Virtual Running Buddies - w/o Nov 26th

[Leslie Ferguson]

I bet Thanksgiving has taken a heavy toll on the VRB. It was a good day for me but I figured we needed a new thread before Saturday. So...

Today's workout was fun since I'm still here in Appomattox enjoying the good life for another day. I rode my bike on the hills around Appomattox (spent a lot of time in 2nd and 3rd gear :rolleyes: ) and loved every minute of it.

Hope everyone else is well and has a safe return to the boards by week's end.

Until later... Happy trails,
Les

[Natasha]

I'm here! And about to go for a run, as a matter of fact. Glad you had a great Thanksgiving in Appomattox, Les, and that the broccoli with cheese sauce was a hit.

How's everyone enjoying their extended weekend?

Natasha

[seathyme]

Hi runners,

Weekend going well here. I went to my 25th high school reunion last night.:eek: It was fun -- people's essential personalities don't change, which I find somehow reassuring. I reconnected with some once-close friends, and we dished on everyone else.:D One curious sign of the times: some of my classmates have children in college already, while others are even now trying to get pregnant!

Got in a trip to the gym today for weights and elliptical. Did some challenging intervals and worked up a welcome sweat. It's a lovely though chilly day here; we'll head out in a bit for a walk with le chien.

Les, don't think I've posted since your news about your mentor - I'm so sorry.:(

Terri, enjoy Thanksgiving Dinner #3.:p

Natasha, did you get out for that run?

Enjoy the day, all.

[Natasha]

Hi again!

Seathyme, glad to hear that the reunion was a good time. Must have been interesting. Did you have trouble recognizing anyone, or did everyone wear nametags? Good going on the intervals and have fun avec le chien (can we call him "Rocheux" instead of Rocky? :D).

Les, I forgot to mention that I, too, am very sorry to hear about your mentor :( Seathyme, thanks for reminding me. :o

Susan, did your sister get to see snow for Thanksgiving? We had a little here on Thursday so perhaps you did as well.

Terri, enjoy the last of the Thanksgiving dinners!

Hello to Kathy, Elizabeth, Scout, Rebecca (are exams over??), and everyone else.

I did get out for that run, and it was nice. It's about 50F here today, and the sun has finally prevailed over the clouds (and early morning rain). Lovely day to be out. I had just started on my run, not feeling too energetic, and a lady in my neighbourhood said, "You're an inspiration, you are". :D I hardly think I deserve that, but it did make it a bit easier to keep on!

Now to finish my grocery list and head out for shopping and the library. Have a good afternoon, folks.

Natasha

[Natasha]

*bump*

[SusanMac]

Happy post-Thanksgiving runners!

Les - sorry to hear about your mentor. At least she had a lot of happy miles behind her, and a great group of friends.

KTG - It's so good to hear from you again. Sorry about your FIL, as well. Our family had a Thanksgiving death a few years back. Definitely makes the holiday time quite different.

Natasha & TLee - No snow here in Madison. We had a few flurried today, but more rain than snow. We're in a weird weather pocket, where Chicago will get snow & WI northwoods will get snow, but we don't. Go figure.

KValley - the Seattle Marathon is Sunday morning! Good luck to you & DH. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful day.

Holiday w/Sis & family was nice, but very, very glad they left on Friday, leaving us with some quiet time to spend by ourselves before going back to work. The kids were so much fun, but we're just not used to the constant pace. The adults were more trouble than the kids. Let's just say that BIL insulted my cooking (CL's wonderful chicken cheddar chowder, no less. How can anyone not like chicken & potato soup??!), and we had 5 days without a single offer to help with dishes. We were also chided for having Dijon mustard, rather than the much-preferred French's yellow mustard. Sigh. I do love my family, though, and it was a fun & wonderful visit.

One of the funnest parts was touring a nearby cheese factory, which was led by an 80-year-old man who had lived in the small Wisconsin town his whole life & had purchased the factory after returning from WWII. We must have hung out w/this man for 2 hours listening to his stories.

Today, DH & I went to the gym for a great weights session & some time on the erg. I've decided to take a pilates class in either Dec or Jan to mix up my workouts over the winter & learn a new skill. Anyone around here done much pilates??

[MaryH]

Happy post-thanksgiving all!

Well I've been really good about getting to the gym three times a week for weights but the running.....

The "plan" tomorrow is to go for a longish run with my running partner (she's saying 8 miles, we'll see.) She also has an apointment with someone she wants to be her tri coach this season, so I get the feeling she's gearing up for the next tri season. However, it's been raining here and is fairly "cold". If it's not raining tomorrow morning, I'll run, but if it is........

On a non-running note, I stopped at Sam's CLub this morning and saw that the CL Annual was out so I bought a copy. :) I have not even received the December issue yet (but it was in the annual). :(

[badunnin]

Well, I just got back from a blustery, wet run. Not nearly as good as my Turkey Day post-feast blitz. ;) Tonight was 2 1/4 miles of just meh running. At least I got it in though.

Les - I'm so sorry to hear about your mentor.

