Virtual Running Buddies w/o June 6

[VictoriaL]

Looks like I'm starting this week!

DH's birthday is Sunday so we are spending the weekend at the lake house. How nice to be in a cool stone house rather than in the heat-box which our farm house has turned into during the past 36 hours or so.

Good Luck tomorrow, Susan!

Les, how rewarding your internship must be. Have a safe trip to Norfolk (swamp romp???)

Hope that your foot is feeling better Robyn.

I did 10 minutes on the EB this morning because it was already 82F (and 80% humidity) at 8:30am, but that upstairs room was so hot that it was nicer outside. I went for a run on the trails (30 minutes, only 10 fast-walking now) and forgot that the woods were much more humid. But I slogged through...:rolleyes: I swear, just being able to do this running again makes me want to do it no matter what!

Also, the blackberry bushes in the fields are in full bloom and it was incredible running through that scent. Doesn't last but a couple of days, though, so I couldn't miss it.

Hope that you all have a great weekend (and,as Les said, keep hydrated!) and I should have more time to catch up next week.

[aggie94]

Hey Vicci, thanks for starting us off!

Susan, good luck with your race, and Happy Birthday!!! Can't wait to hear how the run goes.

I have not done a lot of running recently, just a short run here and there. I was disappointed not to get a chance to run along the lakeshore in Chicago on our trip last week, but we were just so busy and so exhausted at the same time, so I took every free opportunity to relax. The weather, though, was beautiful for the last two days and I really should have tried harder to squeeze in a run.

I am hoping to go out for a long run this Sunday with my running buddy, but I am headed to the lake tomorrow for a second (and this time, hopefully successfully!) attempt at wakeboarding. We'll see how I feel when I get home and whether I'm up for a run on Sunday.

Oh, and disappointingly (but not terribly surprisingly), neither DH nor I were selected in the lottery pool for the NYC marathon. :( Maybe next year. We're considering the San Antonio marathon in November instead, but all of the downtown hotels that I would want to stay at are already booked so I'm still undecided.

Have a great weekend and hi to everyone!!

[SusanMac]

Happy crazy storm day, runners! No running or cycling for me today due to weather. Keeping my fingers crossed that I can at least get Bode out for some exercise at some point.

My race yesterday was an absolute blast!! OMG, it was a reminder that we really need to start doing more trail running. Used to do a lot of it in the Bay Area. In Madison, all the good, woodsy hilly trails require a bit of a car ride, but it was totally worth it. We had fabulous weather. Warm, but clear & dry. There were a few hundred people, which is a fun size. There was mud, single track trails, lots of switchbacks, crossing streams, scrambling up & down a few rock piles, hills, hills and more hills. It became obvious a few miles in that this was just a day of practicing pacing and technique (rather than a 'race' like your typical 10K). Everyone was having a blast, chatting with other runners, laughing through the slippery mud. I finished the 15K in 2:02. I haven't even looked to see what the pace turns out to be, or where I placed, as I don't really care. It was all just about having a good time. I'd totally do this one again next year.

[Leslie Ferguson]

Thanks for starting Vicci, it was probably smart to stay inside if it was already 80+ and 80+% humidity. Running in the woods is a little more stifiling but as I can attest from yesterday once we got out of the sun it was at least a little bearable. As for the romp in the swamp - our running trail for weekend long runs in Norfolk is at a place called First Landing State Park and the trail is literally a dirt path that has swamp/inland waters on both sides for most of the 5 miles we run on. As an example, there was a huge snapping turtle on the trail (moving I might add) as well as a water snake on Saturday. As you might imagine, the humidity is always pretty high there thus the moniker "romp in the swamp" for long runs in Norfolk.

aggie - Sorry you didn't get into NYC - one of my IRL running buddies got in but my coach (who ran last year) wasn't bummed that he didn't get in again. Imagine running a race with 50,000+ of your closest friends - that's what NYC is all about.

