Virtual Running Buddies (week of 2/15/08)

[TKay]

I guess I'm starting us off again this week. Isn't it funny that I'm on the West Coast yet seem to get here first on a Friday? Or are the rest of you sand-bagging, waiting for someone else to go first? :D

I'm happy to report a comfortable 40-minute TM run followed by 20 minutes on the elliptical. While I do still feel my shins, they are no longer in pain. Wahoo!

I thought of Victoria this morning when I slipped on the steps down to the den (think that's why they call them "slippers?"). I sort of jammed a straight leg into the floor and for a brief moment, thought I'd torn or somehow injured something around my knee. I was very bummed. After a bit, my leg felt fine, and it didn't bother me on my run. Whew!

KathyB - Great going on the 50-min TM run. And thanks for asking about the boys' V-day. They were really surprised my sister and dh showed up at school and they were SO happy. Their faces just lit up.
Les - I hope you get in that run with all you've got going on this weekend. Take care of yourself.
Seathyme - Yes, yoga is great. I haven't done it in some time, so getting back into it has been fun. Nice job on that 5-miler.
Susan - So do you have to ride the trainer with reading glasses on to follow the subtitled movie? ; )
Natasha - How did your spin with dh go?
Newsomz - I hope dh is well enough to get back to those stadiums with you. Hmm. That's some incentive, huh? Good job on the speedy 5K. I checked out the Nike+ last weekend and it looks like a good training tool.

How's everyone else doing this lovely Friday?

[aggie94]

Great news, TKay! You don't realize how much you take running without pain for granted when you start having pain. Yay for recovery. :)

I had planned a short treadmill run today, but my running buddy emailed me last night and wanted to run this evening. My bosses are out of town :p so I am leaving early today to go to my personal training session, then meet up for a run. If we can keep the rain at bay, we'll probably aim for 5 miles.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

[SusanMac]

Thk for starting, TKay! I am in absolutely the best mood today, but have no idea why. Do you ever wake up just feeling good? It was kind of a slow day at work, too, which helped. I could work on whatever I wanted w/out constant interruptions.

Aggie - Happy bday! Enjoy Sedona. DH's bday is also this weekend. We're going out for nice dinner on Sat, then I'm making lamb on Sun (his fav, but I rarely make it at home)

Newsomz - Stadiums in Feb? Aren't they too icy? ;-)

Legolas - any plans for this weekend that you'd like to share with us??

Didn't get in my workout today (I don't have a good excuse either). But, definitely plan on Sat & Sun (which is another hunker down for 8" of snow day!)

Have a great weekend everyone!

[VictoriaL]

Tkay, I’m taking your word that my muscles are going to remember their pre-accident shape! I am so glad that you didn’t injure yourself this morning, and that your shins are behaving. Could you do a beach-run for me sometime soon?

Carrie, Susan beat me to the comment that came to my mind when you mentioned running stadiums…

Nat, I always thought of everywhere in Canada as being very snowy in the winter. Sounds like you’re enjoying this year’s “excess” snow. Wish some of it were here-- we had 3" then it rained then turned to ice.

Les, you’re quite right about time healing pain. And a good nights’ sleep and and some good food doesn’t hurt, either. May your healing continue.

Aggie, hope that you got in a nice run tonight and that the rain held off.

Susan, congrats on the Good Mood Day. They’re always a nice bonus, right? :)


After 5 weeks, the swelling on my ankle and foot have subsided enough that it actually has a shape now rather than being just a big puff-ball, and my toes look less like short Vienna sausages. Healing marches on… ;) I started to wrap a leg weight just below the knee of my injured leg to do a little work on my knee and quad. So far so good. I probably have unrealistic expectations of tossing the aircast aside and going out for a run, but I want to be prepared.

DH left for 3 hours yesterday so I hopped around the kitchen and made him some spicy peanut butter cookies as a Valentine’s Day treat. Then some spiced nuts, and put together an orange-soy marinade for salmon for dinner. This absolutely exhausted me! But it was nice to be “doing”, for a change. :)

I hope that the weekend is a good one for everybody!

[Natasha]

Hi all! TKay, thanks for starting us off this week. How awesome about your pain-free run! Our spin was good the other day, thanks.

Eva, how was the 5 miler?

Susan, yes, those good mood days rock! :D Glad you had one of those. I didn't have Valentine's cookies the other day but had a few chocolates earlier in the day if that counts. I saw you made the homemade Pop Tarts. Those look cute and I'm glad to hear they were tasty. I'd like to try making them sometime.

Vicci, that's wonderful that you're continuing to heal and actually managed to cook and bake. DH must have been so surprised (in a good way)! Please continue to go slow with the exercises and make sure you don't aggravate anything.

I took a day off yesterday because for the past couple of days the front of my hips have been bugging me on and off. I think - and DH and my RMT agree - that it's "snowbankitis". Some of the snowbanks here are so high that when a short person like me climbs up and over, there's a lot of work for the glutes (my right glute was incredibly knotty) and it was manifesting in the front of my legs. We'll see how they feel today.

Earlier this winter my feet were hurting and it turned out to be "bumpy-ice-itis" (there was this nasty ice that would melt and freeze and was impossible to walk on). Such crazy weather we've been having this winter!

Vicci, lots of people have that same impression about Canada :) I have to say that this winter is really very unusual for this area. Normally we get a storm or two in the winter and the rest of the time is pretty moderate. There are also parts of Canada like Vancouver and Victoria that get very little snow at all!

I think someone on the last thread asked about whether I ride in the snow. I can't ride outdoors quite yet - I don't think there will be any road riding for me until at least the middle of March, maybe later. It'll depend on what happens with the snow and ice. I probably won't start trail riding until April or so. Oh, well - good thing I like my bike trainer, right? ;)

Betsy, how are you doing? Have you heard from Kim lately?

Today we might hike (though take it easy!) and spin, and I should also do weights and core. Have a great Saturday, all - Les, Mary, Legolas (how was the latest date?), ktg, mgs, Meg, Felice, and everyone else.

