Virtual Running Buddies - 9/1

[Leslie Ferguson]

OH MY! :eek: The only running in this area today was a little running of my heart. As you can imagine 10+ inches of rain in less than 12 hours can be very exciting for the heart. :rolleyes: And it all started with my drive to work this morning. I got just over half way there and realized that I was at the point of no return - I couldn't turn around and go back home because the southbound lanes of traffic towards my house were impassable. So I struggled to work (no thanks to the SUV that caused a wave to break over the hood of my car :eek: ) since they hadn't closed down the base before I left. I was in the unenviable position of not being able to get home even if I wanted to go because my Honda (just about 9 inches off the road on a good day) just won't traverse the lakes in the road. I got a lot of work done since most everyone didn't get to work before they shut down or pushed out before the roads were completely blasted (or are still stuck on the roads). Then there's the leak in my roof just to add insult to injury.

So with all that and the extravaganza of getting to work I decided to go easy (and I was resting for Sunday's race). BTW - it's supposed to be fairly nice (relatively) on Sunday. Scattered thunderstorms (probably in the afternoon) and in the 70s - it would be nicer if it was closer to in the 50s but I'll take not in the 90s. :rolleyes:

All that and I almost forgot -- my number is 2740. I'm not sure if there will be on course tracking but there might be at the Rock 'n Roll Virginia Beach (http://www.rnrhalf.com) web site.

See you tomorrow and I hope those on the eastern seaboard don't get the nasty stuff we had today. Anyone else running this weekend?

Happy damp trails,
Les

[2HUNGRY!]

Hi Les! We didn't hve it nearly that bad, but I did come home last night to see water dripping into the house from the fireplace. Lovely. Hence, no run last night.

I hope to run today before we catch a flight to Mass. to see my parents.

Hi everyone else and
Good luck Les!

[SusanMac]

Les - Thanks for kicking off the week. And *** Good Luck *** at your race tomorrow. We'll keep an eye out for you. I'm so glad the worst of Ernesto will be through before the race. At this point, any weather that does't involve hurricane-force winds is probably appreciated!

Fri - Rest day for me. Slept in til 7am. DH & I were in heaven.

Today - got up waaay early, as DH had a swimming date at 6am so I rode w/him & hung out at the farmer's market & coffee shop while he swam. My first trip to the main farmer's market in ages. That means ostrich burgers & fresh corn on the cob for dinner during the Badgers football game! And, my annual summer gazpacho for Labor Day. Oh, were we supposed to talk about training? Hill running workout planned for today.

Sun - Cycling with a new group of women tomorrow morning. It's a woman I met at master's swim & she's invited me along. Really looking forward to that (even though they want to hit the road at 6:30am for some reason - gulp!)

Happy Labor Day weekend everyone!!

[MNGirlTX]

****Fleet feet on Sunday, Les!!!****

Sorry to hear about your commute. That is one thing I don't miss about living in New Orleans. The roads flooded in the blink of an eye.

No running yesterday, but today's 8 miles was GREAT! It was slow. Actually slower than I probably could have gone, but I ran with another girl who had some trouble when we did 7. We finished in 2:15:46. I was hoping for 2 even. It's all good, though. I knew I could finish it...she wasn't sure about it, so I was glad to help her out.

Nothing tomorrow and Monday, I'm doing a 5k.

I hope everyone has a good weekend!

Lori

[TerriAb]

No running yesterday for me, either. It was my rest day, but couldn't have run outside anyway, with Ernesto blowing through. Did run 7 miles this morning, still raining, but not windy, so it was ok (better than the humidity of 2 weeks ago). I run with a friend along the Potomac river and there was a lot of debris out from the river overflowing the banks yesterday. Nothing perilous, just a lot of leaves and small branches, mostly. A couple good sized limbs, but nothing we couldn't go around.

Tomorrow is a rest day. Monday is a short 2-miler. LOVE the 2 milers!

Have a good weekend. Les (again), good luck tomorrow!

[615bride]

I got a good run in yesterday but today it seems Ernesto has arrived. Since I don't have access to a treadmill here and running in the rain makes everything take longer it might be a wash for me today. We'll see.

Good luck tomorrow, Les! Can't wait to hear all about it!

Paige

[Natasha]

Hi all!

Les, good luck tomorrow!! Thanks for posting the bib number, too. Glad you fared OK yesterday despite the deluge. Scary stuff. Terri, that's good that it wasn't too bad where you were. We heard and saw lots on the news about the storms in VA and the DC area.

Susan, have fun with the group tomorrow! 6:30 - eek. I thought my running group started early, and that's not until 8! Still, sounds like a fun time :)

Lori, way to go on the 8 miler!! :D And Terri, good job on your 7 miler.

Hi Paige! Jill, have a good trip to MA to see your folks. I spent a goodly portion of last fall there and simply loved it there. Now that fall is in the air again, I want to go back!

No recent running to report - I've been taking it a bit easy on the running the past couple of days, as my right leg was feeling a bit overworked. I've been cross-training, though, and should do a long run tomorrow or Monday. We're getting the Ernesto rain right now, so I'm going to make a big pot of soup (I think it'll be corn and jalapeno chowder). Tonight we'll have Soup & Poker Night with friends. :) (Not for money, though - I'm so not a gambler!)

Take care, all, and stay dry if you can!
Natasha

[Leslie Ferguson]

Thanks ladies for the wishes - I'm looking forward to the race tomorrow.

Great runs Lori and Terri. I'm glad that the rain wasn't "as bad" up there Terri but 5 inches is still plenty of rain. It sounds like you had perfect conditions to run today, even if the rain was pretty heavy at times. I'd love to have a run up the Potomac again - maybe next year when I'm in school (one can only hope).
Lori - Good that you ran with your friend and kept pace with her. I get ticked when folks run with me then run away with the tempo even though we aren't going to push the pace.
Paige - I hope that Ernesto's impact up your way isn't too bad either.
Natasha - Your poker party sounds like fun. I'm all for 8 am starts for running (as opposed to a 7 am race start tomorrow :eek: ).
Susan - Ostrich burgers and corn on the cob? Can I have one too? OOPS - probably not pre-race fare. Have a good run tomorrow.

