Virtual Running Buddies - 5/16

[Kathy B]

Happy Friday all! :)

Started off the AM with yoga, then went to the CC for 40 min of TM and some weights. I have been trying to be a little more regular about the yoga. I can tell it really makes a difference with my flexibility.

Hope you are feeling better by now, Susan. DH actually came home early yesterday and stayed home today. He says he is feeling better, though.

Les, have fun with your pacing this weekend. Hope the weather is cooperative for you. I have never really been clear....when you pace someone, do you run the whole race with them or jump in somewhere along the way? You aren't registered, right? I assume the purpose is to help them meet their own goal of a certain overall time?

Tkay, nice to hear from you. Sorry to hear your back is giving you trouble. Hope it is better soon! :(

Robyn, sounds like your running is right on track. Good job! It will feel great to link up the sections and do a long run soon. :)

Carrie and Aggie, hope you guys are able to get in your planned runs this weekend.

I have a GS workshop a good part of the day tomorrow. We are having several women business owners from the community come to talk with them about running a business, interviewing, advertising, etc.... should be a fun day.

[Leslie Ferguson]

Thanks for starting Kathy, good job running and doing yoga. It sounds like you've found a good combination - keep doing the good stuff especially stretching/yoga because it all goes away every once in a while.

When it comes to pacing I normally will be registered and run the whole race - the only exception is a couple marathons that I paced the last half for (but I'm not a big fan of that - it's hard to jump in in the middle because I'm fresh and the pacee isn't). This weekend will be just (I know - just) a half marathon - the inaugural Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon in Fredericksburg so I couldn't pass the race up. You're dead on about the purpose - to help a person make a goal that is achievable but a stretch. I really like pacing people because it lets me keep running with my friends and challenge myself without beating myself up (like racing all out). I hope that helps. Today was the last day with campus open before the final on Monday. Need to pack before a little clean up and more studying so I don't have to wig out this weekend (and I won't).

Gotta go but a race report will come on Sunday - probably midday since the race starts at 7 and we should be done before 9 (and home before lunch).

Happy trails,
Les

[SusanMac]

Happy, happy weekend!

Kathy - thx for kicking off the week

Les - good luck tomorrow!!

I got in my first workout since Tues. I definitely feel much better today. The cold is still lingering, but I don't have that all-over achy feeling. I have, however, lost my voice! I can only whisper. DH thinks it's funny.

So, we had a 45-min Bode run at the dog park. It's quite hilly, and I felt winded often, so took a lot of walk breaks. I figured there's no benefit it pushing it too soon. It did feel good to get movin' again.

Question of the week.....
How do you guys wash your workout clothes?? We currently wash in the machine on delicate & line dry (I"ll typically hand wash my cycling shorts) But, I've been considering some of those new detergents that claim they're specially made for spandex workout clothes. Win and Penguin are two brands I see a lot. Have any of you tried them?? Do they really work better?

Beautiful day here! Hope the rest of you are having a wonderful spring weekend.

[Leslie Ferguson]

Drive by - glad to hear that you're feeling better Susan. For those who went to FP a couple years ago, I had the flashback this evening... we went out for dinner and guess what it was this evening -- it was prom night. So there were 6 of us sitting in a hibachi restaurant with a bunch of kids in formals and tuxs. All of us had flash-backs to high school days but I had a deja vu occurrance from Cincinnati (there were 6 of us and there were the prom kids - too much).

Time for bed - the lady I'm pacing tomorrow is itching to go and I need some sleep so I can be ready for the day.

Happy trails all,
Les

[aggie94]

Question of the week.....
How do you guys wash your workout clothes?? We currently wash in the machine on delicate & line dry (I"ll typically hand wash my cycling shorts) But, I've been considering some of those new detergents that claim they're specially made for spandex workout clothes. Win and Penguin are two brands I see a lot. Have any of you tried them?? Do they really work better?

Honestly, if I had to do anything more than just throw my workout stuff in the washer & dryer, it would never get clean. Just getting them washed at all is a challenge. :o So no, I don't do anything special. They get washed with everything else in cold (unless they're white, in which case they get washed in warm with bleach) and dried on high in the dryer. :eek:

Les, looking forward to your race report tomorrow! Good luck!!

Kathy, nice job on the workouts! Hope your workshop went well.

I only managed to get to personal training one day last week - shame on me. I ran for 20 minutes on the treadmill first but that's it. Tomorrow morning I am meeting my running buddy. Not sure how far we'll go yet - maybe I can talk him into the 10K he wanted to do last week. ;)

I swear, next week will be better. Official goal (stated out loud, hopefully to motivate me to do it!) is three personal training sessions (with at least 20 minutes cardio before each) and at least two runs (one long, one shorter but not less than a half hour).