Natasha

[TKay]

Aggie - Glad you got to sneak off early for a workout. Hope your run went well. Here's to a great weekend away!
Susan - Ooh, I love those days. Glad you had such a good one--and hope the mood continues through the weekend. Let us know how your runs/spins/whatever else goes.
Victoria - I didn't realize your foot and ankle remained that swollen! Yikes. You poor thing. That's great that you were able to do some cooking. You're on the mend. You know, I used to live about a block from the beach and I would run and/or walk there everyday. I was so spoiled. I rarely go there anymore, but I will make an effort to get down there in your honor. There are some major stairs leading to and from the sand I used to love to run.
Natasha - Living in a non-weather area, I hadn't even thought about winter-related injuries. Take care of your hips. I hope they don't keep you from getting in some workouts--and some fun too.

I will likely take the day off from any official workouts. I've got bike rides, park time and basketball scheduled with the kids. Oh, that and building a million-piece Lego set. These boys keep me on my toes. Dh is out training or he'd be on the building project.

One other note. My shins feel great today. I'm thinking all the stretching involved in those yoga classes really helped. My calves are notoriously tight, so getting them looser may have done the trick (along with rest, ibuprofen, ice, etc). Whew.

Happy weekend everyone!

[Natasha]

Just popping in for a few more relay thoughts for 2009 or beyond!

These are the races put on by People Burning Fat Productions (love the name): :D

http://www.americanodysseyrelay.com/welcome.html - this one will do its inaugural run in 2009 and goes through PA, MD, and DC (and maybe more)
http://www.renotahoeodyssey.com/
http://www.arizonaodyssey.com/

This one looks so cool but it would be *tough*:

http://www.bjr.ca/ - Banff Jasper Relay in Alberta, Canada

There's also the Cabot Trail Relay which my run club has done twice about and just loved, but that's seriously far/inconvenient for most people - it's in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Okay, off to spin and then have dinner. We did hike and basically enjoyed a sunny day here before the next storm hits. TKay, you've earned that day off and I'm glad your shins feel so good! Knock on wood!

[Elizabeth B]

Hello all!

Les - I'm sorry I'm so late with this, but I was sorry to hear about your cousin. I hope that you and your family are doing okay. My father lost a close cousin several years ago and it really hit him hard.

TKay - YEAH - your shins are doing so well!! That's exciting news around here.

Vicci - TKay is right - your muscles do remember! After I finally started running after an injury a few years ago, I could literally feel my legs wanting to run, but it took a couple of weeks for the rest of my body to catch up to them. After that, I was fine.

Natasha - I haven't heard from Kim lately. The last I saw, she was previewing menus for a special someone over on Good Food. It sounded very promising (the date, I mean), so I hope that's all working out for her.

Susan - Yes, sometimes I feel good for no real reason - actually I feel like that a lot - I think it's from the running. I feel badly for the people who feel crummy for no real reason - that must stink.

My running has been going well lately - so well that I'm almost afraid to mention it. Compared to my other half marathon training, I've been running more miles during the week and I think it's really helping, both with recovery and with my stamina. We were supposed to do a 10-miler today with the first 6 on the very hilly course and the rest on more of a rolling course. But we felt so good that we ran 11, with the last 2 miles at a decent clip.

Tonight DH and I are having our next door neighbors over for dinner, which I'm looking forward to. And tomorrow, DH and I have planned one of our favorite outings - breakfast at our favorite place and a trip to the art museum here.

That's all for me - have a great weekend, everyone

[seathyme]

Betsy, how great that your training is going so well! Feel free to talk about that here and inspire us. :)

Natasha, I'm sorry about the pain you've had but had to LOL at your diagnoses of snowbankitis and bumpy-ice-itis. I understand both those conditions too well, though we've had less potential this winter than you've had. You guys have had quite a brutal season!

TKay, love your description of your boys' faces lighting up when you and DH and your sister showed up at school. Sounds like a "priceless" moment. So glad your shins are feeling better. Another vote for yoga...

Vicci, you really are on the mend, yay. I was going to say something irritating like, "Wow, has it been five weeks already?" But thought that might not go over so well.;) Hang in there, and enjoy the visible progress!

Susan, sounds like you're giving DH a great birthday weekend. Did you get out today before yet another snow storm?

I've been a bit distracted lately as we are possibly about to buy a house. If it works out I'll be living across the street from a large woodsy reservation where many people trail run. I've always been a road runner myself, so this would be an interesting new challenge -- particularly the part about not getting lost...:rolleyes: Maybe a GPS is in my future. I won't jinx the house thing by saying more about it at this point, but suffice to say there's a lot of energy going into the process just now.

That said, I did get out for 5.5 miles this morning after missing a planned run yesterday. Felt great for the most part too.

Happy weekend everyone!

[newsomz]

TKay - Glad to hear you got a nice TM run in! Yoga works wonders. I hope you had a good bike ride this weekend. I went Friday afternoon with a coworker and it was lovely. We got in around a 20 mi ride. I think we're going to go each Friday afternoon. It is nice to sneak out early and get a good ride in.

Aggie - I hope you had a great run. It is always nice to sneak out early on Friday :)

Susan - I had exactly the same Friday! I woke up feeling great and had a really nice day. It's funny.. I always think I want to live somewhere cooler but then after hearing about Natasha's snow (and weather related injuries) and everyone else having to stay inside... Hmm. I suppose I should rethink :)

Vicci - Sounds like you had a fun V-day. I hope your recovery continues speedily! But be careful and don't push too much.. we don't want you hurt for longer :(

Natasha - Yikes with the snow! And inside until March.. Hmm. Anyhow, I am very tempted by the relays. I was looking last week at the links you sent and I'm a little confused at how it works.. Would there be a team car so everyone can ride to the next swapping point? Do you run overnight?

Betsy - I am glad to hear your running is going well. Are you on a specific training plan? What half marathon are you going to run? Hope you're having a great dinner!

Well, no running updates.. Only the bike ride on Friday. Tomorrow is my run and I'll be doing a 7K run. I convinced my sister to get Nike+ so hopefully we'll set up a challenge soon :) We're also planning to run a 1/2-marathon sometime late in the year (Nov or Dec).

[Kathy B]

50 min on the TM for me yesterday. And some yoga.

newsomz, nice that you can run with your sister. Sounds like fun!

Seathyme, sending good, non-jinxing vibes your way! Must be a really large woods if you need a GPS....

Tkay, doesn't sound like a workout would fit into THAT schedule! It does sound like a good day with the family, though.:) I didn't get a workout in today either. We had OOT visitors overnight, and stayed up late playing cards. Today we took them to see the WWI museum downtown, then out for the famous Gates BBQ. (After they left, we went home and I took a nap!) The museum was really interesting...we will have to go back again on our own.

