First, thank you to all who have offered condolences on the loss of my grandfather. I appreciate the friendships that we've developed in the recent months as we all weather the ups and downs of this roller coaster called "life".
I had a lovely walk today at noon with my friend Alyssa. It was sunny even though it was in the 30s. It wasn't too bad once we got going. I even had to take off my gloves after a while. We did the 4 mile loop that she laid out a couple weeks ago - her office to Dix Rd and back. She listened while I talked about my grandpa. We talked about other stuff too, but it was very nice to share some of my memories of him.
Unfortunately, I came home very hungry about 1:15, took care of some other things until nearly 2:00 and then was STARVING for lunch. Nothing much sounded good except mac-n-cheese. Yeah, umm, the whole box. Please don't judge me. There were no veggies nor fruit consumed. Only carbs. Now it is closing in on dinner time and I am not the least bit hungry. I think my husband is making pork chops for the kiddos so I'll cut up another few apples and put out some carrots for them to munch on and maybe I can get a produce point in there somewhere too.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
They called his name...
This morning my grandfather passed away. In October, he celebrated his 98th birthday with a quiet lunch with my aunt and uncle at the dining hall of the assisted living facility he has lived in for the last few years. I spoke with him on the phone that day. I know I told him I loved him, but I still regret not calling him last week when it crossed my mind at Thanksgiving. Truthfully, until early last spring - he hadn't had much "assistance". He was living in one of their "senior apartments" where the assistance was that he could ride his little scooter to the dining hall in the other wing and have one large meal a day (he ate breakfast cereal every morning in his apartment and just usually had a light snack in the evenings), some light housekeeping and they checked that he wasn't hurt or dead once a day (he had to hang a little green tag on his doorknob or they would check on him). A year ago in September, he finally sold his car because he didn't want to pay for the garage fee and he didn't drive much anyway. The girl at the DMV had teased him about not having to renew his license again when he got it renewed at 95.
He still took a few trips here and there up until the last 18 months or so when his walking just got too slow. For his 95th birthday, it was a Mexican cruise! He loved baseball more than anything and always bought the MLB package each spring and summer so he could watch as many games as were being played. I know he was just thrilled when the Cards won the series this year. He even managed to go to quite a few Cardinals games with his bank's travel club over the last decade or so (after my grandmother passed in 2000).
He had two children. One was my father. I know that burying him in 2010 broke his heart. My aunt was with him when he passed. She told my sister that last night he told her "they" were calling his name. But he couldn't tell her who "they" were. And he said that his name was written up there. I'd like to think it was my grandmother (his wife of nearly 65 years) and his other friends and family that have gone before him calling for him. And that it was St. Peter writing his name in his book that he saw. He had been deteriorating pretty quickly since a couple of falls this last spring had him move to a higher level of care. He went peacefully, but I will still miss him greatly.
He didn't want a service and he will be cremated with his remains placed in the cemetery with my grandmother's at a later date. I feel a little lost as I feel like I should be "doing" something. But there really isn't anything to do other than be grateful that he is at peace. He had a very blessed life. He lived through and saw a lot of incredible things. From dating my grandmother on horseback, to scraping by during the depression on my grandmother's teaching salary, to building airplanes during WWII, to raising two kids while selling washing machines and later TVs, to being a business owner (first filling station to offer a free car wash with fillup in Wichita, KS), to traveling the world with my grandmother (he once told me his favorite trip was to China), to enjoying the local dinner theatre in his more recent home of Raymore, MO - it was quite a 98 years on this planet and I am so blessed to have had him be my grandfather.
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| Me, my children and my Grandpa - Late Aug 2011 |
He had two children. One was my father. I know that burying him in 2010 broke his heart. My aunt was with him when he passed. She told my sister that last night he told her "they" were calling his name. But he couldn't tell her who "they" were. And he said that his name was written up there. I'd like to think it was my grandmother (his wife of nearly 65 years) and his other friends and family that have gone before him calling for him. And that it was St. Peter writing his name in his book that he saw. He had been deteriorating pretty quickly since a couple of falls this last spring had him move to a higher level of care. He went peacefully, but I will still miss him greatly.
He didn't want a service and he will be cremated with his remains placed in the cemetery with my grandmother's at a later date. I feel a little lost as I feel like I should be "doing" something. But there really isn't anything to do other than be grateful that he is at peace. He had a very blessed life. He lived through and saw a lot of incredible things. From dating my grandmother on horseback, to scraping by during the depression on my grandmother's teaching salary, to building airplanes during WWII, to raising two kids while selling washing machines and later TVs, to being a business owner (first filling station to offer a free car wash with fillup in Wichita, KS), to traveling the world with my grandmother (he once told me his favorite trip was to China), to enjoying the local dinner theatre in his more recent home of Raymore, MO - it was quite a 98 years on this planet and I am so blessed to have had him be my grandfather.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Produce, Exercise and Friends
Breakfast was homemade granola. Lunch was a big apple and carrots with hummus with a can of chicken noodle soup. Dinner was less stellar - husband cooked up home cured bacon and we made sandwiches out of it (although I stopped at one instead of the additional half that I usually have). I served apples and carrots with it. I had a little more hummus with my carrots. Then I took a 2+ mile walk with my husband even though it was kind of cold and already dark.
BDD - You've commented a couple times about how awesome my friends have been to help kick me in the ass and get off the couch more. Both are wives of guys that my husband grew up with. They know each other from high school, but they are about 6-8 years younger than me. They both go to our church and have kids in our kids' school. I got together with them a couple times last spring, but then over the spring and summer they didn't usually include me. I thought maybe they didn't want to. I basically trained completely alone for my first sprint tri (and my 2nd). Not sure why they started calling more this fall, but I am very grateful. I tend to feel a little bad about working out with Stacy because she is so much more fit than me that I feel like I slow her down, but as long as she calls - I will agree to do whatever she is game for. Alyssa is much closer to my fitness level, but still a damn fast walker. Now another mom (another mom from our school and wife of a guy I went to HS with, Susan) has expressed interest in going for a walk or jog. She is a pediatrician with kind of crazy hours, but maybe one day a week we can do it. It sucks less to work out with a friend for sure! I'm so blessed and grateful for their supportive friendships.
Just won some winter cycling tights on Ebay. Still bidding on some other fun tri items. Got the tights for $24.51. Same seller had some good deals on some jerseys so I am going to try to score on those too. Trying to save Santa some coin! :) Better stop bidding soon though or my husband will repeat his mantra "You aren't saving money when you are spending it."
BDD - You've commented a couple times about how awesome my friends have been to help kick me in the ass and get off the couch more. Both are wives of guys that my husband grew up with. They know each other from high school, but they are about 6-8 years younger than me. They both go to our church and have kids in our kids' school. I got together with them a couple times last spring, but then over the spring and summer they didn't usually include me. I thought maybe they didn't want to. I basically trained completely alone for my first sprint tri (and my 2nd). Not sure why they started calling more this fall, but I am very grateful. I tend to feel a little bad about working out with Stacy because she is so much more fit than me that I feel like I slow her down, but as long as she calls - I will agree to do whatever she is game for. Alyssa is much closer to my fitness level, but still a damn fast walker. Now another mom (another mom from our school and wife of a guy I went to HS with, Susan) has expressed interest in going for a walk or jog. She is a pediatrician with kind of crazy hours, but maybe one day a week we can do it. It sucks less to work out with a friend for sure! I'm so blessed and grateful for their supportive friendships.
