celiac panels, B 12, etc) and a pulmonary function test. The fasted blood tests are done, and now I'm just waiting on my appointment for the pulmonary tests. He also put me on a steroid inhaler (Qvar) in hopes that will help open up my lungs more, and to see if that helps lessen the fatigue.
I started working out with a group on Thursday evenings with Rehab United. Last Thursday we did endurance testing. Last year I kicked bootay. This year... um, not so much. Most of my numbers were cut in half. I couldn't do nearly the same number of push ups and pull ups I could do last year. The fatigue has really taken it's toll on me. I guess the good thing is that I now have a new baseline to start with, and I know I can get it back if I just keep pushing through -- at least I hope it works out that way. The only thing that looked half way decent was my timed mile. We were supposed to run one mile as hard and fast as possible. I was timed at about 7:15 for that mile, but I think that's wrong. We run around the complex where RU is located, which is just under 400 meters by several feet. We ran 4 times around the complex, and I know that's just short of a mile. I'm guessing that my mile is more like 7:45 or 8:00. It's certainly possible that I could run 7:15 for just one mile if I'm busting out some speed, but I wasn't, except for maybe the last 100 yards or so. I didn't have my Garmin with me, so I couldn't check exact time or distance. The good part about working out on Thursdays is that I'm with people I already know from last year's group, and they're a lot of fun.
The last time I ran was Saturday morning with the Rehab United group. The plan was a 40 minute, time on your feet run. Most of the people who showed up ran about my pace or under, which is unheard of. Last year I was the slow-poke of the group since most everyone's slow pace was an 8 minute mile. (Yeah, yeah, speed is all relative, but when you're shooting for an 10 or 11 minute mile for a long run, there's a lot of waiting around involved on their parts.) Our fearless leader, Justin, and his girl friend were the speedy ones -- probably in the mid 7s, low 8s. I held an average 9:30 m/m for the 4.4 miles I ran, but I just couldn't push harder than that due to my ongoing issue with shin splints and fatigue. I should be able to hold around a 9 minute mile with ease. I was a little frustrated, but glad I was able to hold my own without going any slower. I was able to pace with my friend Renata, and I think having her just slightly ahead of me kept me from slowing. Renata and I came in ahead of the group, which was a novelty to me. I'm NEVER at the head of any running group when it comes to speed. (This year several people are opting out of the Las Vegas trip due to the expense, and a lot of those people were MUCH faster than me.) Everyone else came in just after us, so it's not like we were channeling our inner Kenyans - we were just pushing through as best as possible. As for my left shin, it was not too happy with me. I even wore compression socks, which helped tremendously, but still not a fix for my screaming shin.
I booked air fare and a room for the Las Vegas Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon. I was planning to register for the half marathon on line, but the processing fee is $11.00. That's just ridiculous. I thought I'd be able to use my $10.00 discount code, but that processing fee negates the discount. I'll sign up the old fashioned way, with pen and paper and no processing fee, AND a $10.00 discount through Rehab United.
Just in case, if you're planning to run Las Vegas, a lot of the hotel web sites say they're sold out for that Saturday. Call the toll free number and ask for group reservations. I was able to book a room at Luxor that way, even though the site said it was sold out.
My sister and her husband were in town last weekend. They are so happy to be back in California, and the job transfer has been smooth. They stayed in Coronado at the Glorietta Bay Inn and we were able to share dinner with them. We (sort of) celebrated my brother-in-law's birthday. Long story short ... BUT, He was constantly joking around with our server, so she brought out a huge slice of mud pie -- on the house. Hubs suggested a candle for the mud pie because it WAS (supposedly) my brother-in-law's birthday. Not really, his birthday was in July, but since there was a mud pie, it only seemed fitting that someone was sung to.
Monday's Song:
I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More - Barry White
PEACE
I did see the doctor last week for the fatigue I've been dealing with. He ordered fasted blood tests (thyroid, iron, vitamin D, adrenals, celiac panels, B 12, etc) and a pulmonary function test. The fasted blood tests are done, and now I'm just waiting on my appointment for the pulmonary tests. He also put me on a steroid inhaler (Qvar) in hopes that will help open up my lungs more, and to see if that helps lessen the fatigue.
The last time I ran was Saturday morning with the Rehab United group. The plan was a 40 minute, time on your feet run. Most of the people who showed up ran about my pace or under, which is unheard of. Last year I was the slow-poke of the group since most everyone's slow pace was an 8 minute mile. (Yeah, yeah, speed is all relative, but when you're shooting for an 10 or 11 minute mile for a long run, there's a lot of waiting around involved on their parts.) Our fearless leader, Justin, and his girl friend were the speedy ones -- probably in the mid 7s, low 8s. I held an average 9:30 m/m for the 4.4 miles I ran, but I just couldn't push harder than that due to my ongoing issue with shin splints and fatigue. I should be able to hold around a 9 minute mile with ease. I was a little frustrated, but glad I was able to hold my own without going any slower. I was able to pace with my friend Renata, and I think having her just slightly ahead of me kept me from slowing. Renata and I came in ahead of the group, which was a novelty to me. I'm NEVER at the head of any running group when it comes to speed. (This year several people are opting out of the Las Vegas trip due to the expense, and a lot of those people were MUCH faster than me.) Everyone else came in just after us, so it's not like we were channeling our inner Kenyans - we were just pushing through as best as possible. As for my left shin, it was not too happy with me. I even wore compression socks, which helped tremendously, but still not a fix for my screaming shin.
