Virtual Running Buddies 8/22/08

[Kathy B]

Happy Friday, all! :) Up early and got in a 3.5 mile run, followed by a long walk with the dog. I wanted to take a rest day, but realistically I probably won't get out for another run before Wednesday. (Yoga and weights, yes, running, no.) So off I went!

Wishing everyone a great weekend!

[VictoriaL]

Guess I'm up next!

Good run and walk, Kathy! I'm sure the dog appreciated the extra time. :)

I had a crappy run this morning, but productive. That's because today was trail maintenance so it was jog, clip, jog, clip, wipe cobwebs from hair and shoulders, clip, and so on... My HR wasn't even up to my low range, but at least I got out before the heat and humidity rose. I'm thinking about running a real run tomorrow instead of weights to make up.

I've been invited to join the supper club which I used to be in for their August dinner tomorrow evening (the host has remained in contact w/ me even though I left the club 1-1/2 years ago), so I am making a peach tiramisu and pineapple-rum-mint cocktails. Other than that, the weather will decide what I do this weekend (indoors vs. outdoors).

What will everyone else be up to?

[newsomz]

Thanks for starting us off, Kathy. Great job with the early morning run!

Vicci - Sounds like you did your part for the trail. Will you be posting pics of the tiramisu & cocktails? They both sound very pretty.

I got in a 3 mi run this afternoon during a break in the rain. T.S. Fay has brought us quite a lot of rain the past few days so I have mostly been stuck inside. Oh well, we needed the rain.

Hope everyone has a nice weekend!!

[TKay]

You were at it bright and early, Kathy. Thanks for the start. Great job on the walk/run.
Vicci - Do tell me more about the cocktail you're whipping up. Sounds interesting. Good job on the trail maintenance.
Newsomz - Glad you got in that run during the dry spell. Hope you don't get too soaked by Fay.
Nat - I think it was you who asked how the boys liked the Observatory yesterday? If not, apologies. I'm not looking at last week's thread. They really enjoyed it. I asked my 8-year-old if he learned anything new about the planets. He said, "No, it was mostly stuff I already knew." (He's very into science.) They had a lovely excursion with their surrogate grandparents anyway. :)
Les - Jumping back to last week, I meant to tell you I was very impressed with all the places around the world you've run. That must be really cool to look back and remember all those experiences.

I got in a nice weight walk this morning and then felt like my arms were too weak to type when I got back. Gee, can you say it's been a while since I really hit it? I'm glad I'm getting back into things slowly. I've been racing my boys up and down the stairs too, just to get the heart rate going. Baby steps.

[Robyn1007]

Kathy, yeah I was so surprised to see the new thread bright and early this morning!

Vicci, just think tomorrow's run will be nice and clear perfect for a good hard run.

Newsomz, eek, I hope you don't get too soaked, nice job on taking advantage of the break.

Tkay, is that a satisfying feeling when you know you've worked the muscles good enough to be that tired?

Well, I've not been feeling very good this week, fighting something so I took rest days Wednesday and Thursday. Tonight I got to the rec center for 30 minutes of swimming and some light weights mostly arms just a bit of legs since I've got two strong rides planned this weekend.

[Leslie Ferguson]

Thanks for starting Kathy - I'll echo that you were definitely at it early today. Good job getting out early before the heat.
Robyn - I hope that you shake whatever is ailing you and you have a good workout today.
Vicci - Good for you to get out too. Always divine to beat the heat. Sorry about the cobwebs too - those aren't any fun in my book.
TKay - Some places have better memories than others. The oddest is having to take 3 stitches in my chin after a run while on a Turkish Naval Base (long story). Too funny about having arms so tired that you almost couldn't type. Baby steps are good too.

For me... I rested today - needed it considering I ran or rode 4 days straight and rode in the car for 11+ hours on Sunday (a workout in itself). That and I have a race in a week and I'll be running a little in the morning so I need fresher legs.

Besides that, it's been a fun week doing things with my classmates - included leading folks on a mass transit trip into Alexandria. Nothing too involved but still helpful for about 12 of my classmates (the incoming class).

Now to bed - hopefully I sleep as well as I did last night (which was pretty good).

Happy trails,
Les

[TKay]

Robyn - Yeah, I love that good kind of muscle fatigue. I have just a hint of soreness today and it feels so nice. Take care of yourself. The rest was probably a good idea. Hope you're on the mend.
Les - I'm sure you have some stories to tell about the Turkish Base and many other places. Good sleep can't be beat.

We're heading out for vacation soon, so I'll be off for a while. I'll post if I get online and have anything to report. I'm bringing gym clothes and will be in the pool a lot, so you never know. (We're going to hot, hot, hot Palm Springs for a getaway before the school year starts.)

Happy running/biking/swimming/Olympic viewing/trail maintaining/weight lifting/cross training/cooking/yoga and whatever else I missed.

Hey, is anyone else really looking forward to the men's marathon? I keep checking the schedule to make sure I don't miss it.

[SusanMac]

Vicci -- you *must* post the recipe for pinapple cocktails!! I haven't had a good summer cocktail yet this season. That sounds refreshing.