Just won some winter cycling tights on Ebay. Still bidding on some other fun tri items. Got the tights for $24.51. Same seller had some good deals on some jerseys so I am going to try to score on those too. Trying to save Santa some coin! :) Better stop bidding soon though or my husband will repeat his mantra "You aren't saving money when you are spending it."
Monday, November 28, 2011
Cold walk + Painful Abs
I had a meeting tonight where I had to talk about stormwater ordinances I wrote with a bunch of aldermen who didn't understand nor particularly care about what I had to say. So I was stoked I didn't pull my usual long winded move and managed to get out of there just before 8 and home by 8:10. Saw I missed a call from Stacy (she is an animal!). Called her back and we agreed to go for a 3+ mile walk (with some jogging - though I had a hard time keeping up with her walk - and my knees have been hurting - so we didn't jog much - she is FAST). It was 35 and mildly windy in some spots. A little cold for my taste (moreso for Stacy), but still better to be outside in my book. Not sure she was convinced. Got back home and did 20 min Windsor Pilates Ab Workout - will be feeling that tomorrow! Yikes!
Today's food was a mixed bag. Breakfast was homemade granola and some grapes. Lunch was spaghetti (PMS carb craving). The sauce is a beef/venison marinara that isn't too awful calorie-wise. And given it was the bottom of the leftover bowl, I only had the one portion instead of another bowl. Dinner was the last of my mushrooms, onion, red and green pepper (already used up the zuchinni). It was probably only a cup or so total. I need to restock. It wasn't quite enough so I had some reduced fat wheat thins with a couple small slices of sharp cheddar. Love that stuff. I didn't sneak any of the kids' Halloween candy (why can't they just eat it already!?).
Getting kind of late. Better go hit the sack.
Today's food was a mixed bag. Breakfast was homemade granola and some grapes. Lunch was spaghetti (PMS carb craving). The sauce is a beef/venison marinara that isn't too awful calorie-wise. And given it was the bottom of the leftover bowl, I only had the one portion instead of another bowl. Dinner was the last of my mushrooms, onion, red and green pepper (already used up the zuchinni). It was probably only a cup or so total. I need to restock. It wasn't quite enough so I had some reduced fat wheat thins with a couple small slices of sharp cheddar. Love that stuff. I didn't sneak any of the kids' Halloween candy (why can't they just eat it already!?).
Getting kind of late. Better go hit the sack.
Late Sun Exercise + MMNW
Of course after I posted last night, Stacy called and asked if I wanted to work out. Ugh - no, not really. But I had vowed when we started getting together not to turn her down unless I had a really good reason and I didn't, so I said OK. She brought Alyssa with her and we got in a little over an hour of cardio last night just before I tucked kiddos into bed. We did a workout DVD for about half the time and then Just Dance 2 the other half. I was sweating! Always nice to get some unexpected HBBC points. Also kept me from really eating much else as I was just too busy. I did drink a fair bit of water though.
And because I brought it up yesterday, I did the Monday Morning Naked Weight (MMNW). I've never been ashamed to admit this before, but I am a little now. It was 181.4. Gotta face the truth! It is still way better than the 213 I was on 1/1/11. But still so far from the 165 I'm shooting for by April. It is only about a pound up since last Wednesday so I guess I should be happy that Thanksgiving and going out for my husband's birthday didn't derail me more. But I have seen 179 recently and I liked that "7". Going to see if next MMNW can have a "7" again.
Lots of work to do today. Better suck it up and get going on it. Long day with a 7 PM Board of Aldermen meeting tonight where all that is on the agenda is my work for this client.
And because I brought it up yesterday, I did the Monday Morning Naked Weight (MMNW). I've never been ashamed to admit this before, but I am a little now. It was 181.4. Gotta face the truth! It is still way better than the 213 I was on 1/1/11. But still so far from the 165 I'm shooting for by April. It is only about a pound up since last Wednesday so I guess I should be happy that Thanksgiving and going out for my husband's birthday didn't derail me more. But I have seen 179 recently and I liked that "7". Going to see if next MMNW can have a "7" again.
Lots of work to do today. Better suck it up and get going on it. Long day with a 7 PM Board of Aldermen meeting tonight where all that is on the agenda is my work for this client.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Indulgent Saturday + Minor Redemption Sunday
Yesterday was a lazy day. It rained and turned pretty cold nearly all day. It was also my husband's 39th birthday (first one). We got up and puttered around the house, doing some laundry and the like. Husband got donuts - I had one, but then a banana to keep from having another. For lunch, he wanted a DQ Blizzard. I resisted, but had a cheeseburger so I'm not sure it mattered (though I skipped soda and fries so it could have been worse). He napped over the afternoon while I lazed looking through blogs and watching a worthless movie on Netflix (for the record, how do you get a bunch of talented actors to do such a lousy script?).
Later we headed out for dinner toward the end of the MU-KU game (Way To Go Mizzou!). As the Tigers finished off the Jayhawks, we sat down in Colton's and ordered dinner. I had another burger (only ate half) and a side salad (instead of fries - although with the dressing it may have been a wash). I did eat my share of pre-meal peanuts (throwing the shells on the floor = good fun), a few bites of the onion straw appetizer my husband ordered, two of those decadent rolls and drank a Wild West Fling that was so fruity and yummy!
Needless to say, my "Sunday morning naked weight" was up. Oh, did I mention the non-existence of exercise on Saturday? So I vowed to drink some water (not hard with a little cotton mouth) and eat a little better today. After mass, breakfast was a leftover roll and an apple. Lunch was really just a snack (rice krispy treat - oops). Dinner was another batch of that awesome stir fry (red onion, mushrooms, red and green peppers, zuchinni). I'm still a little hungry so I'll probably have something else small and then a big glass of water. My husband and I went for our usual 2 mile+ walk tonight even though it was in the 30's and a little windy. I really need some long underwear! But my core and hands were warm by the end so it wasn't that bad. Nice to get out and spend some quiet time with him. And good to get moving when it was another pretty lazy day. We'll see if any of this was "redemption" for the overindulgence of the previous days and what my "Monday morning naked weight" is tomorrow.
Later we headed out for dinner toward the end of the MU-KU game (Way To Go Mizzou!). As the Tigers finished off the Jayhawks, we sat down in Colton's and ordered dinner. I had another burger (only ate half) and a side salad (instead of fries - although with the dressing it may have been a wash). I did eat my share of pre-meal peanuts (throwing the shells on the floor = good fun), a few bites of the onion straw appetizer my husband ordered, two of those decadent rolls and drank a Wild West Fling that was so fruity and yummy!
