Virtual Running Buddies - w/o 6/4

[Leslie Ferguson]

Lost everything... darn it!

Here's wishing Susan the best on her race this weekend. I hope the conditions are favorable for the distance she's running. Other than that I'm not sure there's anything else big on the racing front. Although we have a few basking in recent races I think there's nothing big on the plate.

Today was a surreal day for me - I can no longer deny that I'm getting closer to ordination. I got two of my clergy shirts in the mail today (I look official now with my basic black, long sleeve clergy shirts) and I picked up my stole for ordination (I'll have to take a picture for folks to see what I'm going to wear on ordination. It's hard to believe in a week I'll be getting ready to be ordained. This weekend will make for busy weekend - 4 of my classmates will be ordained tomorrow morning followed by a trip to Suffolk for an interview on Sunday noon then back home. Oh boy!

But for today, I claim a 17 mile bike ride this morning. It wasn't nice to run but okay to ride so I picked up a few miles. Anyone have big plans for the weekend?

Need to hit the hay so until sometime...

Happy trails,
Les

[VictoriaL]

Another good luck to Susan!

Les, photos are good... especially since when I hear "stole" I think of the mink sole my Gram wore in the 50's. ;) Nice work on the bike ride, and I hope you enjoy your friends' ordination tomorrow. And huge bunches o' luck on the interview on Sunday!

Ahhhh, the weekend. MY weekend is going to be a lot different than any other I have experienced so far in my life, though. MIL is being sprung from the hospital today and directly to her apartment, to boot. So, until home health aid can get there on Monday, I will be living at the senior apartment complex. :p As I'm thinking about it, though, I'll be in a nice, new air-conditioned apartment (decorated by me), my meals will be served to me in a lovely dining room; there's an exercise room with treadmills, a library, and a sunny glassed-in room where I can read a book wile sitting on a wicker lounge chair... wait. Why can't I just stay there until MIL is completely better (and able, say, to rock-climb...)????? Suddenly, listening to her repeat the same ol' stuff over and over doesn't seem terribly bad!

I did get in a run yesterday, 2+ miles before the rain came down like someone had turned on a faucet. Today is incredibly muggy (92% humidity). I need another short time to finish some weeding, then I'll maybe turn the fan onto the EB and take a short journey before packing for my "trip". Hey! Susan got to go to London and I get to go to the senior complex!!! :D

Hope that you all have a great weekend!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Hey Vicci, it sounds like a terrible place to be. ;) Your MIL's place sounds like a lot of fun. If it's any consolation I'll be in a place pretty much like that Thursday of this week. Of course, I won't be tending my mother (although I may help with my father who had pneumonia that will require 3 days of IM antibiotics). It sounds like you had a good couple days though, but I question: did you come in when it started raining? I mean, a downpour is a great place to be in my opinion. 92% humidity on the other hand isn't a lot of fun. I hope you got a EB in today before springing MIL from the hospital. I'll post a picture of my stole so you'll be able to imagine something besides fur stoles.

I had a great day today; 5 of my classmates were ordained this morning in a glorious ceremony in Charlottesville. From there I scooted over to Suffolk and got checked in for the night; went to the church and took pictures with no one around (and got eaten by bugs galore). Between checking in and pictures I went for about 40 minutes of running in 95 degrees and 100 heat index. Not too bad but luckily the humidity was "low" (only about 50%).

Tomorrow will bring a visit to the church; an interview after church; and the trek back home. :rolleyes:

Have a great weekend,
Les

[Natasha]

Les, thinking of you and hoping that the interview is going/went well! How nice that you were able to see some of your classmates get ordained. Soon it's your turn :D

Vicci, hope all is well at the seniors' complex. You rock - getting your MIL's apartment perfect for her and everything. It does sound nice.

I've mostly been getting my endorphin fix this weekend spinning. I would have liked to have gotten in a run, but that's okay - definitely much better than nothing :) We've had a pretty nice weekend so far and tonight are going to one of our favourite restaurants.

