Virtual Running Buddies -- June 8

[seathyme]

Here's a fly-by launch for the week~

I ran 5 this morning; been feeling stronger lately, which is a nice payoff for some consistency. This evening just spent an hour walking with DH and le chien. Good bookend workouts for the day.

I didn't look back at the last thread to pick up notes, my apologies. Hope everyone has a good weekend -- check in when you can!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Thanks for starting again this week seathyme, it sounds like you had a wonderful Friday. Rested today - after running late last night and 100+ Heat Index running was out of the question. Not sure what the morning will entail - might sleep in, might run or ride from home... going to an ordination starting at 1100 so I might bag until the afternoon... only time will tell.

See you tomorrow.
Les

[SusanMac]

Happy weekend, running buddies!

Thx for starting us, Seathyme. Badunnin is in China right about now, isn't she?

Don't remember the last time I posted. Thurs was an open water swim day, followed by my long run of the week. Yesterday I logged 35 miles on the bike with DH, then went for a quick brick run. Today is happily a rest day. My first since the race last weekend, so I'm definitely ready.

DH & I are going to his nephew's wedding today. It's out of town, so we're leaving Bode w/his first babysitter!!

Tomorrow I'm riding a hilly 80 miler with another woman who's training for IM. We've never worked out together before, but I'm hoping we're similarly paced, as it would be nice to have a new biking buddy for the summer.

Happy training, everyone!

[MaryH]

Happy weekend, running buddies!
DH & I are going to his nephew's wedding today. It's out of town, so we're leaving Bode w/his first babysitter!!

I have images of you calling every couple of hours and then telling DH, "I need to go home now." :cool: ;) :D

I ran three on Thursday morning and did yoga in the evening. Yesterday was yoga and today will be Pilates because the gym dioesn't have a yoga class today. :o (But they do tomorrow. :p )

[Elizabeth B]

Seathyme - Thanks for getting us started this week! That's great that you felt strong during your run.

Les - The heat is rough lately, isn't it? That's one reason I'm trying to run in the mornings. I came up with a new rule last summer that I won't run in the heat index is 95 or over. But it's good training for you to run the R&R 1/2. I still have nightmares about running down the boardwalk.

Susan - That's great that you found someone you can train for the IM with and best of all, that you're similarly paced. It sounds like you have a great support network with DH, but every little bit helps. I'm sure everything will go well leaving Bode for the weekend. I used to get anxious leaving our dog, too, but once I was enjoying the vacation I didn't worry so much.

Mary - Great job with the running, yoga and pilates.

I ran 7 1/2 rough miles this morning - I got a later start than I wanted, so I fell victim to the warm temperatures that we're experiencing in the south. When I was running, I felt strong, but there was quite a bit of walking mixed in there, too. There are more and more runners and cyclists in my neighborhood, which is fun.

Tomorrow I'm headed to San Francisco for a couple of days - I'm meeting DMIL and DSIL out there. I don't think I'll be able to fit in any workouts, but hope I can do some walking. The cooler temps out there should feel nice, but I feel odd packing jackets and socks.

That's all, folks. I won't have internet access, but will try to check back Wednesday night.

Take care, all, and have a great weekend!

[Elizabeth B]

Seathyme - Thanks for getting us started this week! That's great that you felt strong during your run.

Les - The heat is rough lately, isn't it? That's one reason I'm trying to run in the mornings. I came up with a new rule last summer that I won't run in the heat index is 95 or over. But it's good training for you to run the R&R 1/2. I still have nightmares about running down the boardwalk.

Susan - That's great that you found someone you can train for the IM with and best of all, that you're similarly paced. It sounds like you have a great support network with DH, but every little bit helps. I'm sure everything will go well leaving Bode for the weekend. I used to get anxious leaving our dog, too, but once I was enjoying the vacation I didn't worry so much.

Mary - Great job with the running, yoga and pilates.

I ran 7 1/2 rough miles this morning - I got a later start than I wanted, so I fell victim to the warm temperatures that we're experiencing in the south. When I was running, I felt strong, but there was quite a bit of walking mixed in there, too.