Needless to say, my "Sunday morning naked weight" was up. Oh, did I mention the non-existence of exercise on Saturday? So I vowed to drink some water (not hard with a little cotton mouth) and eat a little better today. After mass, breakfast was a leftover roll and an apple. Lunch was really just a snack (rice krispy treat - oops). Dinner was another batch of that awesome stir fry (red onion, mushrooms, red and green peppers, zuchinni). I'm still a little hungry so I'll probably have something else small and then a big glass of water. My husband and I went for our usual 2 mile+ walk tonight even though it was in the 30's and a little windy. I really need some long underwear! But my core and hands were warm by the end so it wasn't that bad. Nice to get out and spend some quiet time with him. And good to get moving when it was another pretty lazy day. We'll see if any of this was "redemption" for the overindulgence of the previous days and what my "Monday morning naked weight" is tomorrow.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Official Results + Gratitude
They just posted the chip and gun time results for the Pie Run. I did PR! My chip time was 40:44 so I didn't shave a lot off, but every little bit counts. I might have run a little more without my friend, but I may have walked the walking portions slower, as she is a fast walker. Made me 49/56 in the 30-39 Females and 368/396 of those that marked their sheet as "5K Run" (not 10K or Walk). Lots of room for improvement. Never mind that they guy that won could have lapped me nearly 3 times. Or than 21 of the 10K'ers finished before I finished half that distance. Really, it isn't demoralizing at all! (note sarcasm)
OK, don't wallow Christina. Time to remember how very blessed you are. Today I am grateful for:
- Working for myself so that when I hit a "wall", I can skip out and go shopping
- Little girls sleeping over at someone else's house
- My creative husband that has quite the Christmas display in our backyard
- My son who loves to watch movies with me as long as there is minimal kissing (and a movie with only one)
- My blogger friends and their Friday Funnies
- Chip timing that allows for quick upload of results
- Fast stir fry
OK, don't wallow Christina. Time to remember how very blessed you are. Today I am grateful for:
- Working for myself so that when I hit a "wall", I can skip out and go shopping
- Little girls sleeping over at someone else's house
- My creative husband that has quite the Christmas display in our backyard
- My son who loves to watch movies with me as long as there is minimal kissing (and a movie with only one)
- My blogger friends and their Friday Funnies
- Chip timing that allows for quick upload of results
- Fast stir fry
Shopping = Exercise?
This morning I ate a banana (produce point) and some homemade granola while I read the paper. Then I tried to get a little work done, but I fought a hydraulic model for a couple of hours and gave up (sent an email to a vendor that hopefully can point me in the right direction come Monday). Kids put Christmas lights on the house with their dad while I cussed a few more details on this little site project. Fed the girl and myself some leftover spaghetti for lunch (still debating if the marinara is even a half veggie point) and then she went to spend the afternoon and night with a friend and I went with the friend's mom to go shopping (long after the crazy midnight - 5 AM folks had turned in).
So I was on my feet in Old Navy, TJ Maxx, Shoe Carnival, Target, Walmart, KMart, Ace Hardware (replacement bulbs for my husband) and JCPenney. I scored a few items for people on my list and did manage to buy a gift for my husband's birthday tomorrow (still need to go get a card - doh! - should have gotten that at one of the "marts"). We were gone 6+ hours. Shameful really as the weather would have been PERFECT for a bike ride and tomorrow is supposed to turn much cooler. Darn! On the other hand, my knee is feel tweaked from the run yesterday and kept me up a little last night so maybe better to have a "rest" day today. But surely I burned SOME calories with the traipsing through the stores. Santa will be bringing me a cool running shirt too! :) With a cool little zipper pocket and thumb holes even! And for the low price of $16 - Old Navy SCORE! Still have to figure which (if any) of my "big" items he can bring, but I know I am going to get some cool speed laces and a Slim Road ID in my stocking. Hee hee. I love being Santa!
Came home just famished. I did have a Coke while out, but was excited to dip into my full produce drawer and come out with red and green peppers, mushrooms, zuchinni, and a red onion from the pantry (plus some slightly questionably aged cooked chicken from the tupperware in the fridge) to make a FANTASTIC stirfry that took minutes! This might be my new "go to" meal. It was GOOD! So chalk up a couple of produce points there! I think they are due to be entered in the HBBC spreadsheet so I'd better get at that.
So I was on my feet in Old Navy, TJ Maxx, Shoe Carnival, Target, Walmart, KMart, Ace Hardware (replacement bulbs for my husband) and JCPenney. I scored a few items for people on my list and did manage to buy a gift for my husband's birthday tomorrow (still need to go get a card - doh! - should have gotten that at one of the "marts"). We were gone 6+ hours. Shameful really as the weather would have been PERFECT for a bike ride and tomorrow is supposed to turn much cooler. Darn! On the other hand, my knee is feel tweaked from the run yesterday and kept me up a little last night so maybe better to have a "rest" day today. But surely I burned SOME calories with the traipsing through the stores. Santa will be bringing me a cool running shirt too! :) With a cool little zipper pocket and thumb holes even! And for the low price of $16 - Old Navy SCORE! Still have to figure which (if any) of my "big" items he can bring, but I know I am going to get some cool speed laces and a Slim Road ID in my stocking. Hee hee. I love being Santa!
Came home just famished. I did have a Coke while out, but was excited to dip into my full produce drawer and come out with red and green peppers, mushrooms, zuchinni, and a red onion from the pantry (plus some slightly questionably aged cooked chicken from the tupperware in the fridge) to make a FANTASTIC stirfry that took minutes! This might be my new "go to" meal. It was GOOD! So chalk up a couple of produce points there! I think they are due to be entered in the HBBC spreadsheet so I'd better get at that.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Happy Thanksgiving!
Are you suitably stuffed from all the good food today? Have you spent sufficient time being grateful for all of the ways your life is blessed? Did you spend the day surrounded by family or friends? Did you get in a good trot (walk/jog/run) for turkey or pie? I hope all your Thanksgiving dreams came true and it was the best day ever!
I slept in a little, but finally crawled out of bed to throw on my clothes and meet Alyssa at her house and then picked up Stacy to head to the Jeff City Road Runners Club Pie Run. We walked around a little to warm up, but the weather was in the 40's so not bad at all. The 10K'ers took off first followed by the 5K runners. I convinced Alyssa to run the first 2 min and then walk a few. She didn't want to run as much as I did, but I had just as hard of a time keeping up with her when we were walking. So we'd run here and there, but mostly walked. Toward the end I convinced her to pick up the pace to pass the 1st grader and his dad that were just ahead of us (his 2nd grade brother and mom had already finished - grr). I dropped Alyssa in the final 0.2 miles when I could see the race clock was at about 40 min and I wanted to be below my 42 min from October. I will have to wait until they post the chip times, but I think I came in just under and set a new PR by like a minute. Took a quick pic with a couple other moms from our school (L-R: Stacy, Alyssa, me, Stephanie and Susan):
Had to head back home pretty quickly to get ready for the day. We headed down to Freeburg and met up with my husband's extended family. We had a fantastic meal (I only loaded one plate, one bowl and one dessert plate). The kids all played - outside and in the gym. It was sunny and warmish (50-60). My son was sweating from running around with his cousins. LOVE IT! The girls did art projects and shot baskets in the gym and played tetherball outside. So nice to see all of the uncles and a lot of the cousins, and their kids. I didn't get the final count, but I'm guessing it would be around 45-50 as the cafeteria tables were pretty full during the meal.