TKay - nice job on the weights/walk. I totally need to be doing more for my upper arms, too

Nat - I just picked up a copy of Running With the Buffaloes at the libarary. I think you had mentioned liking that book? I thought it would be good to read about running w/the marathon coming up. And, several of the CU team members were in the Olympics this year!

Had a really great long run yesterday -- 17 miles. First LSD run in the new shoes. They made a world of difference. It used to take me 1-2 miles to really get warmed up & in the groove, and I thought it was just me. From the start yesterday my legs felt fresh & springy. And my knee is much better. Will keep icing it occasionally to make sure.

Just got back from a leisurely farmer's market visit w/my IM girlfriend (who now lives in AZ, but is here visiting). Need to go on a light bike spin. It's hot but really beautiful today.

Hope everyone's having a great weekend! Men's Olympic marathon is tonight!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Susan - New shoes are great aren't they. It sounds like you new ones are helping already. The ice regimen sounds like something worth doing for a while too. Hope it's not too hot up your way - it's starting to look like the dog days around here (hotter this coming week than last week).
TKay - although you're already gone I hope that you have/had a good vacation. The stories are great and even some of them aren't hair-raising.

I'm in the need of new scoots too - I just hope that there are a couple more pairs of my current model - I hate running races in new models of shoes. Wish me luck. And I ran today at about noon - not too long but plenty long enough before the race. I did just under an hour and for the most part felt pretty good.

Have a good weekend all and happy trails,
Les

[Leslie Ferguson]

I won't spoil it with a winner but what a race! I was amazed at the speed of those guys. If you haven't seen the results and/or want to read the story you can see the NBC summary (http://www.nbcolympics.com/trackandfield/news/newsid=252832.html) of the race. It doesn't do the whole thing justice but needless to say a good race all around. There weren't any of the pollution issues but it was hot for the race - 75 degrees and 52 % humidity at the start and 86 degrees by the finish.

New scoots too - Asics changed the Cumulus too much with the new model so I bought Saucony ProGrid Ride (http://www.saucony.com/ShoeDetails.aspx?gen=m&use=Run&id=1134&rel=1118,1110,1107,1148,1109,1140,1138,1104,1113,1 041,1076,1058,1102,1067,1064,1062,1146,1134,1136,1 152,1150) in Silver/Blue. Lighter than the Cumulus 9 and I hope that I don't have any issues in the race next weekend. I guess I'll have to plunk down a couple miles between here and there. :rolleyes:

Happy running and have a great remainder of the weekend.

Les

[Natasha]

Drive-by... DH and I watched most of the marathon last night. Another exciting Saturday night at our household, clearly! (The sick thing - though you guys will understand - is that to us it was exciting.) As Les says, what a race! The funniest part was when the colour commentator, a former competitive runner, said around the 30k mark, "what a masochistic sport". I cracked up because although it's so true, it can also be so fun! Masochistically fun?

Hope to write more later today. Happy Sunday, all!

[Natasha]

Back with a sort of low-key ride and run to report. I also hadn't been feeling too good these past few days, kind of low-energy and so on, so was thrilled with my 1 1/2 hours. The ride was fantastic. I chose to focus on skill drills and had a blast. Then I went out for my run, and ran up where DH was riding (Les, it was the route you know!), so I could meet him and give him a bit of moral support. It is hot and humid out there today, and I'm not used to that anymore with the summer we've had (cool and humid, in the form of tons of rain).

Speaking of rain... Carrie, has T.S. Fay stopped bugging you guys? Hope you managed to stay dry!

Kathy, hope your busy few days are going well and that the yoga and weights and enjoyable.

Les, sounds like you're all set :) Did LW watch the marathon with you?

Susan, 17 miles - good stuff! I haven't read Running with the Buffaloes - were you thinking of Duel in the Sun? Hope RwtB is a good read!

Vicci, sounds like you're getting in lots of practical cross-training. How were the cocktails?

TKay, yes, that was me who asked about the observatory. Glad they enjoyed, even if your son didn't learn much. He must be very smart! :) BTW, I just noticed your comment:
"Happy running/biking/swimming/Olympic viewing/trail maintaining/weight lifting/cross training/cooking/yoga and whatever else I missed." and it made me laugh :D We are a busy and varied bunch!

Robyn, how were the weekend rides? Did you find a good gift for your coach?

Okay, the rest of the day awaits. Have a wonderful rest of weekend!

[VictoriaL]

Hi Everyone!

I’ve been rather a slug this weekend… ;)

Carrie I hope that you haven’t been affected by Fay’s flooding. We may receive some of the rain at the end of the week, but it’s iffy. A mixed bag with my contributions for last evening’s dinner—the tiramisu turned out much better than I had hoped (I was lightening a recipe) and the pineapple-rum cocktails didn’t thrill me as much as I had thought they would (but two of the other guests loved them). I’ll let you know when I get the recipes posted. :) And I hope that the weather has cleared up enough for a couple of nice, long runs this weekend.