I booked air fare and a room for the Las Vegas Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon. I was planning to register for the half marathon on line, but the processing fee is $11.00. That's just ridiculous. I thought I'd be able to use my $10.00 discount code, but that processing fee negates the discount. I'll sign up the old fashioned way, with pen and paper and no processing fee, AND a $10.00 discount through Rehab United.
Just in case, if you're planning to run Las Vegas, a lot of the hotel web sites say they're sold out for that Saturday. Call the toll free number and ask for group reservations. I was able to book a room at Luxor that way, even though the site said it was sold out.
My sister and her husband were in town last weekend. They are so happy to be back in California, and the job transfer has been smooth. They stayed in Coronado at the Glorietta Bay Inn and we were able to share dinner with them. We (sort of) celebrated my brother-in-law's birthday. Long story short ... BUT, He was constantly joking around with our server, so she brought out a huge slice of mud pie -- on the house. Hubs suggested a candle for the mud pie because it WAS (supposedly) my brother-in-law's birthday. Not really, his birthday was in July, but since there was a mud pie, it only seemed fitting that someone was sung to.
We were all laughing, not only because it wasn't his birthday, but because the people at the adjacent tables were singing, too. The server was a really good sport. PS: That's my sister on the right side.
Monday's Song:
I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More - Barry White
PEACE
Monday, July 26, 2010
Hello It's Me
"...I've thought about us for a long, long time."
Randomenss (Again, just so I can catch up.)
Bryan at RU set me up with an actual training schedule. He had attempted this last year, but did not follow through very well. This time he's on it, or all over it, and I'm super happy about this. I've been adhering to the schedule as best as possible. The running and strength trainings are going well. The two things that are tripping me up a bit are the swimming and biking. I'm having a few issues with my gym and their craptastic stationary bikes in the cardio area. All the good bikes are in the spin class area, which we aren't allowed to use unless were in a spin class. There are only a few spin classes at times I can't attend. The pool is less complicated only if I can get past the stinging eyes at the gym pool and the cut back hours of the public pool. I'll figure this out. I'm also considering looking at other gyms if I can negotiate the same cheap rate I pay now, which is the only reason I've been staying with my gym.
A couple of weekends ago, Hubs and I attended a wedding at the Children's Museum in Downtown San Diego. At first I couldn't picture a wedding there, but for a warm summer day it was perfect. The ceremony was held in the courtyard in front of the museum and the reception was inside. It was really quite charming. It's difficult to see, but fresh flowers in shades of green and white were strung to make garlands, then attached to the beam of the pergola to make a more contemporary, yet lovely back-drop that gently swayed with the breeze.
Katey* and Eric.
Unfortunately, we didn't get any interior good pictures of the newlyweds at the reception, but Hubs (in true form) got this photo:
Architects NEVER seem to put their brains on vacation or pause for any reason...
"Happy Birthday to you!"
Best friends. Post cake photo op.
It was also Hub's dad's birthday earlier in the week. Thankfully, Hub's sister brought an extra cake. I think I would have run out of cake, otherwise.
Happy 87th birthday to George, Sr!
My brother was in town for the weekend, mostly to spend time with dad. I invited him to run with the track club on Saturday morning. My brother is very friendly, and had no problem chatting it up about running with some of our track club members before we began to run. He ran with me for about the first mile, just to get caught up on the happenings of my dad, and whatnot. After that he sped up to catch the next group, then ran ahead of them to catch up with the front group. Needless to say, he's speedy. After the run he commented how organized our club is and wants to take a few of our ideas home to his club and was asking a few key people there some questions. I guess the extent of his club is that they just show up at the same time, run, then no one really sees each other after that. In our track club people usually hang around for the other runners to return, and sometimes we have guest speakers. Our club has a lot of dynamic people behind (and in front of) the scenes, and it's a rather well oiled machine, so to speak. My brother's friendliness was misread as creepiness by one lady. In her defense, she had no idea who he was and he was asking a lot of questions. She later on asked us who this "creepy guy" was, then she pointed him out. Of course I said, "Oh, that's my brother." *Insert awkward moment here.* I tried to make light of the comment and came back with "yeah, he IS creepy," then just sort of blew it off. By this time my brother was already in his car, getting ready to leave, so he didn't hear the conversation. I mentioned this conversation to my Hubs, and he said that women tend to get a little creeped out by guys they don't know in general. Hubs said that when we first joined the track club he would attempt to chat with a few of the people he was running with, mostly women, but they wouldn't be so receiving of his conversation. They would look at him as if he were a threat, as some "creepy guy." He was only trying to join in the camaraderie and chat about running. Of course, he's been with the track club for a couple of years now, and most everyone has seen him or knows who he is. He's no longer the creepy guy.
