Virtual Running Buddies w/o 8/3

[badunnin]

*gasp* August! Say it isn't so!

Beastly hot here. Lesson for the day: a good solid short run is better than a crappy long run. Felt good today, and that's all I can ask for lately.

Off to the Tigers' game tonight. Go us. ;)

[Leslie Ferguson]

Thanks for starting Bethany. Yep, it's August. Just think... in less than 7 days I'll be retired. :eek: What am I thinking? :confused:

Resting today but I'm off to the running store to track down some new scooters (before I become a poor college student again).

Happy trails,
Les

[badunnin]

Oooh, thanks for reminding me! I don't know if I mentioned my new scooters that arrived! And an absolute *steal* from endless.com - just $55 for my $85 shoes!

http://www.urban-athlete.com/brooks/graphics/bkradius6_42181942.jpg


And Les, my dad *loves* retirement. Never seen him happier! He was with the phone company for 37 years!

[SusanMac]

Badunnin - I meant to ask...did you get the good deal from being a friend 'o the Hanson team? ;-)

Les - you'll make a great 'college student.' I can just envision the keggers already!

Had an extremely mediocre 50-mile bike yesterday. Flat & windy. Mentally just not into it. Guess it's good to practice on those days every once in a while. My swim today, OTOH, felt much stronger & smoother than yesterday.

DH & I are currently in the backyard 'cabana' drinking margaritas & eating chips w/salsa. Ah....I love a nice summer evening. I'm waiting for DH to finish Harry Potter so we can gab about it. I finished on Wed :-)

Sat is a rest day -- yeah! (this means farmer's market for me! Fresh corn & tomatoes) I'm very anxious about my Sun workout. The local tri-team sponsors an annual training day 5 weeks prior to IM called "Hell Brick" and it should live up to its name. 102 miles of grueling hills, followed by a 6-mile run. 3 hills, in particular, I've never conquered before. A bit nervous. Wish me luck. I've already got a massage booked for Mon in celebration!

[kwormann]

Hello all

When it rains, it pours...

Bethany, I agree - I HATE August. I cant wait until it is over!

Susan, your night sounds nice. Believe it or not, I am having beer and pizza with the soon-to-be-ex - he moves to Houston at the end of the month.

Les, can I come to your first kegger????

Well, as for the rain, I was starting to run again and was feeling good about it - when I was hit by a car Monday - concussion and "burn" on my right arm from the air bag. Found out today that my car has to be totaled. *SIGH* Guess there is no where to go but up...

I am going to try to run tomorrow. The nausea and confusion seems to be subsiding, so I am going to give it a try. :)

[seathyme]

OMG Kim -- you aren't kidding about the rain. I'm so glad your injuries weren't worse! Hope your evening with ex is/was okay. (((Kim))) Have a good run tomorrow!

Susan, that Hell Brick sounds hellish indeed. Hope you thoroughly enjoy your evening tonight and day off tomorrow!

Bethany, have fun bouncing along in those cheap but excellent scooters.:D Gotta love the first couple of days in shoes with actual cushioning...

Les, one short week to retirement. Wow. And did I read your last post correctly -- no time off before classes start? You are amazing. Hope you had a good day off and found just the right scooters!

I had two lovely morning outings yesterday and today. The weather returned to its normal UP wonderfulness, so I headed out for 6 miles each day. The hitch is that I did nearly as much walking as running, both days. Mainly I just wanted to be more easy-going out there, and wound up alternating sections of running and walking. I think I'm fine with that -- it was meditative time, and for a cooler weather girl like me it was just such a pleasure to be feeling the breeze and breathing the clean UP air and feeling glad to be alive. All good.

Hello to the gang, and have a great weekend.

[badunnin]

Les is having a kegger! Must find my toga!

Susan - I wish! Just a great sale online - they actually took $5 for overnight shipping. :eek:

seathyme - I'm envious - I saw that the weather had broken up there. I admit, when I log in to weather.com, Houghton is one of the cities I track (along with London, Heidelberg, Toronto and Boston).

KIM! Concussion! Dang! I've had too many of them (5 serious) and know they are nothing to mess with. Please, take it really slow. The brain is not a fast healer. I'd take another day.

Off to bed!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Well, truth be told I may be having a kegger of sorts but probably not until next fall - I think we're going to have a bushel of blue crab and pony keg to celebrate our 25th Anniversary. When the date comes by you'll all get an invite. We might have to make it into a VRB get together and have everyone bring a side. ;)
Kim - I'm with Bethany, concusions are nothing to fiddle around with even though I don't have quite as much expereince. I hope you feel up to a run in the morning and you have a good run if you are up to it.
Susan - Ditto - the brick sounds like something the Marquis de Sade would come up with. But I bet when you get through it you'll feel ready for the race. Enjoy your rest day tomorrow and your food and bev tonight.
seathyme - There will be little break but I'll admit that I'm working my way down to next to nothing to do except route a couple items in the early part of next week and be at LW's beck and call once she gets here Tuesday evening. With that said it would be nice to have a week off but I just don't think that's in the picture right now. Congratulations on good UP weather too.