[Robyn1007]

I wash all my technical clothing, with the exception of my skiing outwerwear, in the machine on cold and then line dry. The outerwear is washed with special detergent by Nikwash according to their directions.

[newsomz]

Kathy - Great job on the yoga and the workouts. I did a yoga workout on Friday and was quite sore on Sat. Guess I do need to get started with yoga again :) I too notice a dramatic difference in my flexibility when I do/don't do yoga. That sounds like an awesome GS workshop.. a great way to empower the girls.

Les - Wow! The pacing sounds like fun.. I am impressed you run the entire race. How was the race??

Susan - Glad to hear you are feeling better :) My workout clothes are nothing special (just cheapies from Target) so I usually just wash and dry normally (aka wash on cold and then regular for the dryer). I do have a pair of cycling shorts which I wash on the handwash cycle and then line dry.

aggie - Good luck with your goal this week! Sometimes not getting in workouts is just the motivation you need :)

I did yoga Friday night and then a 6 mi run Sat morning. My back and shoulders were sore from the yoga (darn downward dog) but it felt so nice to get some good stretching in. I was doing daily yoga sessions and would like to get back to something similar.. Maybe 1x per week to start! The run was good. I ran a new route with water fountains so I was able to stop two times for a drink which was quite nice.

[Leslie Ferguson]

Thanks all - it was a great race today and I had a blast pacing. The course was a tough one and thank goodness that I run hills most of the time because it would have been a bear without all the hill work. We started with just over 2 miles mostly down hill and the steepest section dropped about 100 feet in a mile. After that there were some rolling hills and short climbs/gradual descents until about 4 miles. After that the course was mostly flat until about 9 miles then we got to start back up the hill that we ran down at the start with a little twist and going back up was a 150 foot climb in a mile. This is the course map (http://www.marinecorpshistorichalf.com/Assets/MCHH+Course+Map+08.pdf). The lady I paced said she was looking for something closer to 1:50 than 1:45 (what Charlie said she was shooting for) and in the end she PR'd and came in at 1:46+ so she was happy and we had a good race. I'm a little tight in my hamstrings but not too bad considering everything else that's been going on. In all - a great day.

susan - Most of the time my running and riding stuff gets cleaned with shampoo or hand soap in the shower and every couple weeks (I have a good stash of stuff) it gets washed in regular laundry soap on delicate and hang dried (everything except my socks which get washed with all the other whites - warm/hot and dried in the dryer).

Eva - Every run is good and every week is a new week so I'll be plugging for you.
Carrie - love running with water fountains so I don't have to carry, so great job running 6 today.

That's about it - need to puch through and get some studying done (and stay awake - it was an early morning) for my test that starts at 9am. See you all later.

Happy trails,
Les

[Kathy B]

Sounds like a successful race all around, Les! Way to go!! Staying awake to study can certainly take a lot of effort at times....I'd be claiming a second workout if it were me. ;) Good luck on your test tomorrow.

Carrie, good job on your Saturday 6-miler! I would do yoga every day if I could....I really enjoy doing it. Daily just isn't realistic for me, however, so I am hoping to get back to 3-4 times a week and keep that going. I DO manage to do the Tibetan Rites that I mentioned a few months ago about 6 days a week....it only takes about 10 minutes, and that I can manage most days.

Aggie, I am the same as you with laundering my workout clothes. I do way to much laundry to give it special treatment. So far it seems to be working. Some weeks are just like that. I recommend telling yourself it was a "planned rest week" and dive back in. We can only do what we can do.... Good luck with your goals for this week!

Glad you are feeling better Susan! Good idea to take it easy, though, until you are 100%. Hope your voice returns soon.

Hi, Robyn! Hope you are having a good weekend.

I just did 40 min on the EB plus weights at the CC. Found a training plan on-line that I think I will try to follow for a while....see if I can stick with it. The GS workshop was great! We had 4 women business owners (jewelry designer/sales, fashion consultant, school spiritwear sales and financial planning) talking with 10 girls (12-14 years) about starting and running their businesses, marketing, interviewing tips, techonology they use and more. The girls were actually very attentive and asked a lot of questions, and I thought it was all pretty interesting myself. I was especially thankful that the women were willing to give up part of their Saturday to help us out. It was a good day!

Wishing you all a good week! :)

[VictoriaL]

Hi everyone!

Les great job on the pacing, your friend should be pleased with the time! Much, much luck on your final final tomorrow. Then a well-deserved rest, perhaps???

KathyB wow, you started the weekend off well with a trifecta (yoga, TM, weights...) ;) The GS workshop sounds very nice. We didn't have these way back in the 60's & 70's-- just crafts and cooking!