SPeaking of pre-race fare... it looks like we're having dinner at Bravo's (for the FP folks, that's the same restaurant chain as we had dinner at in Cincinnati ; :D ). No I didn't plan that either.

I may do a little easy ~1-2 mile spin just to loosen up my legs since the last few workouts have been biking - different muscles than running - and I don't want to be stiff on the morrow.

Happy trails and I'll see you tonight.
Les

[SusanMac]

Nat - I'd love your recipe for corn & jal. chowder! (still trying to get DH acclimated to spicier foods!)

[Kathy B]

Wishing you a great run tomorrow, Les! :)

[Leslie Ferguson]

Thanks again for the good wishes. Winding down after dinner at Bravo's. Stressful, if you can imagine dinner being stressful. We were supposed to be 12 for dinner at 5:45. Ended up with 15 :o , 6 of whom showed up at 6:10. Luckily they got there when they did because we were able to snag a table for 4 before they seated the rush that showed up at ~6:20. Then it was loud - which says a lot coming from a deaf guy. ;) Still service was great especially with separate checks, 15 people, beverages, etc. so I guess it was a success. Still didn't get home until almost 9. Everything is set for tomorrow - chili pepper shorts, green tank top, chili pepper socks, fanny pack,... now all I need is rest (not even hoping for sleep). 4:50 comes downright early. :(

Not getting closer to the bed so I'll sign off and see you tomorrow afternoon. Still don't know what pace for tomorrow but I'm glad I did run ~ 2 miles this afternoon. Now I know there won't be issues with shoes/new socks/new tank top in the race. Looking at ~70 degrees when we start with light breezes from the NW. Warm but not a typical (and unbearable) forecast for RnR Va. Beach.

Til tomorrow... happy trails,
Les

[seathyme]

According to the Va RnR website, results won't be posted until 7pm. So perhaps we'll have a personal report from Les before then -- hope it went well! btw, 10+ inches of rain in 12 hours must have been just wild. We're getting an Ernesto remnant now, but it's very benign rain.

Good job on the runs and rests, everyone.

Natasha, I hope your soup and poker night was fun! I have participated in the occasional poker night and had a blast.

Susan, I know what you mean about 7am feeling like a luxuriously late hour to get up -- but how crazy are we? :rolleyes: I hope your very early bike ride was fun.

2Hungry, where in MA are you visiting? Not that I'm biased or anything, but I agree with Nat that this is a beautiful state. :D

Well, Betsy and Les both wondered how this calf strain happened to me, so here's the story. Last Sunday I had gone for a hilly 5-mile run, then a fairly long walk. We were in the middle of a slightly crazy family reunion (I know, "crazy" and "family reunion" is redundant...), so add in a stress factor. Then I went out with DH on his motorcycle. It was a beautiful NH morning and we were really enjoying ourselves. He pulled up to a "T" in the road where there was a piece of new asphalt. Turned out it was on top of sand and really soft. In slow motion we started to sink, and then equally slowly to tilt to the right (we were near the right side of the cambered road). Very odd feeling! It was never dangerous, but my instinct was to throw my right foot out to try to brace us up, so I did that, and immediately felt my calf sieze up. And there it remains, ridiculously tight and obviously not well.

So, I've done more reading and am now prepared for longer than a 7-10 day issue. This is the end of a week now, and it's nowhere near healed. But, I can hobble around and still function, so I'm grateful for that. And I celebrate each little tiny improvement -- enough of these will eventually add up to health again. For the time being, I'll enjoy my runs vicariously through you all, and just remind to you to appreciate your precious mobility!

Happy Labor Day weekend, runnahs. :cool:

[MNGirlTX]

Yikes, seathyme!!! It sounds like you could have ended up with worse than a calf injury, so that is good. I hope you heal quickly.

I'm "resting" today. Looking forward to my little 5K tomorrow. I'd like to bring it in in under 45 minutes, so I'm hoping for continued "cool" weather (cool being a relative term). I don't think we're even supposed to hit 90 degrees today, so that bodes well for a reasonable temperature for race time tomorrow.

Looking forward to Les' race report.

Hi to all the rest of the VRBs - I hope you all are enjoying the "last weekend of summer"!

Lori

[Natasha]

Hi all!

Seathyme, thanks for the background on the injury. Ouch! :( I'm glad it wasn't worse, but it certainly sounds painful enough - and the experience sounds scary. I hope you recover soon! I'm sure that your good attitude towards recovery - celebrating each improvement - will help with the healing.

Les, I look forward to the race report! That's funny that you went to the same spot as the VRBs went in Cincinnati. No prom kids this time, though, I'll bet ;)

Susan, I'd be happy to post the recipe for you later today. As it happens, I didn't end up making that soup last night, because I recalled that one of our guests can't do spicy. So I made the Wisconsin Cheddar Chowder yesterday, and this morning before my run made the corn and jalapeno chowder for dinner tonight. The cheddar chowder was just meh, IMHO, but I have higher hopes for the corn and jalapeno soup. How was your group ride this morning?

Last night's soup and poker night was a blast. One of my absolute favourite ways to spend a Saturday night is to have close friends over for a meal and an evening of just hanging out and relaxing (whether you just chat, play cards or a game, watch a movie, or whatever). The card games were a lot of fun, too, and several times I laughed so hard I cried. Perfect evening. Today I did my long run. I was able to use something I'd read in The Lore of Running to help me through when it got a bit tough - it may interest some of you, so I'll post more about it a bit later.

Lori, good luck in your 5k tomorrow!!