Sushi fest went well tonight. Coach and I had a ton 'o sushi and we reminisced about 7 years of training together (hard to believe I've been running with him since early 2000). He even gave me an autographed book - "26 Miles to Boston" that he had Frank Shorter sign when he ran the Oklahoma City Marathon this past year. I'm touched again. I came up with new scooters that I'm going to christen in the morning - Asics Gel Cumulus IX

http://www.asicsamerica.com/PROD_PIC/FALL_2007/MEDPIC/TN745_0150M.jpg

They felt good in the store, now for the swamp to really test them. :cool: Tomorrow is the last official run as a member of the team (will probably be on the road next week). Kind of melancholy - I hope I'm ok in the morning.

Speaking of which, I'm off to bed. Happy trails,
Les

[Elizabeth B]

Wow, lots of excitement and not all of it good.

Kim - How are you? Where were you driving when you were hit? These Nashville drivers are crazy!! Oh, and don't get me started on the elections...

Bethany - What kind of Brooks are those? If they're Adrenaline's, I might have to try to get myself a pair. Running shoes are so expensive, but so important. I got a $25 off coupon in a race bag recently and my shoes were still $80!

Susan - I'm anxious to hear whether "Hell Brick" lives up to its name - from the description of the workout, I bet it does. Please have a virtual cocktail for me.

Les - Are you talking about your coach that I met? I can tell that your running group will really miss you - it's a very supportive group and you're a big part of that. And a get-together in DC next fall sounds good to me! Count DH and me in!!

Kathy - I haven't posted about the neighborhood race in awhile, but it's the first time for this event. We're all hoping that it's successful so that we can keep doing it. It's an 8K with a 3K family fun-run. I've been incorporating the 8K course into my long runs and it's beautiful, but challenging.

This weekend is supposed to be beastly hot in Nashville - highs predicted between 95 and 98 (before the heat index). Which is just another reason why Kim doesn't need to be running. Unless I wake up VERY early in the morning, I don't think I'm going to run, although I may ride my bike or swim.

DH and I went on our first "movie date" in about 3 years to see the Bourne Ultimatim (sp?) tonight. It's a great movie if you liked the first 2 IMO. But pulling out of the mall parking lot, a FOX crossed our path! I was so glad DH was with me, because otherwise he never would have believed me. The mall is right across the Cumberland River from our neighborhood and there have been several fox sightings in our neighborhood recently, but to see a fox walking between the cars in a mall parking lot was very strange.

So, that's it for me - I'll let you know whether I get any runs in over the weekend, but typically my rule is that if the high is over 95 (pre-heat index), I don't run.

Take care, all and chat with you again soon!

[badunnin]

Betsy - they're the Radius, not the Adrenaline. At endless.com now (which is amazon's new venture), the Adrenalines are currently $95, which would be $90 after overnight shipping (I know! What kind of craziness is that!).

[kwormann]

Well, yall convinced me - after all it is 7 am and already 79...(and I HATE heat!). I may do the 3 mile "walk away the lbs" video. Im just so frustrated! Im a stress eater and in the past 2 months have put on 8 lbs (would love to get mad at Scott about that, but he didnt force my mouth open and put the food in...) and I am ready to GET IT OFF!

Plus, there is a fun run August 25 I Run For the Party - and it happens to be the day Scott moves out. It seems fitting to do a run that day. I want to be ready for it and since I really havent run since April, I am anxious to get going again...

Betsy, I was sitting at the RED turn light on Sidco waiting to turn left onto Harding. Two cars collided in the intersection right in front of me then slammed into me. Both airbags deployed, my windshield shattered and my hood bent up. Apparently the instrument panel was also damaged beyond repair. Of course, the other two cars who actually HAD the accident are pretty ok and no one else was injured...(ps I too am very unhappy about the election!)

Bethany, when you order shoes online, do you already know ones that you like then know what to order? I have found a pair that are keepers and would LOVE to get new ones for a better price!

Les, your anniversary party sounds like a BLAST!! Your wife is one lucky woman!

seathyme I am soooo jealous that you have cool air to breathe! I keep reminding myself that September isnt too far away, and when it gets here there are chances of a day here and there of cool air, and OCTOBER (my FAV month) is just around the corner.

If you run today, "take me with you" in spirit :)

[badunnin]

Kim - I'm glad you've decided not to run today, especially in the heat. Closed head injuries are nothing to mess with. Everything else will come in time. Believe me, I *know* how frustrating it is to be sidelined like that! How far is the "I Run for the Party" run?

As far as shoes, the last time I bought new shoes I went into a very reputable shop (which shall remain nameless!) and was fitted. It came down to the Adidas that I had been wearing but had ditched in favour of a pair of Mizunos (that, when push came to shove, I didn't love at all, and they are now my lawn mowing shoes) and the Brooks. I opted for the Brooks, but because money is a bit tight now, was considering going back to the Adidas. The Brooks that I found online were the same model as the last pair, different colour. (I'm almost wondering if, for $55, I should get another pair!)

Just waiting for the lawn to finish watering, enjoying the cooler air and a light breeze and a cup of coffee, then off to Costco and to mom and dad's to pick up a few things, drop off a few things, feed the critters, get in a workout (I'm thinking elliptical today?) then off to the cottage. Busy busy!