Susan I hope that you're feeling even better and have found your voice. As for the workout clothes, I buy them at the way end of the season (70% off or more) then don't worry about tossing them in the washer with my other clothes. I rarely dry anything (other than sheets and underwear) in the dryer, though, since I either hang them outside or on drying racks in the mostly-unused guest room (after a 15-minute tumble in the dryer to get the worst of the wrinkles out). I found that the tumbling action and heat of the dryer combined tend to beat-up my clothes quickly.

Eva, new week, new schedule, new goals-- right? :)

Carrie I've been increasing my yoga in previous weeks because it just feels so good. And I can finally, finally get in most positions without any difficulty. Although I don't know if I could manage yoga once a day, it certainly would be beneficial.

Well. I almost ran last Thursday. I had wanted to try it that week since it had been 16 weeks since I fell and I have recently found noticeable improvement in climbing stairs and other motions which require my foot flexing. Alas, as I was to go out, DH and I heard a noise and caught some teenage boys damaging a building on our property. So I had to change clothes as we waited for the police to arrive, make the report, etc., and afterward it was time to make dinner. Then on Friday we headed to the lake house for a couple of days. I did manage another 45 minutes on the EB (without the Nordic Trak, I can only take so much...). Hopefully, I can get out this week in between rain. :)

Is everyone having a good weekend?

[SusanMac]

Thx for all the washing input, everyone. One of these days I will give those specialty detergents a try & report back.

Kathy - Bummer about the kids & police! Congrats on sneaking in some EB time, though. I'm nervous about your first run. Take it easy out there

Les - Awesome job on the pacing! That's awesome you hit the target time w/all those hills. Sounds like the weather must have been OK this year.

Nat - Happy Victoria Day!!

Newsomz - I've been thinking of picking up a few days of yoga, too. I have some decent DVDs, but didn't have a great setup for floor work until recently.

Kathy - What a cool idea for your GS gathering. I'd love to do that some time w/girls.

Well, I decided to pass on a workout yesterday. We went for a long Bode walk in the neighborhood, and I felt exhausted. So, even though I wanted to go for a run, I decided to hold off. Finished 2 sewing projects instead :-) Feeling like myself today, with just a few stray coughs.

Tonight, I'm the ride leader for my cycling club, so need to be in healthy form. I've got a 25-mile ride planned. We should have good weather, although still long sleeves.

[Leslie Ferguson]

Natasha - Happy Victoria Day too!

Thanks Susan. It was a great day yesterday all around especially considering the hills etc. The only thing that would have made the day better was to have it 10 degrees cooler (it was in the middle 50s and quite warm). Now, on top of everything else this summer I'll have to think about the race in VaBeach in August - I bet I'll be asked to pace that race too.

By the way -- I'm done for the semester! The test went well and it took as long as I expected it would take.

A little admin to do to clean up the school year then I'm done until Children's Hospital pops up next week.

Happy trails,
Les

[aggie94]

The only thing that would have made the day better was to have it 10 degrees cooler (it was in the middle 50s and quite warm). Now, on top of everything else this summer I'll have to think about the race in VaBeach in August - I bet I'll be asked to pace that race too.

LOL, mid-50s is quite warm?? You'll laugh at this story, then. I was supposed to meet my running buddy for a run Sunday morning at 6:00. When my alarm went off at 5:30, I could barely open my eyes (after working a 12+ hour day on Saturday). So I called him to bail and went back to bed. When I finally crawled out of bed at 9:30, I was feeling immensely guilty and needed to do something to avoid spending the day as a total slug monkey, but the gym doesn't open until noon. So I got dressed and decided to head out for a 6-mile run from my house. It was 92° when I started. :eek: Needless to say, I did not make it that far. There was no shade and not even the slightest breeze. I cut the loop short and opted for a 4-miler instead but only made it to the 3-mile mark before I had to walk the rest of the way. When I got back to the house, it was 95°. :eek: :eek: Now THAT was quite warm. :p And honestly, I am going to try to remember how completely miserable I felt the next time I think I want to skip a 6:00 a.m. run. :rolleyes:

Edited to add: I meant to say, way to go on the race! Sounds like you did a great job pacing. I'm sure she was really pleased. And question: won't it be smokin' hot in Virginia Beach in August???

[Leslie Ferguson]

LOL, mid-50s is quite warm??
I guess I should have qualified that original statement - racing when the temp is in the middle 50s and with ~85% humidity is warm. If it weren't for the sub-8:00 pace middle 50s would have been grand.