Hello to everyone else and happy rest of Labour Day weekend!
Natasha

[Leslie Ferguson]

seathyme - YIKES! That hurts just reading about it. I hope you get better soon but I also know that you won't do something I might and exacerbate your injury.
Lori - Positive thoughts for a stretch of cool weather for you too. You can use it I'm certain.
Natasha - I'm looking forward to hearing about your run today and how the book helped you through a tough part. Yep, no prom kids there last night either. :cool:

Funny thing of the day: as I'm standing on the beach waiting for folks to finish (at the family reunion area) I make a comment about wasps and my extravaganza last weekend (there was a wasp flying around on the beach and I was willing to whack it). He asked if I was from the area - of course I said yes. It ends up that he's from... Cincinnati... and ran the first leg of the FP marathon this past year. Too weird and too much of a coincidence. We chatted for a long while as we waited for the rest of his group to get there.

Race report from the chili pepper man. :D I’m glad the race went better than the events leading up to the race went. So I’ll start with the race then digress to the “fun” of the day. It was warm, as expected, but not too bad at the start. No wind to speak of and just 24,000 of my closest friends at the start. :) I started a little fast but that was caused by the events leading up to race time (more to follow). My running partner and I blew through the first mile in 7:32, certainly faster than we wanted to go. Settled into a decent pace by about the third mile, just under 8 minutes/mile and carried that into the finish dropping off a little in the last mile or so (but it was in the upper 70s and there was no shade for the last 2.25 miles. Total time was around my real goal and I finished in 1:44:47 all total. It should have been about a minute faster but I had to succumb to the call of nature (again caused by the events leading up to the start) in the second mile. I asked myself again why I run this race every year because it is always hot - this year was the same at about 9-10 miles in (just before turning onto the boardwalk. I keep swearing I’m not going to run again and every year I do. Still, the race really is fun so I’ll probably keep running it as long as I live in Norfolk.

Now for the not so good part of the day. No issues getting up at 4:50 or even getting out of the house at a reasonable hour. But for some reason (thankfully) I didn’t remember seeing my bib number in my bag so I stopped (~15 minutes from home) and realized I didn’t have it and had to drive home to get my number. So all total I was 30 minutes late getting to the starting area (really mad at myself because I moved stuff last night and forgot to put my number in my bag). So that was the first great thing. Then, as I’m trying to drop off my dry clothes and gear bag they told me they wouldn’t take the bag to the finish area and that I’d have to come back to the starting area (~2.25 miles from the finish) to get my stuff. Was I frosted even more (of course, if I had read the flyer they mailed out I would have known they stopped taking goody bags to the finish area at 6:15. :o ). That, of course, derailed my pre-race preps -- no potty break -- and things just fell apart from there.

In the long run (no pun intended) things went well and I’m glad I ran. If I do the race again I’ll be better prepared for the excitement at the beginning.

Now, since I’ve been up since 4:50 I’m starting to fade (go figure). It doesn’t hurt that I stood on the beach for about 2.5 hours after the race getting cooked and sun burned (a little).

Now, time to figure out what is going to be on the menu for dinner tonight. I hope everyone else is having a great weekend too and that you have a good holiday tomorrow. Sleeping in is high on my list for tomorrow.

Happy trails,
Les

[Natasha]

Congratulations, Les! Sounds like a fun time (except for the events leading up to the race), and that's awesome that you got your goal time!! Hope your running partner is also happy with his/her race. That's cool that you met a guy from Cinci who had done the FP relay! We could have all seen him there and not remembered him - who knows. Enjoy your lie-in tomorrow morning - you've earned it.

Susan, the recipe is below. Hope you and DH enjoy it!! :) I definitely found it more than a little on the hot side, but with the sour cream garnish quite enjoyed it.

Take care, guys,
Natasha

Jalapeno-and-Corn Chowder
Source: The Complete Cooking Light Cookbook, p. 477

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes

Cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup canned vegetable broth
1 cup chopped cauliflower
1/2 cup sliced carrot
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup (1/2-inch) sliced green beans
1 jalapeno pepper, cut in half lengthwise
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Dash of ground red pepper
1 (11-ounce) can whole-kernel corn, drained
2/3 cup (2 2/3 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1. Coat a large saucepan with cooking spray; place over medium heat until hot. Add onion; saute 5 minutes or until tender. Add broth and next 5 ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

2. Place flour in a medium bowl. Gradually add milk, stirring well with a whisk. Add milk mixture, white pepper, red pepper, and corn to pan; stir well. Cook over medium heat until thick (about 7 minutes), stirring constantly. Discard jalapeno pepper. Ladle chowder into individual bowls; sprinkle with cheese. Yield: 5 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups chowder and 2 tablespoons cheese).

Per serving: 233 cals (33% from fat); 8.6g fat (5g sat, 2.3g mono, 0.5g poly); 11.9g protein; 29.4g carb; 2.5g fiber; 28mg chol; 1.1mg iron; 533mg sodium; 317mg calcium).

[Note: I added fresh corn rather than the can of corn. I found it really quite spicy, and served it with generous dollops of light sour cream. Tasted much richer than it is. I think I'd make it again, but next time would like to crumble a few lime tortilla chips (homemade or packaged) on top.]

[Leslie Ferguson]

Congratulations, Les! Sounds like a fun time (except for the events leading up to the race), and that's awesome that you got your goal time!! Hope your running partner is also happy with his/her race. That's cool that you met a guy from Cinci who had done the FP relay! We could have all seen him there and not remembered him - who knows. Enjoy your lie-in tomorrow morning - you've earned it.
Thanks, I really had a decent time although a little nagging because I was really at the edge of my training and it showed. Of course, I haven't been doing anything to gain speed these days - all my runs are pretty much the same distance and speed (8-8.5 miles @ 8:15-8:25 pace). But I guess I could "out" with there has been a lot on my plate this year. My partner had a better clock time than I did. Of course she did run on when I stopped at 2.5 miles. She came in at 1:40:48 and 9th in her age group. It looks like she's on training to get a BQ when she runs the Outer Banks Marathon in November. I honestly didn't remember seeing the guy from Cinci but was humored that the guy standing next to me out of 22,000+ runners and their families ran FP this year (and wasn't from Norfolk/Va. Beach). Sleep in/lie in is going to feel good as long as my sunburn doesn't bother me when I'm in bed. If it does there's a nice recliner that will do just fine (it seems like every time I sit there I fall asleep so... if the bed doesn't work then I'm set). :cool: Thanks for posting the recipe too - Kathy sounded interested so I might have to whip up a batch once it cools down here. That soup just doesn't sound like an 80 degree outside soup in my book. :rolleyes:

Time for this sunburned and whipped kid to hit the hay. Have a great Labour Day and I'll see you tomorrow.