TKay it sounds as though you are gearing up for longer bouts of exercise for when the boys go back to school. That’s a good way to get back into it, though, then your muscles will be prepared. You really do need to move into a house on the beach so you can have beach runs every day (that would be my ultimate motivation!). And don’t worry about the name “misspelling”. That actually was how I spelled my name for the first 16 years or so of my life, then I changed it to be “different”. My Dad still refuses to acknowledge this, though!

Robyn I hope that you’re enjoying successful rides this weekend, and that whatever big was lurking around has gone away. You’ve been at it so hard lately, I think that your body may have welcomed the two rest days!

I’ve been pondering new running shoes lately too, Les, but the variety of styles and features out there really puts a crimp in the decision-making process. I decided to stick with wearing my current trail shoes only for trail-running (makes sense…) and buy a new pair of “regular” ones this time since I seem to be running at the park on asphalt more often. My current ones are Asics gel trail shoes, and they fit my narrow foot well, so I’ve been coming back to the Asics Gel Kahana 2 (sp?) which has been out for almost a year and I see are on sale for $50 at a local sporting goods store this week. How does anyone ever make a decision?!?! :rolleyes:

Sounds like you have a bit more time for getting out now—finally! Keep cool in that heat and humidity (we’re having some of that, too, but at least it’s not 20 degrees and icy!).

Susan so how long does it take you to run 17 miles? Just curious… I have to go to mapmyrun and see if I can figure out how to calculate the distance I run at the nearby park. The problem is that I go up a hill (which takes about 5 minutes) then I loop figure-8’s around and between parking lots on either side of the main road, then run down to the next set of parking lots, and so on until I’m back at the bottom—I have to remember to count my “loops”! And I continue to be envious of your walks to the farmers’ market… :)

I have to admit, Nat, that I find it very difficult to believe that you have been experiencing low-energy days... and the phrase “masochistically fun” sounds about right for a marathon (for the right person!). I have to admit that, although I read the newspaper articles, I haven’t watched any of the Olympic events since, without cable/satellite and only having dial-up internet access, I would have to depend on NBC coverage and they weren’t broadcasting what I wanted to watch when I wanted to watch it! Kind of rude for them not to consult me about the schedule, wasn’t it? ;)

As I said, I've been a slug this weekend. I meant to run yesterday morning but noticed that the tomatoes and squash in the garden looked a bit wilted so I watered the garden first and, by the time that was done, it was both too hot and the day already too packed to go out. Dinner last night was very nice, and the host lives about 10 minutes from Trader Joe's so I went there first and stocked up on stuff to take on vacation in 2 weeks. Today is housecleaning (where are those Clif Shots when I need them?) and catching up on paperwork, but tomorrow morning we are planning a nice, long bike ride.

I hope that everyone else is enjoying their version of a great weekend!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Hi Everyone!


I’ve been pondering new running shoes lately too, Les, but the variety of styles and features out there really puts a crimp in the decision-making process. I decided to stick with wearing my current trail shoes only for trail-running (makes sense…) and buy a new pair of “regular” ones this time since I seem to be running at the park on asphalt more often. My current ones are Asics gel trail shoes, and they fit my narrow foot well, so I’ve been coming back to the Asics Gel Kahana 2 (sp?) which has been out for almost a year and I see are on sale for $50 at a local sporting goods store this week. How does anyone ever make a decision?!?! :rolleyes:

I'll admit that if I'm getting new shoes it takes a long time and a bit of effort from the local Running Store. If I can't get repeats of my current model then (like yesterday) I end up trying on 4 or 5 pairs of shoes - some of them multiple times. If I taking a relatively new runner out for shoes then I tell them to expect 45 minutes of fitting. That should start with the clerk (fit preson) watching you walk barefooted away and towards them, running barefooted in both directions and then finally trying on shoes. In cases where the person seems to have a good idea of foot mechanics then there is less fiddling. Another good place to start id Runner's World and their older shoe comparison articles because they do provide a good bit of information that will help guide a runner in finding shoes.

I hope that your long ride goes well tomorrow and that you have a good week. I'm getting more time to run and ride now - just hope that the school year proves to be the same way.

Nat - I think I'm ready for the race but really do need a couple miles under the shoes to make sure they won't whack my feet in 13.1 miles. LW watched parts of the marathon, especially the finish. It sounds like you had a good ride today and I kind of miss that road for riding. I also understand the masochistic comment - sometimes I wonder if I'm not one too. :D

Off to catch up on some last minute things before the week kicks off including a couple last purchases for school and preps for the race next weekend.

Happy trails,
Les

[Robyn1007]

This is going to be a short one followed by more later with photos from yesterday's ride. Yesterday I got in about 29 miles in two segments up in Summit County (so 9000 ft in elevation). Today I did 53 miles. I'm beat and hot and sweaty and am debating between food, shower and sleep. This one hurt pretty bad, not sure why except for the fighting stuff last week, low oxygen yesterday and today's ride started with hills. Oh, and the flat tire at the 40 mile mark didn't help either.