While we were out running, my daughter and grandson were making their way to Comicon. My daughter has attended Comicon every year ever since she was in high school. I supposed Comicon has become a ritual, but now she takes the kid, and he LOVES it. Comicon photos by my daughter.
They attended a panel for a show he watches. During Q & A time he raised his hand and they answered his questions!
Tron!
Later on that same day, Hubs and I met up with my dad and brother for dinner at a Mexican restaurant in Old Town.
My bro, Dad, me.
In the world of running, I'm starting to pick up the pace a little. A 4 mile tempo run is about a 9:25 minute mile and it needs to be an even 9 or better. Asthma has been tough this year, even more so than in years past, and it slows me down. The legs and feet are working just fine. I need to run smart and NOT run through any pain. I've been injured enough, thankyouverymuch. My next race will probably be the Fire Run towards the end of the August. Wanna join us? It's a flat 4 miler. I'm familiar with the route since I've run it twice before. Cold beer at the end is always enticing.
Wednesday's Song:
Orbs - Maduro
PEACE
*Katey is an architect at Hub's office
Friday, July 16, 2010
Whatever
Randomness
I haven't felt much like blogging lately. No reason. At the moment, short sentences or updates on Facebook and Daily Mile seem to suffice.
Last week, after our Saturday run with the track club, about 12 of us went out for breakfast. Chatter about different events to run and everyone's upcoming runs was the bulk of conversation as we ate. Towards the end of our meal, one of our running friends, Kate, pulled out a deck of Osho-Zen tarot cards, and had each of us select a card, randomly. Kate had mentioned that she preferred the Osho-Zen cards because they aren't dark, but more positive, more calm, more zen-like. I have mixed thoughts about things like tarot cards, because I'm not sure how much of it is made up by the person doing the reading, or how much of it has some truth, psychology, or foresight behind it. I was rather surprised how close to home some of the readings were -- and one person began to tear up -- but in a good way. Kate only knows us as running friends, and not much about out personal lives. She also phrased what she had to say in terms of running, not just for me, but for everyone. Here's the card I selected:
According to Kate, this is one of the rainbow cards, a good and beautiful card in meaning. She said that what I need to do now is to plant "seeds" and nurture what's going on around me, to slow down and wait for those "seeds" to grow, and that I need to be patient. I will achieve what I want to do, but not just now, no matter how much want whatever it is now. I suppose that could apply to anyone, but maybe it's not as generic as it seems on the surface since this applies directly to me. There is a lot that I want NOW. She said that I have a "spirituality" about me, so I should understand what this all means in the larger picture. I'm keeping and open mind.
Summer has finally arrived in Southern California. I knew it wouldn't be a gradual thing. It went from cold to hot right away. I actually like the warmer temperatures and longer day light hours, however, I need to plan my runs early in the morning or late in the day OR run on the air conditioned gym's treadmill.
The grand-kiddo has a birthday on Sunday. He'll be 7. For the past month he's been insisting that he's 5 going on 6, but I think this has more to do with friends he's made at day camp. Hubs and the grand-kiddo were at the grocery store, picking up a few items for dinner. The cashier asked the kiddo how old he was and he replied, "I'm 5 going on 6." Hubs immediately corrected him and said, "no, your 6 going on 7." The kiddo insisted that he was 5. The lady in line behind them chimed in with, "young man, only older women are allowed to lie about their age!"
Intensity has increased with each run and workout. Bryan switched up what I'm doing at RU and what I do on my own. At RU I'm getting back to doing some of the things I have the most fun with, such as throwing a weighted ball (about 8 pounds, maybe?) at a wall and catching it while lunging. I love workouts where I get to throw stuff. Pylometrics are slowing coming back, too, and I love those types of exercises -- reminds me of being a kid. The biggest change is intervals. Last week the intensity was slow to moderate. This week it's moderate to fast with shorter interval ratios*, but (still) not an all out effort. I ran my intervals on the gym treadmill -- it's easier to keep track of time and intensity. It was still tough, but good tough, and I was a soggy, sweaty mess when I was done.
At RU on Wednesday there was another lady also working with Bryan at the same time. He often has two to four clients at the same time. Even though her workout was different than mine, she still had an equally intense work out. She began to complain a bit, how hard it was. Then she noticed what I was doing and also noticed that I wasn't complaining. One of the PT assistants told her that I never complain. The lady asked me, "well, why aren't you complaining?" It's times like that I wish I could come up with some snappy remark right off the cuff. I just said something about the injury and this is better than drugs, which is true. I'm much happier being able to do a hard workout than being injured doing nothing. I'm just slow on the uptake with witty remarks.