My mother-in-law is the lady smiling on the left, the two men on her side of the table, two across the table and one standing on the right with his hand by his neck are ALL her brothers (she is the baby - missing was her oldest sibling, a sister that lives in St. Louis that didn't come):
Got home and my husband convinced me to go for a walk. We just did our usual couple of mile loop. But a nice to offset at least a little of the food I had. I'm not sure if broccoli rice casserole or green bean casserole have enough vegetables to count as HBBC points, but I did have a bowl of coleslaw with a nice vinegar/oil dressing that probably did. Not bad on the whole. At least I didn't try to pretend pumpkin butter cake was a produce point! LOL
Today there was so much to be thankful for:
- 5k races in late November without any sleet or snow
- running races with friends (especially ones that remember to take a pic)
- mashed potatoes
- pumpkin butter cake
- extended family coming from KY, KS, and all over MO to be together
- church/school cafeteria, gym and playground (rented for free to a big family that doesn't fit anywhere else for Thanksgiving)
- quiet walks with my husband watching a beautiful sunset
Happy Thanksgiving! Gobble Wobble!
I slept in a little, but finally crawled out of bed to throw on my clothes and meet Alyssa at her house and then picked up Stacy to head to the Jeff City Road Runners Club Pie Run. We walked around a little to warm up, but the weather was in the 40's so not bad at all. The 10K'ers took off first followed by the 5K runners. I convinced Alyssa to run the first 2 min and then walk a few. She didn't want to run as much as I did, but I had just as hard of a time keeping up with her when we were walking. So we'd run here and there, but mostly walked. Toward the end I convinced her to pick up the pace to pass the 1st grader and his dad that were just ahead of us (his 2nd grade brother and mom had already finished - grr). I dropped Alyssa in the final 0.2 miles when I could see the race clock was at about 40 min and I wanted to be below my 42 min from October. I will have to wait until they post the chip times, but I think I came in just under and set a new PR by like a minute. Took a quick pic with a couple other moms from our school (L-R: Stacy, Alyssa, me, Stephanie and Susan):
Had to head back home pretty quickly to get ready for the day. We headed down to Freeburg and met up with my husband's extended family. We had a fantastic meal (I only loaded one plate, one bowl and one dessert plate). The kids all played - outside and in the gym. It was sunny and warmish (50-60). My son was sweating from running around with his cousins. LOVE IT! The girls did art projects and shot baskets in the gym and played tetherball outside. So nice to see all of the uncles and a lot of the cousins, and their kids. I didn't get the final count, but I'm guessing it would be around 45-50 as the cafeteria tables were pretty full during the meal.
My mother-in-law is the lady smiling on the left, the two men on her side of the table, two across the table and one standing on the right with his hand by his neck are ALL her brothers (she is the baby - missing was her oldest sibling, a sister that lives in St. Louis that didn't come):
Got home and my husband convinced me to go for a walk. We just did our usual couple of mile loop. But a nice to offset at least a little of the food I had. I'm not sure if broccoli rice casserole or green bean casserole have enough vegetables to count as HBBC points, but I did have a bowl of coleslaw with a nice vinegar/oil dressing that probably did. Not bad on the whole. At least I didn't try to pretend pumpkin butter cake was a produce point! LOL
Today there was so much to be thankful for:
- 5k races in late November without any sleet or snow
- running races with friends (especially ones that remember to take a pic)
- mashed potatoes
- pumpkin butter cake
- extended family coming from KY, KS, and all over MO to be together
- church/school cafeteria, gym and playground (rented for free to a big family that doesn't fit anywhere else for Thanksgiving)
- quiet walks with my husband watching a beautiful sunset
Happy Thanksgiving! Gobble Wobble!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Swim, Salad and More
I managed to track down a City employee to help me get the information I needed for a project up in Columbia today. More than one actually! And although I disagreed with what they want my client to provide, I think I've found a way to do it that won't cost too many arms and legs. Just frustrated because the City is going so far above and beyond the federal requirements.
So it was great to go to the ARC afterwards and zone out in the water for about 40 min. Unfortunately, all the lanes were taken (x2 people per lane) so I had to chill for about 5 after getting there (and think about the fact that I didn't shave my legs - oops). Then a couple guys finished up and gave me a spot. I got to swim with the old lady that couldn't swim straight (stay on her side of the line) and was doing frog kick back strokes. Dodged most of her kicks, but UGH! First 100 yds felt pretty strong. Many after that felt pretty hard. Started trying to focus on some drills and it seemed to get a little better. After froggy grandma got out and another guy got in, I wrapped up another 400 yards or so and decided I'd had it. It wasn't overall that sucky of a swim, but I just didn't have my heart in it (and I was drooling over the guy's swimp3 player in the next lane - oh, the guy only did like 15 min of swimming - really? you needed music for that?).
Came back to my friend's office and ate an entire bag of salad (3 servings, but even with a little cheese and dressing was like 400 calories). Did a little more work this afternoon and headed back for home to catch up with my husband and kids. Fixed dinner (spaghetti - does marinara sauce count as a veggie?) and then I met up with Alyssa to register for the pie run. Score - by going tonight it was only $20 and we got a long sleeve tech tee with our bib number and timing chip. Yay!
Today I am thankful for:
- helpful City employees who scan and email maps in color and don't charge me
- getting to swim since April on the same $84 pool pass at the ARC (one visit left!)
- bagged salad
- carbo loading
- my first long sleeve tech tee
- low race entry fees
So it was great to go to the ARC afterwards and zone out in the water for about 40 min. Unfortunately, all the lanes were taken (x2 people per lane) so I had to chill for about 5 after getting there (and think about the fact that I didn't shave my legs - oops). Then a couple guys finished up and gave me a spot. I got to swim with the old lady that couldn't swim straight (stay on her side of the line) and was doing frog kick back strokes. Dodged most of her kicks, but UGH! First 100 yds felt pretty strong. Many after that felt pretty hard. Started trying to focus on some drills and it seemed to get a little better. After froggy grandma got out and another guy got in, I wrapped up another 400 yards or so and decided I'd had it. It wasn't overall that sucky of a swim, but I just didn't have my heart in it (and I was drooling over the guy's swimp3 player in the next lane - oh, the guy only did like 15 min of swimming - really? you needed music for that?).
Came back to my friend's office and ate an entire bag of salad (3 servings, but even with a little cheese and dressing was like 400 calories). Did a little more work this afternoon and headed back for home to catch up with my husband and kids. Fixed dinner (spaghetti - does marinara sauce count as a veggie?) and then I met up with Alyssa to register for the pie run. Score - by going tonight it was only $20 and we got a long sleeve tech tee with our bib number and timing chip. Yay!
Today I am thankful for:
- helpful City employees who scan and email maps in color and don't charge me
- getting to swim since April on the same $84 pool pass at the ARC (one visit left!)