Tomorrow I'm headed to San Francisco for a couple of days - I'm meeting DMIL and DSIL out there. I don't think I'll be able to fit in any workouts, but hope I can do some walking. The cooler temps out there should feel nice, but I feel odd packing jackets and socks.

That's all, folks. I won't have internet access, but will try to check back Wednesday night.

Take care, all, and have a great weekend!

[Leslie Ferguson]

It sounds like you've kept yourself busy Mary and I'd guess doing things that are within reason for you this time of year. Is it sweltering up there yet?

Happy weekend, running buddies!

Thx for starting us, Seathyme. Badunnin is in China right about now, isn't she?

DH & I are going to his nephew's wedding today. It's out of town, so we're leaving Bode w/his first babysitter!!

Tomorrow I'm riding a hilly 80 miler with another woman who's training for IM. We've never worked out together before, but I'm hoping we're similarly paced, as it would be nice to have a new biking buddy for the summer.

Happy training, everyone!
If Bethany isn't in China yet she's close to leaving (maybe Monday?). I hope you had fun at the wedding and didn't stress too much about Bode. My hat's off to you again - 35 miles on yesterday, 80 miles tomorrow on the bike - YOWZA! Hope your biking buddy works out, those long rides will be much better with someone to ride with.
Betsy - Yep, the heat sucks terribly. And it doesn't help that I've developed a lack of tolerence for the heat (coupled with all the funky dyes/fixatives I took last week). I hope you have fun in SFO - always a favorite place to go. Celebrated our anniversary there - I think it was #9 but could have been #10 (92 or 93), stayed in a B&B about a block from Coit Tower. Then there's Irish Coffees at Buena Vistas near the wharf - smooth with a kick. Don't get to acclimated to the cool weather too. ;)

I had a lot of fun at the Ordination today, it was great to see lots of folks I haven't seen in a long time and folks who were genuinely interested in the upcoming expedition to Seminary. After getting back I decided it was too hot to run so I took off on my bike. I felt great and the weather was almost perfect for a long ride. Went all the way out to the end of Willoby Spit (for those who know the area) from my place near downtown. Had a little bike hiccup though and I think there's a problem with the back rim because after about 21.5 miles (of 22.5) I ended up with a totally flat tire again. It was so flat that the CO2 shot only lasted for about 2 blocks then I had to give it another hit. Got home without having to walk but I think I'll have to get someone who knows what they're looking for to take a look at the rim. :(

Late enough here -- hope the rest of teh VRB are well and I'll see you tomorrow.

Happy Trails,
Les

[MaryH]

Les - it's been unseasonably cool here (NOT that I'm complaining mind you). At least it seems so to me. We seem to get one year on (super hot most of the summer) and then one year off (where average is say only 85-90 instead of 100+) :) ("But it's a DRY heat" - and as someone once replied, "yeah, well so is an oven")

Betsy - enjoy San Francisco. I have to go to Oakland in a couple of weeks so I'll think of you.

Ran this morning. When I started I planned to do 4 - which is an out and back run. But I was feeling pretty strong (which usually means that for whatever reasons my breathing was under control) so I opted for the loop way back, which is just over 4.5 miles. And to my everlasting surprise I did it without walking part of it. (One of those, "dont question it, just go with the flow" type of mornings.) :D

Hello to everyone else and hope Bethany's flight to China doesn't take longer than necessary ('cuz that's just a LONG flight to begin with).

[SusanMac]

Hi runners! Happy Monday. Oi -- my ISP at home is down today, so not feeling very productive at work. What did we do b4 the Internet?? I'm currently working from the library :-)

We had a fabulous weekend, but busier than usual, so I'm wiped. Dinner party Friday night. The Sat wedding went great, but that meant 6 hours round trip in the car. Bode did well. His babysitter came over 4 times w/his dogs! So they definitely had fun together in the backyard.

My long ride on Sun was great. Soooooo hilly. I'm really wiped today. My new buddy & I stuck together the whole way, which was great. We had some other friends there, but they took off together quite early. I've become really good at pacing & not pushing it to match other's speeds. I've learned it pays off in the end. We both agreed we'd ride together again. We plan to do some swimming together, too. I'm riding tonight w/my cycling club. Mon is the easy, social ride, so even though I"m tired, it will hopefully loosen up my legs nicely.