The garden is finally holding it's ground. I actually had enough kale, romaine lettuce, zucchini and yellow squash to actually use in a meal. Here's what I did with the yellow squash:
My sister's eldest son has been busy over the past 6 years or so. He started out in the Marines but was injured at boot camp with a hip fracture and received a medical discharge. Since being in the Marines was no longer an option he went to college with the focus of becoming a lawyer. He earned a bachelor's degree in Political Science, did well on the LSATS, was looking ahead to law school, and was hired to work at a prominent law firm in Chicago. After working a year at the law firm he realized he wasn't truly happy with his career choice. He wanted to become a lawyer to make a difference, but it wasn't working out that way, at least in his eyes, since the law firm dealt with foreclosures. He quit his job at the law firm and enrolled in a culinary arts school in Chicago. A few months ago he graduated from the culinary arts school as a pastry chef, had a job at a golf club as the main pastry chef, and was recently hand picked by Disney Orlando for a paid internship program, assigned to a restaurant at Epcot Center. Disney is also covering his living accommodations -- he shares a place with three other guys, plus he has unlimited access to all Disney parks. Needless to say, he's extremely happy, and now he feels that his possibilities are endless. He did a complete about-face. I know it surprised my sister and her husband, since they footed the bill for college, but they also want their children to be happy. I'm thrilled for my nephew because it isn't too often that your career makes you truly happy.
Wednesday's Song:
Fresh - Kool & The Gang
PEACE
*This is how the workout was written:
10 minutes warm up.
Intervals - numbers are the minutes, first number fast pace, second number moderate pace:
1/2, 2/2,3/2, 3/2, 4/2, 3/2, 2/2, 1/2
10 minute cool down
I haven't felt much like blogging lately. No reason. At the moment, short sentences or updates on Facebook and Daily Mile seem to suffice.
Last week, after our Saturday run with the track club, about 12 of us went out for breakfast. Chatter about different events to run and everyone's upcoming runs was the bulk of conversation as we ate. Towards the end of our meal, one of our running friends, Kate, pulled out a deck of Osho-Zen tarot cards, and had each of us select a card, randomly. Kate had mentioned that she preferred the Osho-Zen cards because they aren't dark, but more positive, more calm, more zen-like. I have mixed thoughts about things like tarot cards, because I'm not sure how much of it is made up by the person doing the reading, or how much of it has some truth, psychology, or foresight behind it. I was rather surprised how close to home some of the readings were -- and one person began to tear up -- but in a good way. Kate only knows us as running friends, and not much about out personal lives. She also phrased what she had to say in terms of running, not just for me, but for everyone. Here's the card I selected:
Flowering
According to Kate, this is one of the rainbow cards, a good and beautiful card in meaning. She said that what I need to do now is to plant "seeds" and nurture what's going on around me, to slow down and wait for those "seeds" to grow, and that I need to be patient. I will achieve what I want to do, but not just now, no matter how much want whatever it is now. I suppose that could apply to anyone, but maybe it's not as generic as it seems on the surface since this applies directly to me. There is a lot that I want NOW. She said that I have a "spirituality" about me, so I should understand what this all means in the larger picture. I'm keeping and open mind.
Summer has finally arrived in Southern California. I knew it wouldn't be a gradual thing. It went from cold to hot right away. I actually like the warmer temperatures and longer day light hours, however, I need to plan my runs early in the morning or late in the day OR run on the air conditioned gym's treadmill.
The grand-kiddo has a birthday on Sunday. He'll be 7. For the past month he's been insisting that he's 5 going on 6, but I think this has more to do with friends he's made at day camp. Hubs and the grand-kiddo were at the grocery store, picking up a few items for dinner. The cashier asked the kiddo how old he was and he replied, "I'm 5 going on 6." Hubs immediately corrected him and said, "no, your 6 going on 7." The kiddo insisted that he was 5. The lady in line behind them chimed in with, "young man, only older women are allowed to lie about their age!"
Intensity has increased with each run and workout. Bryan switched up what I'm doing at RU and what I do on my own. At RU I'm getting back to doing some of the things I have the most fun with, such as throwing a weighted ball (about 8 pounds, maybe?) at a wall and catching it while lunging. I love workouts where I get to throw stuff. Pylometrics are slowing coming back, too, and I love those types of exercises -- reminds me of being a kid. The biggest change is intervals. Last week the intensity was slow to moderate. This week it's moderate to fast with shorter interval ratios*, but (still) not an all out effort. I ran my intervals on the gym treadmill -- it's easier to keep track of time and intensity. It was still tough, but good tough, and I was a soggy, sweaty mess when I was done.
At RU on Wednesday there was another lady also working with Bryan at the same time. He often has two to four clients at the same time. Even though her workout was different than mine, she still had an equally intense work out. She began to complain a bit, how hard it was. Then she noticed what I was doing and also noticed that I wasn't complaining. One of the PT assistants told her that I never complain. The lady asked me, "well, why aren't you complaining?" It's times like that I wish I could come up with some snappy remark right off the cuff. I just said something about the injury and this is better than drugs, which is true. I'm much happier being able to do a hard workout than being injured doing nothing. I'm just slow on the uptake with witty remarks.