- bagged salad
- carbo loading
- my first long sleeve tech tee
- low race entry fees
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Restocked + Gratitude
Seriously, I should have taken a picture of the completely bare (save some old condiments) fridge. But I didn't think about it until after I had unloaded all my groceries. But check out my totally full crisper (plus some carrots that didn't fit and the onions and bananas that don't go in there):
And because all of what goes in, must come out (with a smile, wink and nod to SUAR and other poop-obsessed bloggers), our household was also nearly completely out of these:
All important when holiday carbo loading may include one or more of the following (double batch of rice krispy treats and chewy fudge brownies):
So tomorrow there will be at least one big salad and probably a big veggie stir fry.
Lots of work to get done tomorrow if I can get more motivated than today. I did finish a neat book about the NYC marathon. I enjoyed the stories interwoven to mile by mile descriptions of the course (as ran in 2007). It felt like you were there.
Although I posted earlier today after my 4 mile walk, I forgot to include my daily gratitude. As I mentioned yesterday, I am so blessed. Even through some really crummy times in my life, I know that God is good. Today, I am thankful for:
- my husband returning home from work and deer camp to spend more time with me and the kids
- a clean house (upstairs and down!) and husband who helped get it that way
- breaks in rainy weather than allow you to go for a walk with a friend outside
- homebaked bread (that I didn't have to bake)
- that those rice krispy treats are needed for Thanksgiving so I can't eat them
- the smell of toasting granola wafting in from my kitchen (homemade!)
- colorful produce
- finishing a good book
Not rained out
Woke up to a pretty steady, cold rain. Thought my chances of going out for a walk/jog were pretty slim as I am a weather wimp. But later in the morning (after I had gotten my heart rate up behind the vacuum and scrubber sponge - HBBC points for that?), the rain stopped and it made it up to about 50°. It was kind of windy and still very overcast, but when my friend Alyssa suggested a walk/jog (to try out whether we should walk or walk/jog the pie run on Thur), I couldn't refuse. After getting our schedules jived for a late lunch, I met her at her office downtown and we did about a 4 mile loop (depending on if you believe MapMyRide or Alyssa's car odometer). It had a few hills. We did jog part of it, but not much. And our walking pace declined significantly on recovery from the run portion. So she (and I) aren't so sure we accomplish anything by trying to run. I guess we'll see if I (mostly me anyway) get caught up in the race fever and run part of Thursday's race (which let's face it, the only way I'll get a pie is through a door prize drawing). But we will go to the pre-registration tomorrow night (to save $5). So there you go. Another 5k will be behind me and I have someone to do it with. I think Stacy is doing it too, but she is way faster than me. Alyssa and I are pretty evenly matched.
So far I haven't squeezed in any produce (except maybe tomato soup - trying to figure out if it counts), but I'll head to the store as soon as the kiddos get home. Maybe I can convince them to go for chinese tonight where I can get some veggies in. And after the trip to the store, there will be some fruit in the house that doesn't live in a can.
I'm hoping to make it to Columbia tomorrow. I have some work to do up there and I want to go swim. YMCA membership will hopefully be secured in the next week or so. I think it will be fun to go there as a family. Hope I can get my son more interested in being active.
So far I haven't squeezed in any produce (except maybe tomato soup - trying to figure out if it counts), but I'll head to the store as soon as the kiddos get home. Maybe I can convince them to go for chinese tonight where I can get some veggies in. And after the trip to the store, there will be some fruit in the house that doesn't live in a can.
I'm hoping to make it to Columbia tomorrow. I have some work to do up there and I want to go swim. YMCA membership will hopefully be secured in the next week or so. I think it will be fun to go there as a family. Hope I can get my son more interested in being active.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Better than nothing
I was losing motivation fast tonight as it was already dark and kind of damp/cold out. So when Stacy messaged me on FB and suggested a workout, I kept with my vow to not say no to her workouts. She came over and wasn't too keen on going out for a walk/jog in the cold so we went in the basement and did a pilates DVD (20 min I think - killer on abs and butt) and then about 30-40 min of Just Dance 2 (picking all the 3 sweat droplet songs). I was sweating some, but I had kind of wished we had done the jog. Oh well, better than nothing.
My food was awful again today. I had breakfast of starch and fat (biscuits and gravy - yummy, but so not gaining me points in the weight loss category or the HBBC). Then I was in meetings most of the morning (ugh - pointless). Hit an early (1 PM LOL) happy hour with some friends (surveyors). It was free appetizers for some office party thing one of the guys had won by putting his card in a fishbowl - and he bought the drinks. I only had one drink (I had to drive and it was the middle of the day afterall). But I was stuffed from chicken fingers and spinach dip (does that count for any vegetable serving when coated in cheesey goodness?). Didn't eat dinner as I was still stuffed from the earlier food.
Our crisper is pretty bare so tomorrow I will HAVE to hit the grocery store. Maybe that will motivate me on the veggie part of the challenge. Still like hearing about your favorite ways to eat more veggies.
Hubbie comes home tomorrow. I'm sure part of "getting moving" tomorrow will be housework (nearly a week overdue). Will be nice to see him again. He's been pretty MIA for the last six weeks between working and deer season. No luck for him or my daughter on the deer front. But my son did get this nice doe and a coyote (same morning an hour apart) on opening weekend. There is a late youth season in January that I think he'll try to take her out again. I'm used to being a hunting widow.
Going to try something that Amanda does on her blog. I think this week especially it is important to remember to be grateful. Today I am grateful for:
- friends that get me off my butt in fun ways
- friends that buy me margaritas
- the venison (low fat, high in iron) that is now in my freezer (and thankful for my son always)
- deer season (rifle) being over
- a client paid for their flood study today (even though I left it at home and have to mail them a copy)
- snuggling with my daughter in her bed tonight as she read her book for school tomorrow (and that it was a short book since it was getting late)
- that my self-employment made going back home for a forgotten lunch today a very small deal
I am so blessed!
My food was awful again today. I had breakfast of starch and fat (biscuits and gravy - yummy, but so not gaining me points in the weight loss category or the HBBC). Then I was in meetings most of the morning (ugh - pointless). Hit an early (1 PM LOL) happy hour with some friends (surveyors). It was free appetizers for some office party thing one of the guys had won by putting his card in a fishbowl - and he bought the drinks. I only had one drink (I had to drive and it was the middle of the day afterall). But I was stuffed from chicken fingers and spinach dip (does that count for any vegetable serving when coated in cheesey goodness?). Didn't eat dinner as I was still stuffed from the earlier food.
Our crisper is pretty bare so tomorrow I will HAVE to hit the grocery store. Maybe that will motivate me on the veggie part of the challenge. Still like hearing about your favorite ways to eat more veggies.
Hubbie comes home tomorrow. I'm sure part of "getting moving" tomorrow will be housework (nearly a week overdue). Will be nice to see him again. He's been pretty MIA for the last six weeks between working and deer season. No luck for him or my daughter on the deer front. But my son did get this nice doe and a coyote (same morning an hour apart) on opening weekend. There is a late youth season in January that I think he'll try to take her out again. I'm used to being a hunting widow.