[newsomz]

Quick check in for me, too! I had to wait and wait until the rain finally died down some.. but I got in a nice and cool 4 mi run this evening. Temperature was only in the lower 70's!!! And it was misting quite a bit. Anyhow, I am gearing up for the Nike+ human race next week.. though I'll probably just use it as my long run and not really race it. Looks like everyone had a good weekend. Me too!

[Robyn1007]

Here are photos from yesterday's rides!

Lake Dillon
http://lh4.ggpht.com/rspeirn/SLIL2fl8YgI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/RTLW3UpZktw/Summit%20County%20Cycling%20001.JPG?imgmax=512

Summer at Keystone (note the new gondola station up there)
http://lh5.ggpht.com/rspeirn/SLIMD45nw4I/AAAAAAAAAHI/kYIxm-MuQVw/Summit%20County%20Cycling%20004.JPG?imgmax=512

More Keystone
http://lh4.ggpht.com/rspeirn/SLIMJ8ziROI/AAAAAAAAAHo/K1PriRfjI0I/Summit%20County%20Cycling%20006.JPG?imgmax=512

Riding through meadows
http://lh5.ggpht.com/rspeirn/SLIMLyaLzfI/AAAAAAAAAH4/jXN2h9lquX8/Summit%20County%20Cycling%20007.JPG?imgmax=512

http://lh6.ggpht.com/rspeirn/SLIMN6m0RmI/AAAAAAAAAII/UdPmwFmpYPc/Summit%20County%20Cycling%20008.JPG?imgmax=512

http://lh5.ggpht.com/rspeirn/SLIMSC1u_II/AAAAAAAAAIY/1-ewnSJ7ww4/Summit%20County%20Cycling%20010.JPG?imgmax=512

The storms are coming!
http://lh6.ggpht.com/rspeirn/SLIMTQXilmI/AAAAAAAAAIg/INoB9-3sPzk/Summit%20County%20Cycling%20011.JPG?imgmax=512

http://lh3.ggpht.com/rspeirn/SLIMVQNXI4I/AAAAAAAAAIs/wJ3fne4Kyo0/Summit%20County%20Cycling%20012.JPG?imgmax=512

http://lh3.ggpht.com/rspeirn/SLIMau1uSBI/AAAAAAAAAJE/YhXIJ3nZ7Mg/Summit%20County%20Cycling%20014.JPG?imgmax=512

[Robyn1007]

Mom and 2 of her girls. The little one in back was my athlete last year.
http://lh4.ggpht.com/rspeirn/SLIMdLDB7fI/AAAAAAAAAJM/sz0pkKMeGPA/Summit%20County%20Cycling%20015.JPG?imgmax=512

The group! Mom, 3 daughters and 2 coaches.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/rspeirn/SLIMguZR_YI/AAAAAAAAAJU/CdY8uEHaW1E/Summit%20County%20Cycling%20016.JPG?imgmax=512

http://lh4.ggpht.com/rspeirn/SLIMkHs5J1I/AAAAAAAAAJk/mL5aGMLxepk/Summit%20County%20Cycling%20018.JPG?imgmax=512

http://lh3.ggpht.com/rspeirn/SLIMnuAyKYI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/GpA3wM8rVGU/Summit%20County%20Cycling%20019.JPG?imgmax=512

[Kathy B]

Wow, Robyn! Wow! Thanks so much for posting those pics! What a treat to see just before I head off to bed. You must have had a fabulous ride this weekend. To quote Dr. Seuss....."Have I Ever Told You How Lucky You Are?"

Didn't get a darn thing in today (at least nothing exercise wise), and I work tomorrow, so I have nothing to say for myself. Except I did do a lot of other stuff today....so that was good.

Hope you all have a great week!

P.S. Great pictures, Robyn! Just absolutely beautiful!

[VictoriaL]

Robyn, what great shots! And no wonder you're tired (I'd be near-dead). I hope that you have a nice, restorative rest tonight!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Robyn - Those are great pictures, makes me hungry for some real hills (who am I kidding?). I too can see why you were a little bushed yesterday and especially today - 79 miles in two days is enough to make anyone bushed (maybe not Lance). Enjoy some much needed rest.

Great run Carrie especially since the weather decided to clear up a bit.

To bed, one last week then back to classes.

Happy trails,
Les

[Robyn1007]

To quote Dr. Seuss....."Have I Ever Told You How Lucky You Are?"


As I rode along yesterday I kept thinking to myself how lucky I am to live so close to this. It really is incredible. I can only hope that one day I'll get to live up there. Glad everyone is enjoying the pics, I can't decide which is my favorite.

[SusanMac]

Robyn - Thx for posting the pictures. Beautiful! Did those little girls do 50+ miles also?? Wow.

Got in a great bike ride yesterday. 25 miles of one of my tried & true hilly routes. It's been ages since I've done it, and it felt so good.