Hello to all other runners! I hope everyone is enjoying the post-holiday weekend!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Glad to hear that everyone is doing well and thank you for your condolences about my mentor. I finally got home from Appomattox late this afternoon and opened the paper to the obits. Her's was a full column long - an oddity. A real celebration of her life (even if they left out that she was a big time CL fan - introduced me to CL in fact). Talked about her clowning, exercise leadership, spiritual leadership, and all around good woman.
Not much more time before I turn into a pumpkin - just got back from a 3+ hour Steven Curtis Chapman concert and had a GREAT time. I'll check in tomorrow but thought I congratulate all who have gotten a post feast run or other exercise in. And... I do love reunions. :D

Until tomorrow dear friends - happy trails,
Les

[TLee4]

Hi all!

Oooh, Les...I love Steven Curtis Chapman! Sounds like it was good timing for hearing inspirational music too!

Yesterday I dragged myself to the gym in the morning by promising myself I could just walk on the treadmill if I wanted to. Well, of course I ended up running and feeling great. Only the 3rd run since the marathon Oct 10. It's taking me quite a while to get back in the saddle. Then I went to Thanksgiving #3 and promptly ate it all back on. :o Well, it's better than skipping the exercising and eating, right?!

Hope everyone is enjoying the end of the long weekend. I'm hoping to have some quality time with Dan today...it's been a lot of running around this weekend.

Take care, everyone.
Terri

[Alethea]

Happy post Thanksgiving everyone! Hopefully everyone is enjoying the weekend.

Backing up to the previous thread, Kathy, I’m so sorry about your father-in-law.:( And Les, I’m sorry to hear about your mentor. :(

I had a low-key Thanksgiving, which was nice. Yummy (albeit non-traditional) food, good wine, great company. :) I did run a Turkey Trot 5K, which was my first race ever. It was great fun, despite the pouring rain. I did make one newbie mistake though. Twenty years of horse shows and their attire rules won out in my mind over the instructions that came with my number, and I pinned it on my back. Oops. Right after I started running I realized that most everyone else had their number on the front!

Gotta go meet my friend to go for a short run. And this week starts my “official” half-marathon training plan. Yay! :)

[seathyme]

Thea, congratulations on your first race! Funny thing about those newbie faux pas -- you know you'll never do THAT again. Mine from the half-marathon was wearing the t-shirt the evening before. Apparently that is just Not Done. Who knew? Exciting to be starting up your half training -- have fun!

Julie, did you walk the half today? Would love to hear about it!

Les, your mentor sounds like a lovely person. I'm glad she got a meaningful tribute in the paper.

Susan, congrats on being sprung from the family visit... we love 'em but don't necessarily want to live with 'em, ahem. Sounds like you and DH were great hosts nonetheless.

Terri, I hear you on dragging yourself to the gym and getting into it later. I did the same on my run this morning. (Had an unusual break this morning and had time to run, so it was just too ironic that I really didn't feel like it. Once I got going it was fine. Sheesh.)

Mary, how did the run go today?

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Natasha
Seathyme, glad to hear that the reunion was a good time. Must have been interesting. Did you have trouble recognizing anyone, or did everyone wear nametags? Good going on the intervals and have fun avec le chien (can we call him "Rocheux" instead of Rocky? :D).

LOL Natasha! Rocky doesn't answer to Rocheux yet, but I love it! You better believe there were nametags at the reunion. They even had the nerve to put our yearbook photos on them.:o I decided to take it as a compliment when people said I looked "just the same.":rolleyes: Story of the evening that I'm still pondering: one of my classmates moved back to the town we grew up in about five years ago. She works full-time in Boston, and her (Italian) mother puts food in her freezer every week. She never cooks for herself! Can't even imagine it....

Hello to everyone -- see you around this week.

[Leslie Ferguson]

Thea - I like your story about pinning your number on your back. Believe me, you're not the only one I've seen do that in my years of running. If it's any consolation, experienced runners do funny things with their numbers - pin it on upside down, pin it to their "throw-away" shirt (something runners do in cooler-weather races of longer distances, and pinning through the tear strip on the bottom. Which 1/2 marathon ar you getting started on? I think it's time to gather a new list of races (like we had earlier this year) since almost everyone has completed their races for the year (2004)
seathyme - I do love reunions. But I'm the one that people say "I'd have never recognized you." Or even better, "No you're not Les Ferguson." Of course, I probably weigh about 80-90 pounds less than I did in High School. And I certainly don't look like my Graduation Picture any more. :D
Terri - Good for you on your run and having the gumption to get out even when you didn't want to. I was impressed with Steven and with the two opening bands - in fact Casting Crowns brought a tear to my eye in about 2 songs. Really powerful and like you said, really timely.
Bethany - All just me runs are good runs in my opinion.

Thank you all again for your wishes regarding Chip - your comments make me feel better.