Happy trails,
Les

[Kathy B]

Les, CONGRATULATIONS!from me, too! Sounds like a day that went well overall, and especially with all that you've had going on. Being within a minute of your goal when your training was not as much as you would have liked sounds pretty impressive to me. As for the glitches, that just gives you some stories to tell later, right? Frustrating at the time, laughable with the passing of time. Hope you got to sleep in reeeaaaaallllly late! :)

[Leslie Ferguson]

Thanks for the congratulations - non-running report... slept in (felt great). I'll head to the gym to lift a little this afternoon with my coach but running is definitely out today (and maybe tomorrow). Can't figure out what I did to whack my left trap yesterday but I hope it doesn't hang on too long.

I hope we hear a good race report from Lori - I wonder if the weather behaved and got cool for her. Good luck on all the other races (10k for you right Susan?)

See you all later.
Les

[SusanMac]

Les - Congrats on another great year at the RNR!! Sounds like a super fun race. Isn't it funny how each race brings little glitches like your bib number, regardless of how many you do? Cool connection w/the FP racer.

Nat - Looks yummy, thanks!

Seathyme - Didn't know you were a wild motorcycle chick ;-) Take care of that calf and keep being patient (w/lots o' ice)

MNGirl - Hope your race went well!!

DH & I decided to bail on the 10K fun run...and I forgot to tell you guys. Oops! I had done it the last 2 years, and really didn't want to make myself unecessarily sore when I need to be focused on Chicago.

Sat - My first speed workout, ala the RunnersWorld training schedule I'm using leading up to Chicago. I decided to do hill repeats & it went well. 12 repeats.

Sun - Had a great time riding with the new girls! We are all about the same pace, which never happens. It's so nice to ride just for x-training right now, as we chatted the whole time & didn't care about our pace. 46 miles. Perfect weather. Very fun. Food & music festival yesterday pm w/DH. Then watched The Squid & the Whale -- absolutely loved it!

It's raining all day today, but I'm hoping to be brave & head out for a run. We'll see :-) I'm working today, as well, so I can take most of this Fri off.

Happy Labor Day everyone!

[MNGirlTX]

Congrats, Les, on your race!! It sounds like you did okay once you got on your way!

Thanks for thinking of me this morning. It's been raining since I got up at 5:15, but we went out despite the weather. It was a small, non-chip timed, race. The rain was steady, but not too heavy. The race numbers went up to about 800, but I'd be surprised if there were 1/2 that number of runners. We had no starting gun or air horn...just a guy who yelled "GO!" :D .

Three other people met us for the race. My boss, Corinna, co-worker, Mike, and Mike's best friend, Brad. It was Brad's first race. My goal was to finish in front of Corinna. Just because she's my boss doesn't mean she has to "win", right? Anyhow, I was pretty near the end for the whole race. It took me about 2.5 miles to pass Corinna. Since running isn't really Mike's "thing", I passed him a lot earlier.

I stretched a little bit too far from the start, so my calves were tight until about the 2 mile point. Then, I felt good and got into a good stride. My clock time was 45:02. I'm happy with that. My goal was 45, so it's cool. Stopping to have a drink of Powerade was the difference between under 45 and over 45.

Susan - it sounds like you had a really nice weekend! Good job on your hill repeats - they are on my schedule for tomorrow.

Lori

[Elizabeth B]

Wow, lots of great running reports!

Les - Congratulations on a great race! They were showing Virginia Beach on The Weather Channel, and I was worried about how it would go for you, but your time was great! That's crazy that you didn't have your race number with you - the kind of stuff I totally stress out about. Good to know that it worked out. And, by the way everyone, that last 2.25 miles is REALLY bad - take it from me. That was the toughtest 2.25 mles I ran last last year.

Seathyme - Thanks for letting us know how your accident happened. I hope it starts to get better soon.

Susan - The women's cycling group sounds like fun and it's great that you were all around the same pace.

Lori - Congratulations on meeting your goals on your 5K! Good job!!

DH and I went to Louisville this weekend to watch my niece and nephew while DB and DSIL went out of town. We had a great time and they have a great neighborhood to run in. I had a nice 45-minute run on Saturday. This morning, I planned to run for 90 minutes and ended up running for 100 minutes. It felt great - my best run in 2006! I think I'll be in good shape for the 15K this month and am now looking at the Las Vegas Half Marathon in December.

It was funny, as soon as we got home from Louisville, I told DH that I wanted to check out the CLBB to see how Les' race went. I was the same way with Susan's 1/2 IM, too. Hard to believe I don't even know you folks IRL!