Maybe it's just me....but I didn't think the men's Olympic marathon was all that exciting. Was very glad to see the winner (didn't realize that country had never won Oly gold -- who would've guessed!). The US contingent did quite well, IMO, although some people probably had higher expectations. There just weren't any big, surprising strategic moves. I did like hearing Ed Eyestone's commentary. You could tell they were all hoping the leaders would blow up to make things interesting. It's amazing at how smooth & easy they make running a 5:00 min/mile look! Wow!

[Natasha]

Vicci, I don't think you've been a slug - sounds like you have been busy with many other things! Yes, how remiss of NBC not to consult you re: their scheduling :p

Robyn, great riding and lovely pics!!

Les, Carrie - sounds like you are doing well. Good luck to both of you this weekend!

Can we talk about the men's tri yet?? OMG - best race I have seen in quite some time!!! DH and I just loved it (yeah, I know I already gushed about it on last week's thread and I'm not bullish on it just because of the performance of one of the Canadians). DH and I have referred to it every day since.

I thought the marathon was wonderful in a different way - not as riveting but still moving and a marathon always has a special place in my heart because I see those km markers and think back to how I felt when I was at such and such a place. Plus I was really happy for the winner and the second place guy, who we thought showed real guts. Must have been cool to have Ed Eyestone do commentary; I have enjoyed his RW columns in the past.

So this weekend I plan to pick up this jersey from MEC. I noticed it a couple of months ago and it is lovely in real - soft and slightly textured and I thought it would fit nicely. Now it's on super clearance, so this is my opportunity!
http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=84552444262 5449&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302692521&bmUID=1219672322305

Have a wonderful day, guys,
Nat

[Robyn1007]

Robyn - Thx for posting the pictures. Beautiful! Did those little girls do 50+ miles also?? Wow.



Oh, no! I did 29 miles on Saturday of which 14 were with them. Which is still pretty darn good but definitely not 50.

[SusanMac]

Now that the Olympics are officially over -- I think all event discussions are fare game. Go for it! (I've seen everything I want to except the wmn tri. But, I do know the results & don't mind if anyone chats about it :-)

Totally agree that I enjoy watching the marathons just b/c it's a sport we do, it's inspiring, and fun. Even if it's not an exciting race, per se.

Here are some of my Oly reactions:

Wmn Marathon - Absolutely love that the winner is the oldest woman to win marathon gold. She's 38. Go for it! So much for the age card ;-) Experience really is important for endurance events.

Men's Tri - Loved watching this race. Exciting finish. Love that the winner was his first time at the Olympics, and really not expected to finish high at all. The emotion on his face was spectacular. I really prefer non-drafting tri's, though. Makes the race more compelling throughout, rather than just at the end. Oh, and no one should really wear all white tri suits--TMI :-)

Wmn 10K - OMG - I teared up when I saw Shalane Flanagan & her mom both start crying. She wasn't even sure what place she was in until after she finished & asked the official. That was priceless! DH has a crush on Kara Goucher

Men's 10K - I absolutely loved that the 3 Ethiopians worked together as a team. And, all 3 of them celebrated together even though only 2 of them got medals. They couldn't have done it w/out all working together. Very cool.

[Natasha]

That is so funny about the white suits. DH and I have commented on that because it seems like white is in right now. It's just... not right :p

Things I loved most about the men's tri were:

- the camaraderie between the Belgian, Luxembourgeois, and Mexican riders who took off in front for that stretch - and especially how the former two exchanged backpats and handslaps as they headed into the run. Also how they managed to lead the run for much longer than the commentators expected.
- the way the race was soooo close the whole time
- Colin Jenkins' "domestique" (though I don't like that term) work and the HUGE grin on his face as he finished dead last; he'd still done his job
- how Simon Whitfield is going to share his race $ with Jenkins to help Jenkins get back through school
- that finishing kick - there were so many doubters here that Whitfield could come back from his injuries, etc. so it was lovely to see him prove them wrong
- not directly related to the race, but I also enjoyed skimming Colin Jenkins' and Paul Tichelaar's blogs - just regular guys with the "Wow, I'm here!" attitude still intact.

We also found the women's mountain bike race compelling... did anyone see that? Having dabbled in mountain biking (and not very skillfully, though I still do trail ride ;)) I have a real appreciation for people who can ride such technical terrain and so quickly at that. Still not too sure about Marie-Helene Premont's decision but hey, it was her race and if she didn't feel fit to complete the course I guess I can't judge *too* much. The German woman so deserved to win - she was skilled and sooo smart. In the last lap when she got tired she went through a stretch, didn't like her line, and instead of trying it she opted to lose a bit of time and pick another line. Catharine Prendel of the Luna team is someone to look for in the next few years - very impressed with her showing.

And in the water... did you hear about the canoe (or was it kayak?) duo who won bronze just a few weeks after one of the paddlers' racing partners suddenly died? How bittersweet. It was tough for us to see Van Koeverden's 8th place finish in K1 1000 but there are lots of promising paddlers coming up from various countries - very exciting. Again, I have an appreciation for their times when I think about how long it takes us to canoe/kayak those distances!

Okay, that's "it" (she says after three screens' worth) for now!