Tomorrow starts another week. Could be fun after my weights workout today. Still relegating myself to the elliptical or bike (hopefully the elliptical during lunch tomorrow). But Tuesday brings my next visit to another podiatrist hopefully for the beginning of the end of my ankle issues for the time being. I'm torn on where I want to head right now - I'd love to just get back to running and start training for Boston '05 as long as I'm not doing any more damage to my ankle and can get back to running without pain. But Tuesday will tell I'm sure.

Happy trails and I hope your weekend was pleasant.

Les

[Elizabeth B]

It sounds as though everyone enjoyed a Happy Thanksgiving!

Although I was sorry to hear about your mentor, Les. She must have been a very special lady.

Susan - Your family holiday experience sure sounded like a Thanksgiving I hosted for my family a couple of years ago. Maybe we're related?

I ran a very fun 10K Turkey Trot Thanksgiving Day. It was my longest race and there was a lot I didn't do correctly (didn't have much dinner the night before, didn't drink enough water, etc.), but I still felt strong and am (relatively) happy with my time. I'm looking toward a half marathon in the spring.

Take care and have a great week, y'all!

[ktg0930]

Thanks for all the warm wishes for my FIL's passing. They really meant a lot.

We had great weather on Thanksgiving morning, so our Turkey Trot was very pleasant. It was about 60 F and we had a good time. The only other running I did was some intervals on Friday afternoon at the track.

Les, I am so sorry to hear about your mentor's passing. It sounds like she was a great inspiration.

Susan, I hear you on the family stuff...as much as we love them, it's sometimes challenging to have them.

Seathyme, the reunion sounds like fun. I was amazed at my 10 year (almost 10 yrs ago) that so many people had kids approaching 10 years old. Half of my friends, including me, weren't even married yet.

Elizabeth, congrats on your first race!

It sounds like everyone got some good runs in during the holiday weekend!

[scout1222]

Hi guys.

I haven't run in over 2 weeks. So I haven't been posting around these parts.

But this morning I sent in my application for a marathon training program that starts in January. I'm not necessarily going to sign up for a marathon at this point, but joining a group (and paying money to do it) will be a way to get my running mojo back.

All bets are off, however, on whether or not I'll actually go for a run before January. :o Anyway, I've been exercising a little bit (aerobics, fast walking) just not doing any running.

Harrumph.

[aggie94]

Hey guys,

Congratulations and great job to all our Turkey Trotters! The only thing I did on Thursday was stuff myself full of turkey and simple carbohydrates and lie around feeling bad about it. :o

Les, sorry to hear about your mentor. She sounds like a great lady who will be missed by many.

Julie, how was the Seattle Marathon (half)? I hope you guys had great weather!

Thea, good luck with your official half-marathon training!

Hello and happy running to everyone else!

Well, yesterday was a grueling 16-miler. I tried to do it on Saturday so I could have yesterday off, but it wasn't happening. I ended up doing 8 on Saturday and returning to the gym yesterday for 16. And ouch, I have a raging nasty blister on my fourth toe that's almost as big as the entire ball of my toe. It started becoming extremely painful at about mile 13, and I was sure when I took my shoe off I would find a bloody mess of a sock, but alas, it's just a gigantic painful blister. I sent DH to the drug store to find some blister remedies for me, and he came home with three different things, but no toe caps. He couldn't find them anywhere. I am still on the hunt for them and hopefully will turn up something before I head back to the gym tomorrow night for a 5-miler.

I also managed to break my MP3 player yesterday during my run. :( Looks like I will be borrowing DH's for a few weeks until Santa brings me a new one.

Only two more long runs (both 18-milers) before I start to taper. Yikes. I can't believe how quickly it's coming up and how utterly unprepared I feel.

[beckms]

Hi VRBers!!! Long time no talk!

I have been lurking but have been in somewhat of a running funk of late, so didn't feel like talking much. I don't know what the deal is...up until this past week, my runs for the past 3 weeks or so have been T E R R I B L E. My shoes may be the culprit, but I just bought them in July or so, and it's not like I put hundreds of miles on them every month! So I'm waiting until the very last moment to cave and buy new ones. I'm trying to prolong their life by using inserts for now. I also can't tell if my feet really hurt or if I'm just feeling sorry for myself in general.

Anyway, I've managed some 5 milers here and there since my PR of 7 back there, but for a while I couldn't even choke out 2. It was bad. And I haven't been to the gym in a couple weeks, either. School (for me and BF)has been crappy with a capital S, which may be part of the problem (OK, most of the problem). I think I can stay sane until it's over, though, and then get myself back on track. I have a final on Thursday, then classes end on Friday, then I have finals on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Yikes. I may be retreating to lurkdom until then.

Oh, and the Turkey Trot didn't happen. :mad: We were in the car for almost 8 hours on Wednesday in the pouring rain (the drive should have taken 5 hours), and when we got to my parents's house, there was much grumbling about the weather and I could tell no one wanted to do the race with me. So I bagged it and ran on the treadmill for 5.25 and walked to 6.2 so at least I could say I did a 10K on Turkey Day (then I promptly stuffed myself into oblivion).

But I wish I had just gone by myself and done the race.

SIGH.