Gotta run -- battery's getting low :-)

Hi to the rest o' the gang. Quiet weekend on the BB. Maybe that means everyone's out running & having fun :-)

[Kathy B]

Hi, all! I finally got back out for a little over 3 miles this AM. Did a bit of yoga later, too. We DID have a busy weekend including another GS garage sale Saturday and several social visits on Sunday. We are really running low on groceries and laundry, so today is pretty darn busy as well!

Glad to hear you are feeling strong, Mary, and able to stretch out your runs! Good job! :)

Hope you have a good trip to SF Elizabeth. It sounds like it might be a shopping trip???

Susan, nice that you have found a biking/swimming buddy!! :)

Sounds like the Ordination Day was a good day, Les! It IS nice to talk with people who are excited to hear about your plans. Hope you get the bike issue figured out.

Hi, Seathyme!! :)

And now it's back to cleaning and shopping......

[seathyme]

Hi everyone!

Susan, I get anxious without internet too. And it really wasn't so long ago it didn't exist! Good job on your looong ride and glad you found a new buddy.

Mary, you are definitely sounding like a convert to the yoga club.:D Glad you had a strong run today. Sounds like you're varying the BFL cardio program a bit -- I tried that for a few weeks at one point and ended up missing longer slower runs.

Les, nice weekend you had. Hope the sleep improves and that this week goes well too. And that you have cooler temps -- 100 heat indexes, blech!

Betsy, 7.5 miles is a lot when it's not going well (and not shabby when it IS going well). Congrats on finishing it!

I laid low exercise-wise over the weekend, not feeling great. But got out for 5 miles this morning, which went pretty well. So here's my question for the women out there (Les, read on at your own risk :D ): do you modify your workout plans on uncomfortable TOM days, or just power through it? (or if you're lucky, is this not an issue?)

[badunnin]

Still here gang. I leave Wednesday morning, bright and early. right now I'm in the middle of giving my final exams, packing my classroom up, grading... ok, I can't talk about it anymore. I return on the 27th, after a hellacious flight plan back. I'll hopefully check in from China though!

[Leslie Ferguson]

seathyme - I looked... :eek: :D Hope you're back with it soon.
Bethany - Thanks for a check in before departing (and giving your return date too). I hope things aren't too ugly getting from here to China and not too bad getting back.
Susan - I'm not sure what we did before the Internet. I know things don't get done well when the net(s) are down (we have Internets for both unclassified and classified stuff - runnign separately). Life is very difficult without connectivity any more. Glead you found a good riding partner and had a good ride this past weekend.

A shout out to Kathy and the rest of the gang.

I couldn't get out for a run with meetings and business on both sides of lunch. Because I couldn't ride the road bike I decided to take it in and pay the bucks to have the shop figure out why I'm going through tubes. I'll pick my bike up tomorrow and give it a spin.

Tonight's another night for good sleep and tomorrow's another day to excel.
Happy trails,
Les

[SusanMac]

Mon turned out to be a rest day for me. It was unplanned, but as the day progressed became more planned :-)

Got up, drove across town & put on my wetsuit at 6am...only to bail on a swim. There were 4 of us, and we collectively decided the algae was way too yucky. I had intended to ride or run later in the day. As the day progressed, I just decided I was too wiped out. While a swim would've been great, I think it was smart to give my legs a rest.

So, fresh legs today. I've got a long run in the plans. Will check in later.

Work has been slow since I returned....and I'm *really* enjoying it :-) Is that bad?!

Seathyme - I'm really lucky, and it's rarely an issue for me. That's not much help, is it?

[Kathy B]

A little over 4 miles for me this AM and then some yoga after the kids left. I may have to go out and mow soon, too. At least it is nicely cool in the AM here.

Susan, algae would definitely make me bail! :eek: Hope you have a good long run!