Going to try something that Amanda does on her blog. I think this week especially it is important to remember to be grateful. Today I am grateful for:
- friends that get me off my butt in fun ways
- friends that buy me margaritas
- the venison (low fat, high in iron) that is now in my freezer (and thankful for my son always)
- deer season (rifle) being over
- a client paid for their flood study today (even though I left it at home and have to mail them a copy)
- snuggling with my daughter in her bed tonight as she read her book for school tomorrow (and that it was a short book since it was getting late)
- that my self-employment made going back home for a forgotten lunch today a very small deal
I am so blessed!
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Not one damn point
What a waste of a day. After mass, I took my son down to meet my husband and daughter about 30 min away at a Knights of Columbus country ham breakfast (that's the super salty kind - bet the weigh in tomorrow will be lovely - and of course it was served with biscuits and gravy with scrambled eggs). Then we drove down to the farm and loaded up my daughter's stuff and some of my husband's dirty laundry. We visited with the uncles a little while and went home a little after noon. Did a little laundry and seriously chilled the rest of the day. Kids played with their cousins for a while, I surfed the internet and all was calm. For dinner, we did a frozen pizza and called it good. And since I don't buy into the goverment's belief that "pizza" and "vegetable" are equal - that means not one damn point towards the HBBC. Because although I had time to, I failed to get off my couch today. It was cool and drizzly and I just didn't want to.
A few commented on my crotch discomfort from yesterday on my relatively long, windy bike ride. It was very temporary and abated (for the most part) quickly after getting off the bike. It is just is odd because only the other day I had noted to myself how cool it was that I don't have a lot of discomfort riding anymore (like in the beginning) and so it struck me as odd that I felt like a newbie again yesterday. Maybe it was because it was a longer ride than I've taken for a while. Maybe it was the general discomfort of fighting the wind. Maybe I was just feeling a bit more whiney yesterday. Who knows. I'm really trying to figure out how to invest in a better bike (road or tri vs. mountain), but my husband is off work again and I know spending for Christmas is going to be tight yet again this year. But I don't see a lot of point in doing a lot of investing in my current bike so I guess I'll just try to "toughen up". But I appreciate the thoughts on the matter. Didn't want anyone to worry.
Work is going to be busy again tomorrow. Hope I can squeeze in something later in the day. Might depend on if my husband comes home tomorrow evening (and when). Technically Tue is the last day of deer season (rifle), but he acted like he might give up. Hasn't seen much the last day or two. I would really appreciate him being home. After all those night shifts and now deer season, I'm ready to get back to some semblance of "normal".
A few commented on my crotch discomfort from yesterday on my relatively long, windy bike ride. It was very temporary and abated (for the most part) quickly after getting off the bike. It is just is odd because only the other day I had noted to myself how cool it was that I don't have a lot of discomfort riding anymore (like in the beginning) and so it struck me as odd that I felt like a newbie again yesterday. Maybe it was because it was a longer ride than I've taken for a while. Maybe it was the general discomfort of fighting the wind. Maybe I was just feeling a bit more whiney yesterday. Who knows. I'm really trying to figure out how to invest in a better bike (road or tri vs. mountain), but my husband is off work again and I know spending for Christmas is going to be tight yet again this year. But I don't see a lot of point in doing a lot of investing in my current bike so I guess I'll just try to "toughen up". But I appreciate the thoughts on the matter. Didn't want anyone to worry.
Work is going to be busy again tomorrow. Hope I can squeeze in something later in the day. Might depend on if my husband comes home tomorrow evening (and when). Technically Tue is the last day of deer season (rifle), but he acted like he might give up. Hasn't seen much the last day or two. I would really appreciate him being home. After all those night shifts and now deer season, I'm ready to get back to some semblance of "normal".
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Wind Erosion
For those who may have missed it, my work life passion is civil engineering specializing in stormwater management with a special emphasis on pollution prevention. So today, as I as riding my bike on what may be one of my last outdoor rides of 2011, I was thinking about wind erosion. The temperatures were decent (mid-60s), but the wind was strong (30 mph + gusts). I have never had to pedal so hard on a flat section. The wind was from the south. The bad news? The only (very short) section where the wind was at my back was a downhill section! Ugh! The wind was definitely eroding my resolve.
But regardless, I got in some hills (into the wind up the interchange twice and by ABP once plus the hill on the way home). I also got in some flats. Map My Ride said it was a little over 15 miles (that's 5 points on the challenge!). I forgot to wear my watch so I'm not entirely sure how long it took. This was the first time in a while that I noticed pain in my nether regions from the saddle. What's up with that?
I ate some portabello mushrooms for lunch and topped off with an apple. I have a date with my son for mexican tonight and this restaurant isn't very veggie friendly so that may be the only produce I get today. Need to work on that. How do you get in more veggies? I swear I always struggle with that. Fruit is easy enough.
Crazy - 3 posts today (although one is really for yesterday). Hope I can keep hitting it and earn some points!
But regardless, I got in some hills (into the wind up the interchange twice and by ABP once plus the hill on the way home). I also got in some flats. Map My Ride said it was a little over 15 miles (that's 5 points on the challenge!). I forgot to wear my watch so I'm not entirely sure how long it took. This was the first time in a while that I noticed pain in my nether regions from the saddle. What's up with that?
I ate some portabello mushrooms for lunch and topped off with an apple. I have a date with my son for mexican tonight and this restaurant isn't very veggie friendly so that may be the only produce I get today. Need to work on that. How do you get in more veggies? I swear I always struggle with that. Fruit is easy enough.
Crazy - 3 posts today (although one is really for yesterday). Hope I can keep hitting it and earn some points!
Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge
Was reading up on this today after seeing it on Deb's blog. Anything that will make me more accountable for eating more produce and getting in more exercise during this crazy holiday season is a GOOD thing! So I went right to the Run to the Finish blog and signed up for the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge and signed right up. It seemed like I was a "late entry", but truthfully I was right on the line as it started today. So I signed up as a "Builder" since I'm still such a newbie on the running thing.
Now I just have to try to figure out how to put the picture in my sidebar. I'm such a blogger newbie too! I'll put it here for now:
Now I just have to try to figure out how to put the picture in my sidebar. I'm such a blogger newbie too! I'll put it here for now:
Good luck to all who have entered. I don't hold out a lot of hope of winning anything, but I'm hoping it helps me get through this holiday season with possibly losing a few pounds instead of packing on a bunch.
Workout to Go Out
Wednesday was a rest day after 3 days in a row of 3 miles plus (more than I can normally knock out). I knew I had to run to Columbia for some work stuff on Thursday and had hoped to make it over to the pool. But the flood study took longer than I had planned and another project came up. Before I knew it, I had to rush back to Jeff City to get the kids and get through a busy evening. So I guess Thursday was a rest day too.
Friday the kids were off school. My daughter went deer hunting with her dad at his uncle's farm. My son chilled most of the day with me. I got a little bit of work done in the morning. Later we had lunch at our church's soup/pie luncheon and quilt show. I was on the team that was supposed to be there to take all of the quilts down and fold them back up for pickup. Only one other person showed up for the "team" so my son helped and some other ladies helped as they were picking up. We got it all done, but it was a bit of a workout as the quilts are heavy and there was some ladder climbing.