Hope everyone else is doing well!

[SusanMac]

Happy weekend runners!

Les - good luck w/the interview! It sounds like another great week of milestones for you & your friends.

Vicci - you are a trooper to be helping MIL so much. Very good news that she gets to go back home.

Nat - happy spinning!

Well, I had a wonderful time at the race. It's an 18K trail run, and has become my favorite race each year. This is my 3rd year. In the past it was always a 15K. The new miles they added were a killer! The whole race is super fun - rocks, tree stumps, streams, mud. There are probably 10 or so hills that require walking. So, it's not a PR-type of race, just a fun adventure.

My pace was slower this year due to my recent knee injury, and cutting back on my mileage. But, I'm excited that I only had to walk one downhill! (with my knee injury, it typically hurts going downstairs). I think that means it's getting better, and hopefully the race didn't put too much stress on it.

I'm now in an airport waiting to depart for Budapest. Big flight delays, but I'll still get there intime. I'm managing a work conference there this week, and really looking forward to it. I've heard great things about Budapest, but it definitely isn't someplace I'd pick to go on my own. Too expensive for DH to come with me, unfortunately. And, yes, I did pack my running shoes!!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Drifting in after a busy weekend. Great job Susan, it sounds like a great race and running in one of those races that's fun regardless of the time. I hope you get to Budapest safely and on time.

Nat - Amazing weekend and a better interview today even though it was HOTTER in Suffolk than in Venice FL (97 in an older building) but still good and I'm looking forward to next week. Good job on your spins.

Like I said, I had a good interview and a pretty decent trip back to DC. Tomorrow is the beginning of my big week. And for the gang (especially Vicci) I've attached a picture of my stole so you can see it. Not modeled but hanging so you can see it (ignore the nasty door in the background).

Run or ride tomorrow... fun the remainder of the week. Happy trails all,
Les

[TKay]

Les - Thanks for kicking us off this week. That's a beautiful stole. The color is stunning. Thanks for letting us see it. Good luck with your big week. What do we call you when all is said and done? Padre Les? :D

Vicci - You really are a rock star. Your MIL is lucky to have you looking out for her. Hope your stay at the senior home went well. Were you able to use the exercise room? Did you get in that last bit of weeding?

Nat - Nice job on the consistent spins. Hope your favorite restaurant was enjoyable. Anything particularly tasty to report?

Susan - Your race sounds fun! I've not done any trail running, but I'm reading Born to Run. Didn't you recommend that? Or was it Nat? It's inspiring me to want to get OUT. Have a fantastic trip. Can't wait to hear all about it.

I had some shocking news late Friday. My friend and neighbor suddenly passed away. She has two boys just a few years older than mine. Even though we weren't super close, I did consider her a friend of mine. What breaks my heart most is her poor boys, having to go through this loss so young. If you have any to spare, good thoughts/vibes/prayers are welcome for this young family.

I got in a good workout on Saturday, but then had some wine in the evening. I really am not as young as I used to be because I really felt it on Sunday. Decided to lay low and take a rest day. Today is a TM run in my new shoes! Very excited to report I got a swell new pair of Brooks on Saturday. Can't wait to try them out.

Hi to Kathy, Robyn, Jennifer and everyone else who's hanging around. Happy Monday. Hug your loved ones.

[Kathy B]

Susan, Congrats on your fun trail run! I'm glad the knee injury didn't interfere too much. Budapest? Wow! What a great trip that should be! Too bad your DH had to miss it. :( We will definitely want to see some pics when you get home and recovered.

Good job on your spins, Natasha, and I hope you enjoyed your dinner out!

Tkay, sorry to hear about your friend. What a devastating blow to her family. Happening unexpectedly always makes it more difficult, too. Will definitely send up a prayer! :(

Les, glad to hear the interview went well. Hope the waiting doesn't last too long! Very nice stole. They are very special. When my dad retired, my mom took his stoles and had them put in a shadow box display that hung in their living room for years.

