On A Roll

I've officially completed 2 CrossFit workouts (albeit slightly altered). I'm on a roll now and the momentum will certainly keep me going. :)

Today, I took the kiddos to the neighborhood park and as they played (or occasionally worked out alongside me), I did a WOD.

Warm-up
Complete 3 rounds of:
Samson Stretch
15 Overhead Squats
15 Sit-ups
15 Back Extensions (I subbed Lunges)
15 Assisted/Jumping Pull-ups (I did 10)
15 Bench Dips

WOD
Complete as many rounds as you can in 20 minutes of:
15 Double-unders
15 Burpees
15 Box Jumps
15 ft Rope Climb, 1 ascent (I subbed 10 assisted/juming pull-ups)

I was able to complete just 4 rounds... I possibly could have done 5 if I hadn't had to chase after a little one running out of my sight and trying to head home on his own! "Chocolate!" was all he could say. :)

I also registered for the Smith Rock 15K ... I'm really looking forward to it as I'm almost assured a PR. I've raced this distance just once before, about a month after the Portland Marathon and I took it very easy. The course is relatively flat and very scenic... should definately be fun. :)

~~ Happy Training ~~

I Worked Out With Weights

Yea! I think I am finally back in full swing. I've been wanting to add weights or CrossFit back into my training regime but just haven't been able to take the time to do it. The kiddos were signed up for childcare today at the pool so I could swim with Masters. The pool was closed however for a swim meet. I didn't want to let the opportunity to workout sans children to pass me by so I decided to run! It certainly wasn't difficult to talk me into running. :)

The CrossFit workout-of-the-day (WOD) was "Murph" and is described as:

Run 1 mile
100 pull-ups
200 push-ups
300 squats
Run 1 mile
You may break up the moves as necessary but run 1 mile before and after.

I knew there would be no way I could accomplish the pull-up portion. I can barely do 10 kipping or jumping pull-ups! I therefore elected to run 3 miles, come into the weight room and do a couple circuits on the machines, and run another 2 miles.

I did 2 sets of the following:

Leg Press 14 reps @ 260 lbs (legs together)
Leg Exten 14 reps @ 80 lbs
Calf Press 14 reps @ 200 lbs (straight leg/legs together)
Leg Curls 14 reps @ 80 lbs
Hip Adduc 14 reps @ 50 lbs
Hip Abbuc 14 reps @ 50 lbs
Lat/High Row 14 reps @ 70 lbs
Chest 14 reps @ 50 lbs

My average run paces were 8:30 for the first 3 and 8:42 for the final 2 miles. I wasn't trying to push myself ... the idea was to run easy.

This morning, I awoke just a tiny bit sore in the chest. Excellent! I may or may not take today off from running - we'll se how the day goes and how busy we are (the princess wants to go to a movie). I'll definately do a CrossFit workout though! Help me make sure I stick to it! :)

I *Heart* Tempo Runs

I've always enjoyed Tempo Runs. Particularly when I am not behind a jogging stroller. Running alone, I am able to really push myself to maintain pace. When I awoke this morning, I wasn't really looking forward to today's plan: 3 miles @ Goal Pace / 4x800 @ Cruise Interval / 3 miles @ Tempo including a 1 mile warmup and cool down. On paper, it seemed a little intimidating.

But today is Thursday and I have a sitter come in the morning to watch the kiddos so I can run freely. Once my warmup mile was underway, I had a feeling things would go well.

1 mile w/u @ 8:35 pace
3 miles @ 8:30 goal pace .... completed in 24:59, average pace = 8:19
4 x 800 @ 3:37 cruise pace .... 3:41, 3:57, 3:54 and 3:30
3 miles @ 8:08 tempo pace .... completed in 24:38, average pace = 8:12
1 mile c/d @ 9:02 pace (just right)
10 miles total

Between each set, I rested for approx. 2-3 minutes and rehydrated. I had brought along a bottle of water that I strategically hid along my course. I ran the 1 mile w/u around my neighborhood and picked up the bottle for a quick sip. I then returned it to its hiding place as I did the first 3 mile loop bringing me back to my water bottle. I then walked across the street about 1/4 mile to do the 800 intervals around the elementary school baseball/soccer field. Between each 800, I rehydrated. As I started the second 3 miles, I elected to alter the loop slightly to bring me back to the school where I could rehydrate once again about 1.5 miles into the set.

When I approached my water bottle, I saw a woman pushing a single jogging stroller as she ran with her dog along side her. I said, "Good morning," as I took a few sips from my bottle. She happened to proceed along the trail that extends through a park behind the school... the exact route I was planning to follow. I set my bottle down again and continued on. I ran past her again but upon my return I didn't see her. I briefly wondered which direction she may have gone but didn't give it too much thought otherwise.

That is, until I returned to my water bottle at the end of the 3 miles and discovered that it was no longer where I had left it. I looked around for a short time but didn't see it anywhere. I didn't see anyone else in the area either. I don't know whether to curse her for taking my water when I needed it most (it was gradually getting warmer) or to thank her for picking up my trash. I just found it quite strange that someone would pick up my water bottle - the residents in the area could plainly see that I was returning for it repeatedly. I wasn't just going to leave it there!

Oh well. I ran another mile to cool down and then resumed 'mommy' duties. I quickly showered after a short soak in a cold tub of water. Then it was off to Taekwondo and a number of errands around town.

Travel Games ~ Thursday Thirteen

We drive a Volvo XC-90. When we purchased it in 2002, we had the option of getting a DVD player installed that would enable passengers to enjoy their favorite movie while traveling. I was adament that we did not need such a luxury. Both DH and I had grown up without one and I didn't feel it was necessary. I still don't. Of course, this option came as a package deal and as a result, declining the DVD player also meant passing on the in-dash GPS. Bummer. I'm an excellent navigator, however. So in my mind, this is no big loss. But this is a story for a future post.

A year after our daughter was born, we moved to Central Oregon. As a result, we travel frequently to see friends and family. Regardless of where we are going (to Portland, the Willamette Valley or to the Southern Oregon coast), we drive anywhere from 3-5 hours. The kids have grown accustomed to long car rides. Generally, we are able to time our departure to coincide with 'nap time' (neither of our children are big nappers at home - but put them in a car in the late-afternoon or mid-morning, and they are out within the first 10 miles) which assures us of at least 2 hours of 'alone time'. :)

When they are awake, they generally entertain themselves with the few toys they may have selected to bring along. The princess always brings along her fairy dolls and her unicorn plush 'lovie'. The little guy brings Diego and a collection of small animal figurines, as well as his 'kitty lovie'. Other times, we enjoy playing games together as a family. Perhaps you've played a few of these yourself...

1. Alphabet Game ~ Using road signs, license plates, billboards and other sights along the road to come up with all the letters of the alphabet. The first family member to 'Z' wins. When I played this growing up, we added the rule that each individual could use each sign for only one letter. In other words, if you saw a STOP sign, you would not be allowed to use it for both 'S' and 'T'. I enjoy playing this one with my daughter now... however, due to her age (she's 4 1/2), she searches for letters randomly while we (DH and I) search for the letters in order.