But not nearly enough of a workout to justify going out to dinner with some girlfriends. So after I got my son settled in back at home, I decided it was a good time to run to the bank and deposit a couple checks I received this week. Literally, I walked and ran the 3+ miles (my "Walmart 5k"). It was windy and pretty cool, but I still got my sweat on.
Headed out with friends for dinner at a local joint. I had a buffalo chicken wrap and a margarita! Wish the chicken wouldn't have been fried - kind of sat like a rock in my gut and quickly made me wish I had gotten the cranberry walnut salad.
The restaurant is called Prison Brews and has a small selection of microbrews with cool names related to the jailhouse theme (they are a block from the old state pen). Made me wish I liked beer. The waitresses wear shirts that on the back say "Beer is how God tells us he wants us to be happy". I thought of some of the blogger folks that are big beer fans when I saw this. Wish I had taken a pic!
Today is supposed to be warmer (the warmest of the next 10 days) so I am planning to get out on my bike, but the winds are gusty (30 mph - eww). I had good news on the scale this morning though - finally dipped into the 170s. That is a nice motivational tool for sure! Not much otherwise on tap for today.
Friday the kids were off school. My daughter went deer hunting with her dad at his uncle's farm. My son chilled most of the day with me. I got a little bit of work done in the morning. Later we had lunch at our church's soup/pie luncheon and quilt show. I was on the team that was supposed to be there to take all of the quilts down and fold them back up for pickup. Only one other person showed up for the "team" so my son helped and some other ladies helped as they were picking up. We got it all done, but it was a bit of a workout as the quilts are heavy and there was some ladder climbing.
But not nearly enough of a workout to justify going out to dinner with some girlfriends. So after I got my son settled in back at home, I decided it was a good time to run to the bank and deposit a couple checks I received this week. Literally, I walked and ran the 3+ miles (my "Walmart 5k"). It was windy and pretty cool, but I still got my sweat on.
Headed out with friends for dinner at a local joint. I had a buffalo chicken wrap and a margarita! Wish the chicken wouldn't have been fried - kind of sat like a rock in my gut and quickly made me wish I had gotten the cranberry walnut salad.
The restaurant is called Prison Brews and has a small selection of microbrews with cool names related to the jailhouse theme (they are a block from the old state pen). Made me wish I liked beer. The waitresses wear shirts that on the back say "Beer is how God tells us he wants us to be happy". I thought of some of the blogger folks that are big beer fans when I saw this. Wish I had taken a pic!
Today is supposed to be warmer (the warmest of the next 10 days) so I am planning to get out on my bike, but the winds are gusty (30 mph - eww). I had good news on the scale this morning though - finally dipped into the 170s. That is a nice motivational tool for sure! Not much otherwise on tap for today.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Another workout!
OK, first I get 9+ miles in over the last 3 days and then Stacy talks me into another workout tonight. She came over and we did a DVD I have (Billy Blanks Jr Dance with Me) and got a short sweat session in. I'm friggin tired! But it is always better to have said "yes" to a workout in the end. I'd better see some movement on the scale this week! Unfortunately, I spaced that it was BL night. So I will have to watch it online. No spoilers please!
Downtown Loop = 5k(ish)
Apparently, Stacy didn't get enough of a workout with me because after she left my house she headed over to our friend Alyssa's (at 9 PM!) and suckered her into doing a pilates DVD. So as we discussed what a workout animal Stacy is on FB, Alyssa messaged me and suggested we go for a lunch walk sometime and mentioned today's nice weather. So I told her I'd meet her at her office downtown at noon and we'd go. She has a little over a 3 mile loop she does. It mapped out on Map My Ride as 3.08 mi along the roads, but I think the sidewalk behind the Capitol definitely adds at least the 0.02 mi to make it a solid 5K. And there were some HILLS that were kicking my butt. Seriously - 3 walks/runs in 3 days has to be a new record for me! So maybe if I can con enough friends into being workout buddies, I will get to the point where I can run a 5K this spring (all of it). That is Alyssa's goal too so maybe we can Couch-2-5K together!
But now it is 1:30 and I'm getting hungry. Better go dig something out of the fridge to eat. Then I really need to get some work done. With a hair appt this morning and then some FB time and my walk, hasn't been a productive day.
But now it is 1:30 and I'm getting hungry. Better go dig something out of the fridge to eat. Then I really need to get some work done. With a hair appt this morning and then some FB time and my walk, hasn't been a productive day.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Another 5K+ and Toning
Work was a bit insane and I didn't even get to one project that needed to be done today. So even though I went to Columbia, I didn't get my swim in. Such is life sometimes. I'll probably go back up on Thursday so I'll plan on a stop at the pool then. In a couple more weeks I'll get a Y membership to get through the winter months. That is here in town with better pool hours. I was a little sore from my run yesterday so I thought maybe today would be a rest day. But when my friend Stacy called and asked if I would be up for a workout, I was like "Sure."
So she came over and we went for a brisk walk with a little bit of running. We went about 3.25 miles. I enjoy chatting with her so the walking part was nice, but let's just say that Stacy is in WAY better shape than me. She could talk when I couldn't breathe. But she did try to push me some without being crazy. She encouraged me to slow down my breathing, but at times I was gasping for air. Grr...frustrating because we weren't really going that fast. How long before these shorter distances aren't so freakin' hard?! I guess that is one part that is good about working out with someone fitter than you, but I feel bad for her since she isn't getting a great workout because she has to wait for me. I guess that is why I normally don't go with anyone else.
Then we got back and had some time so we went downstairs and turned on some music and did some stretching and strength work. We flipped through my notebook of Self magazine Body Bonus cards and did stuff that worked a little of everything. She suggested a few moves from DVDs she's done too. Is it weird that ab work seems easier when my legs are screaming? I'm sure I'll be feeling everything later tonight in bed (note to self, ibuprofen before bed - ouch). We did about 35 min of that stuff.
No idea what tomorrow will bring. I'm thinking rest, but I'm always up for being flexible. I imagine I'll have to do some stretching no matter what!
So she came over and we went for a brisk walk with a little bit of running. We went about 3.25 miles. I enjoy chatting with her so the walking part was nice, but let's just say that Stacy is in WAY better shape than me. She could talk when I couldn't breathe. But she did try to push me some without being crazy. She encouraged me to slow down my breathing, but at times I was gasping for air. Grr...frustrating because we weren't really going that fast. How long before these shorter distances aren't so freakin' hard?! I guess that is one part that is good about working out with someone fitter than you, but I feel bad for her since she isn't getting a great workout because she has to wait for me. I guess that is why I normally don't go with anyone else.
Then we got back and had some time so we went downstairs and turned on some music and did some stretching and strength work. We flipped through my notebook of Self magazine Body Bonus cards and did stuff that worked a little of everything. She suggested a few moves from DVDs she's done too. Is it weird that ab work seems easier when my legs are screaming? I'm sure I'll be feeling everything later tonight in bed (note to self, ibuprofen before bed - ouch). We did about 35 min of that stuff.