You'll laugh at this story, then. I was supposed to meet my running buddy for a run Sunday morning at 6:00. When my alarm went off at 5:30, I could barely open my eyes (after working a 12+ hour day on Saturday). So I called him to bail and went back to bed. When I finally crawled out of bed at 9:30, I was feeling immensely guilty and needed to do something to avoid spending the day as a total slug monkey, but the gym doesn't open until noon. So I got dressed and decided to head out for a 6-mile run from my house. It was 92° when I started. :eek: Needless to say, I did not make it that far. There was no shade and not even the slightest breeze. I cut the loop short and opted for a 4-miler instead but only made it to the 3-mile mark before I had to walk the rest of the way. When I got back to the house, it was 95°. :eek: :eek: Now THAT was quite warm. :p And honestly, I am going to try to remember how completely miserable I felt the next time I think I want to skip a 6:00 a.m. run. :rolleyes:

Oh how I know that feeling. Back in the swamp (Norfolk) it's never quite that hot that quickly but there were many days that I wished I had run early in the morning when I tried to head out in middle-90 degree and upper 90% humidity. :rolleyes: Ah, the joys of heat and the summer - I bet you'll remember to run early from now on. ;)

Edited to add: I meant to say, way to go on the race! Sounds like you did a great job pacing. I'm sure she was really pleased. And question: won't it be smokin' hot in Virginia Beach in August???

Will it be smoking hot in Virginia Beach in August? You bet. Most years for the half it's something in the range of 85 at race start 7 am. The only exceptions were last year (the 7th year) and the 2nd year. I think it was about 75-80 last year and a little overcast. Still hot by all accounts. I never expect to run very fast at RnR Half and generally don't try to set a PR. In fact one year I ran another half at the end of September and finished 4 minutes faster - what a difference 20 degrees makes.

Happy trails all,
Les

[aggie94]

I'll definitely give you that ANY temp with 85% humidity is quite warm. Yikes!! I will qualify that at least my 95° is a dry heat. And I know you know that that makes a huge difference. Still, mid-90s is d*mn hot, humidity or not. I knew before I started it would be tough, but I underestimated how tough. I tried to rationalize by reminding myself that when I lived in Austin, I used to run when it was 95° with 90% humidity. Of course, that was five years ago and I was used to it from doing it almost everyday. You bet I will drag my butt out of bed early from now on no matter how lousy I feel!

[Kathy B]

It's warming up here, too, but not nearly THAT warm, aggie!:eek: Good for you getting in 3 miles. I am sure I would have bailed out long before that!

I think we will hit the low-80s this afternoon, and I just hosed down the air filter in anticipation of turning on the AC in the next few days. So far the attic fan is working pretty well. I also hosed down the table and chairs for the deck and got out the umbrella.....I think the cold spells are behind us!

YEA for being done, Les! Glad to hear you have a week to relax before your internship starts. What kind of hours will you be doing? Do you take call along with the regular chaplain?

Enjoy your ride tonight, Susan!

Vicci, bummer about the kids vandalizing your building! Did the teens run off or were you able to tell the police who they were? Hopefully they will have some consequences so they won't be repeat offenders. Sad to hear about kids getting involved in that kind of thing....:(

Yoga for me this AM, then a 4 mile run outside after the kids left. Household stuff for me the rest of the day.

Have a good one, everybody!

[ktg0930]

Hello runners!

I'm back from Paris! It was a great trip, even though our flight from Philly to Knoxville on Friday night was cancelled. The airline put us up in a hotel and gave us meal vouchers so we were happy, even though we didn't have our luggage.

We did a lot of walking since we had these 50 walking tour cards that my aunt loaned us. We also ran a couple times...one day around the Eiffel Tower and along the Seine and the other in a nice park. Our friends live about 3 min walk from the Eiffel tower and have a great view of the tower from their balcony. I'm missing the fabulous bread and outdoor markets right now though.

Les -- congrats on being done with classes for the year! Enjoy your week off before the internship starts.

Susan -- my workout clothes get washed with everything else in warm water usually. I air dry my shorts and pants, but usually wear t-shirts on top and those just get dried.

Kathy -- wow, it's warm there already! We are still having nice 70's days where open windows are enough. Pretty soon it will be AC time though. Glad you enjoyed the GS activity....it sounds interesting.

Vicci -- sorry about the vandalism. That sucks.

Aggie -- your run sounds horrible--dry heat or not, it's still hot.

Carrie -- it's nice to have a route with water fountains. On my route that goes through the golf course, there is a water cooler which is nice. Hope your sore muscles are better.

Okay, back to work plowing through all these e-mails!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Oh how I know about dry heat eva living through spring/early-summer in the Middle East. :rolleyes: I know what a little time away from the humidity does for you and being accustomed to it - once I returned to the swamp after a year away it was oppressive.

Kathy B - Thanks, I'm looking forward to a little time off. This weekend will be nice because we're celebrating my mother's 70th birthday with a surprise reception (a bigger surprise since her birthday was the 10th. :D ). As best I know (from word of mouth from a CPE student/intern from last year and the literature provided by my supervisor) I'll be working with the regular chaplains initially but by the end of the summer I'll be on call solo. We are scheduled to work 9 hours a day (8:30 - 5:30 with lunch) for 11 weeks and on-call one week. I'll know a lot more come next Wednesday and probably more now that I can actually read the handbook that my supervisor sent me a week ago (finals took precedence). Good job with yoga and running this morning.
Kathy - Welcome back from Paris - I hope you get back to the swing of things quickly and don't have too many things impacting your inbox. Have a great day.