OK, enough about me.

Les, so sorry to hear about your mentor. What a hard time of year for her family. to go through that.

Keep running, folks...the holidays aren't over yet...:cool:

[SusanMac]

Happy Monday runners!

Well, I just got back from a wonderful run with DH. Nothing special to report, it just felt really good. My HR has been really high lately even though I don't feel like I'm pushing it. This probably isn't good, but I've decided not to worry about it til the new year. For now, I'm just having fun without any official structured workouts.

Thea - Congrats on your first race !! You will always see several numbers on people's backs. No biggie. Just know that you won't get a race photo that way.

Elizabeth - Congrats on your longest race ! I'm so impressed with people hitting these milestones on Thanksgiving Day. That's typically a race that is low key for me. You have both earned extra pumpkin pie for being over achievers. (Is anyone else still eating leftover pie besides me?? I have decided to throw out the full-fat egg nog that Sis bought & didn't drink. It's just too tempting to have around)

Aggie - That's awesome that you are so close to the marathon. The January races really sneak up on you. We can all relate to being close to a race & having your head tell you that you're not ready. TLee's Chicago Marathon is the most recent example. You'll do just fine!

Scout - No running til Jan ?! I find that so hard to believe for you. But, you know, you are probably ready for a running break anyway. Enjoy your month off. Keep up with the aerobics & just do lots of stretching and a few ab crunches in front of the TV & you'll be fine.

[seathyme]

Hi everyone,

Good to hear from so many VRB's, even those reporting funks. The good news is that funks do pass, life is long, there will be many good runs down the line...

Eva sorry to hear about the blisters. Sounds painful, eesh. But look how close you are to your goal! Awesome.

I had a very good 6 this morning, the first 4 in the dark. Managed not to trip and kill myself on the sidewalk, which was the day's first victory. The second was that feeling of relaxation and accomplishment when I got back home and took my first sip of morning coffee. Nothing like it!

Evenin' all.

[Leslie Ferguson]

Congrats to all the Turkey Trotters! We're an awesome crowd. I didn't get a 10k run in but do rides of 14 and 18 miles on the hills count? Especially ones that send you into 1st gear. :rolleyes:
I agree with seathyme - it's good to remember that running funks will pass and life is long and there are many days to run fast and run long - and they will come... trust me.

Eva - Sorry about the blister. In my experience, once you get them it takes for ever to get rid of them. Hope you find the toe caps (try the foot powder section of the drug store). I bet you'll be great in your race - you'll be fully prepared for it.
Rebecca - It may be your shoes that is helping your running issues. Maybe worth looking at new shoes (and going all out and getting a running store to look at them and your gait etc.). Prayers for sanity as the semester winds down - and grace for your tests.
scout - As you well know, this will pass in good season. I tell you what though - I'll hope to run a couple runs for you after tomorrow. :)

Today I was successful at doing my workout at lunch (good for me). Pulled off 60 minutes of elliptical and felt good afterwards. Tomorrow is the "big day" for the doctor so thanks for your wishes and prayers. I'll let you all know what happens.

Be good to yourselves and tke care.

Happy trails,
Les

[seathyme]

Good luck with the doc today Les.:) Hope you will have something good to report later.

[Natasha]

Good luck Les!! :) :)

Sorry to hear about peoples' funks. Good going on those of you who did races recently!!

I had a very strong run yesterday after breaking in my new shoes. Can you believe I ran half an hour after dinner (organic whole wheat couscous and garlic lime shrimp with veggies)? No ill effects, but I did go slow at the beginning ;) I've had some "funky" runs lately but I HOPE to be climbing out of it *knock on wood* We'll see - still too early to call.

Hi Seathyme and Rocheux ;), Elizabeth, Thea, Kathy, Susan (sorry to hear the relatives didn't like the soup - how could someone not like that? :confused: ), Eva (you go, girl, with that marathon training, but sorry to hear about the blister), Bethany (long time no talk :D), Rebecca (re: school, you-can-do-it, you-can-do-it), Scout, Julie (did you walk the half marathon?), and everyone else! Gotta run; will be back later.

Natasha

[Leslie Ferguson]

All -- Thanks for the wishes.

Mixed news from the doctor - I had injured my ankle worse than the "normal" radiologist figured looking at my x-ray. The sports medicine doctor/podiatrist took a very good look at my ankle and said it looked like I had fractured the bottom of my leg (on the tibia) at the ankle a while ago and because of that there was deterioriation in my ankle. The "gap" in the joint was getting smaller which would cause pain in my ankle - exactly where the pain is (his comment - that's good that the pain is where it should be). He said that the damage has been done and there's not much that can be done to reverse the damage. I'll follow up with him in January after I've had a chance to let the NSAIDs take effect and to run a little.
On the down side, there's not much to do about the pain. He prescribed a different/new anti-inflammitory [meloxicam (mobic)] for me to take to help with the residual fluid in my ankle. He also said it would probably be better to cut back on the duration, frequency, and/or intensity of my running. So I'll have to figure out if I can continue to run and train for marathons. His other comment was I'd have to adjust my training to give my ankle a rest - swimming, biking, and elliptical would be good substitutes for running. I think there may be a triathalon in my future. :cool:
On the up side, any running I do won't make the ankle worse in the long run (no pun intended) as long as I don't twist it or wrench it immeasurably. Mixed in there is the fact that I will have pain in my ankle probably for a long time but that the other option, ankle fusion, isn't in my near future and something that I really don't want to do (it will certainly take me out for a while).