Vicci, how was your senior weekend? Nice to get in a little practice run, I imagine, as we could all be in such a place ourselves one day. The place your MIL has sounds particularly nice...putting it on your short list after the weekend? ;)

Yoga, weights and 45 min on the TM today, although an easy pace. Mostly hitting the TM lately as it is either raining or very humid here. And I am not particularly motivated to workout lately, so I figure anything is better than not doing it. I am sure I will get back in the swing before long. Lots of housecleaning to do today, and I need to get some cooking done. Annual checkup this week, so guess I better not bake anything! :D

[TKay]

Quick follow-up. Got in about 55 on the TM in the new shoes and they felt great. Like I was running on a cloud. Well, on a TM in a cloud.

KathyB - I think you're right. Doing something is better than nothing. Maybe you're burned out after your recent race. Plus, you're always so busy. The body (and the mind) may need a break. Happy housecleaning.

[Leslie Ferguson]

TKay - My prayers are with you and your neighbor's family. An unexpected and untimely death is always tough - especially when the person is close to you in age and family situation. Having wine on top of a good workout may not be the best option - I remember a few years ago when LW donated blood (almost as good as a good workout) then had wine with dinner... let's just say we needed to sit a little before departing the restaurant to let her legs work correctly. Thank you for the comments on my stole too - I like the color and design. The red is actually brighter than the other ones in the store - they had a grey undertone and the one I chose has an orange undertone. I guess I can be any number of things: Father Les, Father Fergy, or Father Ferguson (of course I'll still answer to all the normal ones: Moose, Les).
Kathy - Sorry you're feeling a little under the weather when it comes to workouts. Something is better than nothing and just let the workout days flow as they might. The shadow box with the stoles sounds neat. I'm just going to let the interview unfold as it will - the last time I felt pressure to get a quick response I was disappointed.

I had a decent day, very little of substance but still enough to keep me out of the dog house. I took a ride this morning - I should have actually run today but I think my shoes are dead and I need to get new ones (an expense I really don't need right now). I spent the evening creating Anglican Prayer Beads for the folks I'm being ordained with on Saturday (you can see a description of the bead at this wiki site (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglican_prayer_beads). I'll take some pictures of the beads I'm making - I think they're really neat.

See you tomorrow and hope everyone has a great week,
Les

[TKay]

Les - Sorry about the dead shoes. I must say, my new ones are great. My old ones were also dead flat. Thanks for the link on the Anglican prayer beads. I can't wait to see what you make.

Ended up taking a rest day. My 10 y.o. ds was honored at a breakfast for kids with a 3.5 GPA or above this morning. It was really nice to see him earn an award. He is super bright, but has trouble sitting still and keeping his mouth shut. I'm afraid he gets labeled as a difficult child and it affects his self-esteem. So he needed this. Then I worked in my other ds's class for the last time this year. (School's out next Thursday.) I came home and finished up some work. I feel like I need a nap. :p

Hope you're having a great day, everyone.

[Robyn1007]

Ack, catch up time!

Les so nice of you to make the prayer beads and love the stole. So exciting that you're almost there.

Susan I remember you talking about this race, it does sound like a lot of fun.

Nat hope your meal at your favorite restaurant was good!

Vicci how was the weekend at MIL's?

Kathy we all go through cycles, hoping your workout mojo comes back soon.

Tkay I am so sorry to hear about your friend. My prayers go out to her, her family and you and your family. I can't be easy for your kids either.

Oh boy, I haven't posted much. Thanks to all for the congrats on last week's race. Last week I took it pretty easy just getting in a couple of short runs, battling some pretty hot temps at times. Saturday I was a course marshall for a local 5k and half marathon which was fun because I got to cheer on many of my teammates. We did really well as team taking 2nd&3rd women's 5k, 2nd men's 5k and 2nd women's half.