2. Add A Word ~ The goal of this game is to tell a story one word at a time. Each family member takes a turn adding one word to build a story.


3. Botticelli ~ One player thinks of a famous person and says the first initial of that individual's last name (for Lance Armstrong, you would say 'A'). The other people try to guess the person by asking yes or no questions. Whoever guesses correctly wins or a player who stumps the others after 20 guesses wins.


4. Going On A Trip ~ One person begins with the phrase, "I'm going on to the beach and I'm taking a ..." then inserts an object that begins with the letter A (apple, for instance). The next person must say the 'A' object and list his or her own 'B' object. The list rotates through the vehicle with everyone trying to remember all of the items and listing off their own. Families can vary this by choosing to go to a different destination.


5. I Spy ~ This game is a classic. One player says "I spy with my little eye something that is..." and then names a color. The other players try to guess the item by asking yes or no questions. We've tried playing this one with our daughter but things tend to go by too quickly for her. For young children, it's best to choose objects inside the vehicle.


6. Name Game ~ One person says a famous person's name (Johnny Depp, for instance) and the next person has to name another celebrity with the first letter of that last name ('D' in this case).


7. Name That Tune ~ Just like the classic game show. One player hums a tune that everyone else knows and the other participants try to guess the song. The game ends when people tire of it. With today's modern technology, you could also use an iPod through the car speakers (you will need an adapter) and play just a short part of the song. This option would be ideal for younger players assuming you use children's song or movie themes. My daughter calls the Counting Crows' "Accidentally in Love" the Shrek song.


8. Number Game ~ This game is very similiar to the alphabet, except in this one, players look for numbers instead of letters. The first player to 21 wins.


9. Color Game ~ My daughter invented this one when she was just beginning to recognize colors. Each player takes turn pointing out something in a color of choice. "I see a green tree." "I see a the blue sky." This one gets quite mundane for older players. :)


10. Two Words ~ This a good storytelling game for younger children. Kids can pick out any two words and then parents have to tell a story that involves both of the words. Families can also switch up the storytelling by letting the adults select the words and the children make up the tale.


11. Movie Game ~ Our friend, Bef, made up this game while we were on a road trip one weekend in college. One player thinks of a movie and gives the other participants 5 successive clues, beginning with a rather vague clue and gradually more specific. The goal is to correctly identify the movie with the fewest clues.


12. State Game ~ Each player races to find the license plates for all 50 states (or the greatest number of states by the time you reach your destination.


13. Animal Vegetable Mineral ~ Another classic. One player begins by saying, "I'm thinking of a ...." and completes the sentence by stating which category (animal, vegetable, or mineral) the item they are thinking of falls. The other participants then take turns asking yes or no questions. Whoever guesses correctly wins or a player who stumps the others after 20 guesses wins.

Happy travels. :)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Compelled to Share