Happy Birthday aggie and Susan's DH...enjoy the festivities!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Thanks for starting TKay and I'll second the cheer for no shin pain. I've had a chance to read all the notes but it's getting late and I'll hold off on posting more until tomorrow. I've been laying low this weekend with ~60 people (~40 potential students) on campus this weekend and we've been providing plenty of hospitality - I sponsored a couple and showed them around campus and made them feel at home, we had a fabulous dinner, and went to a variety show put on by the students that almost had me crying it was so funny. That and I had to use some of my momentum and study when I felt like it today so I'll try to run tomorrow after dropping two folks off at the airport.
Vicci - couldn't pass it up though - all those things really do help you heal - food, sleep, and decompression time. I hope that you continue to make progress with you ankle.

Interesting data poiont that my advisor mentioned on Friday - she asked me to recount all the things that I have done since the first week in August (retire, move, start classes, holidays, a death, etc.) and then think about why I may have some inertia to overcome. Didn't think about that did I?

Happy trails all,
Les

[SusanMac]

Newsomz - That's not completely indoors until March! Just for the cycling. Nat is a wonder when it comes to running, snowshoeing, hiking & doing pretty much everything else outdoors in all kinds o' weather. Don't rule out a 4-season home just yet ;-)

TKay - your family-packed weekend sounds fun!

Nat - I will definitely check out those links!

Victoria - so glad you can do a bit of leg exercises now!

Yesterday was a great bike spin. DH's pre-b-day dinner was fab. The restaurant definitely lived up to its reputation. I'm hoping to squeeze in another spin today. My business trip originally planned for Tues is now Mon, so I'm scrambling to get ready. Grrrr.

[VictoriaL]

Ouch, Nat! That “snowbank-itis" must affect your hip flexors, too. I was organizing some old photos and it seems as though we had a lot more snow here for a few years in the mid-80’s. Some photos were of me building a snow cave in the piles along the garage, digging out the mailbox, etc. In some of the views I could see, on the sides of the house, that there was at least a foot, and sometimes close to 2, of snow. I read, somewhere before Christmas, that our area will have the climate of Alabama within 50 years. Scary…
For now, though, enjoy your atypical snowfalls! Well, I know that you are… ;)

TKay, what do the boys make with a million pieces of Lego? And where on earth do you display such a creation??? And get to that darn beach, would you? I get all happy just thinking about taking a beach-run!

Betsy, thank you for confirming what TKay said about “muscle memory”. It can’t come soon enough! And you’re doing so well in your training—congratulations on that extra mile!

Seathyme, yes it has been five weeks and I would’ve known that you would never say anything to irritate me! :) The new house sounds fun, especially if you don’t have to sell one as well. The market is a buyers’ one, that’s for sure. And a wooded area where you can trail run just across the street, how great is that?! Keep us posted.

Carrie, good luck on the 7k today!

KathyB, I always nap after guests leave! I’m glad I am not the only one… ;)

Les, you’ve had a busy 6 months, there! Decompress frequently.

Susan, DH hates out-of-town business trips that start on Monday. Have a safe one.

Not much to report on. Pre-accident, I often took Sunday “off” of stretching but I don’t feel as though I can miss it now. The doc told me that, at 5 weeks, I could start putting some weight on the ankle if I felt comfortable, but I don’t know about that. It’s still swollen, so I may wait a bit longer. For now, I shall sit and type a recipe in to my blog then read (I finally started The Kite Runner)

Hope everyone has a nice, easy transition into the work-week ahead. :)

[Leslie Ferguson]

Nat - Snow-bank-itis, sounds painful and I wouldn't expect to see something like that but it makes sense to me. I checked out some of the relays and the one from Pennsylvania to DC sounds like a blast. If we decide to do that we can have a VRB get together here (I'm only about 15k from DC). Glad things are well and you had a good hike and I'd assume a good spin.
How was your 7k run today newsomz? Is DH getting better after his fall? I love late 1/2 marathons, at least around here, because they can be so pleasant.
Vicci - From experience, the first steps after an injury are always the hardest and often the most dangerous. Be careful as you get started wlaking again - still it's good that you're keeping today as a day of stretching. Thanks for your support too - I'll be here for you in the fun of getting restarted on your exercising - you're probably right to not expect to hop right back into running too. ;)
Betsy - Great job on your 11-miler. It sounds like you're on track for you 1/2 shortly. Way to go.
seathyme - Good luck on your house shopping - it sounds like a fabulous place to live, near the woods for le chien and plenty of open spaces for you.
Susan - sorry your trip got moved up. I assume that the weather isn't going to be a hinderance for you like in the lower midwest today.
TKay - Sounds like a busy day/weekend for you. I love the thought of a million piece set of Legos too. :D Of course, I relish the thought of splashing around in mudpuddles too.
Kathy B - I hope you had a good weekend with snow etc. in your area.

Howdy to the rest of the gang.

I had a good day, albeit somewhat disjointed. I claim a victory on an hour spinning and reading. What was most disjointed about it was I made two trips to the airport - the first planned and the second unplanned. Dropped off two of the school's guests from this weekend then got a call from one of them stating that the airport in KC was closed and he needed someplace to stay - maybe at school? So picked him up, got him settled in and will take him to the airport tomorrow. Quite the diversion but didn't derail the rest of the day - a good thing. :D Tomorrow, after dropping my charge off at the airport I'll try to get that long run in since I'm off school tomorrow (lucky me with President's Day).

Happy trails,
Les

[Elizabeth B]

Hey, Runners!

Carrie - I'm not following a training plan for this half, although I've used them before. My running partner and I talked about our plans and goals for this half-marathon and developed our own strategy. We'll see if it works. She's a faster runner than I am and has been very gently pushing me beyond what I've thought I could accomplish.

Susan - I"m so glad the restaurant for DH's pre-birthday celebration lived up to its hype - I LOVE it when that happens! My DH and I have had a few restaurant meals that were magical and I think I'll remember them until the day I die.

Les - I concur with what your advisor told you. You've had so much going on for the last few years - so many changes and challenges. Maybe you've been so focused on the tasks at hand that you haven't been able to take a few deep breaths (or felt you had the time for that?).

Seathyme - I hope everything works out with the house - to live near a running trail would be great. You know, I've never visited Boston...;) I love my Garmin, by the way, but have never had to rely on it to actually navigate.