Seathyme, I guess I probably do modify a bit, but I tend to just wing my exercise schedule anyway these days, so it doesn't really make much difference. That is, I often only decide the night before (or even the day of) what my workout will be as opposed to having a schedule that I follow. I just choose according to what I feel up to whether I am working around TOM, the kids schedules, work, errands or the weather. I can't really say that TOM impacts my running very much, although it probably does a little. How's THAT for a vague response? :rolleyes: :D

Bethany, I can't believe you are still grading finals....your schools really end LATE! Have a wonderful trip!

Hope your bike is functioning well again, Les. Have a good "spin" on it this afternoon!

[badunnin]

Bethany, I can't believe you are still grading finals....your schools really end LATE! Have a wonderful trip!


But we start late (after Labour Day) and have several longs breaks in the middle of the year - 5 days for Thanksgiving (Wed - Sun), 2 weeks for Christmas, a full week (so 9 days total) in February, and Spring Break at Easter. When it comes down to it, most schools go about the same number of days - it's just how they are distributed. :)

Seathyme - on your TOM question... I always felt ... I don't know, guilty maybe? like a wimp? for bailing on my TOM days. As it turned out, I was diagnosed with endometriosis, and my periods were worse than they are now, sometimes to the point that I had so much cramping that it was shooting into my legs and I had difficulty walking, and was just exhausted for about a week every month. So, I was likely on the other end of the spectrum from Susan, and probably not much help!

[seathyme]

Thanks for the spectrum of replies, everyone. I think I'm more or less in Kathy's camp -- sometimes symptoms are such that it just feels right to take a day or two off. Guilt be gone! It's not like I'm going to lose my elite runner status or anything.:D

Bethany, sorry about the endo and all the pain. Blech. I know there are many variations on that theme; I hope yours is manageable. And, have an AWESOME time in China! What an exciting opportunity.:) Write to us during that hellacious layover on the way home, if you don't find something better to do.

Good job on the runs, rides, etc, everyone.

I got in 50 minutes elliptical followed by my 1.5 hour (strenuous) yoga class this evening. So I feel good but pretty wiped out and ready to rest. G'night.

[Leslie Ferguson]

I'm with the rest Susan, algae is a good reason to bail on a swim. Especially if it's in the pool but probably more so if it's in the open water - too many funky things grow in algae water (at least at the beach they do) so good call. How was your run today? I'd give a lot to have a slow week or two at work - if for no other reason than sanity.
Kathy - Running and mowing, something that sounds like a active morning. Probably good that you're doing it before the heat too.
Bethany - Bet you don't see this but have a safe trip.
seathyme - A double today, elliptical and a long yoga session. Sounds fantabulous!

A shout out to the rest of the gang especially the lurkers. Hope Eva, Natasha, Mary, and... are well.

I think the tire problem is solved. The shop found a piece of glass in the tread (don't know how I missed that). That will certainly cause catastrophic deflation of a tire. Just can't figure out why it took about 21 miles to do it. They were so nice as to tune my bike too - brakes work WELL and they rewrapped my handlebars - it's almost like a new bike (almost ;) ).

All that's fit to print... have a good evening and a good hump day.

Les

[SusanMac]

Les - Glad you got the tire issue resolved!

Kathy - You've been running quite consistently lately. Do you think your funk is over?

Elizabeth - Is your duathlon this weekend?

Badunnin - Sending good travel vibes your way :-)

Had a *great* long run yesterday. I'm excited b/c it's my longest this year (2:10) and I started feeling really cruddy & dead legs. I just put the thoughts out of mind, listened to my This American Life podcast, and quickly got into a groove. I could've kept going.

My legs were tired today, but I got out for a solid brick workout. 35 miles on the bike, followed by 20-min run. Tomorrow is long bike day. It's getting really warm around here, but that's good practice. Plus, I like my sleeveless bike & run jerseys best :-)

[Leslie Ferguson]

Great run Susan, 2:10 is outstanding. Those were the days... Then to back it up with a brick today - you're the tops. I hope your legs recover quickly, I have a feeling you've probably got a few miles left in you this summer. When is your IM? I seem to remember it's at the end of August (10 days after I retire if memory serves). I think we've set our heat your way - it was only about 80 apparent temp today with actual somewhere around 75-77. They're talking ~70 tomorrow. :eek: Of course, they're talking ~95 (w/o humidity mind you) on Sunday - HAPPY FATHER's DAY! :rolleyes:

It was nice to have a functioning bike again tonight. I like having a tuned bike with reliable tires and shifting. Only went for 45 minutes of ruding but that's better than the other options I had. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to run - I need to get more of those in since there is a half-marathon coming in the heat.