Take care, all!!!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Les - Congrats on another great year at the RNR!! Sounds like a super fun race. Isn't it funny how each race brings little glitches like your bib number, regardless of how many you do?...
Sun - Had a great time riding with the new girls! We are all about the same pace, which never happens. It's so nice to ride just for x-training right now, as we chatted the whole time & didn't care about our pace. 46 miles. Perfect weather... It's raining all day today, but I'm hoping to be brave & head out for a run. We'll see :-) I'm working today, as well, so I can take most of this Fri off.
That's part of what's maddening about the whole bib thing, you'd figure after all these races and even bigger ones than this, I'd have a system down. I even set the number and number belt by my shoes the night before. Then I decided to move my shoes closer to the bedroom (easier to find) and forgot to move the number. Live and learn... Just 46 miles for an easy ride. :eek: Makes my hands go numb just thinking about that amount of time on the bike. Still sounds like a great weekend: running hill repeats (how long a distance do you run on the hills?) but I know you'll do just fine having chased you up the hills in Cincinnati. :D Did your run come off today? Hope you have a great week ahead.
Lori - Honestly, those are the best races to run in... <800 (500) people, a starter who yells go, no chips, and a bunch of folks having ao good time running. 45:02 is great and right on your goal. Great that you passed your boss - and it's always good form in my book to pass your boss (I have for years during the semi-annual physical readiness test). Have fun with your hill repeats tomorrow.
Les - Congratulations on a great race!... And, by the way everyone, that last 2.25 miles is REALLY bad - take it from me. That was the toughtest 2.25 mles I ran last year... This morning, I planned to run for 90 minutes and ended up running for 100 minutes. It felt great - my best run in 2006! I think I'll be in good shape for the 15K this month and am now looking at the Las Vegas Half Marathon in December.

It was funny, as soon as we got home from Louisville, I told DH that I wanted to check out the CLBB to see how Les' race went. I was the same way with Susan's 1/2 IM, too. Hard to believe I don't even know you folks IRL!
You aren't kidding about that last 2.25 miles being hard. For some strange reason almost every race at the Beach ends with at least 1-2 miles on the boardwalk (all concrete in case anyone was wondering). Great run yesterday - and 10 minutes more than you planned, even better! Good luck in the 15 k later this month. That's funny about DH and your checking the BB. Kathy (LW) knows that the check ins are important for me. Of course there is a little IRL with a few of the gang. Maybe we can get something put together this coming year for another VRB IRL get together a la FP. But let me get through the end of the year and verdict on retirement.

Even though everyone had it out for me today (I'm kidding), the Y closed at 2 pm (got there at 1), the weight room at work (and it's a good weight room) was locked tight as a drum today (the first time since I've been in the job) so I ended up lifting on base in the "he man" weight room (lots of 20 something Sailors). I got lots of looks because the "light" weight I was using. Then tehy saw me whip out 3 sets of 20 and that shut them up.

Might try a run tomorrow - something easy - depending on the heat. Need to really test my legs doing something besides lifting. :rolleyes:

Until later -- happy trails,
Les

[615bride]

Les and Lori- Congrats on another race under your belts!

Things here are crazy. The rain finally stopped so I'll get a run in this afternoon. It's driving me batty not to have a gym membership here. It was one of the things to go when I decided to be a SAHM. Might have to find a way! ;)

Paige

[MaryH]

Les and Lori - again CONGRATS on your races.

Susan - I had the same reaction as Les. 46 miles!!! (Ah, but it was just a bit of a ride. :cool: )

Not so much running to report. I have been pretty consistent, however, for the past two weeks about getting to the gym 3x a week and then alternating with some type of cardio, either running or biking on the other days.

Saturday I threw a surprise party for my SIL (who turned 50). This was in the works for about a month and I am happy to report that despite inviting 30-40 of her friends, no one slipped and it was a total surprise for her. :D I was pretty wiped out Sunday, but managed to get to the gym on yesterday. Ran this morning and it's back to work today. :rolleyes:

[Kathy B]

Susan, I am also using (loosely) a training schedule from Runner's World to give me some kind of structure leading up to my October 5K. It's not really much different from what I had been doing, but I like having a PLAN as opposed to just making it up as I go along. It's easy for me to go easy on myself when I am in charge. :D

Paige, It was a big adjustment for me, too, to give up the gym membership and find other ways to get in my exercise. Fit TV helped a lot if you can get that station. And I taped a LOT of the shows, so that I could do them when it fit MY schedule....very important when you have to work around your family's schedules. Good luck with that!

Elizabeth, nice that you were able to run while you were watching your niece and nephew. Working in exercise while OOT is always a challenge. If you felt great after your 100 minutes, you should do very well with your upcoming race. When is it?

Mary, that party sounds like it would have been a workout to throw together! :D Good for you for getting in the gym and a run over the weekend after all the excitement!

I am planning to go to a group run thing that a friend told me about (she will be there, too, as a walker). They meet tomorrow evening, run in different paced groups, then come back and have potluck. We'll see. I think the shortest distance they go is 6 miles, which is about the most I have done, so I don't know.....I know I can run that far, but I think I may be running by myself. Good thing I don't eat much in the evening as they might be done by the time I jog in! :D I'll report back later.

[SusanMac]

MaryH - Congrats on a successful party. That's a fun feeling when everything goes well.

Elizabeth - I have the same feeling about the BB. It's very odd, but somehow addictive. Congrats on hitting a new running milestone.

Les - Nice job on the weights. Don't let those punks intimidate you ;-)

MNGirl - Loved your race report! Only you know whether or not it's OK to beat your boss in a race. You can tell us later today :-)

It feels really, really good to have that bike mileage not feel tough. I've learned that cycling requires even more consistency than running. Speaking of which...

Yes, I *did* get out yesterday for my run! Very pleased b/c I didn't feel like it. It drizzled on me, but wasn't bad. 55 minutes, most of it tempo pace. So, I'm actually sticking to the RW plan so far. It's nice to have the variety. It calls for 30 minutes of working out on x-training days, but that just doesn't seem enough to me. So, I figure as long as I'm not feeling tired, it's ok to do more.

Question for the group.... My lower back has been achy in this past week. Nothing serious, but I don't want it to progress beyond a mild ache. Do you guys have any good stretches & strengthening exercises I can do at home to help??

[Kathy B]

Question for the group.... My lower back has been achy in this past week. Nothing serious, but I don't want it to progress beyond a mild ache. Do you guys have any good stretches & strengthening exercises I can do at home to help??

Try this yoga pose. DH doesn't do yoga, but he occasionally does this when his back is bothering him, and he admits that it really helps. Back pain IS listed as one of the benefits if you read far enough down. (I missed it the first time through)!