Susan - thinking strong thoughts for you today!

[SusanMac]

Kwormann - Car wrecks stress me out. At first I thought you had been hit while running (which would have been much worse!) Given the timing, you simply must do that fun run. Walk it if you need to. Don't stress about the weight too much (easier said than done!) You'll have plenty of time to get rid of that.

Eizabeth - I'm so impressed that you're involved w/planning a first-time fun run! Very cool.

Les - I just might show up for blue crab ;-)

Seathyme - How much longer are you in the UP? Is le chien loving it?

Just got back from a wonderful morning. Dog park. Farmers market. New tri top at the LBS :-) The weather for my rest day is lovely. Tomorrow, OTOH, is supposed to be rainy & humid. Grr. Good practice, I guess!

Anyone heard from Mary or Aggie lately??

[SusanMac]

P.S. The Ironman Hawaii 2006 Championship will be televised on NBC on Sun. Check out your local listing if you're interested. I saw this one earlier this year. It's a really good one. The men's race is very close. One of the age-groupers they profile is Sister Madonna Buder - the oldest IM finisher at 76 y.o.! Awesome woman.

[Leslie Ferguson]

That was a good call Kim to skip running on a hot and steamy morning. Like Susan said the pounds will come off once things get a little more sane. Isn't it "normal" that the cars involved in the accident didn't get too badly damaged. I hope the remainder of your concussion goes away quickly. How far is the Run for the Party? I'll virtually run on that day with you.
Betsy - That's one and the same coach - Charlie. It will be tough as Rock 'n Roll approaches really, that's when the whole group is getting together for a goodbye dinner. Funny thing on the trail today, I ended up running with a girl whose husband is an Air Force Officer who ran in the Country Music half-marathon last year. She had a great race and spoke highly of the whole event. Animals acting weird is never a good sign - that normally means bad things. Unless the fox was dashing to get out of the lot - that would be "normal." I hope you didn't have a bad run today.
Susan - Hope your brick goes well on Sunday. I bet you'd come down for Blue crabs, I'm really serious that we'll do it - just depends on how flush we are as to how many there will be.

I haven't heard from Mary or Aggie recently. Mary was having home issues if I remember but I'm not sure about Aggie - I think I last saw her on the thread about Lisa Lee from Surprise AZ.

Today's run... was quite mixed. It was hot and steamy, as expected in the swamp. Not a bad turn out and there was a group of 6 that started in the 7/1 (should have been 6/1 but that's a different story). I think we ended up doing 16 (give or take). Yes, I'm not sure because the down part of the run hit about 13.5 miles. One of my running partners took a tumble today :eek: which isn't too unheard of, we do spend a lot of time wallowing around in the dirt and muck on the trail. The unheard of part was when she fell (Betsy you may remember Rosemary) she broke her right pinkie/pinkie knuckle. :eek: :( With all the falls we've taken over the past 7 years this is the first really bad fall. We walked her about .6-.7 miles back to the road when a guy gave her a lift to her car. By the time we got there she was settled down enough to drive (since she couldn't get her husband on the phone - he was on the golf course). Once she got away we finished up - with the remaining 3+ miles. felt good and will probably be the longest run before Rock 'n Roll unless I find a group in DC to run with.

Besides that, did a little futzing around getting ready for retirement. Looking forward to having LW in town on Tuesday. :D

Hope everyone is having a decent weekend and I'll see you tomorrow.
Happy trails,
Les

[seathyme]

seathyme - I'm envious - I saw that the weather had broken up there. I admit, when I log in to weather.com, Houghton is one of the cities I track (along with London, Heidelberg, Toronto and Boston).


Well come on up, Bethany! You know how fabulous it is here. Actually DH and I are plotting to take over Manninen's Cabins when his uncle and aunt (now 78 years old) finally decide to stop running them. Step one would be a website.:rolleyes: Anyway when that happens, we'll have our VRB kegger in the UP! Meantime, please do come any time.:D

Les, I'm sorry your last run with the group was marred by an injury. Hope she is okay. Will you seek out another group in DC, or be doing those Saturday long runs solo for awhile?

Susan, thinking of you today doing that Brick from Hades. If you can still manage to type enough to log on afterwards, the answer to your question is that we have a little over two more weeks in the UP. It's gonna be hard to leave, sigh.

Kim, hope you're feeling better today, and that the heat will break enough to let you out the door soon!

Today's report: two deer, six cars, and -- for the first time ever -- another runner!:eek: He said, with typical midwestern understatement, "Well, it's unusual to meet someone running out here." Indeed.

Hello to Natasha, Kathy, Betsy, Vicci (how's it going?), and anyone else out there!

[Elizabeth B]

Hello all! Since it's too hot to be outdoors, I thought I'd check back in.

I did get in a 3-miler early this morning and even then (7 am), it was not fun. I don't think the problem was the temperature, but the high humidity (75%) and the poor air quality. Whatever the problem, I was gasping for air the whole time. The rest of the weekend has been spent cleaning, cooking and hanging out at home, something I haven't been doing much lately.