We had these photos taken in May... a photographer came to her Dojo and had a number of cool backgrounds to choose from. Predictably, she chose one with purple and pink. I hadn't intended to purchase a package... we just wanted her image to be included on the school poster. However, after I saw the proofs, I couldn't resist. The photographer caught some great poses and facial expressions. :)

~~~

My training plan today called for a 10 mile run with 8 minutes of total uphill time. Again, we didn't get a chance to run before we had to be at the museum for living history. So, my run had to wait for the evening. As soon as we got home, I quickly changed my clothes and loaded the kiddos into the jogger. We left the house about 5:30 and the temperature was holding steady at about 79 degrees. My intention was to do just 4-5 miles. As we got underway, I talked myself into going farther ... 6 miles, maybe all 10. I'd play it by ear, or perceived level of exhaustion (I didn't wear the heart rate monitor - it causes a little chafing so I'm not too fond of it).

At the 5 mile mark where I turned around however, we were facing the sun and the wind started to pick up (of course, we're running into it so it's not helping). Shortly thereafter, we had to climb a significant hill. At the crest, I decided I better call it a day and head home. By the time I arrived at our door, I had covered 7 miles in 1:14:28 for an average pace of 10:38 and somewhere around 6 minutes TUT. Certainly not my best. However, I was very pleased that I got in 7 miles. Getting this run in on Tuesday and resting Wednesday is a good thing. Doing 2 hard runs back to back (i.e. Wed/Thr) is tough!

Title Defended

Game Playing & Weddings

We departed Saturday morning for Portland. Our dear friends Bar and Kong were celebrating their December 5th civil ceremony with a more formal wedding reception for friends and family. The decorations were simple and elegant; the happy couple was all smiles (Bar looking very handsome and Kong's beauty glowed); the setting, the Jenkins Estate in Tualatin, was beautiful (reminding those of us from North Bend of Shore Acres and the Simpson Estate).


Just as the outdoor ceremony was beginning, my little buddy discovers the joy of throwing handfuls of tiny gravel into the pond. When I asked him to drop the new fistful he had picked up, he refused. I gave him to the count of 3 before I assisted him. When I did so, he started screaming. I thereby picked him up and started to walk back towards the car, all the while he was kicking and pinching me on the arm, neck and face. I couldn't very well put him down as his screams were certain to disrupt the guests. Bear in mind that DH and I had already reprimanded him several times for other behaviors (kicking gravel onto other guests and running off into the road)... screaming during the ceremony was the last straw.


As I continued to walk down the hill, I hear the screams of my daughter erupt. I stop and turn, glaring back in the direction of the tea house (funny how a parent learns to identify the screams, cries, and laughter of their own). A moment later, my husband appears at the crest of the trail with my daughter walking beside him. Apparantly, she had continued to pick the flowers after he and I had both asked her to stop. She refused to stand quietly beside him and persisted on behaving like a toddler, rather than the young girl that she is. He thereby decided to remove her from the ceremony as well.


I couldn't believe it! Both decided to throw temper tantrums at the same time! I was so embarrassed. This angered me. I didn't want to be embarrassed. I am typically so proud of them.... of their behavior in public. Some of the other guests have children (boys) of the same age as our little guy. Their boys were angels in comparision. One of the guests (whom shall remain unidentified) always seems to look down his/her nose at us... as though anything we do or say is such a bore. Because we seldom see these extended friends, I suppose I wanted my kiddos to make a good impression. When I told my mom of the situation, she said that my 2 were so comfortable with Bar & Kong and many of the other guests (Bar's parents, Bef, Wrench, Spidey, B!, etc.) that they weren't afraid to express themselves. This wasn't their typical behavior, however.


About a half-hour later, when we had all had the opportunity to calm down, we returned to the party. Both kiddos apologized to Bar and Kong as I had requested and things started to resume some sense of normalacy. The princess started to color quietly with Kristine (a big 'Thank You' to Kristine for helping to alleviate my anxiety!) and therefore DH and I were able to tag-team the little guy. Turns out, he was very hungry and very tired.


Our circle of friends not only sports unusual nicknames - but we also love playing games. In fact, Labor Day Weekend 2007 brings the 4th annual BarCon (Bar Convention) whereby we all converge upon Bar's home for 3 nights and 4 days of non-stop game playing: boardgames, PC games, frisbee golf, a mini-fun run (just 2 participants, Kong and I), and the highlight, the Saturday night Poker tournament. There are even prizes, an auction, and gift bags for those that pre-registar. The weekend is so chaotic and eventful, my daughter believes it to be a national holiday, just as much as Easter, Christmas, or the 4th of July.


So, as part of the entertainment for the day, Bef hosted his infamous Beferdy competition and adhering to tradition, B! won for the 4th consecutive time, despite the Brutal Romanian Category. The closing performance was our little princess doing a solo rendition of her recital dance to Josh Groban's So She Dances.

In the spirit of game playing, TeacherWoman has tagged me... so here goes.
1. Find the nearest book.
2. Name the book & the author.
3. Turn to page 123.
4. Go to the fifth sentence on the page. Copy out the next three sentences and post to your blog.
5. Tag 3 more people.

Love and Logic Magic When Kids Leave You Speechless by Jim Fay & Charles Fay, Ph.D.

Parent: No way! Those cost almost fifty dollars.
Child: That is like soooo stupid.
Parent: That's it. For crying out loud, we are leaving. You're just going to have to go without new pants if you are going to be that way.


The preceding is an excerpt from a conversation between a father and a his teenage daughter overheard by the author. It was used to illustrate the following point, Wise parents never waste words trying to talk their kids into caring.


Obviously, I need to refresh my understanding of Love & Logic before the kiddos team up on me once again. :)
---
ORN (as per, Wes): My long run didn't happen. 0 miles.

Camouflage ~ Illustration Friday

Hemigrapsus nudus or "Purple Shore Crab"

These small decapods are found in the middle-high intertidal region along the rocky shores of the Pacific. They prefer small rocks or gravel substrate and wedge themselves between larger boulders for protection when the tide has receded. In addition, they have a distinctively dark purple and reddish carapace that helps them to conceal themselves in the dark shadows, a perfect camouflage against its predators (most frequently seabirds). They make a distinctive clicking noise that is audible as you stroll along the intertidal.


Purple shore crabs and their shore crab cousins (Hemigrapsus oregonensus and Pachygrapsus crassipes) are very common residents of the intertidal and are commonly mistaken for one another as they share the same habitat. As the Hermigrapus nudus grows to around 5 cm, it spends the majority of its time feeding on algae and dead animals. Primarily an herbivore, they feed mainly on diatoms and green algae. However, as any scavenger, these crabs are essential in maintaining a stable habitat, by feeding upon other dead intertidal residents.

To see more participants in today's challenge, visit Illustration Friday.

Speed Intervals (Yasso 800s)

Today's workout definately earned a reward sticker! After a 15 minute warmup, the plan was to run 4 x 800m at 3:27 and 4 x 400m at 1:42. I elected to run around the neighborhood for a short while and then to the elementary school across from our subdivision. The school has a large grass field that is used for soccer and baseball games throughout the year. As the kids are enjoying summer vacation, I knew that I would have the field to myself. Additionally, the Garmin allows me to know the distance I've traversed so I could create my own 'track' around the field.

When I arrived at my pre-planned starting point (a shaded area in the corner of the field), I had completed just one mile in about 9 minutes. I decided that was 'good enough' for a warmup and preceded with the plan for the day. I started the first 800m not knowing exactly how many times I would have to circle the field but I had an idea it would be 2-3. When the Garmin showed 1.50 as the distance traveled, I hit the stop/lap buttons to record my pace. I ran the first 800m in 3:19. SWEET! Here's how the remaining intervals were completed:

2nd 800 - 3:22
3rd 800 - 3:21
4th 800 - 3:30
1st 400 - 1:36
2nd 400 - 1:39
3rd 400 - 1:41
4th 400 - 1:36

I then threw in two additional 800s for good measure.... and followed it up with a 1 mile cool-down.