Well, since I'm at "loose ends" I may go for a ride - after putting my road bike back together after a winter on the trainer. Except for the breeze it is a great day outside.

Happy trails,
Les

[SusanMac]

OK....with all this talk of water fountains (they call them 'bubblers' here, btw. Have never gotten used to that myself)....

On the Chicago lakeshore running path they have lots of water fountains. They are large & have 4-6 spouts each, set in a large circle. The funny part is that if one person is drinking, then another person comes up to use another spout, it throws off the pressure of the one in use. So, it either shoots way up in your face, or goes really low, so if you lower your head, then the water shoots up again when the other person is done. It's quite hilarious!!

[aggie94]

SPAM REPORTED. :mad:

Kathy, welcome back from Paris!! I have never been but it is high on our list of must-see places. I can only imagine how surreal it would be to run around the Eiffel Tower and along the Seine!

Speaking of running on vacation (and Susan, since you mentioned Chicago), can someone recommend a good running trail/path for my visit to Chicago next week? We are staying at Wacker & Michigan, so something accessible to there would be great. Something in the 3-4 mile range would be perfect, as I prefer to run with DH when I am in an unfamiliar place and he's not up for a 5-6 miler yet.

[newsomz]

Way to go Les!! I'm sure it feels great to be done for the semester!!!!

Kathy - The Tibetan Rites sound like a great way to fit yoga in! I have a hard time convincing myself to start when I know there is an hour long session in front of me. 5 minute daily yoga sessions sound much more do-able! Great job on the workouts!

Vicci - Sorry to hear about the break in :( I hope not too much damage was done. Great job on the EB. I can't wait to hear if you decide to run. It seems only yesterday you were having trouble with the toe lifts...

Susan - How was the ride? 25 miles is quite a ride. I hope you aren't too exhausted. And "bubblers".. I can understand why you aren't used to it yet!

aggie - I hear you on the heat! We're getting into the 90's now, too.. Though this weekend it was actually quite pleasant (well, except the 90% humidity) due to the constant threat of rain. Anyhow, probably a good call cutting it short in the nasty heat!

Kathy - Running in Paris - how lovely. Last time I was in Paris I wasn't running.. seems a shame! When I get back from a visit to France I always miss the baguette sandwiches they sell everywhere :)

I dragged myself out of bed this morning at 6am after a not very restful night. However, a few weeks back I did the same as aggie this Saturday and skipped a morning run so there was no way I was going to commit to running this evening :) Besides, I worked late & had a potluck tonight so I didn't have time. Anyhow, I got in a nice 40 min run.. And was happy I woke up early as the temps were ~70 instead of the ~90 it would have been this afternoon!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Susan - I could tell you why they are bubblers but not now - it's late. However, Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubbler) tells me that the term bubbler originated in Wisconsin.

It is great to be done and almost all the admin stuff done. The last "official" thing I will do is take one of my classmates who is graduating to the airport so he can return home to Namibia. Sadly, he'll be departing at 7:50 am on Friday so... with a 3 hour prior show time and an hour's drive... you get the picture. Oh well, it will be good to see Lukas and his fiancee head back home together.

Quick check in too - I rode today. Put my road bike back together and got it off the trainer. Made a good 65 minute ride and felt fantastic. Now all I have to do is get my quads to shut up for a little while.

Time for bed though - I've had enough of the midnight stuff to last a lifetime. Until tomorrow - happy trails,
Les

[SusanMac]

Aggie - You are about 2 blocks from the lakeshore path that runs N/S along Lake Michigan & the beaches. You'll go by Navy Pier, down to the Field Museum, fab views of the skyline, etc. It's a paved bike/running path. Your hotel will have directions on how to get there. On the weekend it will be jam-packed.

Les - enjoy your break!!

Hi spammer!

Newsomz - nice job on the early run. I haven't been working out early, but with the early sunlight, I want to start doing that more often.

Well, I can say that I rode last night. Even though the weather predictions said it would be dry & calm, we got rain & wind starting at about mile 5. Decided to cut it a bit short. I'm glad, too. Not a good idea to ride in chilly rain as you're just getting over a cold! And, given the ominous clouds, there were only 4 of us (a typical night would be about 15) All's well, though. Caught up with a few girlfriends I hadn't seen in a while. My legs feel strong. And my cold hasn't come back :-)

[aggie94]

Carrie, nice job on getting up for an early run! For me the alarm always comes waaaaaay too early. DH & I were going to go for a 2-3 miler this morning but even at 6:00, it would have been in the 80s already. We decided to wait until Thursday, when the temps are supposed to drop about 15-20°. So I'll do a treadmill run tonight, and tomorrow evening we are hiking Camelback with a friend. He is trying to rope us into hiking the Grand Canyon with him in the fall. :eek:

Les, way to go on the long ride! DH & I have been talking about trying to get out on our road bikes at least once a week. So far that hasn't happened. :rolleyes:

Susan, thanks for the info - we will definitely go for at least one run on our trip. We'll try to avoid the weekend if possible.