So I guess I've been given the green light to start back running as long as the pain is bearable. So, it looks like I'll be planning for a Boston race in April as long as my ankle really does hold up.

I hope everyone is having a good Tuesday and I'll check back later. Probably won't test my ankle quite yet but probably tomorrow or Thursday.

Happy trails,
Les

[ktg0930]

Les - I am happy to hear that you have a source for your pain! I know that sounds funny, but it is good to know that there is a cause and now you have a plan...and you can run again, knowing that even though there is pain, you are not doing any further damage.

I ran this morning...5 miles...with only about 1 mile in the dark :) I got up a little later as I was having the usual conversations with myself about whether I should run or stay in bed.

Natasha - do you have a recipe for the garlic-lime shrimp or is it something you make up as you go?

Hello to everyone!

[Alethea]

Hey VRBs! (okay, DBF has just pronounced me around-the-bend crazy after I said I needed to check in on the VRB thread! :) )

Les, I'm glad you got some more definitive info from this appointment, and that you can resume running. Fingers crossed the NSAIDs will do the trick and keep you comfortable and let your ankle heal.

Rebecca, hopefully the light at the end of the tunnel is near as far as exams and school are concerned!

Eva, wow, congrats on the 16 miles! Especially with the 8 the day before. Marathoners continue to amaze me! Hope your blister heals quickly.

Elizabeth, congrats on the 10K and longest race!

Hi Natasha, Terri, Scout, Seathyme, KValley, Bethany, Kathy, and everyone else!

I'm telling myself tomorrow will be a better day than yesterday or today. Yesterday was a planned day off, but life and work ended up being a bit stressful and I let myself "forget" to eat lunch or dinner. Then I tried to run this morning, and how shocking, I felt like I was going to pass out after less than a mile. :o Followed that up with some rather nutritionally lacking food choices earlier today, and felt like my old college self again. :rolleyes: Oh well, tomorrow's a different day.

[Leslie Ferguson]

Originally posted by Alethea
Hey VRBs! (okay, DBF has just pronounced me around-the-bend crazy after I said I needed to check in on the VRB thread! :) )
Welcome to the nut house! :D
Les, I'm glad you got some more definitive info from this appointment, and that you can resume running. Fingers crossed the NSAIDs will do the trick and keep you comfortable and let your ankle heal.
Thanks. Considering the options (fusing the ankle which is painful and will take you out of the game for quite some time) I'll take NSAIDs and careful run planning.
I'm telling myself tomorrow will be a better day than yesterday or today... Then I tried to run this morning, and how shocking, I felt like I was going to pass out after less than a mile. :o Followed that up with some rather nutritionally lacking food choices earlier today, and felt like my old college self again. :rolleyes: Oh well, tomorrow's a different day.
Sorry that things weren't what you wanted a couple days ago. Luckily you found out the easy way - during a short run - the ramificaitons of proper nutrition before a run (even the day before). But, you have the right attitude tomorrow is another day and whatever happened today is past. Keep looking forward.

Elizabeth - Sorry to not congratulate you on your 10k! Way to go.
Rebecca - Peace-filled exams to you. I have a good feeling that you'll do well on your tests.
Natasha - New scooters! I'm jealous. Of course I haven't run enough to rate new scooters yet (even though my shoes are nearly 3 months old :rolleyes: ).
Kathy - I'm reasonably happy to have a source for my pain and a reasonable direction to head in my recovery and rehabilitation.

Had a decent elliptical workout this evening - kind of starting a workout program again with a Boston Marathon performance in mind. Can't peak too soon and can't do too much too soon. It will come in time.

Happy trails to everyone else and happy hump day runnahs.

Les

[seathyme]

Hi VRB's!

Thea, don't know if you went out in the rain this morning, but if so I hope it felt better than yesterday! Those "weak" runs are humbling, aren't they? I have not had the problem of inadequate food intake lately, ahem -- quite the opposite, unfortunately. Have gained a few pounds which is uncharacteristic for me. I *hope* a week or two of food journaling will take care of it as it has in the past. If not, I dread the possibility that my metabolism has slowed down.:eek: A foodie nightmare...

Les, I guess it's good you have a better diagnosis of your ankle situation. But running through pain sounds tough -- I hope you'll be careful!

Natasha, that dinner sounds awesome (speaking of food!:p ). Glad you had a good run.

Kathy, good job beating the temptation to bag your run yesterday. There's something about that moment before getting out of bed that's just tortuous, no matter how much the head knows we'll be happier if we run. Seems like a design flaw or something.