5th 800 - 3:42
6th 800 - 3:36

In a Runners World article by Amby Burfoot, Yasso 800s can predict your marathon finish time. Bart Yasso was quoted, "If I can get my 800s down to 2 minutes 50 seconds, I'm in 2:50 marathon shape. If I can get down to 2:40 (minutes), I can run a 2:40 marathon."

I'm very excited by this. After the intervals this morning, my average 800 time was 3:28. I strongly doubt I'd actually be able to finish 26.2 miles at this pace. But it does give me hope that I can at least qualify for Boston at 3:45. It's good to dream, right?

Favorite Places I've Been ~ Thursday Thirteen

Feeling inspired by Scribbit, I thought I would share with you a list of the favorite 13 places I've been. Some of which I've traveled to alone... but the most memorable and dear are those that I've shared with my loved ones.

1. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming ~ Growing up, my family spent a lot of time camping in the summer months. We generally didn't venture far from home - we've been to most of the campgrounds in Central Oregon. In 1984, however, we took a road trip to Yellowstone. I was 12 at the time and was frustrated and easily annoyed by my parents (what teen or preteen isn't?). I certainly didn't want to be camping in Yellowstone... I would have preferred a hotel near Disneyland with a pool! In retrospect, however, I am very appreciative that I have had the opportunity to see one of our nation's greatest natural wonders. I look forward now to seeing how the ecosystem has rebounded after the forest fires that devastated the area years ago.

2. San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico ~ June 1992 - My first trip without my parents. My first experience on an airplane. My first trip abroad to a country whose language is not English (or American). I lived with several host families as part of a work/study abroad program coordinated through the Rotary and Lane Community College. In exchange, I taught English (or attempted to) to girls at an orphanage and worked with the city to coach soccer and basketball for a youth sports program in the summer.

3. Cancun, Mexico ~ Our 'unofficial' honeymoon. We were married in June of 1995 and due to obligations associated with work/school, we opted to postpone our honeymoon a few months. We thereby traveled to Cancun in December of 1995. I loved being in Mexico again and sharing the culture with my husband. He, on the other hand, was uncomfortable because he doesn't speak Spanish and wasn't in control of the situation. Despite our different comfort levels, we both enjoyed exploring the ruins of Chitzen Itza and snorkeling in the Caribbean. We even made an attempt to windsurf, but quickly gave it up. We would need 'professional' help to have any success in that arena. :)

4. Washington, D.C. and Virginia ~ Early in his pharmacy career, DH discovered that he wanted more of a challenge. He started to consider medical school and applied to a few. This is what brought us to D.C. in February of 1998. After his interview, we spent a few days touring some of the historic sites including Williamsburg, Jamestown, the Capitol building, and the Smithsonian.

5. Colorado ~ In early 1999, DH's best friend, Bef, was transferred to Fort Collins. We thereby arrainged for a layover in Fort Collins on our return from DisneyWorld in August of 1999. We drove up to Rocky Mountain National Park for a casual hike (getting caught in a rain storm that passed through) and then dined on Buffalo burgers in Estes Park. We returned to Colorado again in July of 2000 and 2001 as DH was working on his MBA in Healthcare Administration at the University of Colorado at Denver. We were fortunate that Bef was able to join us in Denver for a few days of chaos. When DH finished the program, his parents came out for the graduation and we drove down to Garden of the Gods and the Air Force Base near Colorado Springs.

6. Oahu & Kauai, Hawaii ~ January 1999 - Our first trip to the islands and as you'll soon discover, certainly not the last. We spent a few days in Oahu, touring the island and seeing the Arizona memorial. Then it was off to Kauai for a more relaxing vacation on the southern shore in Poipu.

7. St.Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands ~ June 2000 - Another great tropical vacation... although we learned that we much prefer Hawaii. St. Thomas was so dirty. Rubbish and trash all over the sides of the road. Trash bins and garbage overflowed their recepticals. It took away from the ambiance but we enjoyed the resort ammenities nonetheless. Also memorable because we were able to see a culture with which we were less familiar.

8. Cosanga, Ecuador ~ June 2001 - Located high in the mountains east of Quito, Cosanga is a tiny little community (only one telephone!). As part of an Earthwatch expedition hunting for caterpillars, I spent many hours walking along the roads and trails of the cloud forest looking for frass and other signs of Lepidoptera. What a surreal experience!

9. Maui, Hawaii ~ August 2001 - Our 2nd venture to Hawaii, this time with friends... Bef and Jenni (not a couple, but long-standing friends of ours from high school). This trip will stand in my memory as a time of rebuilding and new beginnings.

10. New Orleans, Louisiana ~ In October of 2001, the ASHP mid-year convention was held in New Orleans and I was fortunate to be able to join DH for the trip. While he attended seminars, I visited several of the area attractions including a Plantation Tour, Mardi Gras World, and a Swamp Tour. I knew DH wouldn't want to miss the swamp tour - so on our last day, we did that together as well. We also enjoyed a four-course meal at Brennan's! It was on this trip that I believe our daughter was conceived. :)

11. Big Island, Hawaii ~ February 2003 - One of our most memorable trips to Hawaii. Bef and Bar joined us for a little tropical getaway. Our princess was just 5 months old. We saw the lava flow, pteroglyphs, and sea turtles everywhere! We even hiked out to green sands beach!

12. North Eastern States ~ A 14 day worldwind tour of NY, PA, NJ, CT, MA, NH, and ME with DH's parents and our 1 year old daughter in October of 2003 (just one week before we moved to Central Oregon). This was an incredible trip! We saw as much as we could in the short time we were there. Unfortuately - there were things we missed and of course, other things we wish we hadn't bothered. I loved the history of the area and look forward to returning when my children begin to learn of our nation's history. As a former 5th grade teacher - I love learning about the Revolution.

13. Kauai, Hawaii ~ Have you discovered a pattern? We love Hawaii! This time (May 2006), we returned to our favorite island with Bef and both our children (ages: 15 months and nearly 4 years). It was a great vacation and we all built many memories to cherish forever (snorkeling, kayaking around the NaPali coast, helicopter tour, the waterfalls, sand castles, surf football, running around the golf course, the morning breakfast buffet, chit chat on the lanai, swimming in the pool, the princess trying octopus for the first time, finding Foamie.... ). Good times.

Other noteworthy travels include multiple trips to British Columbia (Whistler, Victoria and Vancouver); Pasadena, California (NASA Teacher Workshop at JPL); St.Louis, Missouri and San Diego, California (NSTA Conventions); Las Vegas, Nevada (twice); Reno (as a child - I vividly remember touring the Bonanza TV set); San Francisco, California; Disneyland (Anaheim, California); DisneyWorld (Florida); and extensive travel throughout the Pacific Northwest (particularly Oregon).


Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Not Beating Myself Up

The past couple of weeks, I have realized that I have been disappointed with many of my training runs. In the past, I would put little stickers (a sign that I'm a true blue elementary teacher) in my training log to highlight particularly good runs - runs where I ran a little farther than I had planned to, ran a little faster, or really pushed myself on the intervals. I haven't rewarded myself with a little sticker for nearly 5 weeks!

It has been evident in my blog posts - my disappointment in my pace has come through. I'm typically not so negative. All of this came to my attention last week when I re-read my posts and the comments in their entirety (generally, I read the comments one at a time as I receive them in my email inbox).

"Enough already!" I said to myself. "Stop beating yourself up and remember to enjoy training. Don't push so hard!"

So that is exactly what I am doing, or trying to do this week... Week #5 of my new 16 week training plan. The Circle the Bay 30K falls on the 11th week. I don't yet have a marathon for the 16th week... probably won't. I'll likely take Wes' advice and make Circle the Bay my 'A' race for the year. However, I am also using it as a carrot on a stick. If I hit my pace goal on the 30K, I'll register for a full marathon a few months later. Of course, I need yet to convince DH that the associated travel expenses are worthwhile. Hopefully, the races I am considering won't close registration by then. It is all a gamble.