[Kathy B]

Good job on your bike rides, Les and Susan! And glad to hear you got your run in Carrie!

Kathy, your trip souonds wonderful! I would have loved the markets and bakeries, too, so I am not surprised you are missing them. Sounds like you were right in the heart of things. And weather good enough to run, too? What more could you ask for? :)

Aggie, the only problem with hiking the Grand Canyon is that on the way back it is all uphill!! But what a great trip that would be. Would you be hiking all the way down? I hear you have to make reservations for the lodge at the bottom WAAAAAYYYY ahead, since it is the only one.

Yoga this AM. I picked up DD after school, and we went to the CC where I did 40 min on the EB and weights. Tomorrow I am supposed to do a 3mile run, so I will probably run outside. I love having a schedule to follow...makes it so much easier!

[aggie94]

Aggie, the only problem with hiking the Grand Canyon is that on the way back it is all uphill!! But what a great trip that would be. Would you be hiking all the way down? I hear you have to make reservations for the lodge at the bottom WAAAAAYYYY ahead, since it is the only one.

Oh no, there would be no camping or lodging. It would be a rim-to-rim hike in one day (approx. 12 hours is what I'm told). :eek:

Okay, off to the gym for a treadmill (YAWN) run. ;)

[Robyn1007]

Okay, I've been fairly absent, sorry. Saturday I bailed on anything because I was suffering a headache imposed by Mcgeiger's DH's scotch/whiskey/bourbon tasting. ;):p Sunday, I rode downtown which was really lovely but fairly flat and easy. Today, I commuted to work on my bike. Coming home I did a little exploration of the singletrack in Cherry Creek State Park and ended up with a total mileage for the day of 17.4 which I do believe is a record day mileage. I should qualify that with the knowledge that I'm on a mountain bike with slick tires (and the last two years had nubby tires) so I just don't move as fast/easily as a road bike. It felt great although my legs are telling me differently tonight. I'll take tomorrow off (maybe a short run) and then do the commute again on Thursday. Then runs for sure this weekend. :)

I don't have the energy right now to respond to everyone but I hope your weeks are going well!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Carrie - Yay getting your run in expecially when you get up that early to run. Wholly understand running before it gets hot too.
Robyn - Ah, the lovely feeling of distilled spirits of the whiskey type - many (good and bad) memories of those elixirs. Probably safe to take it easy after a taste-fest as only my crazy friends ran after a hard night.
Eva - That sounds fun hiking across the Canyon even if it ends up being a 12 hour hike. Question begs, getting back across?

Ran today after I didn't figure I'd get out with the nasty rain and wind. Didn't feel all that good either - quads still ache from Sunday so I held it down a little and hit ~31-32 minutes. Rewarding myself though and taking LW's massage therapist appointment in the morning for a little therapy. :cool: And life will be good.

'Bout it for now... happy trails,
Les

[aggie94]

Les, enjoy your massage! I have been DYING for one recently - I just need to break down and schedule an appointment. My shoulders have been killing me.

Oh, and with regard to the Rim-to-Rim hike, I guess the idea is to leave the car at the Rim you plan to end at and have someone (friend or service) drive you to the starting rim, which is about 5 1/2 hours by car. We haven't worked out the logistics yet but the friend who is organizing has done it several times and has some ideas. Of course, there's always the option to do Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim so you can end up where you started. :eek: :rolleyes:

I too cranked out about 33 minutes on the treadmill this evening. Felt good, even though it was 79 degrees INSIDE the gym. I guess when it's 109 out, it's hard to get it all that cool inside with a bunch of sweaty bodies working out. Afterwards, I had a tough personal training session - one down this week, two to go.

[newsomz]

Les - Great job on the ride. Have fun at the massage!

Susan - Sorry the rain spoiled your ride. Though it sounds like you made the best of it.

aggie - Hiking the Grand Canyon sounds like fun! My parents took a rafting/hiking trip through the Grand Canyon a few years ago. They rafted for a few days down into the canyon and then got up early one morning and hiked out... so if they can hike out :) Well, don't know about hiking down & out in the same day :eek:

Kathy - Great job on the workouts. I hope you have a nice run today.

Robyn - 17.5 miles isn't shabby - good job! And on a mountain bike, ugh. I am now very spoiled with my road bike. Though really without the road bike I wouldn't be a bike commuter.