Rebecca, hang in there. You are gonna be a great vet!

Checking in with weights and elliptical from this morning. Upper body really felt weak, but I squeezed out the reps nonetheless. Cardio was fine and I wound up dripping and red-faced. Lovely sight early in the morning!

Hi to Susan, Mary, Elizabeth, Bethany, Julie, Eva, Scout, Terri, and anyone else out there.............

[SusanMac]

Hi gang! Yes, my DH used to think I was crazy for looking forward to chatting w/a bunch of people I've never met. He's used to it now, especially after a good friend of ours recently went on a cycling vacation with a friend & learned that the whole group was an online cycling group & this was their first in-person meeting. Now DH doesn't think I'm so strange anymore. But I digress....

Yesterday was a planned rest day, but today I'm planning a run. It is absolutely gorgeous outside!

Thea - Cannot believe you forgot to eat. Ouch! I've kinda been into nutrition fitness books this year and recently read Chris Charmichael's Food for Fitness book. It's one of the best I've read. Definitely recommend putting it on your Christmas list.

Seathyme - I've also put on a few pounds over the past month, which I haven't done in years. Yikes! I keep telling myself it's a holiday-season thing, and not a permanent getting-older thing. Let's keep our fingers crossed. I just don't think I could ever bring myself to give up cheese :-)

Les - Congrats on the doc/diagnosis progress. This coming year might be a very good test for you in terms of training for a marathon with the lowest amount of mileage possible.

I've got a business trip to SF later this month, and just learned that there is a holiday run while I'm there. Hoping to register. I love doing races when I travel. Instead of race shirts, everyone will get Santa hats!

Hi to Natasha, Scout, Rebecca, TLee, & the rest of the gang.

[Natasha]

I just got back from a 5-miler. It was raining and then wet snowing this morning, and I thought the treadmill was in my future, but then it cleared up and I thought of how much I'd prefer to run outside. Wow. That north west wind is strong - about 30 mph with gusts to 45 mph. :eek: :eek: I almost got blown off the gravel paths a few times and the last 3-4 km were really something. I had to stop once or twice just to give myself a break from slogging along in the headwind, and also to adjust my pants so they wouldn't fall down in the wind :D :p ;)

But it's done. Yay!

Les, thanks for the info about your doctor's visit. Good to hear that you've got the yellow light, shall we say, to run again, and it's so nice to hear you mention (even tentatively) Boston training. I hope the pain isn't too bad, though, and that the meloxicam works well.

About the new scooters, can you believe I hadn't broken out a new pair since May? Obviously I haven't been running enough lately. I wonder if I should bronze the pair I wore for the marathon - there's a thought ;)

Kathy, I do have a recipe for the shrimp and would be pleased to post it. I'll be back later today!

Have a good day, all. Must recover from "windshock" now and get back to work.

Natasha

[SusanMac]

I've never ran in wind so hard that I lost my pants! LOL! Would like to see that, actually. I'm a wimp -- I hate wind more than rain when running.

Just got back from a great run. Felt like I was working harder today, even though I know I wasn't running faster. Argh. Oh well, at least I went. My brain & body feel much more refreshed :-)

[seathyme]

I'm working on that pants image too, Natasha!:D I certainly can relate to feeling blown off course -- that's quite a workout. Doesn't sound like a boring run, in any case...

Susan, glad you had a good one too.

Anyone else?:cool:

[Natasha]

Okay, okay - just for the record, they did not fall off or anything close :D They just felt like they potentially *could*, being baggy (I should know not to run in yoga pants, but I did the other night and they were fine ;)) and especially with that nutty wind!

As you say, Seathyme, definitely not a boring run! Susan, glad you got a good run in.

[MaryH]

And here I was all ready to say that I was NOT a wimp this morning and ran in (*gasp*) 32 degree weather. (OK, no virtual stoning from the arctic runners please.) But Natasha, your story definitely beats mine. :cool:

Seathyme, I'm still chuckling about the "not falling in the dark" comment. (Only because I can relate all too well.)

Never did get in the 8 miler this past weekend.

Hello to all and some time when I'm not so swamped I'll try to reply to other posts.

[Natasha]

Mary, you ran in colder weather than I did today (at least raw temperature wise). No scorn from this Arctic runner! :)

I'm glad you posted because I was wondering how you were doing after your post the other week. Seathyme, I hope you're doing all right too. Continued good wishes to you guys!

Kathy, here's the recipe for the shrimp:

Garlic Lime Shrimp
May 2004 Canadian Living, p. 131

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced [you can use more, of course ;)]
1 tbsp grated lime rind
1/4 tsp each cayenne pepper and salt
1 3/4 lb large raw shrimp (about 50), peeled and deveined
1/4 cup white wine or chicken stock
2 tbsp lime juice
3 green onions, chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)

In large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat; fry garlic, lime rind, cayenne pepper and salt, stirring occasionally, until aromatic, about 2 minutes.
Add shrimp; fry, stirring often, until slightly pink, about 3 minutes.
Add wine and lime juice; cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until shrimp are bright pink and almost no liquid remains, about 3 minutes. Toss with onions and coriander.