~~~

The kids had their dance recital on Saturday. They looked so cute dressed in their costumes... the Princess was aptly dressed as a princess and my little guy was dressed as a raindrop.

The recital theme was Disney Dancing and thereby all the costumes and choreography reflected the theme. The four-year old girls danced to Josh Groban's "So She Dances" and I guarantee you there wasn't a dry eye in the auditorium.

The parent-tots were raindrops and performed to "Little April Showers" from Bambi. The accompanying parent (that was me!) wore yellow rain jackets and carried umbrellas. They were adorable! We even spiked the little guy's hair with blue hair paint and sprinkled glitter all over them both.


The rest of the weekend, DH and his father painted the shingles on the house. Yes! Even on Father's Day - they were both outside on the scaffolding that my FIL constructed himself, specifically for this job! A neighbor shared a story of a man he knew who continued to paint his house on his own when he was 70 years old. My FIL replied, "I'm 68. That's not unusual. You've got to stay active."

Previously, the shingles had been stained to reveal the natural color of the wood. However, in the harsh weather conditions of the high desert here in Oregon, they weren't looking very good... despite the fact that DH had re-stained them just last year.

I love the new cedar color of the shingles. I am thankful that I have a husband that is so intent on maintaining our home. I never have to ask him to mow the lawn or repair something. He is always 'on top of it all'. In fact, to be quite honest... I have to admit it that it can be a little frustrating to me because the same level of anticipation and care is expected of the kids and I. But then again, I wouldn't have it any other way. I appreciate all that he does and I know that I am blessed to have such a wonderful man as my husband and the father of my children.

~~~

In regards to training, I ended the week with a record high 36.6 miles (of course, I counted the 2200m swim on Monday as a 5.5 mile run). That, in itself, is worthy of a sticker in my training log! :)

As usual, I did my long run on Sunday and again, pushed the jogging stroller. As Grandma was home, the princess elected to stay with her so it was just my little buddy and I. I elected to go along the river trail - knowing full well that it would be rather tricky to maneuver the double stroller around the rocks on the portions of the trail that are 'single track'. The goal for the day was 13 miles with a fast finish and with my new attitude... I wasn't going to get too focused on pace. There are several steep hills along the route and pushing the stroller forces me to walk them... my pace slows to about 24 min per mile. Ewwww! But I reach the top in just a few minutes so no big loss.

When I was in the vicinity of home once again, I elected to return the jogger and my buddy to run the last mile (3x around the loop in front of our house) alone. Therefore, on my last 1.39 miles I averaged a 7:42 pace. SWEET! A fast finish for sure. Overall, I did 11 miles at an average 10:30 pace.

I swam 1800m on Monday with Masters. Due to our busy schedule (we were in 1880) and the heat (it was in the high 80s when we returned home), I chose to take a rest day on Tuesday. I've decided to thereby forgo swimming today to do the run slated for yesterday 2x3 miles at Tempo (8:00). With our plans for the weekend, this forces me to do another hard run tomorrow (4x800 and 4x400). Not ideal.

On a bright note, I now have a sitter lined up for Thursdays and alternate Tuesday mornings. So, I'm thinking I'll try to go to the gym on the other Tuesday to fit my run in before the kids and I head to the museum. We'll see how things work out. :)

Run long and strong! :)

Homestead Day 5

A few random anecdotes from the homestead:

• Three young teens were galivanting around the homestead, checking out the features in the cabin (the bed, the stairs to the loft, the stove), the water pump, the garden, and the dug-out root cellar. As they were walking down into the root cellar, one asks another, "Is this the out-house?" My daughter who is nearby responds to him by saying, "You must be city boys. That is the root cellar, not the 'necessary'." I love it!
• A small group of retired folk were visiting with us and asking questions about life on the homestead. One gentleman asked me what my typical 'work day' looks like... "How many hours do you typically work in a day?" My response was, "Oh my! My work is never done. As soon as the sun rises, I am up and working to get breakfast prepared for the family. I then have to go out and care for the animals. I must pump water throughout the day for watering the garden, for meal preparation and for cleaning. There is laundry to wash. Clothes to iron. I constantly have to sweep and dust... the high desert is notoriously dirty. I can't keep up. During the hotter hours of the day, I try to sit on the porch and do a little sewing or mending." The same gentleman then asks, "Well, what do the men do?" "That is a great question, sir. I don't really know. They tell me they are hunting or working the land but we hardly see them. I tend to think they are keeping busy with their cards and ale. They always come home for supper, though." The visitors loved this! The women in the group insisted that things hadn't changed much. We all laughed.
• My little guy has become so comfortable, he is always taking off his shoes to splash in the puddles created by the water pump. When his hands are dirty, he isn't shy about coming up to visitors to wipe his hands on their trousers! Other times, he can be found atop the root cellar throwing pine cones down upon passersby. He is 'all boy'.
• The princess, on the other hand, is always eager to help. She demonstrate to guests how to pump water or beat the rugs. Whenever she can, she'll sit with Mrs. Lines to do needlework or learn how to knit. She absolutely loves learning new crafts. It is so fun to listen to her interact with guests. She is beginning to pick up on phrases that we adults use and is getting better at concealing her modern day experiences. Adults are always trying to trick her by asking if she likes bubblegum or has been to Disneyland.
• Two young little visitors (about 3 and 4 years of age) happened upon a large ground beetle. Their mothers about died, "Eeewwwww! Nasty! Put that down! Drop it! Gross!" My two young naturalists are drawn to the commotion and immediately pick up the beetle themselves. "Mom look!" I share in their enthusiasm and allow them to examine the specimen closely before I encourage them to return him to a safe, cool place so he can go about his day. It is unfortunate that some adults extend their own phobias onto their children. Kids have an innate desire to learn and explore their surroundings. I think we should take advantage of this.

Photos courtesy of Carolyn Waissman, museum volunteer.

Taters to Parched Corn...Homegrown Food Sure Was Good

Written by my grandmother (and posted on her behalf)

Helping to grow, harvest and preserve enough food to get the family through the long, harsh winters of central Washington was one of the main jobs we kids had each summer. Including Mom and Dad, there were nine mouths to feed.

We grew 3 acres of potatoes and an acre each of beans and corn. In addition, our “kitchen garden” was an acre, and we also had a number of fruit trees. All this meant we children did a lot of weeding, hoeing and cultivating.

What potatoes we didn’t store in our root cellar for our own use we sold to buy flour, sugar, cereal, cornmeal and salt. By the time the first snows came, the cellar was filled with potatoes in bins, carrots and squash stored in dry soil, apples in boxes, and dry onions, corn and beans in the sacks we’d saved from the staples we’d bought. (The extra sacks were used to make clothes, table cloths and handkerchiefs.)

We kids helped Mom can about 800 quarts of fruit, green beans and sauerkraut. For sweets, she made apple butter, apricot jam and dried fruit. There were also beet pickles and two kinds of cucumber pickles—sweet and dill.

Harvesting and drying the corn was the task I liked least. Yet, eating corn in winter was one of my favorite treats. When the ears of corn had filled out with bright yellow kernels, we twisted them off the stalks and put them in gunnysacks. Once the sacks were full, we carried them to the house and removed the husks. The kitchen resembled a steam bath. Mom had a big copper wash-boiler filled with water heating on the wood stove. The corn, still on the cob, was placed in the boiler, then pulled out and immediately dunked in cold water. Next, we cut the kernels off with sharp knives and carried them in pans up a ladder to the shed roof. There we spread the kernels in thin layers on sheets.