The garden is finally holding it's ground. I actually had enough kale, romaine lettuce, zucchini and yellow squash to actually use in a meal. Here's what I did with the yellow squash:
Pizza on a store-bought crust with yellow squash from my garden, vidalia onion, garlic, buffalo mozzarella cheese, reduced fat feta cheese, and red sauce.
My sister's eldest son has been busy over the past 6 years or so. He started out in the Marines but was injured at boot camp with a hip fracture and received a medical discharge. Since being in the Marines was no longer an option he went to college with the focus of becoming a lawyer. He earned a bachelor's degree in Political Science, did well on the LSATS, was looking ahead to law school, and was hired to work at a prominent law firm in Chicago. After working a year at the law firm he realized he wasn't truly happy with his career choice. He wanted to become a lawyer to make a difference, but it wasn't working out that way, at least in his eyes, since the law firm dealt with foreclosures. He quit his job at the law firm and enrolled in a culinary arts school in Chicago. A few months ago he graduated from the culinary arts school as a pastry chef, had a job at a golf club as the main pastry chef, and was recently hand picked by Disney Orlando for a paid internship program, assigned to a restaurant at Epcot Center. Disney is also covering his living accommodations -- he shares a place with three other guys, plus he has unlimited access to all Disney parks. Needless to say, he's extremely happy, and now he feels that his possibilities are endless. He did a complete about-face. I know it surprised my sister and her husband, since they footed the bill for college, but they also want their children to be happy. I'm thrilled for my nephew because it isn't too often that your career makes you truly happy.
Wednesday's Song:
Fresh - Kool & The Gang
PEACE
*This is how the workout was written:
10 minutes warm up.
Intervals - numbers are the minutes, first number fast pace, second number moderate pace:
1/2, 2/2,3/2, 3/2, 4/2, 3/2, 2/2, 1/2
10 minute cool down
Thursday, June 10, 2010
100 Years
I celebrated another birthday yesterday. The whole getting older thing doesn't bother me in the least. I embrace each year of life, as I see life as a gift. As I get older I actually find myself more comfortable in my own skin. As comfortable as I am with aging, I have a friend who is constantly hung up on age. I love her to death, but every year since we were about 16 she has given me birthday cards, which I appreciate, but she always has to comment about age. Always. When we were younger it was all about her being a whole whopping 11 & 1/2 months older than me, and she constantly threw that in my face. I just didn't understand it. She made a big deal about turning 16 and getting her drivers license before me, turning 21 and being a legal adult before me, and so on. The comments were always snarky and a bit on the degrading side. Around the time we reached our 30s it all changed. Every year she never fails to remind me how old I am, writes that number in the card, makes another comment about how OLD we are getting, and "Oh my, we're sooooo old." Every year. I never think much about age unless it's age group placing in running, when I'm at the doctor, and when she reminds me. To tell you the truth it all has to do with how I feel. Some days I feel like I'm 12, other days I feel like I'm 100. I think it's wonderful that my friend remembers my birthday and takes the time to send me a card every year. Not many people send cards any more. Even more impressive is that we've been friends for 36 years, but who's counting?**
Yesterday morning I had a session at RU. Bryan was impressed that I actually ran the entire half marathon, considering my lack of mileage prior and that I'm still recovering from injury. After a really good and hard workout session (a lot of pylo, running, lunge/squat matrix, etc.) we sat down and discussed my goals for the rest of the year. I was thinking about running 3 half marathons in the fall, but he talked me out of it. He wants me to select 2 half marathons instead, just so I don't get so beat up and re-injured, and consider looking at running shorter distance races such 5k and 10k distances. He also said he would write my training program for those two half marathons, which would be different than the generic training program he gave me before. He believes that I could have a sub 2 hour half marathon, just based on what he's seen me do at my workouts. I also believe that I have a sub 2 in my future. I'm not sure when that will happen, but I know it's mine for the taking as long as I put in the work.
I spent time with just my little family for a simple dinner out last night. We just had the party for our daughter's graduation, and we're still a little worn out from the marathon/half marathon festivities. I didn't ask for any birthday gifts, but Hubs gave me Photoshop, which we've never EVER had on our computer before -- and that boggles the mind since my family is of the artsy nature and you would think Photoshop would be in our arsenal of art supplies. He also surprised me with a glass heart pendant and matching earrings, and the kids also surprised me with some goodies as well. The best part is always letting the kiddo put out the fire, I mean, blow out my candles...
Today I ran just a little over 5 miles at Mission Bay Park. It was a slow 5 miles. I found myself intensely disliking the concrete path after about the first mile, and ran on the grass or asphalt whenever possible. My left foot was so uncomfortable, and feeling sore in new places. Yeah, yeah... I hear you all. I'm still recouping. I'm being conservative. I promise. Really. I iced it when I was finished. It feels better now, well, except for the sunburned parts of my feet that I'm still dealing with from after the half marathon.*
PS:
I just wanted to point out that my past San Diego Rock 'n' Roll experiences have been good ones. I felt like some of the kinks of the early years were worked out by the time I decided to run in it, but with this new route and a different company running things, there are new kinks. I love that this event is in my city and I just want to see some improvements. Each run event I've ever been a part of, 5ks to marathons, has quirks and kinks to work out. I was happy with my day this past Sunday, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Yesterday's Song:
Sunburn - Owl City
PEACE
**My friend is counting. She wrote "36 years" on the card, too.
*I brought flip flops to wear after the run. I didn't think to put sunscreen on my feet.