No running today, just recovery. Last night's dinner was fun - I think that at the age of 44, I'm finally beginning to get the knack of being a comfortable hostess.

This week I'm going to try to squeeze in some runs at lunch, which will be an interesting experiment since there's nowhere to shower at the office - thank goodness my co-workers know me well.

Oh, one more thing to share. Sometimes after DH knows I've reviewed the posts and posted myself, he'll ask me how my Running Buddies are and I'll give him a brief rundown. The other night, after the rundown, he said "You know, it sounds like you have a nice group there". And he's right - we do.

That's all for me - have a great week, everyone!!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Betsy - I know you're right about what's been going on. I also agree we have a really nice group of VRB - and IRL running buddies too.

Off for a bit - take care all,
Les

[Kathy B]

Kathy B -[/b] I hope you had a good weekend with snow etc. in your area.



Snow? More like slop! It was extremely wet and slushy, and it was very slick to walk on when we went in and out of the church this AM. Pretty tough to shovel, because it was the consistency of a "slushy" in the driveway. YUCK! Not surprised the airport was having issues. Good for you to get your spin in with the unexpected trip to the airport.

This sounds like a great time to catch up on your reading, Vicci. Hang in there!

I walked for 70 minutes on the TM this evening while watching a show with the family. Yoga again this AM.

[ktg0930]

Hello runners!

I am so annoyed with my computer right now! Or maybe it's user-error. But I typed messages to everyone and decided I better save them in word. And instead of copying, I deleted everything. I started over and hit submit reply and it said I wasn't logged in.

So I'm just going to say hi to everyone and I'll try to write more later. Unfortunately, we don't have today as a holiday. I wish we did!

Kathy

[Natasha]

Hi everyone!

I have a holiday today too, but not Presidents' Day - it's Family Day. Les and anyone else with Presidents' Day off, enjoy it! Les, did you fit in your run? Two trips to the airport in one day - wow.

TKay, here's to continued shin progress for you!

Betsy, glad you had a fun, relaxed dinner and I agree - I think this is a really nice group.

Susan, bummer about having to leave early. Hope you have a good trip!

Carrie, glad you're potentially interested in the relay concept too! Yes, most relays have teams going through the night. We would likely need a couple of volunteers (spouses or friends who are not running, perhaps?). I don't know too much about the logistics but since DH and I just signed up for a similar relay this spring, with luck I will be in a better position to know more about how they work then :)

Kathy, great job on the long TM run! Slop - yuck. Definitely sounds like a TM day to me.

ktg, argh - losing a long post is SO frustrating!

Vicci, that is alarming (though I guess not surprising) about the prospect of PA experiencing AL weather at some point in the not-so-distant future :eek: On a more positive note, glad you are continuing to improve!

Seathyme, I meant for the descriptions of my silly winter-related issues to be amusing so I'm glad they made you laugh :)

I did run yesterday but only about half of what I'd originally intended, in order to take it easy on the hips and glutes. I've been stretching like crazy too.

Hope everyone else is doing well.

[SusanMac]

Got in a good spin on the trainer yesterday, and a fabulous dinner & b-day cake for DH. Not bad considering our power kept going off & on numerous times throughout the day b/c of the ice.

Was hoping to spin today, but decided to take Bode hiking at the dog park, so probably wont' have time to spin. That's OK, since, with 6" of fresh snow, the hike was quite the workout!

Kathy - We shoveled slush yesterday, too! Glad, though, b/c it's all ice covered w/snow now. Crazy roads today. It's esp tough b/c all the candidates are here campaigning, but travel isn't always easy or fast right now

Nat - I knew there was a holiday in Canada today, but thought maybe you were just celebrating our Presidents :-) Family Day? Now you guys are just making stuff up!

Elizabeth - That's cute that DH asks you about VRB news. My DH still thinks it's a touch odd, but has grown used to it. Congrats on successful dinner party.

Gotta run now. I am packing running shoes.....& keeping my fingers crossed!

[Leslie Ferguson]

I hope that you had a good trip today Susan and that the roads aren't too weird for you. Hope you can get a couple runs in during your trip too.

Thanks Nat, I had a good day off today and got my "charge" to the airport and finally on his way home (at least he didn't call me back to get picked up from the airport so I'll take it he left without issue), luckily it's only ~10 miles to the airport and it only takes about 15-20 minutes to get there. I did get my run in today (more later) and that's neat that you have a great holiday today too. Love it, Family Day is better than President's Day any old time! Good to take it easy on your hips too, no need to tweak anything.

Betsy - Isn't it funny that there is some event (like a party) that defines when we finally think we've "made it?" I'm not sure whether it's having time or allowing myself to have time either but that's a good observation too. I hope your lunch runs aren't too bad and that the weather holds out enough so you aren't too "glistening" when you get back from your runs this week.

Yes, I ran today. I had a good run on some new parts of town and I know after I'm done why I haven't run on them before (STEEP up hill - a 2nd gear standing on my road bike hill). It was an hour's worth of running that was capped by a little drizzle/rain. The weather is a little weird here today. It was 65 and a light drizzle when I left and when I got home it was a steady rain and 55 degrees. Not a lot of fun but I'll take it.

I've got a couple projects to complete for the next couple days in class so I'll sign off and see you all in the funnies.

Happy trails,
Les

[seathyme]

Hi all,

Perhaps Family Day would be a more honest name for Presidents' Day, given that outside of car dealerships promoting sales it's hard to find any evidence that people do much "president honoring" on this holiday. But we'll take it, nonetheless!

Susan, I hope you had fun with the attention from the candidates. Being part of Super Tuesday, and since MA is rarely a battleground of any kind, we had very little personal action here. The race is so interesting this year, isn't it? Have a good trip (where are you going?).

Natasha, I hope the glute stretches are working. Sounds wise to cut back on the km-age for a bit. (What is the metric word for mileage, anyway?)

Kathy/ktg, what a drag about your lost post! Good to hear from you, and I hope you're doing well.

Kathy B, I imagine it took a little discipline to walk on the TM while the rest of the family was vegging. You should feel virtuous -- and glad you fit in the yoga too.

Les, as I recall when you were in Norfolk you wished you had more hills to run on. Be careful what you ask for, and all that... Glad you fit in the run today.