Susan - It sounds like you had a great race. Almost want to go out and do one like that around here. In fact I might do one this fall - there's a race along the Potomac that is part of the Ultramarathon series (they have a half that I might run in though).

My weekend went well but I didn't stay out of the heat and humidit and ran 13 miles in the swamp. We did 4/1 (min running/min walking) which made it doable but long (someting in the neighborhood of 2:25). I'm not sure how hot it was but I'd guess something like 80 when we started at 7am and only got hotter topping out at 101 yesterday. Had fun with my sponsoring parish in Norfolk before coming back to the sweat box in DC.

Need to get back into things so I can go back to the hospital tomorrow morning. I hope that folks had a great weekend and I'll probably ride tomorrow (heat index in the 105-110 range by the end of the day - running might be a bad idea).

Happy trails all,
Les

[SusanMac]

Vicci - happy bday to DH! He shares a bday with my dad.

Aggie - sorry about NYC. Hope you guys decide to do San Antonio. I've never wake-boarded, but I'm sure it's a blast.

Les - sounds like you had a great run!

Thx for the bday wishes. I have a lot to report to this gang. My gifts from DH included 2 new Nike running shirts, and a whole set of Cuisinart stainless pots/pans. He kept apologizing for getting me boring kitchen stuff, but I absolutely love it. In fact, due to our constant tornado/tstorm/flood watches, we stayed in on my bday & I made halibut on the new pans :-)

[Kathy B]

Glad to hear you had a fun Bday, Susan, and your 15K sounds like it was really fun, too. Were there many spectators? Or did the course being like it was kind of prohibit that? With that kind of BD haul, your DH was really good to you! :D

Wow, Les, and I thought it was getting hot here! I enjoy seeing wildlife, but I am not sure I'd appreciate it popping up in front of me on a run! :eek:

Aggie, I saw on your other thread that you were successful at wakeboarding (great pics!). Way to go!! It looked really fun! Hope the knee isn't anything serious.

So, Vicci, have you been out picking blackberries? Nice that you have bushes nearby. Hope you had a nice BD weekend for your DH at the lake!

I've been doing a little of everything the last several days.....a few outdoor runs, some yoga, some weights, some TM and about 20-30 min per day of "tennis" with DD. (We mostly volley and practice serving, but I DO chase a LOT of balls!:p)

Wishing you all a good week!

[newsomz]

Vicci - How was the lake house this weekend. Sounds like fun! Did you have a party for DH? And great job on the recent runs!!!

aggie - Too bad about NYC! But San Antonio would be fun, too.. I lived in Texas for a bit and I still have major cravings for Tex-Mex.

Les - Ouch! That is some hot weather.. and in the swamp :0

Susan - What wonderful birthday presents - I would be very pleased, too :) Glad you had a good birthday! And I read about your race - wow!

Kathy - Sounds like you have been keeping busy! I need to add a little variety to my workouts but I can barely seem to fit them in.

I ended up skipping out on all my runs last week :( A combination of bad weather and my change in schedule last week threw me off. However, I think I have a plan worked out to stay on track again. I wasn't too disappointed about the unplanned break week as I needed one :) I am back up and running today.. got in 30 min after grocery shopping.

[Leslie Ferguson]

Susan - Those sound like great presents and I hope that the weather didn't get too bad for you out there.
Kathy B - You are a trooper to shag tennis balls with DD, especially in this heat. I'll have to give my friend who is doing her internship in KC a call and see how she likes the midwest heat. ;)
newsomz - Welcome back after your unplanned but needed break - I know those things all too well and relished them when they came upon me.

It looks like I've thrown in a new race this summer - the hospital is doing a fund raiser for heart defects after a kid passed away at age 23 months from a heart defect. I can either raise money and run in a fun run/race (either 1 or 5 miles) or pay outright and run (the latter is cheaper) but I think raising $100 for heart research is much better than copping out with $25. Long day and it was a terrible weather day (work was grand) - Air Condition Red then Orange and a heat index of ~100. I got home kind of late so I went for a short and intense 30 minute ride. Now to write a couple things that are due tomorrow (review of 3 chapters in a book and a case study). But the first thing tomorrow will be my permanent filling for my root canal (and I need it because the temp is fading fast).