PSS - Cake photo credit to my friend Christopher from CT. Not sure of his source, but he posted it on Facebook for me. ;)
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Same Ol' Situation
Not running is really messing with my blogging and Daily Mile updates. It's more of not being as mobile which throwing things off. I'm attempting to keep busy with in reason, but when you're used to doing certain things as a part of your daily life it puts a kink on the chain of daily events to not do THAT thing, and running is that thing for me. Yes, this is a temporary situation, and I hope I'll be back to doing some sort of running and training in less than three weeks.
Gardening has been the activity of choice these days. It really isn't the fun part of gardening, yet, it's the prep part, like pulling weeds and digging up the dirt with a pick ax*. I have a big back yard, but it has gone by the wayside since May 2008 when I had the hip fracture and surgery. There's no problem with the lawn, that gets mowed and trimmed regularly. It's the planter and garden areas that have become unruly. Those areas were sort of my thing, and when I could no longer squat and easily get up and down after surgery, gardening was out of the question. When my grandparents were around, gardening was a serious thing. They planted just about everything, apricots to zucchini. The garden area was beautiful and always lush. They also had a beautiful array of of flowers growing, no matter what the season. It seemed like the Land of Oz to me when I was a kid because the yard was so pristine and colorful. I've told this story before, so I won't recap it, but I'm back on the gardening thing, perhaps not with the same verve my grandparents had, but at least it will be less unruly. Hubs and I thought putting in a lap pool(fire pit, new patio, granny flat/office, etc...) would solve most of the gardening issue, and it would, but maybe when the economy turns around and we actually have funds for something like that. Meanwhile, it's just me, a shovel, and some seeds.
Hubs celebrated a birthday on Wednesday. Since it was a work/school day, and everyone's schedules were all over the place, it was just Hubs, the kid and me celebrating. The three of us went out for sushi at the neighborhood place just blocks away, then we came home for cake.
I swear, I do have some mad cake decorating skilz and a degree in Art, I even own special cake decorating tips, paint brushes and gear, but that would have required a trip to the store, and I wanted to use what I had on hand. I made a cake from the Cooking Light cookbook , "Old Fashioned Caramel Layer Cake," decorated with fridge magnets and an Ikea tea-light candle.
OK, not my finest moment in artistic creation, I'll never work for Ace of Cakes, but the cake was delicious.
"Happy Birthday dear Papa..."
Thursday I attended a "Pants and Pinot" party at AKA Alice's home. Her sister brought over a really great inventory of jeans, tops, dresses and accessories. There was also a friend who was buying gold jewelry on the spot, but I didn't think ahead of time to look through my jewelry for things to sell. I wasn't planning on drinking wine (the allergy thing) and planning on buying just one pair of jeans. It has been AGES since I've had a decent red wine, but a certified wine snob told me that my best option for wine would be pinot noir** (less likely to have a reaction, not sure why) so I indulged in a glass of wine.
I keep trying because I really miss red wines, and it's a crap-shoot with the taste of organic wines which don't warrant an allergic reaction. After a glass of wine and some really good nibbles of food, I was really relaxed, took a look at the awesome selection of jeans. I grabbed a few pairs to try on , just thinking I would purchase just one, but I also found a pair of jeans with my name on them. I rarely run into anyone who has my same name, unless they're 80+ years old, and to find my name on a pair of white jeans was just hysterical. Amazingly, the jeans fit well, so I had to purchase those in addition to the one pair I was already planning to buy. Score! This was a very smart retail event -- Alcohol and shopping. Fun for the guests and a major score for the retailer with all of those relaxed shoppers. I also saw some of the herd at the party. The funny thing is that we looked so different from our running selves, that we were not readily recognizable. One of the Heffers, Betty, walked right past me and said she didn't recognize me with my hair down, and I didn't recognize her when she walked past me - she had just come from work. We're used to seeing each other in running garb, all sweaty and dusty.
Oh, by the way, AKA Alice puts on a really good party. :)
Tomorrow is the Carlsbad 5000. I'm still not able to participate. I was hoping I'd be able to at least walk it by now, but I'm not there yet. I will be attending since Hubs and my friend Rich will be running, plus the Herd, RU buddies, and track club friends. *sigh* I'll bring the big ass camera and take pics. This so sucks not being able to run this one since the timing is chipped, and it's a 5k. Next year I'll be all over this one.
Wednesday's Song:
It Amazes Me - Tony Bennett
PEACE
*I really need to get a roto-tiller.