Les - That's terrible that Rosemary fell and broke her finger - thank goodness you were able to get her to a car quickly, though. I've fallen, run into trees, etc. while running but luckily haven't been hurt. The R&R 1/2 will be a nice reunion for you and your group. And I bet you and LW are both looking forward to reuniting with each other!

Kim - If you do Run For the Party, let me know how it is. I've actually never done that one because it's a summer evening race and I don't run well then. Last year, my friend's daughter's dance troupe performed and they had a great time. Enjoy the martini afterwards, too! I don't think I'm going to do another 5K until the Oktoberfest, which is another fun one.

Susan - I've been trying to sneak peeks at IM when I can wrestle the remote out of DH's hand. I read about Sister Madonna in RW and was so inspired by her. The race planning is very interesting - guess what the biggest expense is? Police for the course. I thought that the race management provided by the local running club would be the biggest expense, but was surprised to find out that they charge almost half of what the off-duty police officers charge.

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

[VictoriaL]

Wow, everybody has been really busy this weekend!

Kim, I hope that you're feeling better. Take it easy for a couple of days, though.

Les, I read somewhere a few years ago that the best way to "keep young" is to start a second career after retiring from your first. Seems like you're on track (pun definitely intended!). ;)

Thanks to all of you for talking running shoes. I've been thinking of replacing my trail runners next spring, and after reading (and seeing the photos on) your posts, I'm going to consider bumping that up a few months.

I ran last Wednesday and rounded a corner, almost tripping over a dead small deer at the edge of my running path. The cloud of flies had me running, screaming, for home. I'm not squeamish, but this was unexpected and a bit scary. I hadn't smelled anything because my allergies have been acting up... anyway, I wasn't too excited to go out again on Friday so I decided to prepare an area to exercise on these hot, steamy days where the temps are close to 80 by 9am. After 23 years we finally broke down and bought an a/c unit for the bedroom. I made a spot in the corner (beside the a/c, of course!) and rolled the exercise bike in there. I'm not thrilled with the bike since I love to run and consider the bike to be "winter exercise", but it is really hot and humid and I probably should stay inside on those steamy mornings when I can't get out before 8.

Seathyme, being relatively new to this board I have no idea what UP is! Please fill me in with a line or two. Thanks!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Wow - busy weekend and lots of good reports and lots of running.
saethyme - After all the other mammals you saw a runner today... "don't often see one..." would be an understatement. Six cars??? :confused: Was it rush hour? ;) At least for the near term I'll transfer to the Galloway program in DC since I've paid for the full year. I've been in touch with their director and he said they run on Saturday's there (for the same reason I can't run on Saturdays here). After the first of the year - I'll have to see. But when I was in Alexandria interviewing I was approached by a lot of students commenting on my Boston Marathon jacket and how they (1) just ran a marathon or (2) wanted to run something like a marathon so I may start a running seminarians group. :cool: My newest ministry.
Betsy - Sorry you didn't feel better yesterday but those conditions sound pretty tough to me. Some days it's hard to run just because it's Saturday (or any other day). I'll send your regards to Rosemary and I think she'll bounce back - she fell a couple years ago and should have taken 2-3 stitches in her chin and ran the next weekend - she's pretty resilient. You won't believe how much LW is waiting for me to get there. I won't hijack the thread but the m-f-h continues; tomorrow will be the third call to Comcast, third maintenance call to the office about the washer/dryer and shelf brackets in the kitchen. I hope your week is better than yesterday.
Vicci - I'm all for staying young and I'll be just 5 this year (I ignore the 10s digit - keeps you young). I'll say that biking is all year round in the swamp down here. There are many days when running would be out of the question with the heat and humidity - so biking is the only exercise option. My biggest thing is not riding the trainer inside in the summer, if the weather's that bad then it's perfect running weather (rain is the only reason I wouldn't ride outside in the summer). I'll steal for seathyme (and beg forgiveness) the UP is the Upper Peninsula in Michigan. Obviously a gift to the US this summer.

No run today and no weights. I needed to get my car to the shop and get a bunch of other things done and lifting would have been stressful and counter-productive. So I worked on my retirement speach then walked to my friend's house (~2.3 miles - that counts) then came home and talked to LW. Hopefully the rain has the desired effect and brings a heat reduction (not likely but one can hope).

I'll base my run tomorrow on the status and cost of my car in the shop. Maybe a run, maybe a ride, maybe nothing except working on my retirement.

Happy trails all and be safe out there,
Les

[SusanMac]

Happy Mon, gang! And thx for all the good vibes. They worked ;-)

Les - So glad you & LW got some time together. I can totally see you initiating a new run club. You'd be great at that.

Seathyme - speaking of which....sounds like you've got the makin's for a UP runner's club yourself!

Vicci - congrats on the AC ;-) Definitely don't blame you for training indoors in Aug.

Well, my Hell Brick turned out awesome, and I'm very proud, confident about IM, and psyched. Started out not so good....downpour all night all the way thru to 7am. Luckily, 2 of my girlfriends & I all agreed we'd just start a 9am & do our own thing. You could cut the air w/a knife, but the rain had at least stopped. The good news is that I conquered Blue Mounds, biking w/out stopping or walking, for the first time. It's a notorious hill in these parts & I had a personal goal. In fact, it wasn't even all that bad. So, that tells me I'm getting stronger than I realized. One of the girls felt a bit sick, so we cut it short at the end. We got in 90 miles on the bike, then I headed out for a run & got in 40 minutes. Felt good.