I think it helps because your spine is compressed all day while you are walking around, standing, sitting, etc... When you do this pose the pressure is off the spine and the vertebrae can actually separate a bit relieving the pressure and giving your spine a bit of rest.

Downward Facing Dog (http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/491_1.cfm)

[SusanMac]

Thx, Kathy! I know that pose, but never do it around the house. I'll give it a try. The thought of stretching out my back sounds fabulous.

About to hit the road for a ride.....it's x-training day!

[MNGirlTX]

Downward Facing Dog is one of the stretches we always do after our Saturday long runs.

I'm addicted to the BB, too.

I bagged my hill training today. For some reason, it always seems to be the day of the week that I feel like I need to sleep in. Oh, wait. Maybe it's because it's HILLS! I must get better about that. I know in my head that they are good for me and will benefit me. My heart just doesn't totally believe it, yet.

If you wish to see evidence of my charge at the finish line on Monday: Labor Day Run (http://www.celebratedimages.com) Choose event photos, then "Labor Day 15k/5k". Go to page 9. I'm image 177. My boss is image 179. The guy inbetween us was nice. He and I leapfrogged for most of the race and we high-fived when he crossed the finish line. Image 180 is my co-worker and image 181 is the husband of one of my Saturday morning coaches.

Tomorrow, I'm promising myself I'm going to run.

Lori

[615bride]

Yay Lori! I love race photos! Isn't it ridiculous how much they charge for them though?

Kathy B- I'll have to look for Fit TV! Thanks for the suggestion.

Did anyone hear about the jogger in FL who got stuck in the swamp/marsh and was there for four days?!? :eek:

Paige

[MNGirlTX]

Yay Lori! I love race photos! Isn't it ridiculous how much they charge for them though?

Kathy B- I'll have to look for Fit TV! Thanks for the suggestion.

Did anyone hear about the jogger in FL who got stuck in the swamp/marsh and was there for four days?!? :eek:

Paige

No kidding on the expense, Paige!

And, that jogger in FL is exactly why I may not take my shoes with me to Arizona at the end of the month. I'm going to be on a dude ranch in the middle of the desert. I'm afraid I'd be found days later.......

[seathyme]

Great photos Lori, thanks! You are definitely charging there -- gotta love the lure of the finish line. :D

Yikes Paige. I didn't hear about the Florida jogger and cannot begin to imagine what it would feel like to be stuck in a swamp for four days.

Susan, good job completing your tempo run when you didn't feel like it. Those runs are so satisfying afterwards, aren't they? You defeated the no-motivation beast.

Kathy, good luck with the group run. I've only done a couple of those, and found them both fun and challenging. But not fun enough to override my basic love of running on my own! Let us know how it goes for you.

Les, ditto on the congrats on your successful race, issues notwithstanding. 23,000 runners is quite the group run...

Mary, I agree that throwing a big party is a workout unto itself. Glad the secret was kept!

Natasha, thanks for the recipe. Have you tried the soup yet?

I have made a bit of improvement with the calf. I'm now able to walk slowly without looking like a character out of Young Frankenstein. And I'm grateful for that. But to whine just a little bit, I hate the feeling of my conditioning slipping away, you know? It will come back in its time, but ten days without exercise is not doing my body any favors! Okay, whine over.

Hello to all the VRB's out there, whether running or not or posting or not!

[Leslie Ferguson]

No running... that would be me again (I'll claim recovery after running in the heat). Lots of stuff going on here that impacted my day but that will wait.

Paige - I hadn't heard about the runner stuck in the swamp either. 4 days in the muck and the mire - yuck! But it does intrigue the little boy in me... :cool:
Lori - Great pix - great to come in ahead of your boss and that's a neat story about jockying for position with the guy between you and your boss. There is a school of thought in the racing world that says when you pass someone you "take" some of their energy. And when you go back and forth like you two did you actually share energy - makes both of you run faster. Or so they say. Sounds kind of Draconian or devilish to me but whatever...
Seathyme - Little by little or slow and steady stays the course. Any thoughts about swimming since walking and running is out of the question right now? Just thinking out loud. 23,000 is a wild group run too. :cool:

My story and I'm sticking with it... a guy who works for me got promoted today, 2 years late (he should have been promoted 1 Aug 2004 - don't ask I don't know). So that blew the lunch hour run (that and the downpour). Came home to find a little work outstanding in preparation for my parents "fly by" tomorrow on their way to Oregon for Dad's 50th HS reunion (cleaning in my kitchen was highest on the hit parade). So I felt compelled (LW didn't expect me to do anything in the kitchen but I just had to) to do something. And there was the rain then too. Then it was dinner time and you can see this downward spiral so I just cried "Uncle!" Tomorrow I WILL run in the morning before things can get ugly at work. That and I'm not certain my ankle and gleuts would have been happy running today.

Hope folks have a good (short) week. Talk to you tomorrow and fleet runs for all...

Happy trails,
Les

[SusanMac]

MNGirl - Thanks for posting the pictures! I love having a visual of all the VRBers running tough. You look so focused.

Les - the week after a big race you are definitely allowed extra rest days

Seathyme - Glad you're getting better! Hang in there. I know it's frustrating.

615 - Wow, the Florida story is wild!

Got in a good ride yesterday. My standard 23-mile loop route from my house. I felt like I was really cruising smoothly, then got home & found my pace was not a fast as I thought. Oh well, it's just x-training. The whole town is getting excited for IM this weekend! The buzz is in the air.

MNGirl reminded me that I just got pics from the Pigman. We didn't get any of our own photos :-(, but I'm not about to spend $30 for a little picture, so will just have to live with the memories. You get to see both me & DH, since I searched by last name....http://www.photochambers.us/v2/showroll.html?eventID=54&searchtype=1&offset=0&matchlevel=0&bibno=&targetname=maccall

[MNGirlTX]

Susan - Thanks for sharing your pics!! (I look focused in mine because I was really trying to beat the clock to 45:00.)