**Bummer. I still broke out, but it was so good!
Gardening has been the activity of choice these days. It really isn't the fun part of gardening, yet, it's the prep part, like pulling weeds and digging up the dirt with a pick ax*. I have a big back yard, but it has gone by the wayside since May 2008 when I had the hip fracture and surgery. There's no problem with the lawn, that gets mowed and trimmed regularly. It's the planter and garden areas that have become unruly. Those areas were sort of my thing, and when I could no longer squat and easily get up and down after surgery, gardening was out of the question. When my grandparents were around, gardening was a serious thing. They planted just about everything, apricots to zucchini. The garden area was beautiful and always lush. They also had a beautiful array of of flowers growing, no matter what the season. It seemed like the Land of Oz to me when I was a kid because the yard was so pristine and colorful. I've told this story before, so I won't recap it, but I'm back on the gardening thing, perhaps not with the same verve my grandparents had, but at least it will be less unruly. Hubs and I thought putting in a lap pool(fire pit, new patio, granny flat/office, etc...) would solve most of the gardening issue, and it would, but maybe when the economy turns around and we actually have funds for something like that. Meanwhile, it's just me, a shovel, and some seeds.
Hubs celebrated a birthday on Wednesday. Since it was a work/school day, and everyone's schedules were all over the place, it was just Hubs, the kid and me celebrating. The three of us went out for sushi at the neighborhood place just blocks away, then we came home for cake.
I swear, I do have some mad cake decorating skilz and a degree in Art, I even own special cake decorating tips, paint brushes and gear, but that would have required a trip to the store, and I wanted to use what I had on hand. I made a cake from the Cooking Light cookbook , "Old Fashioned Caramel Layer Cake," decorated with fridge magnets and an Ikea tea-light candle.
OK, not my finest moment in artistic creation, I'll never work for Ace of Cakes, but the cake was delicious.
"Happy Birthday dear Papa..."Thursday I attended a "Pants and Pinot" party at AKA Alice's home. Her sister brought over a really great inventory of jeans, tops, dresses and accessories. There was also a friend who was buying gold jewelry on the spot, but I didn't think ahead of time to look through my jewelry for things to sell. I wasn't planning on drinking wine (the allergy thing) and planning on buying just one pair of jeans. It has been AGES since I've had a decent red wine, but a certified wine snob told me that my best option for wine would be pinot noir** (less likely to have a reaction, not sure why) so I indulged in a glass of wine.
I keep trying because I really miss red wines, and it's a crap-shoot with the taste of organic wines which don't warrant an allergic reaction. After a glass of wine and some really good nibbles of food, I was really relaxed, took a look at the awesome selection of jeans. I grabbed a few pairs to try on , just thinking I would purchase just one, but I also found a pair of jeans with my name on them. I rarely run into anyone who has my same name, unless they're 80+ years old, and to find my name on a pair of white jeans was just hysterical. Amazingly, the jeans fit well, so I had to purchase those in addition to the one pair I was already planning to buy. Score! This was a very smart retail event -- Alcohol and shopping. Fun for the guests and a major score for the retailer with all of those relaxed shoppers. I also saw some of the herd at the party. The funny thing is that we looked so different from our running selves, that we were not readily recognizable. One of the Heffers, Betty, walked right past me and said she didn't recognize me with my hair down, and I didn't recognize her when she walked past me - she had just come from work. We're used to seeing each other in running garb, all sweaty and dusty.Oh, by the way, AKA Alice puts on a really good party. :)
Tomorrow is the Carlsbad 5000. I'm still not able to participate. I was hoping I'd be able to at least walk it by now, but I'm not there yet. I will be attending since Hubs and my friend Rich will be running, plus the Herd, RU buddies, and track club friends. *sigh* I'll bring the big ass camera and take pics. This so sucks not being able to run this one since the timing is chipped, and it's a 5k. Next year I'll be all over this one.
Wednesday's Song:
It Amazes Me - Tony Bennett
PEACE
*I really need to get a roto-tiller.
**Bummer. I still broke out, but it was so good!
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Morning
Activity: Run
Date: 10/17/09 07:26 AM
Distance: 10.02 miles
Time: 1:51:52
Speed: 5.4 mph
Pace: 11' 09 min/mile
Calories: 954
I ran with the Rehab United group this morning and brought Michael with me. My agenda was to put in 10 miles, but I wasn't planning on any steep hills. Well... There was one steep hill that I took on, going through Sunset Cliffs Park, but since I was doing an out and back (sort of) the 5 mile marker on my BiM chimed before I made it to the top of the hill. (Yes!) My pace for today's run was more in the 10:30 to 10:50 minute/mile range. I had to stop for traffic lights a few times, and when I tried to adjust those stops, it took off some distance.
My hips were feeling rather sore before I finished the run, which is unusual. I don't think it's anything to worry about, but I will discuss it with Bryan on Monday. I'm thinking it's just because I need more hill work, and I will continue to be sore and become more sore until I can get in more steep hill runs -- provided those hills are outdoors and not fake treadmill ones.