Thx for listening. Whew. I've got a massage scheduled later today, and no work meetings to boot :-)

[kwormann]

Hello all

I HATE when it is 82 at 5 am.....I guess it is indoor aerobics for another week...(supposed to be 100 for 3 days this week!)

The race I want to do is a 5k. I guess I got freaked out by Runners World's rules about running 4 miles before a 5k, and the most I will have done by then is 2, but since I am not trying to WIN, just have FUN, it probably wont be an issue.

BTW Bethany, how have you had FIVE concussions???

Betsy, I want to do the Octoberfest run. It looks fun!

Susan, I am impressed by your level of fitness!!!

Well, found out friday my car is totaled...guess this week can only go up! :)

Happy runs for those that can :)

[badunnin]

Kim - I haven't had 5 concussions. It's actually probably closer to 10. I've just had 5 serious ones. ;) I played ice hockey at a fairly high level for close to 25 years.

Susan - you definitely earned that massage!

Les - so, final week, eh?

seathyme - Ooooh, that offer is so tempting! I will definitely have to make a trip up to that area soon - it's been WAY too long. I'm hoping next summer (when I get out of a lease car and am not counting the miles anymore...)

Victoria - the UP isn't a term from the CLBB - it's the Upper Peninsula (of Michigan). I used to live there, and seathyme spends some time there every summer. :D (oops, just noticed that Les fielded this one as well!)

Went up north this weekend. Did 30 minutes elliptical and 15 minutes run on the TM before I left, then drove my bike into town and back (3 miles each way) when I needed orzo. Now, I'm not a biker, and after the morning workout, I was definitely feeling it! Yesterday was an off day, and I stopped for a run on my way home tonight. It was hot as snot in the room where the TM is (my old bedroom), and I was convinced it was going to be crappy. It actually was really great! Just did 30 minutes, but I didn't feel like I was dying afterwards.

[VictoriaL]

Oh Susan,
We got in 90 miles on the bike, then I headed out for a run & got in 40 minutes. Felt good.
I read that and my mouth was gaping. Geez. Wow. Totally impressive!

Les, then I'll turn 5 next April! Nice way to keep count... ;)

Seathyme, the upper penninsula of MI is on place on our list to travel to when we have the opportunity. DH used to live in Ann Arbor and knew a family with a place somewhere up there that he visited a few times and has told me over and over how great it is. I never knew about the UP moniker, though.

I was all set to use the exercise bike this morning when DH snagged it first so I went downstairs to let the cat out and noticed that the thermometer read only 71. Okay, since it is forecast to be in the low 90's for most of the week, I jumped on the chance to take a run. I, obviously, avoided the dead deer area. But I have never run in such humidity! It was a little opressive on my way out to the woods, but once I entered that tree-enclosed sauna, my glasses fogged up and didn't really clear until I went back to the house. Amazingly, I did 50 minutes. I felt like a wrung-out washrag...

[Leslie Ferguson]

Les - so, final week, eh?
Certainly is. And if you can believe it I was in the office until 6:15 this evening ("normal hours" are from 7:30 - 4:00) for the secondteleconference of the day. But, the end is in sight. :D Now just to keep from losing my mind even more as I clean out my desk for one last time. :(
Victoria - the UP isn't a term from the CLBB - it's the Upper Peninsula (of Michigan). I used to live there, and seathyme spends some time there every summer. :D (oops, just noticed that Les fielded this one as well!)
Sorry I stole this one from you - mea culpa. :eek:

Susan - I too am impressed with 90 miles biking and 40 minutes running, back to back. Not even in my wildest fantasies. ;) Tomorrow, will be the day that I see LW for the first time since the 22nd - looking forward to it too. :D
Vicci - Glad you like my counting for age - keeps life interesting and honestly, little kids have the great toys too. :cool: Congratulations getting 50 minutes run in the humid conditions too.

Today was awash. With 3 1/2 hours of teleconference, no car, no hot water at work (to shower even if I could get out and run), AND 100+ heat index (climbing to 110 by late afternoon) I think it was best to avoid running today. Top that off with my "fixed" flat tire on my road bike wasn't fixed. Good thing I didn't ride it back from the shop yesterday isn't it?

Maybe tomorrow - before LW gets here... one can only hope.

Happy trails all,
Les

[Kathy B]

Hi, all! I finally got back out for a run today, even though I had to be at work by 9:00 AM for a meeting. Probably helped my pace, come to think of it! Anyway, it was certainly outside of my usual comfort range with a temp of 83 at 6:30 AM, and high humidity.

Which brings me to a question....I walked about a half block (uphill) after I finished and then stopped and chatted with a neighbor for 7-8(?) minutes before walking the other 1/2 block home. When I got home, I checked my HR, and was surprised to find it was still in the 110s-120s range. :eek: That seemed really high to me, since my resting HR is around 55-60 and I had finished my run at least 10 minutes earlier. Do you think it was due to the humidity and heat? Actually, it is the first time I have ever checked it after a run, so I don't have anything to compare it to. (I just read something the other day about recovery rates, so thought I'd check.)