Betsy, the only time I've been able to manage noontime running is if I'm working at home. Something about an hour-long red face and the need to do clothes/hair/makeup all over again is a deterrent, go figure. Hope it works for you!

Vicci, after this post I'm going to catch up on your blog. I've enjoyed it in the past -- you cook some amazing dishes!

Well we had the odd warm weather today too. 60+ degrees! I dodged raindrops and a little hail this morning for a short run, then took a long dog walk later with DH. And, we put in an offer on that house! Waiting for the phone to ring....:eek:

Hi to all the VRB's -- have a good evening.:cool:

[newsomz]

Wow! Everyone was busily posting yesterday :) I didn't look at the BB for one day and now I can barely keep up! I am jealous of everyone that got President's Day (or Family Day) off... I was at work today.

Les - I hope you'll get a change to take a nice deep breath soon. Sometimes we forget we can't do everything :) It's nice to hear that you got a run in! Sounds like quite the challenge.

Susan - I hope your trip is going well! It's good to hear that you're not stuck inside for the whole winter - that would drive me crazy! It warmed up here the past few days (seriously, 80's) and I again began to think, "I need to move somewhere cooler". It's not even March yet!

Natasha - Keep me posted on the logistics of the relay!

Vicci - Sounds like a good idea to keep off the ankle until the swelling goes down.

Kathy B - Glad to hear you're keeping up with the yoga. It must feel so nice to start the day off with yoga.

Betsy - Good luck with the lunch runs. I've thought about doing that in the winter, though I'd definitely need a shower after. I've always wondered if I'd have enough time though.

We also had strange weather today. In fact, my bike ride into work was particularly strange. It began quite sunny but then in the middle of the ride I rode through a dark rain cloud and got a little wet. About a 1/2 mile later it had cleared up and I dried off by the time I got to work. Talk about scattered showers!

I did complete a nice 7K yesterday. I went out about 11:00am and it was much warmer than I was expecting! Our house is cement block so it is always much cooler inside than it is outside. No running today. My next run is scheduled for tomorrow - a 5K :)

[Leslie Ferguson]

seathyme - Yes, I keep telling myself all about the hills and this is what I was asking for all these years in Norfolk, the king of the flatlands. :rolleyes: I'm glad we weren't the only ones with weird weather today. I hope you hear something about your house soon too.
Carrie - I'm so trying not to do everything and stick to the stuff that I really need to do but being someone who likes to do that can be hard. But I'll say that in the past 6 months I've made amazing progress keeping to the necessary things better. Great job on 7k today and hopefully 5k goes well tomorrow.

It looks like I may have picked up something from someone this weekend - the guy I was driving around had the sniffles and I think he had to pick up some cold medication on Sunday and the couple I sponsored this weekend have a kid who was sick at the beginning of the week - needless to say I've got a tickly throat and I'm feeling a little achy and getting really congested. Luckily I've got some killer otc cold stuff that I'm gonig to take and hit the hay. Hopefully I nip it in the bud before it gets ugly.

BTW - I'm still waiting on a notification for my internship starting in September. Offers were supposed to go out on Friday but I (and lots in my class so I'm not alone) didn't hear anything from any of the four places I interviewed. Hopefully tomorrow now that the holiday is over.

Happy trails all,
Les

[seathyme]

Les, how are you feeling today? I can imagine your body might respond to recent weeks' stresses by insisting on being put to bed for a bit... but for your sake I hope not, as it's so hard to catch up again after a setback for illness. You've really had a challenging few weeks/months, though, and I hope there is some room somewhere for a little let-up... take good care of yourself.

Carrie, nice job on your 7K! I am really bad with heat and humidity, but have to say it doesn't sound bad right about now... glad you have a cool house, though.

I did a warmup speedwalk with le chien for a mile this morning, then tried to run 5 on my own afterward. Tried, because it was just one of those days. Body was totally lethargic and I ended up including several walking intervals. Some days ya got it, some days ya don't. But either way, it counts, right? I'm sure the stress and distraction of the house stuff was a contributing factor. But guess what? We got the house! So excited! Next step is inspection and we go from there. Yay!

Good runs or whatevers to all~

[Leslie Ferguson]

seathyme - I've still got a little scratchy throat and I'm taking some OTC stuff to help keep my cough down so the jury is out right now. I know what you mean though and my body may revolt very soon if I'm not careful. And I thank you for your concern. With everything I'm trying to do I'm afraid that I may be headed for a forced sleep session and you aren't kidding that I can ill afford that right now. Part of the reason I'm not going to run today and may take it easy tomorrow too. With the bug I picked up this past weekend from someone (visitors from KC and NJ in close proximity) so I'm pushing liquids and trying to eat well and keep my stress as low as possible (if that's possible as mid-term comes along with its papers etc.).

Congratulations on getting your house too! I hope there's nothing amiss in the inspection and you get moved in without issue. I do understand the lethargy too - it seems I'm there often these days.

Productive time ahead - working and I need to write some on a couple papers so I can go to bed earlier tonight.

Happy trails,
Les

[Legolas]

Just poking my head in here. :) Things are progressing nicely for me on most fronts. Good days and bad days - Friday was bad for me, and I found myself upstairs at work begging a hug from a co-worker (which he was more than happy to give!). I've lost about 10 lbs through all of this - yikes. Not quite sure if it's the meds, the copious amounts of green tea I've been drinking, or the weird appetite issues I have that are causing it. Most days, however, I feel better than I did previously. Still in a very odd head space. Running happens... sometimes. The roads are really dicey (and icy!) these days as a result of a recent thaw/rain/re-freeze.

And the boy... things are going well there. He lives a bit of a distance from me, which is inconvenient, but we talk on the phone quite a bit. This morning I woke to find a text message from him asking if I had slept well. :o Hopefully I'll see him this weekend. The distance has forced us to move slow, which I think is good for both of us. He took off of work today so that he could clear up some things from his mom's estate - she passed away in October, his parents were divorced, and his only sibling lives across country.

Les - you and my family especially are in my thoughts these days!

Off to extol the virtues of my hybrid on the gas prices thread. We won't mention that it's in the shop with a bad seal though and was leaking transmission fluid. :eek:

[Natasha]

Hi all! Quick check-in.