I got in a 30 min run this morning. I woke up a few minutes late and was feeling very heavy so I decided to cut it short.

[SusanMac]

Aggie - Both Camelback & GC sound awesome. It's such a shame that the high temps are already impacting your workouts & schedules. It just seems so early (maybe b/c winter lasted longer than usual up here)

KTG - Your vacation sounds fab! The time I was in Paris I didn't do any running, and it was mostly wet. I'm jealous you were able to visit & stay w/friends. That gives you such a better feel of real life there, rather than just a tourist. Bet it was tough to come back.

Robyn - Sounds like you're getting into your bike during the week/run on weekends schedule. That's awesome! I need to start biking to rowing practice (instead of driving), but just haven't gotten into the groove yet. Will try it this Sat.

No workout yesterday. DH & I played hooky & drove to Milwaukee to see the BodyWorlds exhibit. It's one of those exhibits that show real bodies, and you get to see the inside organs, muscles, nerves, etc. Fascinating! They did have one that was a runner, and they focused on all the muscle groups. I had forgotten we have so many layers & layers of muscles, rather than just a quadricep, for ex. Also...the IT band is about 2 inches wide. I had no idea!

[TKay]

Hi all. Just popping in for a quick hello. I'm still recovering from my back tweak, but I'm almost back to normal. My goal is to do some sort of exercise today--even if it's just a walk around the neighborhood. My body is begging for activity. I can't believe how long I've been away.

Sounds like you've all been doing great. My lurking has been sporadic, so I'm sure I've missed some of the news.

Happy running, Les, Susan, Aggie, KathyB, Robyn, Newsomz, Carrie, Vicci, Nat and everyone else. Oh, and FWIW, I wash my workout clothes on delicate and then line dry. Once in a while, I'll dry them partially on gentle in the dryer and then finish line-drying. I usually do this if it's cold out or I'm in a hurry.

[Kathy B]

Hi, Tkay! Good to hear from you again. Did you figure out what you did to your back? Sounds like you did it good, whatever it was! Glad to hear you are feeling better, and I hope the worst of it is behind you.

Susan, we went to a similar exhibit here in KC, but it's Bodies Revealed. I chaperoned DD's class. It was especially interesting for her, because she has scoliosis. She got to see a normal spine and one with scoliosis as well. Very eye-opening!

Aggie, I am guessing rim-to-rim-to-rim involves some camping (or everyones really crabby at the end)! If camping is out, I'd opt for the car service I think. :D

Robyn and Carrie, I envy you guys that you can ride your bikes to work. DS and I have been toying with the idea of riding to church on Sundays. We go to the 0830 service, so it wouldn't be too hot out. Someone was actually encouraging it during National Bike Week a week or two ago, but it hasn't worked out yet. Not sure what I'd wear, though.....:confused:

Glad you got your run in, Les. Enjoy your massage!

3 mile run today at "conversation pace" whatever that is. When there weren't any cars around :o I tried to talk out loud to see if I would run out of breath. I guess my pace was OK....as long as the other person was talking a lot! I kept trying to slow down a bit, but I don't run that fast anyway, and it's hard to let a 3 mile run take TOO long! Working 12 hours tomorrow, so that's it for me until Friday.

[SusanMac]

Back to report a good 40-min run. No Bode. No DH. Just some alone time where I could relax & not worry about others. It was really nice.

I've noticed that my HR is still too high. I am on the tail end of this cold, but I've noticed it for a few weeks now. KathyB - were you the one who shifted to the slow, low HR runs a few months back? I think I'm due for that, as well.

[Leslie Ferguson]

Susan - It sounds like you had a good time running sans Bode with DH. Always a good thing in my book. I'm with you trying to figure out how to ride to your rowing sessions. Part of the good deal of the summer is I'll not be driving to work because it's easier to go by mass transit and the bus picks up <0.1 miles from my house. But I couldn't ride in even if I wanted to unless there is a locker room and shower because I have to wear business attire and that won't go coming off the bike (and it's almost 20 miles to the hospital too).
Eva - Makes sense on the rim-to-rim hiking and it would be nice to have someone drive you when you're done. I can feel for you with it being 79 inside when it's 109 outside. YUCK!
Carrie - Sorry you aren't feeling well - hope you fell better soon.
Kathy B - Best to you on your 12 hour day tomorrow.

I had a great massage today even though I was a little tired and dry-mouthed afterwards. Fiddled around most of the day so I didn't get my run in but I think I may have messed up my massaged body so I skipped.

I got my pictures from the race and if you'd like you can find them on this link. (http://www.marathonfoto.com/order_my_photos.cfm?RaceOID=22702008S1&LastName=FERGUSON&BibNumber=3422&Language=en&Mailing=12385&BFI=7xo2g2xj3i&Frames=true&Flash=true&FlashVersion=8&Height=768&Width=1024&Index2Home=true) You can probably figure out which lady I was pacing. You can also probably tell which ones are taken later in the race (no problem there). Had a great time regardless of how the pictures look.