While we were doing this, we were constantly battling yellow jackets or wasps. Whenever we were stung, we got down off the roof and plastered mud on the painful little swellings.

Once a sheet was covered with kernels, we spread another over the top and put rocks along the sides to hold it down. We left the kernels there until the sun had dried them as hard as little pebbles. This kept them from spoiling. We then filled the staple sacks with kernels and hung them in the cellar. Later, during the winter, Mom would soak the kernels in water, then boil them for dinner.

Maybe it was just because Mom was such a great cook. . . or maybe it was because we had to work so hard to grow and preserve our own food. But I’ve never tasted anything quite as wonderful as what came out of that root cellar and those 800 quart jars each winter when I was a child!

Submitted to June Write-Away Contest on 16th June 2007.

Tough Love ... Love & Logic in Action

Well today was truly a test of my parenting skills. When we returned home from a few errands, I decided to walk down the street about a block to talk with a neighbor briefly. My little buddy toddled along side while the princess elected to ride the tricycle.... without shoes! I suggested she put shoes on but she declined.

We rang the door bell to find no one home and so we proceeded home. Again, my little buddy toddled along. This time, however, the princess decided she didn't want to ride the tricycle any longer. She didn't want to push it either, claiming the pavement was too hot.

A teachable moment!

I informed her that it had been her choice to ride the tricycle and her choice to do so without shoes. It was therefore her responsibility to return the tricycle to its proper location in the garage. It was her choices that got her into this situation and therefore up to her to get herself out. I'd stand by for moral support and verbal suggestions, but I wasn't about to bail her out.

She started to whine and whimper. When I walked away, her cries and protests got louder. Dolores, an elderly neighbor came out of her house to see what the trouble was, spoke with the princess briefly and seeing that I was about 20 meters away, chose to return to her sanctuary.

All the while my little buddy was running up and down the driveways, across the neighborhood lawns and generally being a typical, active little boy. Envision in your mind, Billy, the little guy in Bill Keane's Family Circus cartoons.

About 10 minutes into the ordeal, the princess began to claim she had to go potty. Typical for her... she always has to go when she gets angry. My response, "Well, you better hurry then. Or, if you'd prefer, you can get down off the bike and run home to potty. But, you will still need to go back for the bike when you are done." She, of course, didn't like this one bit. She proceeded to protest and scream variations of, "I can't! I'm too tired. It's too hot. I can't move. My legs are frozen. It hurts. I have a sliver. It's too hard."

Eventually, as I was helping my buddy to clean up a minor mess he made on the garage floor, the princess comes running in as she is holding herself. Apparantly, nature's call couldn't wait any longer. She went in the house briefly and when she returned, she was a little surprised that I meant what I had said earlier in that she would still have to go back for the bike. "If you don't want someone else to take it, Sweetie, you better go get it."

At this point, my buddy spills his little Starbucks drink on the garage floor. Great! Another mess to attend to... as I proceed to take care of yet another mishap, I hear a woman talking with the princess. I go out to see who has come to her aide and I see my girlfriend from 3 houses down pushing the princess on the bike. To the princess, she must have looked like an angel sent from heaven. But, I, being the devil incarnate, stepped in and asked that she not assist the princess. I wanted her to learn that she must take care of herself. That she was highly capable of getting home on her own and that her perdicament was a result of her own choices. At this point, the princess had only to cross the street and get up our driveway (no worries, there is very little traffic).

On a side note, my girlfriend has 3 children (a girl of 5 years, a boy of 3 years, and a newborn girl of about 3 months). One afternoon shortly after the baby was born, we were chatting and she commented that she didn't know what she was going to do when her parents (who'd come up to help when the baby was born) left. Naively, I replied that her eldest would certainly be a big help. "Are you kidding?" was her response. "She can't even dress herself!" Oh my. Donald is definately right when he says in his recent post Instant Karma, Slow Nirvana, "Every one of us – whether we realize it or not – is in training for something. All of the small actions and decisions we made in the past, and continue today, impact the people we will become tomorrow." However, I think it is much bigger than that. I believe that the small actions and decisions we make not only impact us as individuals, but also impact our children and the adults they will become.

In addition to her cries of helplessness and protest, the princess kept asking me to help her. "I want you to help me! I can't do it myself!" All the while I kept reminding her that she simply needed to change her attitude. Attitude happens to be the new theme at her dojo (karate school). As I saw it, this was the perfect opportunity to teach her the value of a postitive attitude. I thereby encouraged her to change her mindset. "Instead of screaming, 'I can't!' Try screaming, 'I can do it. I know I can.' It is all a matter of changing your attitude."

After about 30 minutes... she finally reached the garage. I picked her up and gave her a huge hug. "You did it, Sweetie! You did it yourself. I knew you could. Great job! Your brother is out in the backyard playing. Would you like to join him?" She asked for a sippy cup of lemonade. "Sure thing! Do you want to help me make it?"

How Is It Done?

In the past I have loved Tempo Runs. My course was planned out on a road and I knew where each mile split was located along the course. I could glance at my Timex sports watch and know whether I was running too fast or too slow (roughly anyway).

Today, I run with a Garmin. I no longer have to map out my course or know where the specific mile markers are located along my route. I can glance at my watch and see more data than I could ever hope to use.

What I like best about the Garmin is it allows me to take a different route - explore new paths. I can now glance at my watch and know not only whether or not I need to speed up or slow down, but also how far I've traversed. Cool stuff.

So, how do you do a Tempo Run? How do you try to maintain a consistent pace throughout? Do you constantly looking at your watch as I do? Or, do you just go with what 'feels right'? Perhaps you don't even bother? :)

Today's plan was 2 miles at GP (8:35), 4 miles at Tempo (8:05), and 2 miles at GP (8.35). Of course, I'm pushing the jogger again so I don't have a clue how to adjust these numbers accordingly... I just aim for this pace.

The first two miles were right on the mark ~ 8:36 and 8:40. Considering the fact that I'm still pushing the stroller, the third was great ~ 8:25.

After that, I started to feel the heat of the day (even though it was only 70 degrees). So, I stopped to walk about 1/10th of a mile at the start of each mile as I re-hydrated and let my heartrate come down a little. My splits for these next 3 miles were 9:29, 9:32, and 10:44. There are a few segments here where I have to push the jogger up a tiny incline - not much of a hill really, but I'm not able to swing my arms as much and it requires more effort on my part to keep the jogger moving.

Feeling fatigued, I elected to do just one more and call it a day. The last mile was 9:46. All total I did 7 miles in 1:05 (an average pace of 9:19). I still very much enjoy Tempo Runs - they are becoming more of a challenge, however. Perhaps because the new training plan has me going faster for longer periods of time? I like it though. I'll continue to push myself.

When we got back home, I jumped into a cold bath for a short time. It is always hard getting in at first but my legs feel so much more relaxed when I get out. I've actually come to enjoy them. My question, though, is how long do I stay? Long enough for goosebumps to appear? Until my lips begin to turn blue?

Daily Double

Okay. So I took your advice and I chose to split my run into 2 segments. The kiddos didn't wake until about 8 am yesterday and even then, they didn't feel inclined to go. So, I decided my run would have to wait until evening.