Funny note about the Presidents' Day thing: I had a call with a few Americans last week (who all seem very nice - I'm not mocking them) and one of them was wondering if we had the day off to celebrate the U.S. Presidents' Day. That made me smile. I think Family Day makes a lot more sense for us to celebrate, cheezy name or no, since we don't even have Presidents! :D

On a related note - though this is really not in the same league at ALL - I had a friend who had some friends in LA. She went to visit them for U.S. Thanksgiving. She told them that Canadians celebrated Thanksgiving as well, and one of them said, "But... what do you have to be thankful for?" Anyway, I know that's not the way most Americans think or anything, and am not trying to belittle anyone or start something, but I just thought that was funny.

Seathyme, congratulations on the house!!! And across the street from trails! Lucky you :cool: Re: your question - there actually is a word "kilometrage", though it's hardly ever used.

Les, hang in there and I hope you don't get any sicker.

Carrie, nice job on your 7k!

One of those days here. Yikes. And not over yet!

Best to all,
Natasha

[Leslie Ferguson]

Hey Legolas good to hear from you. I'm glad things are going as well as can be expected and I wouldn't worry too much about running right now - it's one of those things that you can do when you are up to it. Thank you for your good wishes too.

Those are funny comments Natasha sometimes it makes you wonder about the celebratory routines of our neighbors. I'm hanging in there and I'm hoping to stay as healthy as possible.

See you later,
Les

[newsomz]

Les - I hope you're feeling better! Did you hear anything about your internship? It can be soo hard to wait for decisions like that - I am absolutely horrible and have very little patience.

seathyme - Congrats on the house! Being across from a running trail sounds so lovely.

Legolas - It is nice to hear things are going well for you. It is always fun to have a new relationship :)

Natasha - Funny!! I visited Canada for the first time last year and was so excited. I had a wonderful time but there are so many other places in Canada I'd like to visit.

I got in a 5K run today. My sister and I finally agreed to a 1/2 marathon to run - the Boston (mini) marathon in Boston, GA :) It looks like a really cute event. Luckily I have until Oct. to build up to the event!

[TKay]

Hello VRBs. Boy, have I missed a lot. I'll do my best to catch up, but forgive me if I don't hit all of you.
Newsomz - Congrats on choosing a half! That's very exciting news.
Les - Hope you didn't get the full-blown crud. How are you feeling? Any word on the internship?
Natasha - Tell us, what DO you have to be thankful for? :p Too funny.
Legolas - Nice to see a post from you. Wishing you the best on all fronts--health, running, boy stuff...
Seathyme - Wahoo! How thrilling about your house. Congratulations. As I recall, buying and moving is quite a draining experience. Take care of yourself so you stay healthy through it all.
Susan - Hope your trip goes well. Here's to getting in some runs.
Kathy/ktg - Ack! Sorry about losing the post. That is completely frustrating.
Elizabeth - That's sweet about your dh and his comments on the VRBs. I too tell dh some of the news from the group. You all feel like friends IRL, not just on the bb.
Victoria - You know your body best. If you think you should wait to put weight on your foot, then that's the right thing to do. Hang in there. You are
being so patient.

I've been MIA of late. Lots of activities with the kids. When I spoke of a million-piece Lego set, I suppose I was exaggerating a bit. Okay, I was. It was really a 763-piece set. It just felt like a million. It's a mission to Mars/alien type station with flying crafts and astronauts. And yes, we did complete it.

We took President's Day as a family day ourselves, visiting the La Brea Tar Pits with the boys (it's an area in LA where lots of Ice Age animals--sloths, wolves, mammoths, sabertooth cats, etc.--got stuck, and therefore preserved). It up the right alley for two young boys. Yesterday was filled with work and other activities that kept me from the bb--and from the gym. Today, I'm back at it, hoping for a good TM run.

The 10K I've been planning on is Saturday (no beach run until after that, Vicci). We've got rain today and in the forecast this week. I hope it's clear on Sat. We Southern Californians don't like to get our shoes wet. :p

Have a good one!

[Kathy B]

Tkay, wow! Seems like your race came up quickly. Hope your shins are completely twinge-free, now, and good luck to you Saturday. Sending dry thoughts your way!

Natasha, conceding the point that Canadians may have a few things to be thankful for ;) , what is the origin of the Canadian Thanksgiving? How long has it been a recognized holiday for you? I didn't know Canadians celebrated a Thanksgiving Holiday until I became a member of the BB.

Les, hope you are feeling better. DD left the house with a pocketful of zinc lozengers and cough drops this AM.....hopefully we can ward off whatever she is trying to pick up. I heard on the radio that the flu is starting to thrive. We haven't seen much of it at work yet, so it is about time for it to hit. Take care of yourself!

Seathyme, very exciting about the house! If all goes well, when will you be able to move in? And I say, if you are moving it counts, so I wouldn't be sweating walking intervals at all. Anyway, intervals are good training strategy, right?

newsomz, the Boston Mini DOES sound cute! The countdown begins.....:)

Legolas, nice to see you pop in. Hope you are taking good care of yourself.

Runs on the TM the last three days in a row, plus did yoga two of the days. I'm working tomorrow, so I needed to get my workouts in early this week.

Hope everyone is having a good week.

[newsomz]

TKay - Good luck on the 10K this weekend!!!

Kathy - Great job with the workouts so far this week :)

Nothing to report here... just cheering others along.

[TKay]

KathyB - Good job on the runs and the yoga. I love those weeks when I get in some good, solid workouts before I get too swamped.

Popping back in to report a four-miler on the TM today. Will probably be my last run before Saturday. Well, I may do a little something on Friday, easy and short. I'm planning on my new favorite yoga class tomorrow to keep things loosey goosey.

I'm disappointed that the shin stuff impeded my training which was going so well. I will plan to just do an easy run on Saturday and finish the 10K (unless, by some strange twist, I'm feeling fantastic and up to ripping it up--haha). Oh, I wanted to mention also that the boys are interested in the 1K fun run on Sat as well. Since this is a "Race on the Base," there will be military vehicles on display and a $5 all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast. Should be a nice family outing.

[Natasha]

Hi everyone!

Kathy, the history of Canadian Thanksgiving is somewhat disputed but there are a couple of thoughts you hear around. One is that it was first celebrated in Canada in the 1500s, but at least one other source - which seems perhaps more credible - says that it was first celebrated as a national holiday in 1857 and was adopted from the American holiday. We celebrate it a fair bit earlier, as you probably know, but the traditions are mostly the same (except I don't know of anyone here who eats the Thanksgiving meal at lunchtime or early afternoon as I have heard of many people here doing). All this is probably more info than you probably wanted! :p

Carrie, that sounds like a fun race with a cute name!