[SusanMac]

I really enjoyed watching some of the canoe & kayaking events! Very fun to watch. I only got to catch flatwater, but would like to checkout the whitewater clips.

A lot of stellar rowing races, too! I really love the mix of countries among all the water/paddle sports. You can tell where it's really popular. Didn't know about the death of that one athlete -- wow.

The US Women's 8 won gold in rowing for the first time since 1984. It was really fun to watch the medal ceremony, where they were all belting out the national anthem at the top of their lungs :-)

Open Water Swim - This was cool to watch b/c it's new & I like to swim. But, I must say it's not much of a spectator sport :-) The athlete with only 1 leg is an inspiration.

[Leslie Ferguson]

It sounds like I missed a lot of the good running - I missed both 10k races and they sound like great races and great personal stories. I hadn't heard about the kayaker either, kind of crushes your heart doesn't it? I was really impressed by the water polo folks - that's one tough sport. Sadly (or not) I didn't spend too much time glued to the set and since we're without the best recording devices didn't get much of the stuff on tape.

I like the jersey you posted there Nat, at that price it's a true steal.

I tried out my new scoots today with a noon run. They felt good, even though I started to get a little hot spot on one foot, but that's not too uncommon when I get new shoes - it takes time to get everything tight/loose/laced properly/an impression in the insole to fit my foot. By the end of the run things were pretty good - tomorrow will bring the last run before leaving town and (for the most part) being "stuck" with the shoes. In all, I pulled down just over 7 miles and with the exception of some midday heat things went well.

Talk to you all later, things are well here as I hope they are wherever you all are. Happy trails,
Les

[VictoriaL]

Good luck on breaking in those new shoes Les!

Good going Nat, waiting until "the sales". I've been watching some new running shorts being marked down at a local sporting goods store and think the time is almost here... ;)

Okay, not much to add to the conversation since, as I mentioned, I didn't watch any of the Olympic games on television.

I did get a 12-mile ride in today, a nice hard one to make up for the missed run on Friday. I don't think of myself as short (5'5") but DH, at 6'4", has such darn long legs and it doesn't look as though he is even struggling as he pedals! This was funny-- we passed two couples riding tandem bikes. They were all outfitted in spandex, multicolored biking gear (including goggles and gloves) but were biking soooo slow. Like they were touring, but hoping to race... :D

Hope that you've all gotten through your Monday unscathed, and have a good rest-of-the-week!

[Kathy B]

Hi, all! Today was step class, plus a bit of yoga before and some weights after. Making up for lost time, I guess. Family birthday tomorrow, so I have to make a cheesecake (requested) today and get some cleaning done. Fortunately, tacos were also requested for the meal, so that will be quite easy! BTW, DD called me at work last night very excited because she made the JV team for tennis. There is a C team that beginners start on, then eventually move up to JV and Varsity. I guess all of her practice this summer paid off. :)

Good job on your ride, Vicci! Where are you going for your vacation?

Les, glad to hear you have time to get those new shoes broken in a bit before your race. I hope you are also finding some relaxing ways to spend your last week off!

Natasha, I hope you were able to shake off whatever had you not feeling too well. Sounds like you had a great ride, though, so maybe you were already on the mend. Don't you just love it when you are able to snag a real bargain like that? :cool:

Susan, glad to hear your new shoes are working well, too, and that your knee is better. I have never had knee problems, but during step class this AM, one was bothering me a bit. Not sure if it's just because I am using different muscles/movements/etc..., or if it's a problem starting. Guess I'll just see what happens. As soon as class ended, it was fine.

Carrie, I thought KC was a site for the Nike+ race, but apparently not. The Starbucks was handing out small flyers with the website that DS brought home. I really couldn't find much info on the website without registering. What exactly will you be doing for the race? How long is it?

Robyn, what have you got going on this week? Any rides planned over the holiday weekend?

Tkay, Hope your family is having a great vacation!

Have a good week everyone!

[Robyn1007]

Well, I only caught the last 5 miles or so of the men's marathon on Sunday after my long ride and the men's and women's triathlon. Totally missed the OWS events much to my dismay. Loved watching both the tris but totally agree, men in white triathlon suits should be outlawed. :eek: His countryman was in black, wonder why he chose white or if someone else chose that. I also loved seeing the finish of the men's and that final kick was incredible after such a long race. And the look on Emma's face as she finished was priceless. Especially after almost quitting the sport when her boyfriend was killed. She competes with asthma so she's even more of an inspiration to me.

I took yesterday as a much needed rest day and just did some bike cleaning/lubing and some stretching. Tonight, as long as the storms hold off I plan an easy 15 miles. My rec center is closed so I'm trying to figure out where I can at least get some strength training in this week. For Labor Day we are doing a big season ending ride which I think is going to be Vail Pass. :eek: It's going to be rough but will be a good way to end my group rides for the season.

[SusanMac]

Got in a great fartlek & hill run yesterday. 50 minutes. Resting today, since tomorrow is LSD day. We're doing it midweek this week b/c we have a 10K race this Sat. I've done it a few times & it's one of my favs. This will be DH's first time doing this one. They have a craft fair afterwards, so DH will have to struggle through that part :-)

[ktg0930]

I'm so behind on everyone's posts...already on the 2nd page!