I did NOT feel particularly exhausted. Certainly very sweaty, but I expected that. I could pretty easily have run longer if I'd had further to go. Really, just the same as usual after a 4 mile run. Any thoughts? Should I be concerned? (I already am, actually!)

Great job on your Hell Brick, Susan, and I'm glad it went so well for you. Hope you had a fabulous massage!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Kathy, heat, humidity, and hydration (and electrolytes too) make a difference in your performance and recovery. Trust the man who routinely runs in the swamp. It sounds like you are fine, a little spent but fine.

Hope that helps.

Les

[SusanMac]

Les - Awesome retirement program!

I'm sitting here trying to get motivated for a bike ride. It's been raining all morning, but I think it's finally drying out. Yesterday was a rest day & my massage was wonderful :-)

[Natasha]

Hi all!

Great workouts going on here. Good job all!!

Les, glad you and LW are finally going to be reunited :) Say hi to her from me! I also thought the retirement program was fantastic. Very impressive and classy.

Susan, congrats on the H-e-double hockey sticks Brick! :D

Kathy, I second Les' comments. Take care of yourself though and keep an eye on it if it happens again :)

Kim, sorry to hear about your accident :( Hang in there! I think the idea of a fun run on the 25th is a good one, if you're up to it. Might be a good therapeutic thing to do.

We had a long weekend here and went camping as we generally do this particular long weekend. The weather was fabulous and we had a wonderful time. Relaxing yet active, with (obviously) lots of paddling, but also swimming and trekking around. I also read 1 1/2 books of fluff :) I will try to post pictures later this week.

Today I ran and now need to do yoga. It is raining heavily here and I'm so glad. The past four weeks have been bone dry here! Amazingly, just a few hours away the water levels were higher than usual.

Oh! Oh! I've been to the UP! Just had to add that ;)

Take care, all,
Natasha

[SusanMac]

Kathy - That HR seems a touch high, but I wouldn't be alarmed, esp since it's just once. Try to look at it after your cool downs more often & see if it's a trend. Could've been the hill, even tho you were walking. Heat/humidity definitely keep it high. Or, maybe your neighbor stressed you out ;-)

Nat - Would love to see some pics! It's been ages since we've seen Cabot.

Just returned from a very tiring & uninspiring 50-mile bike ride. Still clearly tired from Sun. And, it was one of those days where you have a headwind on the way out. Turn around. And still have a headwind on the way back. I *hate* that!! At least the sun & blue skies are finally out

[Leslie Ferguson]

Thanks Susan and Natasha about the program, I'm happy with it and they picked some good pictures of me - I especially liked the one with Galilee in the background. Not to leave anyone out too, I tried to send it to as many as I had e-mail for and I haven't figured out where to post the pdf for people to grab it. If anyone can point me in the right direction or cares to see the product PM or e-mail me (it's available in my profile). I'm going to have them record the ceremony and they're going to burn it onto DVD so I'm going to have that available too. But not for download because I bet the DVD would be huge.

Susan - Riding back into a headwind is NO FUN. But at least it was bright and not stormy or overcast. Your race is shortly isn't it? Or am I remembering a 1/2 IM in your future?
Natasha - It sounds like a four-day weekend was just the thing for you, and I too would love to see some pictures. Heck, maybe we can swap pictures for DVD. ;) LW says hi! too

Beastly temperatures abound in Tidewater - Heat Index in the neighborhood of 110 today and between 105 and 110 tomorrow. Excuse today -- too many things to do to wrap up business and had o get my chariot out of the shop. That and I had to see LW. :cool: :D Didn't run or ride but had a great time laughing with LW and our hosts. Plus there was dinner - tuna burgers (chopped tuna with spices grilled like hamburgers), fresh corn and green beans, tomato salad with feta and basalmic dressing w/pound cake and strawberries for dessert. I can't take too many days like this - at least after the stress wears off.

Tomorrow - the heat will be here. LW will be in town but I need to get out and do something, even if it's only ride.

Until tomorrow, keep hydrated and cool,
Les

[Kathy B]

A little cooler here this AM with a temp of 76 as I headed out. Got in 5 miles. Thanks for the feedback on the HR thing. It seemed better today (decreased a little more quickly), maybe due to the cooler temps and a little less humidity, but I think I'll get a cheap watch to stick in my pocket so I can check my rate in a more timely fashion. The article I was reading said you should check it immediately when you stop, then again in two minutes. Since I walk the last block or so, that doesn't work very well. Anyway, I will definitely keep my eye on it.

Natasha, your camping weekend sounds wonderful! Glad you had a good time, but then, how could you do anything else with those kinds of activities? :)

Another great meal under your belt Les! Somebody is a good cook! Hope your workout today isn't too grueling with the high temps.

Susan, A headwind out AND back? :confused: How did THAT happen? You definitely need a different route! (Or a better weatherman!)

Off to help at the church Super Sale (a mega garage sale). I am working in Books, my favorite place. I bought an electric ice cream make for $2 yesterday, and I am planning to try it out tonight. I've already oiled the motor, and I have a custard base chilling in the frig. We'll see how it goes.