Legolas, thanks for the update. Fingers crossed! :)

TKay, I love how you and your family do so many fun things together. The Tar Pits sound amazing (though sad). Good luck with the 10k and smart plan to take it easy. That's great that the boys are also participating in their own race. And pancakes to boot - what could be better?

Les, echoing the question others have asked regarding updates for your internship. Hope you're feeling better. The fact that you have gotten sick/almost gotten sick twice in the past few months shows how much you've had on your plate, since I recall you're not one to get sick often. Hang in there!

Seathyme, looking forward to more house updates! Hope the inspection was a success.

Kathy, how's your DD feeling now?

I got in a fun spin today with DH as we watched a show. Now off to walk the dog. It's cold out there, but was gloriously sunny today. Much less crazy day today than yesterday.

Hi to Vicci, Susan, Eva, Betsy, meg, and everyone else.

Take care, runfolk!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Busy day with plenty of running, walking, and cheering...
TKay - Just a 10k is always good and with your injury that's a good idea to start with. I don't doubt that your boys would like a race on a military base with vehicles and pancakes there. They wouldn't be boys if they didn't. Haven't been to the tar pits but it sounds like an interesting time.
Carrie - The Boston Mini - almost sounds like a car. ;)
Natasha - I think we had a little of your weather down here today (more later). I understand the bitter cold and sunny - we had that this past week - at least today it hovered in the middle 30s. :rolleyes: I'm a bit concerned too since I never get sick - I haven't been sick in the past 3 or 4 years that I remember.

To answer most of the pressing questions about the internship - no news yet. I've asked the supervisor what the next step is. It's especially disconcerting because I interviewed at 4 sites and haven't heard boo from any one of them. I know it's only been 1/2 a week since the "notification date" but in a few cases the suprevisors said they would call last Friday. Tomorrow's another day though. Funny thing, it's hard to sit and wait but that's the story of my life these days... give me patience (and I get it in spades :rolleyes: ).

Alas, it was snowing today and the 4 year old was anxious to get out and romp but the sick 45 year old thought better of it, so I rested again. Now all it has to do is behave and it's not being the best yet but I'm not feeling much worse today than yesterday - hopefully I can come around the corner soon.

Happy snowy trails,
Les

[TKay]

Good morning, runners.

Natasha - Thanks for the info on Canadian T-day. Not TMI at all. Your snow-watching spin sounds fun. It's nice that you and dh do that together.
Les - Ahh, yes. The value of patience. Here's hoping you don't have to call on that virtue too much over the next few days. I hope you get some answers soon. In the meantime, glad you're taking care of yourself. Feel better.
Newsomz - Nice cheering! Thanks.

I had a great yoga class today. I'm so happy to have found this particular teacher's class. It's been a nice complement to the running. I have arthritis in my neck and I am convinced that the yoga is helping already. I don't care if it's psychosomatic. (A friend of mine said, "I may be a hypochondriac, but I still feel sick!") The mind is a powerful thing.

Have a great one, everybody--Elizabeth, Carrie, Legolas, Susan, Aggie, Meg, KathyB, Seathyme, Vicci and everyone else!

ETA: Question: Do you typically do any running the day before a race? I know it's good to have a rest day, but is there value to keeping the legs going? Just curious what you recommend. My first 10K is on Sat.

[aggie94]

Hey runners!

Les, hope you are feeling better. I know so many people who have been sick this winter, including myself. It sucks, and just completely saps the energy out of you. Get some rest.

TKay, I usually avoid running the day before a race, although I'll do some stretching and maybe go for a walk just to keep the muscles loose and warm. It's very very rare that I run two days in a row.

LOL about the President's Day comments. I spent the day (which was also my birthday) out trying to take advantage of the car dealership sales. :D I didn't end up buying, but I plan to. Just need to do some final dickering with the dealership over sales price, my trade allowance, and see if I can get a better financing rate through the dealership than my bank offered. Hopefully I'll have pics of a new car to share by the weekend. :D

The rain did not hold off for our five-miler last Friday. By the time I finished my training session, it was pouring. Called my buddy, and we agreed to meet at the Y and run indoors. I apparently cannot run after lifting weights first. My lower body was completely stiff and tight and achy, so I walked/jogged on the treadmill for 45 minutes while my buddy ran next to me. The conversation was nice, though. He's much faster than me, so even though we run "together" often, we are not ever actually together, so it was a nice change to actually be able to chat with him and catch up on our lives.

Sedona was great - we had a fabulous time. Yesterday, I had planned a long run in the evening and even left the office early to make sure I could finish my run before dark. Traffic was a bear. I got home much later than planned, but I couldn't bear the thought of cranking out an hour on the treadmill, so I just took off. Where I would normally turn on my route and head back (for an approx. 40 minute run), I decided it was still light enough that I would keep going and extend my run by another mile. Oops, miscalculation. Turns out it was TWO miles. So yeah, it turned pitch dark on me with a mile left to go. I don't mind running on the street when it's light out and I know cars can see me, but last night, I couldn't tell if drivers were just being jerks and brushing close by me (there was no shoulder or sidewalk on the streets I was running on) because they think they can or because they just didn't see me. I won't make that mistake again - it was a little scary.

I think my only other planned run this week will be on Sunday with my running buddy. Busy week otherwise.

[Leslie Ferguson]

Ahh, yes. The value of patience... In the meantime, glad you're taking care of yourself.
Thanks, I've gotten the green light to ask about the status at my first choice of sites - let's hope there's good news...
...I have arthritis in my neck and I am convinced that the yoga is helping already. I don't care if it's psychosomatic. (A friend of mine said, "I may be a hypochondriac, but I still feel sick!") The mind is a powerful thing.
The mind is powerful and sometimes "feeling you can" is more important - being empowered to feel better is one of the first steps to healing and lessening of pain (from the voice of an oft injured youth).
ETA: Question: Do you typically do any running the day before a race? I know it's good to have a rest day, but is there value to keeping the legs going? Just curious what you recommend. My first 10K is on Sat.
I'm with aggie - I normally rest the day before a race. There may be exceptions (like I haven't run in a few days) but those would be easy jaunts to loosen up a little (nothing more than a mile or so at a liesurely pace). Stretching is good but rest before you race - especially the first one - is better. Have a good day off tomorrow.

aggie - In fact lifting before you run is not advised (at least by most coaches I know). In fact, sometimes it's a bad idea to lift the day after a race (ok - most of the time). Sorry about your hair-raising run yesterday, always one of the reasons I don't like running after dark unless I'm off the road (on the sidewalk :( or on the bike path). Glad you got your run in regardless.