Makes about 50 pieces or 4-main course servings. Per piece: about 16 cal, 2 g pro, trace total fat, trace carb, 0 g fibre, 29 mg sodium, 18 mg chol. % RDI: 1% calcium, 2% iron, 1% vit. A, 2% vit. C.

Natasha

[badunnin]

Hello all! Just got in a very decent 2.25 miles. Not bad at all. Looking forward to tomorrow night already - it's a beautiful, crisp night (about 34 degrees) and is what I consider to be perfect running weather. ;) My mind and body were in better synch tonight than they have been, and I wasn't that little battle in my head (Mind: Come on! Let's go! Body: Eh. I don't feel like it. Mind: But we didn't go yesterday! Come on! Out the door! Body: Eh.) Natasha - this is different than a FIM, no? Or can this be a FIM as well?

Les - I hope that this doc can assist you on your road to recovery, and on your way to Boston and/or a triathalon, if that is the road you decide to travel.

Thea - I forget to eat all the time. I just get working on something and my mind is otherwise occupied! It's especially prevelant with me if I'm home alone.

Susan - glad you got a good run in!

Hello to Seathyme and Kathy and Rebecca and Scout and Mary and Eva and Elizabeth!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Bethany - FIM? I think this doctor should be able to help me on my path to runs again. I think Boston may be doable but may also be my swan song at the full marathon distance (he did say I might not be able to run marathons because of the expected pain in my ankle it will probably never go away completely). But I think a reasonable distance tri should be in the cards and something to shoot for once the weather and water around here warm up (the bay is WAY TOO COLD to swim in now). Have a good run in the cool weather and I hope tomorrow night is as good as you expect it to be.
Mary - A little cold weather runner in all of us. 32 degrees for your run? In your neck of the woods? Will amazing things never cease.
Natasha - The thought of you and the ballooning pants is a riot. Almost like me getting blown off my bike or stopped by the wind on Thanksgiving (no kidding - I was peddling for all I was worth and almost not making any headway).
Susan - Glad things are getting back to normal and I hope your run was a little bump on the road - nothing to be really concerned about. Low mileage will probably be in my future when it comes to marathons - how low can I go and still be ready for the race? Only time will tell.

Hey seathyme and the rest of the gang!

I tried to get out at lunch but the buckets of water pouring from the sky were enough to keep me from going out the door. Thus I was relegated to a gym-fest. Tonight I changed things up with 50 minutes on the stationary bike. Maybe tomorrow I'll test my running and maybe not.

Until later friends - Happy trails,
Les

[MaryH]

Originally posted by badunnin
(Mind: Come on! Let's go! Body: Eh. I don't feel like it. Mind: But we didn't go yesterday! Come on! Out the door! Body: Eh.)

Bethany, you're sounding like a true Canadian, eh? :p

Question of the week. So what is your perfect running temperature? I prefer colder to warmer weather, but 32 is a bit too cold. For me, I'd say 40-45, cooler than I'd like just standing around, but nice when I'm warmed up from running.

[seathyme]

Anything from mid-20s to 50ish can make me very happy, because I can dress for it. I actually love wearing running tights and cozy tops, so the lower half of that range is my most favorite. I confess I haven't tried running in yoga pants;) ; after Natasha's story I may just let that be an experience I never have in life...

Mary, I well remember Fresno winters. 32F or 70F -- you never know what you're going to get. But what killed me more was the FOG! Holy cow. Very strange to look out the window and not be able to see the house across the street, or for that matter to be in the car and not sure whether a light is red or green... I tried to think of it all as very Zen. Once in awhile that worked.

Les, good luck with your modified training. I suspect you'll have a blast when you enter the tri-world.:)

Natasha, thanks for posting the shrimp recipe. Definitely one I will try, yum!

Bethany, glad you had a good run. Those are the best. Wishing you many more.

Rocheux and I did 5.5 this morning. The beginning was a little rocky, pardon the pun, but once I got into it all was well.

Have a good day, runnahs.

[SusanMac]

I love Rocheux' new name! My "kids" are Ki and Jake. Natasha - will Ki translate into anything French? When we took a French class a few years ago, our cat quickly became known as Jacque (I know I'm not spelling that right, but you can probably guess the pronunciation)

Since we're talking yoga pants.....what does one wear to a pilates class? I assume similar clothes?

No run today, but I am headed to the Y for a weights session. this will be about 5 weeks in a row now! Woo hoo!

[Alethea]

Natasha, that pants story is too funny. I thought of you last night when I was walking home from the gym, wearing my warmup pants. We had some pretty wild wind gusts here in MA yesterday too, one of which hit just as I was at the top of a bridge that spans the Charles river. As others grabbed their hats and squinted their eyes, I made sure I was holding onto my pants!:D BTW, thanks for the shrimp recipe, it looks delicious.

Mary, I would say my ideal running weather is also probably around the 40-degree range. I don't mind it being 20 degrees colder or warmer than that, but once it gets into the 70s I'm not such a happy camper.