Robyn, the pictures from your ride are beautiful. You are indeed lucky to live there.

Susan, glad the shoes are working out for you. Hope the 10K goes well this weekend.

Kathy, congrats to your daughter on the tennis accomplishments. I hope you get all your cooking and baking done...especially the baking because a birthday cake is very important!

Les, glad your new shoes are working out for you. I am getting close to having to pull a new pair out of the closet, as my current ones are shot.

Vicci--your writing is so entertaining...I like the description of the tandem bikers. And your blog is so well-written as well. I feel like I am there with you.

Today, we have the remnants of Fay and it's been raining steadily all day. This is the first good rain this month (well, there was a little yesterday) and our rain barrel is full again. There won't be a run for me today, but I was happy to squeeze one in yesterday during the beginnings of the rain. I have an appointment for some car maintenance tonight. I hope to be able to run tomorrow.

[SusanMac]

Kathy - Can't believe I forgot! Super congrats to DD! That's such exciting news about her making the tennis team.

Nat - I remember it was a different GF who recommended Running with the Buffaloes to me. The book takes you through a season, literally day by day, of the team's effort to win the NCAA Championships. So far so good.

I just watched the women's Oly tri on my PC while working (ah, the joys of working from home!). Can't believe what a lead the winner had at the end -- so different from the men's finish. I had heard about the bike crash, but it didn't really have any impact on the race. Emma Snowsill is just so adorable. She won IM Florida the year that DH did it, so we got to hear her speak. She's very gracious. I didn't know she had asthma. Laura Bennett did awesome coming in 4th! Wow - what I'd give to have any of their figures. The day I run in a bathing suit....well, that just won't ever happen!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Hey gang - we're a busy bunch these days aren't we? ;)

Congrats to your DD Kathy B, it sounds like her practice this summer was did great things for her game. To jump right to JV is fantastic. Glad you're liking step aerobics too. Cheesecake and tacos for a b'day party? That's an odd combination but then again - what doesn't go with cheesecake. :cool: I'm taking it easy this week - filtiering myself back into the school atmosphere with chapel in the morning (I really have missed that over the summer) and running a bunch. Also taking some time to sleep in and nap when needed. Oh, and I'm getting ready to head out for a race this Sunday. Sorry you asked?

ktg - Good run yesterday and probably smart to not run if it's raining like I imagine it is. It's always better to start new shoes earlier rather than later (just ask both Susan and me).

Speaking of which, good fartlek Susan and that's nice of you to run with DH. ;) I hope you have a good race - is yours on Saturday?

Robyn - I hope you have a good ride this weekend and wish that you could find someplace to do a little strength training.

Vicci - Your story cracks me up. You do have a little racer in you don't you?

I ran a little more today - shoes are acting nicely and I think they'll be keepers for the race and beyond. I just hope the hot spot really does go away tomorrow or the next day. Besides that, I can't think of much more for today, then again, I can't think much more already.

Happy trails,
Les

[newsomz]

Sorry, no time to catch up this evening.. need to get a little more reading done before bed, plus put away some muffins and take a shower...

Anyhow, I do have a 30 min run to report. It was a good run though it is HOT here right now. I decided to run through the park which was nice. It is always fun to see others out and about being active :)

Happy trails!

[Robyn1007]

Quick pop in. I didn't get out for a ride as I'm somewhat distracted and didn't feel it safe. A co-worker's wife was killed in a car accident this afternoon so if you have a prayer to spare I think he could use it. :( Tomorrow I'll ride or I found another rec center to go to for weights but may beg off of that in favor of the ride. We'll see.

[Leslie Ferguson]

Quick pop in. I didn't get out for a ride as I'm somewhat distracted and didn't feel it safe. A co-worker's wife was killed in a car accident this afternoon so if you have a prayer to spare I think he could use it. :( Tomorrow I'll ride or I found another rec center to go to for weights but may beg off of that in favor of the ride. We'll see.

((((Robyn)))) and ((((Robyn's friend)))) -- there's always room for more on my prayer list (as long as I have something to write on and write with there is). I can see why you wouldn't want to ride today. Peace be with you and all those who are, have been, and will be affected by the accident.

Prayers for peace, comfort, and strength being offered,
Les

[Natasha]

Robyn, healing thoughts coming your co-worker's (and your) way.

If you guys could also pass on some good thoughts for two of mine and DH's friends, I'd be grateful. The friends are grappling with different ailments - cancer and upcoming heart surgery.

Can't stick around but best to all for the upcoming long weekend.

Nat

[Leslie Ferguson]

Nat - Consider it done.

Madly packing to get out of here in time for the seminar I'm participating in (in about an hour) then drive to Norfolk/Va. Beach.

Following the thread last week (finger stuff), I got a note from my coach with this article about Barbara Warren and her bike accident (http://www.slowtwitch.com/News/Triathlete_Barbara_Warren_suffers_broken_neck_490. html) in a triathlon.