Tomorrow's another day and I'll try to run early because Friday holds a VERY EARLY start.

Off for a little and I hope you are well.
Happy trails,
Les

[SusanMac]

Checking in to report a fabulous 40-min trail run w/Bode today. It was a clear gorgeous morning. Aggie, I thought of you....it was 50 out...and we were kind hot :-) (that was actually my fault for wearing a cotton tee)

[Robyn1007]

Susan, I feel for you! I rode in this morning but it was mid-50s and 82% humidity. I don't do humidity. I had to stop halfway through to take of my sweat soaked wicking jacket.

Les, hope you're enjoying your time off before the internship.

Kathy, hope your 12 hour day goes okay!

Tkay, hope everything is going well for you!

Aggie, that hike sounds like fun!

Hi Carrie!

[ktg0930]

It's been a pretty lame week exercise-wise! I need to get back into my routine but I have so much work to catch up on.

Les -- glad the massage was relaxing.

Kathy -- hope your 12 hr day was not too draining. I have a hard time with the conversation test myself. Even at a slow pace, I still sound a little breathless.

TKay -- I hope your back tweak works itself out soon.

Carrie -- Some days are just a struggle aren't they? Those days when you are lucky just to run 30 min because you feel crappy for whatever reason.

Okay, I have to run to a teleconference and I don't want the computer to eat what I've written so more later.

[Robyn1007]

Um, I'd rather never repeat today's ride home. In northern Colorado today there was at least 1 tornado including 1 death. We have some pretty crazy stuff going on down here as well so I left work early to beat it home but watched a wall cloud the entire 8 miles home and pedaled faster than I've ever done before. I'm home and safe and only wish I had some liquor here. :eek:

[aggie94]

Aggie, I am guessing rim-to-rim-to-rim involves some camping (or everyones really crabby at the end)! If camping is out, I'd opt for the car service I think. :D

I hear that for SOME, rim-to-rim-to-rim is doable in a single stretch. But 20+ hours of straight hiking? Um, no thanks! And since I don't camp, that's out for me. I think our friend may have found us a driver, and we have a tentative date set for October 11. :eek:

My hike up Camelback yesterday was an experience. For those unfamiliar, it's a pretty tough climb: about 1300 feet elevation gain in 1.2 miles. And a lot of it is scrambling over boulders and jagged rocks, so not just a walk in the park up a paved path. This was my fourth time to do it, although I won't technically count it since I did not make it to the top. :mad: I felt great and was pacing along just fine but we got a WAY late start (due to circumstances entirely out of my control - I'll point the finger at our friend) so the sun was already setting by the time DH & I were 2/3 of the way up (our friend and his friend had given up 1/3 of the way up). There was no way I was going to scramble down over big ugly boulders in the dark, so I bailed. DH continued up to the top and I started down on my own, then I got freaked out because it was getting dark and I wasn't sure I was on the "trail." So I stopped to wait, and here came our friend and his companion. They started down with me, then I got worried about DH because by now it's DARK. Jeremy agreed to wait, and I headed down with his friend Denise and eventually made it back to the car at 8:30, at which time it was pitch black. :eek: Not the best hiking experience, but we will return tomorrow AFTERNOON (and start earlier!) if it's not raining for a repeat.

In the meantime, our weather has turned bizarre. Just two days ago, it was in the triple digits, and today, it's in the 60s, gusty winds, and some rain. The sky looks ominous. I'm hoping the cooler temps stick around but the rain and wind go away so I can go out for a run in the a.m. Otherwise, I'll look forward to my long run on Sunday.

[aggie94]

Found a couple of pics of the hike to give you a sense of how not fun it would be to come down this in the dark!

http://www.naturalbornhikers.com/CamelbackMountain/IMG_2255.JPG

http://www.naturalbornhikers.com/CamelbackMountain/IMG_9006.JPG

[Leslie Ferguson]

Thanks for the pix Eva, that looks like quite the climb. It would be absolutely no fun going down that in the dark - good call taking it easy and bailing before you got in extremis.

A shout out to the rest of the folks - good jobs Kathy, Robyn, and Susan. I'm glad tath you got home before the rain Robyn, too bad you didn't have anything to dry out (as it were).

Nothing spectacular here today, but it was nicer than yesterday (no rain). We had a grea day today with Commencement and the speaker didn't even talk all that long. After that I went for a 15+ mile ride and had a blast - even with the terrible gusts. Now I need to head to bed because of my early morning tomorrow (up at 0315-0320). :(

Any plans for Memorial Day? Probably none here except for a drive bcak from my parents.

Happy trails,
Les