Still a little congested so I may spin today. We've got a couple things going on this evening that I need to decide about (the Secretary General of the Anglican Church is in town and we're hosting a panel discussion).

Happy trails,
Les

[seathyme]

TKay, LOL about the miracle of instant healing through yoga. So glad it's making you feel better. Another vote for not running the day before your race. You want your legs to feel as "springy" as possible for the 10K.

Eva, I hope you can give thanks to Washington and Lincoln for providing you a good deal on your new car.:D Look forward to seeing what you got! And I hear you on the creaky legs. I find it very difficult to run when I'm sore from some other kind of exercise, though sometimes things loosen up after a bit. It's having the willpower to get started that's the main obstacle for me.

Les, I hope the fact that you're even considering a spin today means you're feeling a little better. Take it easy if you need to, and good luck with the internship news! It's nerve-wracking not to know about something like that.

Kathy B, nice job on the three TM's in a row, plus two yogas! To answer your question, we will probably not move until June. I don't mind the wait at all, as we've moved twice in the past two years already, into one rental and then another after selling our previous house. These have been good economic decisions, but I'm thoroughly sick of the logistics of moving! Thankfully, this purchase is intended to last for quite some years.

Carrie, fun that you'll be "running Boston," mini or no. :p I hope you'll find the target date motivating for your training.

Natasha, side by side spinning with you DH sounds fun. I'm sure Cabot appreciated his walk, too.

Legolas! Hi, and glad to hear some upswing for you. Weight loss through stress, hmm. Maybe you can keep your awesome new bod and shake the stress.:D Good luck with everything.

I am reporting in with yoga from yesterday, which caused an above-mentioned slightly creaky run this morning. It was good, though, as my hamstrings started to loosen during the run. Cold here today, with a biting wind. Our upstairs neighbors left today for Florida. Sigh.

Greetings and good runs to all~~

[Natasha]

Hi all!

Happy to read all the enthusiasm about yoga since that'll be my workout tonight too ;) I went to the physio/osteo this afternoon after a few weeks and whenever I see him I don't train that night. Today's discussion was about baking (I enjoyed lemon bars from his recipe at a recent party) and classical music. Always something interesting. That reminds me of my latest You know you're a runner when.... YKYARW you can say that you LOVE your physio (of the opposite sex) and your spouse doesn't worry because he knows what you mean is that you're just happy that the physio is helping you with your running :p

Seathyme, stay warm! Before you know it you will be enjoying summer weather too, and in the UP at that.

TKay, I don't run the day before a race though I know many people who do a light run the day before. How exciting that your 10k is coming up so soon!

Eva, I've heard Sedona is gorgeous but didn't see it when we went to AZ a long time ago. Someday... I look forward to seeing pics of your new car when it all gets finalized!

Les, fingers crossed about your update!!

Kathy, that's great that you fit in all those TM workouts AND yoga!

Hi to everyone else. Have a good evening!

[newsomz]

Les - I am possibly the least patient person so I wish you luck and know how crazy these things can make you. I am glad to hear you are feeling better. Did you get in a spin?

TKay - Isn't it great when you find a wonderful yoga teacher? I had a favorite but she moved and yoga class hasn't been the same. In fact, I've been very unmotivated to go :( I also vote for no run the day before the race. I would probably take a nice walk!

aggie - I can't wait to see pics of the new car! I am also looking (sort of) but I am waiting for my current car to die. It is 20 this year so I shouldn't have too long left! Good job getting your runs in recently. I try not to run when it is dark out either..

Natasha - what is a physio/osteo? Sounds like I need one :)

seathyme - Don't be too jealous of your neighbors. We've had ugly weather here lately - well rainy. Hopefully by the time they arrive it will be sunny and warm.

And hello to everyone else! I got in a 30 min run this afternoon. I might have won the challenge I have going with my sister.. I need to go check. The only bad thing about Nike+ is your miles don't get logged into a challenge right away - it takes a few hours.

[Natasha]

Carrie, the physio is a guy I started going to last year on the recommendation of folks in my running club. In the U.S., it sounds like osteopaths are physicians, but in Canada they're not. The guy I go to is not technically an osteopath (though I believe he has some of the training), but I call him that sometimes because a) he uses his hands to manipulate parts of the body, and doesn't use machines, and b) he isn't lanything ike the other physios I've seen. The other physios I've seen have been kids who don't know anything about sport medicine, give you a bunch of exercises and don't even stay with you when you do them, and want you to come back 2-3 times a week to see them. I see this guy on an as needed or maintenance basis and he knows more about body movement than just about any other health practitioner DH or I have seen. He works on national gymnastic team members and such too.

Again, TMI! I seem to be in a rambling mood these days :p

Hope you won your challenge!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Thanks all, I'm feeling better and a little more human this evening - still coughing a little and a little nasal congestion but nothing too bad.

Carrie - I've become more patient over the past months and in the past patience was not my strong suit - I loved to do something now. :rolleyes: I hope you won your challenge too - that sounds fun to log miles with Nike+.
Natasha - I may have to come your way to see your pyhsio - I need something like that down here because among the other things I've got a knot or two (shoulder blades and lumbar). I remember taking the day off when I saw my chiropractor (or at least after seeing him). Have a good evening.
seathyme - I'm very attuned to my bod now and I'm definitely taking it easy. Luckuily spinning is in the basement and it's relatively warm and dry down there (dehumidifier has the space at 35% - good for drying things out a little). I hope that you're keeping warm too, if you're having the winds we had last night then it's a good idea to stay inside.

Good news and not so good news. I spun tonight before seeing the guy from the Church of England speak. I did 60 minutes and it felt good to purge a little of the junk inside my body through my pores. The not so good news - I called my first choice for internships and the head pastor is out of town (has been for most of the past 2 weeks and will be until late next week). His assistant sent him a note and hopefully he will call or at least tell me that he's waiting to call until he gets back. So, fingers crossed for something tomorrow.

Hope all continue to be well, do their TM and yoga and run and have a good Friday.

Happy trails,
Les