I ran 4 this morning, which would have been fine except that a creepy guy started talking to me as I was waiting at a traffic light to start my run. He was telling me about how many marathons he'd run, and how after he ran Boston for the first time he met Johnny Kelley, etc., all the while dressed for running but wearing what were clearly basketball shoes. :rolleyes: I figured once I crossed the street we'd separate, but he decided to run along beside me and keep talking. :mad: Luckily there was another traffic light close by and I could pointedly ask which direction he was headed so I could go the opposite. Ugh.

Have a good day everyone.:)

[seathyme]

Originally posted by Alethea
...a creepy guy started talking to me ...

Oh yuck, Thea.:mad: Of all the things that can interfere with good runs, this should not have to be one of them! Hope you don't see him again.

[ktg0930]

Originally posted by seathyme
There's something about that moment before getting out of bed that's just tortuous, no matter how much the head knows we'll be happier if we run. Seems like a design flaw or something.


You are so right! This morning I woke up just before the alarm and starting thinking about whether I should run this morning. Why can't I just get out of bed and do it? Why do I need to think about it...think whether I can do it later, or tomorrow, or never? So I finally compromised with myself. I have all my running stuff with me and I am going to change before leaving work and drive right to the track to run before I go home.

Natasha - thanks so much for the recipe. I can't wait to try it.

Mary - My favorite temp to run is 55 and above, when I can wear shorts. But, I am comfortable down to about 20, now that I have figured out how to dress for the different ranges. Below 20, though, I previously didn't have the right clothes for the bottoms. But I jsut purchased some Sporthill pants which are supposed to be good for 0-40 F and 35 mph winds. I think they will come in handy when we are in Wisconsin for Christmas.

Alethea - I hate it when strange people talk to me, especially when I am exercising. It's my private time and I just don't want to talk to people, let alone strange ones.

Bethany - yay for a great run. But I'm curious too...what's FIM? All I can think of is foot-in-mouth and I'm guessing that's not it :)

Susan - have fun with the weights.

Les - I hope the weather cooperates with you today.

Happy Thursday all!

[MaryH]

Seathyme, it will always be Robicheaux to me (from a character by James Lee Burke whose name is Dave Robicheaux.)

[badunnin]

A FIM is a term that Nat and I invented yesterday (?) that means Female Internal Monologue. Sort of a "he loves me, he loves me not" type thing, or a heart vs head argument. :)

[SusanMac]

I love the FIM concept! Will need to start using that.

KTG - where in WI are you spending Christmas? Hopefully we'll have snow by then (at least Madison anyway). Everyone surrounding us N/S/E/W have gotten snow, but it seems to be avoiding us.

Thea - Your morning runs across the Charles River sound wonderful, btw. Sorry about the creepy guy. Isn't it weird...in that setting you could potentially meet some nice people, but always have to be extra cautious because you never know. The basketball shoes part cracked me up!

I forgot to answer the favorite running temp question. Hmm. Hard to say, but would probably go for mid30s-40s. There's something really nice about bundling up & having crisp, cool air when you run. But, I hate the chills you get after you stop from the sweat you've built up. I like running in the summer, too, though. Something feels equally good about working hard in the sweaty heat, and only having to deal w/shorts & a sports bra, watching all the boats out on the water while I run, etc.

[Leslie Ferguson]

Bethany - Thanks for the FIM explanation. I like it but I'm not sure how I'd apply the term to me (not being the "F" ;) ). But still I fully understand.
Althea - I've never run across the Charles but I've been down the road and walked along the river on a couple instances. I'd love to run it some time -- maybe in April. :D Sorry about the creepy guy.
Kathy - I'm not that reclusive about my runs but when I run I try to make sure the other person is running when I talk to them, something less weird to talk to someone when they're running rather than when they're standing around (of course that could be a male thing too). Today was gorgeous to go out but having lunch sandwiched around 2 2-hour meetings (one ended about 11 and the other started at 1) I couldn't go out for a normal workout (60 minutes is my "minimum" unless something comes up to preclude that length of time) so I'll go out after work [again].

For me, my favorite conditions to run (non-race) in are temps of about 50-55 with a light breeze. That's perfect but I can live with cooler. Racing on the other hand - I love about 42-45 for marathons and about 50 for shorter races.

Back to the grindstone and I hope everyone's Thursday continues to shape up well.

Happy trails,
Les

[Leslie Ferguson]

Back to back messages... a faux pas but...

Tonight was a watershed night. I ran for 4 miles at an easy pace. I can say that I don't feel any worse than normal but the morning will be the most telling portion of the run. I was tempted to go a little farther on the treadmill but I told myself that I didn't need to push back into the swing of things too quickly. Tomorrow I'll be whipping up a salad for an office potluck and quasi Christmas party. Still not sure what I'll do but I'd like to make something festive and with the season. Oh well, whatever I'm sure no one will complain.

Who starts this week? Ohe well, tomorrow will tell soon enough so until the morning - happy trails,
Les