"Time is moving on" news of the day... I got the proofs for my retirement invitations...

August tenth... retirement... Commander Leslie C. Ferguson

Not sure I'm exactly ready for that yet (yes I am but that transition... YIKES!).

Anyway, time for bed... long day today and long day tomorrow. Happy hump day all and happy trails,

Les

[Kathy B]

Glad to hear you got your bike up and running again Les. August 10 will be here before you know it. Are you doing anything special to celebrate your retirement (besides the actual event)? Family get-together? Vacation? Wild party? ;)

Susan, congrats on your great long run! And a brick workout to follow, and today is a long ride? You should definitely be zeroing in on your IM goals! I am wondering too, when your IM is happening.

I got out for a 4 mile run this AM. It is quite a bit easier for me to get out and run now that school is out and I can go EARLY. I do much better if I can get my workout done first thing than if I have to wait for everyone to leave. It is definitely cooler, for one thing, and also I can get cleaned up and still get things done before lunch. Otherwise the day is half gone by the time I finish, and I can't get anything much accomplished. Anyway, things are definitely better (including my attitude! :o ).

Seathyme, on the same topic of TOM, do you alter your yoga routine? I have heard both ways....you should avoid some poses....you don't need to/that's a myth. Whatever I have read seems biased towards their view, and I can't find anything with a scientific rationale. Any thoughts?

[MaryH]

<sigh> See I KNEW if I mentioned how nice the weather had been that ........ well lets just say it was 100 at 3:00 p.m. yesterday afternoon which meant it hit at least 102 later and today the forecast is for 104. Our LOW today is 70!:eek:

Yesterday ended up being a rest day. This morning I went to the gym and did 30 min of intervals on the elliptcal. Tonight is yoga. (I really miss it when I can't get it in. For whatever reason, the gym has it at noon on M-W-F. I can usually make it on Fridays but for Mon and Wed it depends on the work schedule.)

Kathy, I am definitely an AM runner/exerciser. For all the reasons you mentioned. Weather, attitude, getting things done, etc. Plus it means I go to sleep REALLY early. :)

As for TOM, I'm with Susan. Because I don't have a lot of cramping or pain associated with it, it doesn't really have a noticeable effect on my exercise routine. But for someone who has a lot of pain I can defnitely see modifying a routine. It seems to me, having had a number of friends who have had lots of pain, that there usually ends up being some type of endometriosis diagnosed. Maybe that's just my perception.

[Leslie Ferguson]

Glad to hear you got your bike up and running again Les. August 10 will be here before you know it. Are you doing anything special to celebrate your retirement (besides the actual event)? Family get-together? Vacation? Wild party? ;)

Special for retirement? My family will be here, Mom and Dad driving in from Appomattox, sister from DC (returning "early" from her 20th HS reunion), brother and some number of his family (spouse and 3 kids) will be here. Also it looks like I may have a VRB and spouse coming down for the event. In and around the ceremony we'll have dinner and lunch. If our way out of town visitors come down we'll do some sightseeing here. As for a vacation, that will be 2 days because school orientation is Monday and classes start on Tuesday. Wild party? I have a feeling a few bottles of wine may flow over the weekend but other than that - I'm just a wild and crazy kind of guy any more. :rolleyes: Good for you to get your 4 miles in early today too. Some day I'll be able to fit midday runs in again... some day.

Mary - If it's any consolation our hi today may be 70. ;) :eek: NOT Norfolk weather in June. Good job getting to the gym this morning.

Task master is lurking so - TTFN
Les

[seathyme]

Wow Les, that retirement is really coming up quickly. Must be an emotional time for you. Glad you've got endorphins to balance you out on rollercoaster days.:D

Susan, 2:10 is half-marathon range for some of us. Great job!

Mary, my sympathies on the Central Valley heat. A meditation teacher once said to my class, "When it's cold, be a cold Buddha. When it's hot, be a hot Buddha." I know, small consolation.