See you all in the funnies and keep cool and hydrated.

Happy trails,
Les

[Leslie Ferguson]

Back-to-backs without a run or ride to report but thought I'd check in. My run/ride was impacted by a terrible morning at the dentist. I thought I was going to get a permanent filling - no joy - I ended up having him finish the root canal from two weeks ago and putting another temporary (but more permanent than the last one I hope) filling that I can have finally filled in August so I don't miss more work. I got to work but didn't feel like making rounds (I ended up standing outside for almost 30 minutes at 11:00 - it was terribly hot and I got really sweaty even in the shade). Spent the afternoon in the classroom going over verbatims and other class assignments. But I can say that I didn't feel like riding tonight because my lower jaw feels like I've been hit a couple times so I stayed in, did a little work on my verbatim for this week, and will turn in a little early tonight (after a little tylenol to soothe the pain). Maybe tomorrow will be a day to ride - I sense it will still be hot tomorrow ~88 is predicted so riding once I get home will fit the bill.

Happy trails and stay hydrated,
Les

[newsomz]

Les - sorry to hear about the root canal/temporary filling. I can understand not wanting to get out after a morning like that! Hope you feel better today :) I also have nothing to report, lol.

[SusanMac]

Newsomz - I will join you....I have no workout to report either :-) Oh well.

Work is crazy exhausting this week, as I get ready to leave town this Sun for a big event. I'm putting work first, but finding that I'm really itching to get out & move. I know it will actually give me more energy. Hopefully today I"ll get out.

Les - oi -- more dental work. Hopefully the Tylenol does its job.

Kathy - it's so fun to hear about your kids various activities. How is DD doing with the tennis so far? I absolutely love playing, but have never been very good at it. Dont' think I won a single game in my college class. It made the coach mad that I didn't care :-)

[Robyn1007]

Deleted. :(

[Kathy B]

Way to go, Robyn! It is ALWAYS a good thing when your doctor is happy with you. :D Good job consistently getting in your workouts. Hope the rest is resolved soon, too!

Susan, is your big event work related or fun? Hope you managed to get outside today! DD is enjoying tennis very much. She is at "tennis camp" each morning this week and it is going well. Today she managed to return a really hard serve to a boy who totally didn't think she could do it and won the point, because he was unprepared for the ball to come back to him. She lost the game, but was grinning all day over that one play! :p

Carrie, I definitely understand needing a break here and there. Glad you got your run in and have a plan! I always do better with some kind of schedule, myself. I need structure! The weather here has been erratic lately with lots of rain, beautiful days here and there, terrible heat and humidity other days and even tornado and flash flood warnings thrown in. Thank goodness for the community center or I'd be hard pressed to get things done.

So, Les, you still have classes and homework during your internship??? That's quite a load! What is a verbatim? Hope you got your ride in and the tooth/jaw pain eases.

I did a little over 4 miles this AM. I have to say I did NOT feel like going for a run and had to force myself to get out the door, but in the end it was all good. A little warm, but a rather stiff wind that I actually didn't mind as it kept me pretty comfortable.

Hi to all that follow! :)

[SusanMac]

Robyn - so good to see you 'round. Wow - 11 pounds is awesome!! Hope your foot is doing better.

Kathy - v. cool about DD. I would be grinning all day, too....and I'm a grown up :-)

Just got back from a run 42 min. My legs are feeling really heavy & the tops of my feel ache. Harumph. Need to focus, shake it out & start stretching more. Hopefully that's it, and nothing more. Just also took a post-run bike ride up to the library. I'm so stinky I should be embarrassed, but I did it anyway!