When we returned home from the museum, I waited around a bit for the heat to subside and for DH to return home from work. When I realized he would be late... I quickly got the kids into the jogger and headed out for a four mile run [err, Pearl Izumi would say I was only jogging because I was pushing the stroller - I beg to differ] with the hope that I could do another 4 after dinner, with or without said stroller.

I returned home long enough to start dinner (I grilled a steak and baked potatoes), knowing full well that DH wanted only PB&J (I wanted steak! The kids ate homemade banana bread during my 4 mile run and weren't hungry anymore). We then went out for our usual family walk around the neighborhood.

When we returned, I threw the kiddos into the bathtub and washed away the dirt of the 1880s (they both chose to go without shoes today and were covered in high desert dirt). DH went out to mow the lawn. When we finished our respective tasks, I immediately went out the door for my second 4 miles hoping DH could manage to get the kiddos into bed.

I elected to bring along my iPod for the 2nd half [again, Pearl Izumi would say I was jogging because I chose to not 'listen to my body & the surroundings' ~ I just wanted to do something out of the ordinary for me]. I chose a route around the neighborhood as it was starting to get dark. I discovered a little butte about 1/2 mile from my front door that is short, but steep.... I ran up it twice. I think, with my route earlier this evening, I definately got my 6 minutes TUT.

I felt I was running so much faster unihibited by the jogger. Each time I would glance at my Garmin, my pace was in the 7 minute range. Cool. During my previous run today with the stroller, I saw the 8-9 minute range more frequently. I thought for sure that I would have a great average in the end.

Alas... it wasn't meant to be.

1st Half w/ Stroller:
4.07 miles / 36:21 / avg 8:56 pace / 409 calories

2nd Half w/o Stroller:
4.03 miles / 35:27 / avg 8:48 pace / 402 calories

Huh!? Had I gone by preceived level of exhaustion alone, I would have guessed I was zooming. Does the Garmin lie or was I that fatigued? Perhaps the iPod really did distract me and give me a false impression. At least it was a negative split.... just not quite as big as I had hoped.

So, Do I Wake Them ...

The kids and I volunteer at the museum on Tuesdays... officially, it is hoped that we are in front of the public from 11 am to 4 pm. We need to arrive a little early (10:30ish) for a 'casting call' and then we walk out to the cabin. Thankfully, we are given an option to depart early if the need arises. However, the kids are always great when we are out there and don't even want to leave when it is time. We've only left early on one or two occasions in the fall when it has been too cold. On these days, I am usually busy in the morning ironing our costumes, gathering materials for our 1880s activity, or preparing our lunch. Last week, my plan was to go for our run in the evening. Needless to say, that didn't happen (typical for evening runs). So, learning from my error last week, I did all my prep work last night in anticipation of doing my run this morning before we depart for the museum.

According to my training plan, I am to do 8-10 miles today with 6 min TUT [GB ~ is the warmup/cooldown a part of this 8-10 miles or is it separate ??]. To accomplish this and still have time to shower, dress, and load the kiddos in the car I need to start my run by 7:40 am. As luck would have it, they are still sleeping!! It is now 7:32. I could give them an "on-the-go" breakfast they could eat in the jogger but I can't bring myself to actually wake them.
They aren't the sweetest when awoken from their slumber. I know they will be wiped out at the end of the day - being out in the sun and working/playing in 1880 wears them out. I don't have the heart to wake them up.

Perhaps they will awaken on their own with time enough for me to do a short 4-5 miles ... I could do another 4-5 miles in the evening. Is breaking the run into two segments equivalent?? I guess I'll wait... but if this happens again next week, should I wake them?

Karate Kid

A few little glimpses into the life of a future black belt. :)

I Know You've Wondered...

Akshaye tagged me... I've been asked to post 6 weird facts about me... hmmmmm

• I actually like pickled herring and on occasion, lutefisk (can you tell I'm Norwegian?).
• I love insects... 6 legged critters amaze me... I wish I'd taken more entomology courses.
• I love going barefoot (just like Akshaye, I hate wearing shoes)... even in the snow of winter.
• I am always picking things up with my toes so I don't have to bend over (as this is actually an exercise to help alleviate Plantars Faciitis... I have to wonder why I'm afflicted ??).
• I love a simple sandwich of sharp cheddar, sliced onion, and mayo.
• Growing up, I had rats for pets (just one at a time). I'd like my kiddos to have one as well but haven't been able to convince DH... yet. ;)

In turn, I tag Joe, Kara and Lillie.

Graduation and a 12-miler

The family and I headed south Friday afternoon to see my niece graduate from Yreka High School on Saturday morning. It is a long, long drive (3.5-4 hours) but we were very happy that our little kiddos took it in stride and slept nearly the entire way (both ways). They are super troopers! :)

The graduation ceremony was nice. During the valedictorian speech, I whispered to my little princess that I'd like to see her address her class as valedictorian. Her response was, "Ewww. I don't want to do that." Let's hope she changes her mind by then. :)

Afterwards, we joined up with my niece's many, many friends/relatives for a little BBQ. Her family gave her a beautiful cedar home chest as a graduation gift. What a great gift! She hasn't really made any decisions in regards to her future (i.e. college). DH and I really want her to go to the community college ... I'm not certain she is motivated, however.

This morning, DH woke me at 6 a.m. so I could get my long run in before my duties as mommy and wife began. The plan called for 12 and I did just that. Relatively same course as last week's long run with the jogger ... only this time I finished 1:52:25 for an average pace of 9:19. I am very pleased.

So far, I enjoy the new training plan. The Tue/Thr runs are much longer than what I'm used to but I know this will help build my endurance so I welcome the challenge. I haven't yet incorporated CrossFit back into my regime. I really need to ... my core NEEDS help!

Photo Friday ~ Retro Runner

I recently re-connected with a friend from high school... one of the 'elite' on our high school x-country and track teams. It was great to hear from him and learn of what he has been doing since we graduated. He is teaching science (chemistry, biology, and physics) in Milwaukee and is also the head cross country and track coach (his boys' track teams won state in '01, '03, and '05). Very cool.

I thought it would be fun to post an old photo of me from my high school running days. Unfortunately, I don't have many (my parents didn't get the opportunity to come to my meets and I didn't have a camera myself until I believe my senior year). This one was published in the local newspaper (small town - I was the only girl on the team so I suppose that drew the photographers interest) after a hometown district meet.

Funny thing about that race - The race was well underway and I remember I could hear my boyfriend rev his Chevy Gran Torino's engine as he came into the park where the meet took place. You can see his class ring on my forefinger (I used to wear it on a chain around my neck but when I would run it was rather heavy and would bang against my chest/chin... ouch!). I started to run a little faster and shortly thereafter came across a small number of the other female runners who had apparantly got off course. I was then inspired to push myself even harder. I thought to myself, "This is it! This is my chance." Of course, the girls eventually passed me but in the end I was able to finish the 3000M course with a PR of 14:23, placing 35th out of 46. oooooh.

As I dug out this photo, I also found several ribbons I had earned from a variety of races (both track and x-country). One, fortunately, had my time for the mile recorded on the back, 7:22. It was from an all-comers meet and if I recall, I think I was the only one in my age group participating in that event. If you recall 3 months ago when I broke my wrist and had to run on the treadmill, I ran a mile to see what I could do now and clocked 7:19. I guess I am right where I used to be. :)

So, now a challenge to all of you fellow runners... post a picture of your early running days. :)