A nice little 30 minute run for me this morning. It was really beautiful out. The temp was 65, the sun had just come up over the horizon. A glorious morning for a run. No issues and I made it up my enemy hill.

We've got big shots in the office today, so - yuck. We have to meet with the CEO over lunch. We're having lunch brought in and our lunches never meet my weight watcher guidelines. So, I made a salad to share with the group - barley, corn, black beans, avocado (my first time ever buying one...I don't usually eat them), with a lime juice/olive oil/cumin dressing on it. Our brought in meat will be Texas bar-b-q...chicken and brisket...so I can eat the meat, just not the coleslaw and beans.

Hope everyone is having a good humpday!

Lori

[2HUNGRY!]

Great pics Susan, congrats!

[Leslie Ferguson]

great pictures Susan. Nice to see DH again and it looks like you both had a good time during the race. I agree I might have earned the break yesterday and probably needed it considering the events of the day (more information shortly).
Lori - Ah, the joys of Texas eating... your salad sounds great except the "nasty green things" (that would be avocados). LW and I have an understanding - avocados are more than survival food (meaning if it were eating avocados or dying it would be a tough decision on my part :D ;) ). Great run and great temps for the workout too. Can it be, fall just around the corner?

Back to the comment about the need for a rest - I think I'm fighting something in the stomach flu world. Upset tummy, hungry all the time (more than normal), chills, and general malaise. That's fantastic considering my folks are coming to town this afternoon en route to Oregon for Dad's 50th HS reunion this coming weekend. Maybe it might be better for them to not be here. :( I think I cemented the malaise after running today - 8.45 miles (I know it hardly sounds like a malaise but I think the run may have been the nail in the proverbial coffin).

Fighting to stay awake and would probably be best to head home and curl up. But I need to call the folks at church and let them know that I will probably not be attending unless I feel a lot better. Then all I have to worry about is dinner for my folks.

Take care all and I'll possibly check back later this evening unless I'm completely out of order.

Happy trails and have a good hump day,
Les

[615bride]

Ugh, Les, hope you feel better soon. Get some rest!

Susan- Great shots of the Pigman. I agree on the pictures. I didn't order any from the Kiawah Marathon and my DH got me two behind my back. I must say I'm really glad he did but I wasn't about to pay it! ;) :D

Lori- That's a great idea to bring in a salad to share. That way you know what's in it!

I had a good but buggy run today. Did I mention I hate swallowing bugs? :rolleyes:

Paige

[Natasha]

Run-by post...

Les, feel better soon! How was the quick visit from your parents?

Seathyme, hope you're healing nicely.

Susan, great pics of you and DH! Thanks for sharing them.

Lori, big congrats on your race, and great pic of you and your colleagues & friends too! :)

Hi to the rest of the gang. Gotta read a few more pages of my thriller and then sleep *yawn* Take care!

Natasha

[Leslie Ferguson]

Quick check in after a great evening with my folks. I seemed to get a little better but really think there's something afoot in my system. Oddly, food is one of the things that settles my system and makes my head not hurt (go figure - maybe I'm pregnant ;) ). LW and I had a good time (once Kathy got off work) with my folks and they joined me for Wednesday evening church service - a double bonus. We all sat around and shared a little beverage, a little good conversation, laughter and stories, and I even got to rub my Mom's neck and shoulders (part of her Parkinson's effects the muscles in her neck - they are phenomenally tight and thus cause her a little discomfort). It felt good giving a little back to Mom.

But for now - to bed for recovery. Still not enough hours of sleep in my near future but I'll take a little less sleep to be with my folks.

Happy trails,
Les

[Kathy B]

Good morning all! I'm up early to do some yoga, because I really needed to stretch out some more after my "group run" last night. It went pretty well, although I ended up running pretty much by myself as I suspected I would. That was fine with me, because I didn't feel pressured to keep someone else's pace, but on the flip side, I took a wrong fork in the road and ended up with about a 1 mile detour. :o And I even had a MAP with me! Oh, well! I wasn't the last one to roll in, and the food was good afterwards (there was a LOT of food)! My friend introduced me to several people, and we chatted while we ate.

This group meets every week at a different place all over the city to run and follow up with a potluck. Some people (my friend included) are walkers, and then there are many different levels of abilities. One woman just competed in a big race in Switzerland where she came in 11th for her age group! Guess I won't pick her to run with! :D I am pretty sure there are some people that are my pace, just have to figure out who they are.

Glad you are feeling better, Les, and I hope you continue to mend. Sounds like a nice evening with your folks.

Natasha, what "thriller" are you reading? I could use a recommendation for a good suspense book....

Susan and Lori, thanks from me too for sharing your pics! It's nice to put a face with a name! It looks like you both had nice sunny weather for your events. Hope that was a good thing (not too hot)!

Seathyme, glad to hear your calf is feeling better. Are you able to do any yoga stretches to help things along, or is it too soon for that? DS just got over a bout with pneumonia which hit him just as school started (he missed a week and a half)! He also worried about his conditioning for CC slipping away, but even though he had to start out slowly, he is quickly regaining his previous level of fitness. I am sure you will as well.

Well, that's enough chattering from me. Hope you all have a good day and great runs!

[2HUNGRY!]

Hi VRBs. The trip to Mass. and the party for my Mom were a success, but as I suspected, no running or exercise of any kind unless you count hitting a pinata with my cousins!

Les, I hope you feel better. I hate stomach bugs. Yuck! Since you have pregnancy symptoms maybe you can take note from pregnant women everywhere and carry around ritz crackers. When my stomach is upset I carry mints around with me to suck on which helps. Feel better, and enjoy the time with your folks.

Kathy, That group sounds fun. I love potlucks. They are a lost art!

Natasha and everyone else, hi! I haven't been around much the past two weeks so I'm having a hard time keeping up with everyone. I did get a good look at Susan's race pictures though. Wow!

I have a nasty chest cold again so I am mostly walking this week and I am going to start C25K all over again next week since my I don't have any travle planned until January. Yay! My new pilates class starts next week too.