Scary stuff.

Happy trails all and prayer to all who need them.

Les

[Robyn1007]

Ugh, can we just end this week now. I'm tired of hearing sad news. Nat, your friends are in my thoughts and prayers. Les, I had heard of that accident over on a tri board that I've been poking around lately. So very sad.

[Kathy B]

Robyn and Natasha, so sorry to hear about your friends. They have been added to my list. Take care!

[Kathy B]

Back to report 50 min on the EB. I was hoping to run today, but I accidently slept in, and it was too warm out for a run.

Les, enjoy your last week of sleeping in and relaxing. I am sure you will remember it fondly as you dive into your next semester of school. Hope the seminar was worthwhile.

Good job on your run, Carrie! Sounds like you are keeping very busy, so kudos to you for getting out there and getting it done. :)

Kathy, hope you got your run in today. So do you have a "stash" of running shoes in your closet? Not a bad idea, really, since every time I go to get a new pair they seem to have dc'd the ones I like....

Glad to hear you had a good fartlek run yesterday, Susan. Hope your LSD run today is a good one, too. The 10K sounds like fun with the craft fair to follow. I wish there were a few 10K's around here....might be ready to try a bit longer distance than 5K, but jumping to a 1/2 seems like a bit much.

Hey to Robyn and Natasha! Hope everyone's week is going well.

[Robyn1007]

Following the thread last week (finger stuff), I got a note from my coach with this article about Barbara Warren and her bike accident (http://www.slowtwitch.com/News/Triathlete_Barbara_Warren_suffers_broken_neck_490. html) in a triathlon.



Unfortunately, I just heard that Barbara Warren has passed. I haven't found any articles so I hope its wrong. :(

[VictoriaL]

There is just too much sad stuff going on out there-- can't we just end it? Yes, I know what the answer to that is, but why can't life be all good and no bad? Is that asking too much??? :confused:

Hmmm, don't mean to start a theoretical discussion, although often this is how I feel! :o

So sorry to hear about your friends, Robyn and Nat. I hope that everything turns out for the best in all instances.

KathyB, how did that cheesecake turn out? And yes, it does seem as though you were making up for lost time with the step, weights, and yoga yesterday, 50 min on the EB today. Wow. DH and I are headed to the shore of Delaware for 2 weeks beginning next Saturday (the 6th). This our fourth year there, at the same great house, and I'm so excited. Beach runs (almost) every day!!!

How'd the LSD run go today Susan?

Kathy, they have been predicting a lot of rain from the remnants of Fay, but you must have received it all. My rain barrels are dry as dust, and I even climbed on the roof and cleaned the gutters in hope of collecting every drop possible. Maybe you got in a run today? And thanks for the compliment... (*blush*)

Les it sounds as though you're getting ready for next week, and doing it nicely. It must feel good not to have that pager "attached" to you! Rest up, now. ;)

Carrie and what kind of muffins would you be putting away? Hmmm? And by "putting away", do you mean storing or eating? :p

Today my trail run rocked! 45 minutes at a good pace, it was cloudy and about 70 degrees with little humidity, and DH mowed all of the trails yesterday so it was a nice, clean run. In 1-1/2 weeks I'll be running on a beach and it's a nice, flat one. There's a "point" far in the distance that I would like to work my way up to running there and (possible) back.

Oh, and I have posted the recipes for the pineapple-rum cocktail and the peach tiramisu on my blog if anyone is interested.

Over-the-hump-day! Have a good one. :D

[ktg0930]

I'm sorry to hear about your friends, Robyn and Natasha.

Kathy, I do have a stash of shoes in my closet. I try not to have too many because I've read that the materials break down over time. But I always wear the same line of shoes so keep some pairs on hand. Every time I've tried a different shoe, I have some problem, so I just stick with these. KNock on wood...they'll continue to work.

Vicci, I did get in a run today, with only a few sprinkles at the end. It definitely sounds like you are lookng forward to your vacation!

Les, your "relaxing" time sounds almost as busy as your regular schedule. But it's probably nice to make your own schedule, doing the things you enjoy.

Hello to everyone else. I must go prepare for a teleconference.

[SusanMac]

Robyn - So sorry! Take care of yourself & your friends during this tough time.

Victoria - I continue to be amazed & excited for your full recovery! Glad you had a great run.

Speaking of great runs....I had the best long-run yesterday. Absolutely no knee aches. And didn't take any walking breaks. I happened to also run faster than DH...but that's not important :-) 18.5 miles. Feeling quite strong. Actually, DH's issues are related to dehydration, rather than speed or strength, which isn't good. Still trying to trouble shoot that. At least the race is in Oct, so we're hoping for cool temps.

Not sure what today will bring. Ideally, I should go for a very light bike spin. But, it's raining & I've got a crazy work schedule. I won't be too sad if it's a rest day.

Speaking of races....good luck this weekend, Les. What are your goals for the race? You've done this one so many times, and you've been focused on other non-running growth areas this summer. So, hoping your head is in a good place & you're just out to have fun.