Sunday I went for only my second ride of the season. Mile 1 I got a bee in my bra. I think I flashed every one at the stop light trying to get it out. Mile 2 I came within inches of running over a prairie dog. Miles 10-18 I inhaled enough cotton from the cottonwood trees to make a tank top for myself I think. And I got a bad sunburn on my back to boot. :( The good news was the pace was what I was doing last season for the same distance!

Yesterday I did a 3 mile run in HOT 94 temps. And had a standoff with a deer at mile 2.8. Seriously what the heck is up with me and wildlife?

Today was the first day of my next plan. This round Coach Erin is running the session and boy is she tough! No slacking around her for sure. :D I ended up doing a mile warm up, 3 mile repeats at just faster than 10k pace and a half mile cool down. Since when did 4.5 miles become a shorter workout for me? :confused::D

I'm off to Portland this weekend to visit my dad so I get to do my first 8 mile run at sea level! I'm so excited. :p

[Leslie Ferguson]

Sunday I went for only my second ride of the season. Mile 1 I got a bee in my bra. I think I flashed every one at the stop light trying to get it out. Mile 2 I came within inches of running over a prairie dog. Miles 10-18 I inhaled enough cotton from the cottonwood trees to make a tank top for myself I think. And I got a bad sunburn on my back to boot. :( The good news was the pace was what I was doing last season for the same distance!
I read this post on FB and just about wet my pants reading it. :D I've been there (okay - not flashing my top trying to rid myself of a bee) - swallowing and getting stung by wasps. There aren't many prairie dogs here but the darned squirrels and chipmunks do their share to let me run them over. Still, sounds like a good ride overall.
Yesterday I did a 3 mile run in HOT 94 temps. And had a standoff with a deer at mile 2.8. Seriously what the heck is up with me and wildlife?
Standoff with a deer? Yikes - that wouldn't be a good thing in my book. Luckily it was "just" a deer and not something of the feline persuasion.
Since when did 4.5 miles become a shorter workout for me? :confused::D

I'm off to Portland this weekend to visit my dad so I get to do my first 8 mile run at sea level! I'm so excited. :p
That's too funny, I remember getting to the same place when runs that seemed long in the past were just a "walk in the park." Enjoy Portland, running at sea level, and visiting with your dad.

TKay - Congratulations to your DS on his accomplishment. It sounds to me like a nap was needed after all that.

I had lunch with a high school friend today; may make it a monthly event for as long as I'm in town. Then went for a 16+ mile ride - went over the Wilson Bridge almost all the way to National Harbor. Tonight, I finished my last set of beads so when I'm more alert I'll take pix and post them somewhere.

See you all tomorrow - it's supposed to rain tomorrow so there may be a run in my future. :D

Happy trails,
Les

[Leslie Ferguson]

Rest day today. Lots of things going on to get ready for the weekend - doctor, haircut, sermon, etc. But as I promised I'll post a link to the Prayer Beads. I'll try to find a better way to post the pictures but this (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=177347&id=654239289&l=56b94c0d61) is the photo album from Facebook. But I've attached a picture of all 6 being given on Saturday.

See you all tomorrow--
Les

[TKay]

I'll try to find a better way to post the pictures but this (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=177347&id=654239289&l=56b94c0d61) is the photo album from Facebook. But I've attached a picture of all 6 being given on Saturday.

Those are beautiful! What a thoughtful gift, Les.

[Robyn1007]

Les those are incredible!!!!

Hill repeats today. My hamstrings are still very sore from Monday/Tuesday so today hurt. As I started up repeat number 2 I didn't think there was any way I could do 3 (the most I've done before) much less the 4 coach was expecting. Darn it if I'm not competitive enough that I won't admit defeat and I did my 4. They weren't fast but I got them done. Tomorrow is a very welcome rest day. I'm very excited as Portland is supposed to have gorgeous weather this weekend.