Have a good one!

[SusanMac]

Kathy - so glad weather let up enough for you to get out. The SuperSale sounds like trouble to me! I've had a big closet purge on my to-do list for the past month

Just got back from a really great run. 90 minutes. Nothing special. It just felt good & smooth. Nice change from yesterday. Now I'm on a 4-hour conf call....& really, really bored :-)

[badunnin]

Just a really nice, 35 minute run on the TM today. Hot as heck outside I tell you. Think my body is fighting something - my neck is sore, and my glands are swollen. Hopefully I can keep myself healthy!

[Natasha]

Les, sounds like an idyllic evening. :) Did you manage to fit in your ride today? If not, I can see why with everything going on!!

Susan, I'm with you on the Super Sale sounding scary ;) Good luck with your closet clean out! I did a huge clothes purge a couple of months ago when my mom (the Queen of Clean) was over, and that felt great. However, the things we tend to accumulate the most are books and gear. :rolleyes: DH and I both love books, so we keep needing to find new places to store them -- and that's despite a serious library habit that keeps book purchases down. And I won't even go into the gear... but what is life without a few obsessive hobbies, right? :D

Kathy, on that subject, how was the sale? Good idea to keep a watch with you and keep monitoring, but I'm glad things were more normal this past run!

Today was an extremely productive day, capped by a simple but tasty dinner and an hour long bike. 's about it from here.

Hi to Vicci, Mary, Kim, Seathyme, and everyone else.
Natasha

[seathyme]

Hi gang,

Les, you must be getting very excited for Friday. Congratulations on a huge milestone!

Natasha, I agree that your weekend sounded really fun. Glad today went well too.

Bethany, I'm impressed you ran despite not feeling great. Get better there, k?

Kathy, I would imagine the heat had a lot to do with your elevated HR. I have also read that even subtle illness can elevate your HR too -- don't know if that was a factor. Doesn't sound like a big deal, but probably wise to check it for awhile and get some comparisons.

Susan, I love how psyched for the IM you sound. You are a VRB heroine at this point.:D

Vicci, the others answered your UP question. We are just extremely lucky to have inherited a piece of land on a lake in the Keweenaw Peninsula where we built a small cottage a couple of years ago. Originally we tent camped here, and then bought a brown and orange 1978 Layton trailor. Five years of that preceded the plunge to build this amazing little place where I now sit. It's a piece of paradise, truly.

And not to rub it in y'all, but the weather here is grand. And DH's uncle and aunt do run some small tourist cabins (genuine rustic Finnish log cabins) down the lake, so a VRB gathering some summer would be totally possible. You just have to be willing and able to get here, which admittedly is a feat from most parts of north america.

Recent days here have included hikes, yoga and a long canoe paddle on the lake. Tomorrow I intend to run and will report back on the deer situation.

Hi to Kim, Betsy and anyone else lurking!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Bethany - Ditto here - I hope you aren't really coming down with something that is really yucky. Get better or stay well - you hear?

And not to rub it in y'all, but the weather here is grand. And DH's uncle and aunt do run some small tourist cabins (genuine rustic Finnish log cabins) down the lake, so a VRB gathering some summer would be totally possible. You just have to be willing and able to get here, which admittedly is a feat from most parts of north america.

Recent days here have included hikes, yoga and a long canoe paddle on the lake. Tomorrow I intend to run and will report back on the deer situation.
Go ahead and rub it in :) it was just 103 (dry bulb) with about 85% humidity and heat indices in excess of 110 again today. Oy Vey! I'm not sure I'm ready to have a retirement on Friday but obviously a moment of sanity caused me to bring the retirement inside instead of having it on the river. I'm game to try to get to the UP some time for a VRB event - we'll make our own race - maybe we can even convince the adventure racer to give us some adventure racing pointers. ;) And it's good hearing from you, looking forward to a neat report about deer on the UP.

I hope the sale goes well Kathy and that you don't contribute too much to the profits of the sale. :cool: ;) It sounds so fun too.
Natasha - Congrats on a good ride and a tasty dinner. Who cooked? You or DH?

I had a good day today. I rode for about 45-50 minutes, nothing stellar but realized at the first stop for traffic that the asphalt was EXTREMELY HOT! As long as I kept moving it was bearable. Still worthwhile to get inside.

Oddity of the day, it has really started to settle in that retirement is really coming very soon. I signed all 8 copies of my discharge certificate today (that will still have to be attested and delivered on the first day of September). But sitting there - it put a pit in my stomach that it was true.

I'm going to try and not think about that though - it's going to be a real celebration. Dinner with most of my family tomorrow (for those in the know, the Lynnhaven Fish House) and then the big day.

Take care and stay cool and hydrated out there. Happy trails,
Les

[SusanMac]

Seathyme - Well, now that we've all invited ourselves to your place....;-) I'd be really interested in VRB in the UP gig next summer. DH & I have wanted to go there for several years, but just haven't done it.

Les - Not surprised about the stomach pit. It's got to be a surreal, bittersweet feeling.