Ooh - more bday gifts arrived today. SIL/BIL got me a gift certificate to Williams Sonoma. I like the theme going on here :-)

Later. Off to make some salmon pizza. DH is out w/a buddy on a bike ride.

[Leslie Ferguson]

Great seeing everyone, I'd love to give personal responses but I'll hit the high points.
Great job Robyn, 11 pounds down is something else and always good to have your doctor happy with you.
Tylenol did wonders and I'm done with dental work until the middle of August.
So, Les, you still have classes and homework during your internship??? That's quite a load! What is a verbatim? Hope you got your ride in and the tooth/jaw pain eases.
The homework and classes are part of the internship. The chaplain is teaching us about pastoral visits and some of the "tricks of the trade." Also, we spend a lot of time comparing notes and discussing what has gone well and what hasn't gone well - not quite therapy but considering all the emotions that can flow around Children's Hospital (as you know) us folks that deal with the raw end need to process what goes on in our day. Sorry about the verbatim term - basically that is a verbatim account of an interaction with a patient or family. Details about the patient, sights and sounds, emotions and personal questions/motives asked, then as close to a verbatim account of the oral transaction (I don't like that word but you get the point). The last part of the verbatim is a recounting of things I've learned from the interaction, things I thought went well, how I influenced the interaction whether overtly or implicitly (my predispositions), and lastly how the interaction worked with my learning goals. In all, it's a great technique but it is laborious but fascinating for reflection. Sorry that got so long but it's hard to explain.

Today - lots of good reasons to ride but I got home late again (had an ATM eat my card so had to phone two banking institutions) and couldn't push myself out knowing that I would eat after 9 pm if I did.

Need to go, a couple paragraphs to write and bed is calling.

Happy trails,
Les

[SusanMac]

Les - I was wondering about the verbatim term myself. Thx for explaining.

Kathy - I think you had asked about my trip. It's work-initiated. I'm managing a work conference that kicks off Mon in Montreal. At the end, tho, DH is meeting me & we're spending 4 days there. I'm very excited. It's supposed to be a fabulous city, and I'm in desperate need of a vaca. Of course, I haven't booked a hotel yet. Minor details :-) We do, however, have arrangements for both Bode & Merckx!

I actually have 2 runs to report! Yesterday afternoon got in 40 min. Pretty achy. (wait -- did I already report this?) This morning I took Bode on a neighborhood run - 45 min. Felt *much* better. Did more stretching beforehand. I was planning to go later in the day, but glad I squeezed it in, as it's now pouring down rain...and not supposed to stop. Oi. More water.

My sister has slacked off on her running & asked me for pointers for motivation. Anyone have any quick tips?? She's brand new at this, just started in the winter. Doing the run/walk Galloway approach. Having a hard time getting out the door these days.

Gotta run. Is it Thurs already??

[Leslie Ferguson]

Sorry you're getting more rain Susan. It looks like you don't need any more these days. Sorry that I throw around my jargon like that. I wish I had a great tip for getting going but I had motivation to run when I got started (Navy did that to me back then) and once I was started I got addicted and the rest is history. Sorry about your achy runs but good that you got them in.

I claim success with a 60+ minute ride. I got back to the W&OD (Washington and Old Dominion) Trail for a speedy ride between some killer (standing in 1st gear) hills. Almost done with my second full week at the hospital and loving it, even if it's a little trying.

Take care and I'll see you later. Happy trails,
Les

[Sprouts]

Hi everyone,

While I'm not a real runner (although I'm tying I just keep getting thwarted by injury) I am training for a bike ride in a couple of weeks and need to find some gel/chewies something or other but don't see a real cycling thread around. Since some of you mention riding I hoped you wouldn't mind.;) The ride is mountain biking and about 20 miles each day. I've tried the Luna chewies and they were fine. Tried the Clif gel shot today and that was absolutely nasty. It was sticky gross couldn't get it off my teeth. :eek: So, anyone have any favorites?

Thanks! :)