[SusanMac]

615 - I'm with you on the bugs. My Tues bike ride had an especially large number of bugs in my face. Can't figure out why.

Les - So glad you had a good visit. Very strange about food making you feel better.

KathyB - Congrats on taking the leap to join the new running group! Hopefully it will be a great way to stay motivated, and meet some new folks. The triathlon world championships were just in Lausanne, Switzerland last week. Is that where your friend was competing??

2Hungry - Glad your trip went well. Sometimes you just have to chalk up travel to a no workout week. I know lots of folks who have done C25K multiple times. If it works, go for it.

Laura - So, have you made the plunge to get clipless bike pedals yet?? Are you still running, too, or taking a break? (I've forgotten -- eek)

Badunnin - How is the new group of kids this year?

TLee has posted a pic of herself & her adorable baby on the current "new mom" thread. Go check it out!

Did my long run yesterday, so I am zonked. Will probably do a little icing today. Mapmyrun said 17 miles. My footpod said 19 miles....so I'm going with that one :-) Today is happily a rest day!!

[2HUNGRY!]

Very cute TLee! I have a new nephew about the same age.

[MNGirlTX]

Good morning, y'all...

Les and 2Hungry - I hope you both feel better soon. But, I'm glad germs don't spread over the Internet. (now, viruses....another story :D )

Tempo run this morning. And, it was another beautiful day in North Texas. I'm hoping the weather holds at least through Saturday because that's the big day. Yep, 9 miles. Which means we have to run all.the.way.around.the.lake. Up until now, we've done out and back runs, which I like because I know when I'm 1/2 way done. I guess, technically, I still will because I'll know where my turnaround was for 8 miles.

Also, had a nice surprise this morning on another message board I'm a member of. There was a post from a woman named Ruth who is a runner...thanking me for giving her the motivation to do a marathon this past week. I'm thinking she did RnR....I don't know that I've ever been anyone's running motivation before so I feel very cool.

Have a great day, everyone!

Lori

[Elizabeth B]

Hello runners!

Susan and Lori - I love your race photos - thanks for sharing! Susan, you look fabulous - so happy for someone competing in such an intense sport and Lori, you look like you were giving it your all!

Les - I hate to hear that you're not feeling well, but it sounds like you're taking good care of yourself and getting some rest. Your relationship with your parents sound enviable. I love my folks, but don't get to see them as often as I'd like.

Yesterday's run was a little slow - I was still stiff from my fabulous long run on Monday, but today's run was great. DH says that we can definitely go to Vegas for the half marathon - he's going to look into hotels this weekend. I'm so excited that I'll be able to run a half marathon in 2006 because I'd pretty much given up on that for this year. Anyone want to come and run with me????!!!!

[seathyme]

Elizabeth, I would *love* to be able to go to Vegas and run a half this year! However, at the moment I'm looking forward simply to being able to run at all, so hopefully someone else will take up your invitation. Regardless, hope you'll have a blast! When is the race?

Kathy, glad you had fun with the group, despite the extra mile. I'm sure I would have done the same thing -- navigation is not one of my strenghts... Thanks for asking about the yoga. This morning for the first time I tried a modified routine. Had to rule out most of the standing poses and even downward facing dog made me nervous, but I did a bunch of seated stuff, and some planks, and a successful pigeon. It felt great to get back to the mat, so I'm hopeful about the coming days. Also was able to walk a couple of slow miles today, which was a huge improvement. Slight limp, and the tightness is palpable, but if I don't do anything stupid there should be light at the end of the tunnel. Yay.

Les, I'm so glad you felt better last night for your folks' visit. Hope whatever this bug is will get lost ASAP.

Lori, LOL about the germs and viruses. :D

Susan, I'm sure your footpod was telling you the true story of your long run. And thanks for the heads up about Terri's baby. Great photos!

2Hungry, glad your MA experience went well. Sorry about the cold, though. Not fun.

Hi to Natasha, Paige, Mary, Laura and anyone else out there. Have a good run for me. :cool:

[Leslie Ferguson]

Susan - Almost forgot to comment on the tri pictures. You look like you were having a great time. Thanks for the info on Terri's baby pix. Zonked after 17 or 19 miles? Who'd figure that one? ;) :p
Elaizabeth - Las Vegas sounds like fun but I'll have to take a bye too. Not a lot of free hours and days for the next 14 weeks (give or take).
Lori - Good luck on your 9 miler this weekend. You'll do great. Just another mile. :rolleyes: That's neat the affirmation you got from your friend too.
Kathy B - Your running group sounds like a hoot - running for food. Almost like a civilized Hash House Harrier day of running. :o Good job - even with the extra mile.
2Hungry - A week off to be with family? I'll have to think about that one. ;) NOT! Thanks for the cracker comment - I think I was only kidding about being pregnant (and if I really am I'm going to soak the media for everything they're worth. :cool:
Howdy to the rest of the VRB...
My nausea seems to have gone away for the most part - all systems normal for me (and unexplainable). Rode today for abotu 40 minutes and felt good. Fading fast - emotions do that to me (went for a long converstaion this morning).
Happy trails all and I'll be in touch tomorrow.

Les

[615bride]

That's great, Elizabeth! Have fun in Las Vegas!

I got a good run in yesterday and am hoping to get out again this afternoon. It's been warming up these last few days. I miss the cooler temps!

Paige

[2HUNGRY!]

Lori, that's a great story! That must have been awesome to read.

Elizabeth, have fun in Vegas. When is the race again? We went on vacation to Death Valley in March and I highly reccomend it if its not a hot time of year. It was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen.

Seathyme, good luck on continued recovery.

Hi everyone else!

Well, I think I woke up with Les's stomach bug this morning. But, we did have a great run last night. I've been having so much fun running/walking in the evenings with the DH that I might not even start C25K again. I think I slow him down but he says he doesn't mind.

[MaryH]

Elizabeth,

When is the half? I'm definitely interested.