Good times.
There was no reason to have a camera on me today because the visibility was just like this for the majority of the run:
Normally, there's a gorgeous view of the ocean right off of the cliffs, but this morning the fog just took over.
Yesterday my daughter turned 26. How is it possible that I have a daughter that old when I'm only 29? *cough-cough* She went out with her boyfriend last night, and today no one is home, so we're all going out to breakfast tomorrow morning to celebrate. For some weird reason we do better celebrating birthdays and major holidays over breakfast. Happy birthday Renee!
Happy race day to all of my running friends who have races THIS weekend!
Wednesday's song:
Running On A Treadmill - Oingo Boingo - Barbie2be
PEACE
Date: 10/17/09 07:26 AM
Distance: 10.02 miles
Time: 1:51:52
Speed: 5.4 mph
Pace: 11' 09 min/mile
Calories: 954
I ran with the Rehab United group this morning and brought Michael with me. My agenda was to put in 10 miles, but I wasn't planning on any steep hills. Well... There was one steep hill that I took on, going through Sunset Cliffs Park, but since I was doing an out and back (sort of) the 5 mile marker on my BiM chimed before I made it to the top of the hill. (Yes!) My pace for today's run was more in the 10:30 to 10:50 minute/mile range. I had to stop for traffic lights a few times, and when I tried to adjust those stops, it took off some distance.
My hips were feeling rather sore before I finished the run, which is unusual. I don't think it's anything to worry about, but I will discuss it with Bryan on Monday. I'm thinking it's just because I need more hill work, and I will continue to be sore and become more sore until I can get in more steep hill runs -- provided those hills are outdoors and not fake treadmill ones.
Good times.
There was no reason to have a camera on me today because the visibility was just like this for the majority of the run:
Normally, there's a gorgeous view of the ocean right off of the cliffs, but this morning the fog just took over.
Yesterday my daughter turned 26. How is it possible that I have a daughter that old when I'm only 29? *cough-cough* She went out with her boyfriend last night, and today no one is home, so we're all going out to breakfast tomorrow morning to celebrate. For some weird reason we do better celebrating birthdays and major holidays over breakfast. Happy birthday Renee!Happy race day to all of my running friends who have races THIS weekend!
Wednesday's song:
Running On A Treadmill - Oingo Boingo - Barbie2be
PEACE
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Picture This
Since it would take an entire book to discuss my weekend, I'll briefly go over the highlights:
Saturday:
Activity: Run
Date: 07/18/09 07:50 AM
Distance: 6.02 miles
Time: 1:01:52
Speed: 5.8 mph
Pace: 10' 16 min/mile
Calories: 579
Dinner with my husband's relatives from Iowa. No pictures of dinner.
Sunday:
Barbecue at my sister-in-law's house with everyone - Pictures later.
Today:
RU
A new workout plan, including exercises that involved sprinting, but also the variations of the squats and lunges. No pictures of this, either. You wouldn't have wanted to see this, anyway. Trust me.
PS:
I've recently received information about The Fresh Air Fund, and they kindly asked that I mention their information on my blog. The Fresh Air Fund is still looking for runners and sponsors to join the Fresh Air Fund-Racers team for the New York City Half-Marathon on August 16th. It looks like a very worth-while cause. If you get a chance check out the site to either join the event or donate. I've also added a link on my sidebar.
Thursday's song:
I Get Around - The Beach Boys - Barbie2be
PEACE
Saturday:
Activity: Run
Date: 07/18/09 07:50 AM
Distance: 6.02 miles
Time: 1:01:52
Speed: 5.8 mph
Pace: 10' 16 min/mile
Calories: 579
6 mile run with the track club at Harbor Island
Judy and Anne
My grandson's 6th birthday
The aquarium next to Legoland
Dinner with my husband's relatives from Iowa. No pictures of dinner.
Sunday:
Barbecue at my sister-in-law's house with everyone - Pictures later.
Today:
RU
A new workout plan, including exercises that involved sprinting, but also the variations of the squats and lunges. No pictures of this, either. You wouldn't have wanted to see this, anyway. Trust me.
PS:
I've recently received information about The Fresh Air Fund, and they kindly asked that I mention their information on my blog. The Fresh Air Fund is still looking for runners and sponsors to join the Fresh Air Fund-Racers team for the New York City Half-Marathon on August 16th. It looks like a very worth-while cause. If you get a chance check out the site to either join the event or donate. I've also added a link on my sidebar.
"Since 1877, The Fresh Air Fund has been giving inner-city children the joy of a summer vacation with volunteer host families and at Fund camps, creating unforgettable memories and fresh possibilities. The Fresh Air Fund, a not-for-profit agency, has provided free summer experiences in the country to more than 1.7 million New York City children from disadvantaged communities. Each year, thousands of children visit volunteer host families in 13 states and Canada through the Friendly Town Program or attend one of five Fresh Air Fund camps."
Thursday's song:
I Get Around - The Beach Boys - Barbie2be
PEACE
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