Nat - I can't even imagine how much gear 2 avid campers & adventure racers have! That's why God gave us basements :-)

Yucky weather this morning, so no swim. Last night went to a really fun tri clinic held by a girlfriend. There were about 5 of us. She demonstrated how to do flying mounts on the bike (which I won't be trying until post IM!) & how to improve transitions. Today is long run day. For some reason, I'm much better at running when it's overcast & muggy than cycling.

[Kathy B]

Yoga and weights for me today, probably a long walk with the dog later. I'm working the weekend so plan to do my third run tomorrow.

Susan, trying to imagine myself doing a flying mount keeps ending up with me laughing a lot. :p Doubt that one is in my future!! I did go with DS and got the bikes aired up last night. It always seems to be halfway through the summer before we get that done. Hopefully it won't be long before I can get out for a spin.

Seathyme, a VRB get together in the UP sounds like it could be really fun! All of your posts about hikes, canoes, great weather, etc... make it sound very inviting!

The sale is going well, and I have only spent about $10 (not counting the pieces of pie I keep having to buy for DS! :rolleyes: ;) ) The ice cream freezer worked fine and we had homemade vanilla for dessert last night. :) YUM! Believe it or not, the church usually makes $10,000 - $12,000 on the sale every year and the money goes towards maintaining the church building....replacing old carpet, fixing the roof, repairing or upgrading electrical stuff, etc.... It's been going on for probably 40+ years, and the whole community comes to shop and eat spaghetti (and pie)! It ends today, so I am going back over to help box up the leftovers. Several charities come by and take it all away to their thrift stores, etc....

[Natasha]

Ooh, I'm all over a VRB get-together in the UP!! :D I'd love to go over the Mackinac Bridge again and to see the UP when I'm less sleep-deprived than I was the last time ;)

Kathy, that pie must be really good! Does DS have a favourite flavour?

Susan, I'd guess we have about as much gear as two endurance triathletes do ;) Fortunately our basement has a good crawl space for us to organize gear (other than the clothes). Speaking of gear, did I tell you guys that I counted my technical shirts recently? Guess how many I had?

*drumroll*

27

And yes, I wear most of them regularly. It doesn't take too long to go through them! I am thinking of doing something with them though. I know someone in the 50 States Club who had her shirts made into a quilt. It looks phenomenal. I don't think I'm brave enough to cut up my lovely shirts though!!

Oy, have I digressed.

Les, I cooked last night but the night before DH improvised and made a pasta dish that was very good. He *thinks* he remembers how he made it (a bit of this, a bit of that...). We both cook like that a lot, which means sometimes the exact dish is hard to duplicate again. Ah well...

Have a great afternoon, runfolk!!

Nat

[SusanMac]

Correction...that should be "VRB in da' UP" :-)

Kathy - Wow, that is one impressive church sale.

Nat - do you mean running shirts from races? Or did you only count the nice Coolmax-types? 27 is a heck of a lot. I have a race shirt quilt project on my to-do list for this winter, but will only cut up the cotton ones (notice how my to-do list is pretty long?? oi)

Had a really good run today. My longest LSD run this year. 2:30. Legs were tired, but I kept a pretty steady pace. Next week, it will start getting shorter.

[Natasha]

Great job, Susan, and happy run tapering!

The shirts are all technical (Coolmax or other such fabrics). Some are from races (maybe 10, but I think fewer - I don't race a ton) but the rest are not. They're ones I've picked up over the years, gotten as gifts, gotten as freebies from the admin assist at work... ;) I have very few cotton T-shirts from races. Those I wouldn't have minded sacrificing for a quilt, but there aren't close to enough to make a good one.

Hey Les, do you think LW would like to be commissioned to do a bunch of VRB quilts? :p

Off for a hike in this lovely COOL weather, and hopefully a run later in the evening :)

Edited to report that I did get in the hike and the run. Now to stretch and put my feet up!

Happy trails to one and all!
Natasha

[Leslie Ferguson]

Hey Les, do you think LW would like to be commissioned to do a bunch of VRB quilts? :p
On a drive by... that would depend on timing and work load but deals can be struck. ;)

Still working on my speech but will have to let it go soon. Today at work... things like this aren't supposed to happen on your last day at work... I'll post tomorrow or on another thread because it would be way OT.

Peace to all and thank you for your support.
Les

[MaryH]

So how far is Wausau from the UP? (Apparently my parents now have a condo in Wausau.) :p

I am in San Diego this week with DDs. I found a yoga center that had a deal of $10 for 10 days. What's not to like. Question though for all you yoga experts - I know there is a type of yoga that is done in a really warm room. But are most studios heated? Because this one is and I keep thinking - heck, they could all just come to Fresno and do the class outside and it would be the same thing. :)

Oh and Kathy, my favorite instructor in Fresno the other day was good naturedly teasing some new people and telling them about a "flying" downward dog (and the funniest part was they had NO idea he was teasing) as well as "flointing" which was his word for flexing and pointing (usually the feet) at the same time.

And I actually RAN this morning. YKYRW - you search your daughter's Ipod for a good 5-10 minutes while running trying to find the podcast you had loaded onto it from the Couch to 5K series, finally give up and put on a song you like, only to discover 15 minutes later when it ends that it's part of the podcast you were searching for. :)