~~~~

My long run on Sunday was okay - I had to take the kiddos in the double-jogger so it was rather difficult on the return (there is a rather long hill that took 15 min to climb). I left the house at 8:30 am with the intention of doing 11 w/ a fast finish. At mile 5, I ended up in the midst of a 5K benefit race for breastcancer research. I forgot that they would be running along a portion of the course I had planned for the day. I got behind the walkers and had to literally stop, walk and wait for an open area to pass.

That opportunity came about 1/4 mile later when I was able to maneuver off the sidewalk and onto a large grassy area. The grass was wet and the wheels of the stroller thereby sank a little as I endeavored to get past as many 'racers' as possible. This little push took quite a bit from me and as I begin the uphill climb at mile 6, I was fatigued. I thereby elected to to end with 10 miles (with 17 min total uphill time). The Garmin told me later that my average pace was 10:45 and that I burned 974 calories.

I find this quite interesting in that I ran a 10 mile hilly course a week ago without the jogging stroller and thereby averaged a 9:31 pace burning 1001 calories. So, does running with the stroller actually hinder the benefit I get from running. Obviously I am forced to run slower (particularly uphill) with the stroller and thereby burn fewer calories as a result. But, what about the extra-effort required to PUSH the stroller? Doesn't that account for anything? Inquiring minds want to know. :)

Mon - Masters Swim Practice: 750m warm-up, 4x (15om, 4x50m) = 2150 m

Tue - obligations prevented me from running - I really need to wake the kiddos and go before we head back in time to the 1880s at the museum

Wed - thought about doing Tue's normal 'hard' run but didn't want to risk injury with running another 'hard' run on Thr .... and things happened that prevented me from running at all - a bad day

Thr - did Tue's 'hard' run rather than Thr's 'hard' run as I had the jogger once again. I did much the same course as I had done on Sun but a little shorter... just 8 miles... with 11:00 minutes total uphill time.

Fri - will be doing an easy 45-60 min with my girlfriend and the jogger at 8:45

Sat - forced rest day as we are departing this afternoon for my niece's HS graduation

Sun - long run of 12 miles planned

Signing off. :)

Help!

I can't seem to pick a fall marathon. I really don't want to wait too long after the Circle the Bay 30K to run a full marathon. Ideally, I'd like to run Circle the Bay and then begin my taper 1-3 weeks afterwards.

DH isn't fond of driving a long distance or flying anywhere so that I can run. However, he did say that if we could get a sitter to stay home with the kiddos, he would do it. My mom would surely be interested. So... with that hope, I just need to pick a race.

There are are several full marathons in the Pacific Northwest in Aug and Sept. Both of the two in Aug are the week following the Circle the Bay so I've thrown them out as being too soon. That leaves 6 in Sept.

Pocatello Marathon in Idaho on Sept 1st (out - BarCon Weekend)
Skagit Flats Marathon north of Bellvue, WA on Sept 9th
Montana Marathon in Billings on Sept 16th
Two Bear Marathon in Whitefish, Montana on Sept 16th (not likely a PR course)
Maui ~ spendy to travel to especially just 2 weeks before our family vacation to Disneyland (I'd rather save this one for a true Hawaiian vacation for the family, perhaps '08 or '09)
Timberline Trail at Mt.Hood ~ not a PR course (I'd rather save it for a fun one in the future)

So, Skagit or Montana ?? Others ??

If I don't qualify during the fall marathon, my plan would then be to look to a winter (Sacramento, Phoenix, or ?) or spring marathon (Eugene or ?). Training in the winter here can be treacherous, as we've learned. :) Therefore, I'm more apt to want to train for Eugene again and thereby build up my mileage when the weather starts improving rather than train for Sacramento or Phoenix and build up mileage as the weather starts getting worse.

What are your thoughts?

Look What I Made ~ CHBM Carnival #35

I have admired these baskets in area gift shops for several years now and finally had the opportunity to take a class. As this was my first attempt, there a number of errors but I don't care. I love it! I think it turned out rather well... and I was the first one to finish. We had plans to go to a wedding this evening near Roseburg (the one for which I made the guest book) so my intentions were to leave early (finished or not). However, my little guy has come down with a bug of some sort so we therefore elected to stay home. I was therefore able to finish my first basket during class.
The coolest thing about these particular baskets is that I can work on them while in 1880 (i.e. in character at the museum). From what I understand, these baskets have been made in much the same way for thousands of years. Native Americans used a bone or shell needle to sew bundles of pine needles together with animal sinew, fern roots, or swamp grass. Some of the baskets were used for feed baskets, to carry water, and for winnowing seeds.
I am anxious to get started on others now... you know what I'll be giving for Christmas gifts. :) I'd love to create a big one (~12" in diameter). This one is just 4" across the bottom and 3" across the top.

Starting a New Training Plan

I haven't really been following a training plan since the Eugene Half 5 weeks ago. Much of my reluctance has been due to the fact that I don't know which marathon to train for next. I have signed up for the Circle the Bay 30K on Aug 4th but after that... nothing is set in 'stone' so to speak.

Last week I decided it was time to get re-focused and so I've been easing into the Runners World Advanced Marathon Plan. It is an 18 week plan with 3-20 mile long runs and 1-22 mile long run. The Circle the Bay run falls on week 11 during one of the 20 mile long runs. The plan says to do those 20 with a fast finish (or tempo pace for the last 15 minutes).

Yesterday, my goal was to do the following:
2 miles at Goal Pace (8:30)
2 miles at Tempo (~8:03)
2 miles at Goal Pace (8:30)

I dropped the kiddos off at my girlfriend's home (we swap Mon/Thr - such a nice treat to run w/o the stroller) and headed out for my normal Thursday route along the river trail. The first two miles felt great. I am not certain how one tries to maintain a particular pace... I kept glancing at my Garmin to check my pace and I was generally within 10 seconds of my goal. Occasionally I was faster, other times slower. My average heartrate was 157 (max 174). Turns out, my average pace was 8:38. Sweet. :)

The second two miles progressed along a narrow part of the trail which required me to pay heed to my steps to avoid tripping over rocks or other obstacles. To top it off, there were several groups of school kids on a field trip and I had to stop a few times as they blocked the path. The temperature was approaching 80 at this point and I was starting to feel fatigued. My average heartrate for this set was 174 (max 180). My average pace here was 8:54. Bummer.

It was quite evident as I began the last 2 miles that the preceding miles had left me with little umph. Mile 5 started on a steep hill ... I chose to walk. There is another steep hill just after the start of mile 6 ... I walked it, too. My average pace was thereby 10:10. My heartrate was still quite high though at 169 (max 178).

In the end, I completed 6 miles in a time of 55:27 (an average pace of 9:14). In the evening, my right heel & left shin bothered me quite a bit (same as it did after Saturday's long/hilly run). I therefore took a few ibuprofen and iced the sore areas. I feel much better today but chose to take a day off for rest.

This new plan has 5 running days as opposed to the 3 days I was doing with FIRST. I'll have to be careful to avoid injury. I will be certain to omit an easy day if my body calls for it. My hope is to continue swimming 2x week, do CrossFit 3-4x week (at least the warmup), and run 4-5x week.