Kathy, I checked out the TOM yoga pose question with my teacher a couple of years ago, and she felt pretty strongly that it's wise to avoid inversions. Said she knew of numerous people, including herself, whose flow was stopped when they turned upside down for more than a fleeting moment. It's not hard to skip those for a few days, so I took her advice even though not all women seem to have this problem. Otherwise, I sometimes feel like doing a gentler practice for a day or two. Forward bends are recommended, with long "yin" style holds. Feels pretty good really! Some people like half-moon pose for cramps, but it doesn't seem to do much for me.

I got out this morning and ran 5.5 miles. Felt particularly good, which helps balance out the cruddy days I guess. Doesn't hurt that it isn't hot here at the moment (sorry Mary). We'll get our bad days soon enough no doubt.

[Elizabeth B]

Hello all! I'm back from San Francisco. I was out there visiting family (well, DH's family) and while we did some touring and enjoyed a couple of nice meals, there was no time for shopping. There was also no time for running, although I did a LOT of walking, including many trips up and down the stairs next to Lombard Street.

It sounds as though things have been busy while I've been away...

Seathyme - That's an interesting question about TOM issues. I typically stick to my running schedule - for me, the cramps go away when I'm running (but come back as soon as I finish). I've had a couple of interesting half-marathons during the TOM - but I'll save those stories. I do cancel swimming during the worst couple of days and have heard that inverted yoga poses aren't a good idea.

Susan - It sounds as though IM training is right on track! The 2:10 run, the 35-mile bike with brick - good for you!

Les - So 8/10 is the date! Wow, less than 2 months now. And what's up with the cool temps in VA? I wish we had some of that here. It's not as bad as what Mary's experiencing (highs around 90), but a break would be great.

I found out this week that I made it into the NYC marathon through the lottery, but the sad news is that none of my friends made it in. I've committed to training for a full marathon and now it looks like we're aiming for Rock & Roll Arizona. I'm going to defer my NYC entry until next year and want to run it then, whether a friend makes it or not. I was more excited than I thought I'd be when I saw the email saying that I made it.

I swam last night for the first time in a couple of weeks. It was kind of nice to be back in the pool. There was a man there around my age who was taking private lessons to learn how to swim. I really admire people who learn how to swim as an adult. It was hard enough for me to learn how to swim "right".

I ran this morning and it went well.

My duathlon is on Sunday, but it's more of a training race for me. There's no chip and I think it will help me with my cycling skills (which are VERY weak).

That's all for now, folks - take care!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Welcome back Betsy, I'm glad you had a good time in San Francisco. That's one of my favorite cities (as I mentioned last week). Huge memories of walking from Coit Tower to the Cathedral then to China Town and Fisherman's Wharf because there was a public transit strike/slow down. I'll say that I wasn't in this condition back then either. Too bad you're going to defer NYC because Charlie and Jim got in too. But I guess it would be better to do your first marathon with your friends. RnR Arizona isn't a bad race - maybe you can drop Charlie a line, he ran the inaugural. I also think Eva ran it this past year (or at least the 1/2). I'm not knocking the cooler weather, I have a feeling it's going to be plenty warm very soon. Good run and good luck on the duathlon - it's like no other race you've run.
seathyme - Endorphins are my friend these days, some days I wish I could find more... 5.5 miles is great - 5.5 more than I ran today...

And the roller coaster continues to rattle on. No run, no ride today. Part of the thing that keeps me reasonably sane is getting tasks done at work regardless of the time they take. Did three big things today - one that took about 5 hours of pretty dedicated work and the other two that took about 1.25 hours. Throw in lunch and administrivia and you end up with a 10 hour day. Something is blooming that's just killing me too. :( Maybe tomorrow, once I've headed out for an overnight retreat to a retreat center on the James River, I'll ride my bike on the back roads. What a wonderful thought! But between now and then - a doctor's appointment at 0700 (looking at little red spots on my shoulder that looks like a snowman or so Kathy says) nothing drastic but still an ungodly time to be at the doctor.

See you all tomorrow before heading west for the evening.

Happy trails,
Les