No idea what tomorrow will bring. I'm thinking rest, but I'm always up for being flexible. I imagine I'll have to do some stretching no matter what!
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Warm Fall Day - 5K+
Yesterday never got as warm as had been predicted. It was cloudy and windy. And I just wasn't "feelin it". So I didn't get much done at all! I did some core work while I watched Bridesmaids on DVD last night (don't bother if you have it in your queue - waste of 2 hours). But this morning it was warm and sunny when we got going to mass, but very windy. Stopped by the store and picked up some things as our fridge was pretty bare. Made Sante Fe Tortilla Soup for an early lunch (very healthy minus a dallop of sour cream, a sprinkle of shredded cheddar and a handful of crushed tortilla chips on it). Then I baked some chicken for another meal I want to make this week. I had thought about making banana bread, but ran out of steam. Load of laundry run through and off to give my 7 year old a mani-pedi. And thus the problem with wanting to take advantage of the fact it was 71° today - what to do with said 7 year old. Husband and son were in the woods all morning (son took a nice doe). But my prayers were answered when my mother-in-law stopped by about 2 PM. YAY!! She would be happy to hang out for an hour.
So I threw on my running clothes and headed out. I didn't do as long of a warmup walk as I have been doing. I decided to see if I could push my pace a little. I still had to walk a lot. I did my Walmart 5K loop, but added a small hill behind the store that goes up to a dead end turn around and added a brief walk inside the store to get water as I had underestimated the need for that. Can't they just put a permanent aid station outside the store? So I did more like 3.25 miles in about 45 min. Not bad. Stretched and did a little ab work when I got home. Need to do some more of that. In dire need of a shower and still have a ton of work to get done. Daughter headed over to her cousin's house across the street to play for a bit so I'd better take advantage.
So I threw on my running clothes and headed out. I didn't do as long of a warmup walk as I have been doing. I decided to see if I could push my pace a little. I still had to walk a lot. I did my Walmart 5K loop, but added a small hill behind the store that goes up to a dead end turn around and added a brief walk inside the store to get water as I had underestimated the need for that. Can't they just put a permanent aid station outside the store? So I did more like 3.25 miles in about 45 min. Not bad. Stretched and did a little ab work when I got home. Need to do some more of that. In dire need of a shower and still have a ton of work to get done. Daughter headed over to her cousin's house across the street to play for a bit so I'd better take advantage.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Just short - 11/11/11
OK, so nerd moment. I think it is totally cool the way that the 11's lined up today. So I was trying to squeeze in an 11 mile bike ride to celebrate. But, as usual, life (and my lack of forethought) got in the way. This morning I did attend my kids' all school mass for Veteran's Day where my son did a nice introduction talking about the history of the holiday (that the WWI armistice treaty was signed in the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month - which further proved to me the coolness of 11's). Then I busted a move to my friend's office in Columbia so I could get a draft of a survey he wanted me to draw up in CAD and put it on his desk before I left. Had promised my husband I would be home by 2, so I left as soon as the plotter spit it out and hurried back to Jeff City.
My husband was laid off this morning (not an all bad thing as the night shifts were getting old). The good news is that he was now free to head down to the farm with my son to get in some deer hunting (opening day of rifle season is tomorrow). So I had promised him I'd dig out my son's social security card in order to go buy his deer tag and then help pack up everything so they could leave as soon as school was out. Before I knew it, 3:30 had come and gone and I still hadn't figured out how to get in my bike ride and the boys were gone. But it was SO BEAUTIFUL! Like 62° and sunny (although yes, some wind) beautiful. So I called up my mother-in-law, but she was already babysitting across town for my sis-in-law. Thought a bit more and called my friend Tania and she said my daughter could hang out at her house for an hour while I got in a quick ride.
So I threw on my bike shorts, a t-shirt, light jacket and helmet and blasted off! We rode our bikes up to Tania's and then I took off for 54 minutes of ME time. I was burning daylight so I didn't waste time. Can I just say that I am not happy about the time change?! I rode out to the interchange, up further on the Algoa hill than I had gone before (sucking wind a bit here) and then around Scholastic before heading back to Tania's to pick up my girl. I was hopeful that I had gotten in 11 miles. Oh well - Map My Ride says I fell just short. But the cool thing? 10.11 miles - close enough for coolness sake? I think so!
Tons of work to do this weekend. How come I've totally been twiddling my fingers and all of a sudden four clients want something on Monday!?! And with my daughter underfoot, I'm not sure how it will all get done. Maybe she can go hang with grandma on Sunday for a bit which might also allow me to get in a short run (ie. walk/jog). Hope the weather continues to be nice. I'm not quite ready to get into the cold and gray days of winter yet.
Special note to all the veterans out there: God bless you for your service. I got a couple of tears in my eyes thinking about all veterans while the kids sang in church this morning. My brother-in-law has been serving in the Navy since June 2002 (save 9 months he was "lent" to the army to go to Afghanistan). My father-in-law was in the National Guard for 30 years (including a tour in Vietnam). We are so proud of them!
My husband was laid off this morning (not an all bad thing as the night shifts were getting old). The good news is that he was now free to head down to the farm with my son to get in some deer hunting (opening day of rifle season is tomorrow). So I had promised him I'd dig out my son's social security card in order to go buy his deer tag and then help pack up everything so they could leave as soon as school was out. Before I knew it, 3:30 had come and gone and I still hadn't figured out how to get in my bike ride and the boys were gone. But it was SO BEAUTIFUL! Like 62° and sunny (although yes, some wind) beautiful. So I called up my mother-in-law, but she was already babysitting across town for my sis-in-law. Thought a bit more and called my friend Tania and she said my daughter could hang out at her house for an hour while I got in a quick ride.
So I threw on my bike shorts, a t-shirt, light jacket and helmet and blasted off! We rode our bikes up to Tania's and then I took off for 54 minutes of ME time. I was burning daylight so I didn't waste time. Can I just say that I am not happy about the time change?! I rode out to the interchange, up further on the Algoa hill than I had gone before (sucking wind a bit here) and then around Scholastic before heading back to Tania's to pick up my girl. I was hopeful that I had gotten in 11 miles. Oh well - Map My Ride says I fell just short. But the cool thing? 10.11 miles - close enough for coolness sake? I think so!
Tons of work to do this weekend. How come I've totally been twiddling my fingers and all of a sudden four clients want something on Monday!?! And with my daughter underfoot, I'm not sure how it will all get done. Maybe she can go hang with grandma on Sunday for a bit which might also allow me to get in a short run (ie. walk/jog). Hope the weather continues to be nice. I'm not quite ready to get into the cold and gray days of winter yet.
Special note to all the veterans out there: God bless you for your service. I got a couple of tears in my eyes thinking about all veterans while the kids sang in church this morning. My brother-in-law has been serving in the Navy since June 2002 (save 9 months he was "lent" to the army to go to Afghanistan). My father-in-law was in the National Guard for 30 years (including a tour in Vietnam). We are so proud of them!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Another Walmart 5K + Dancing!
Today I ran through a little bit of mist under a lot of clouds from my house to Walmart (walking inside to get some water and deposit a check at my bank branch) and then back with a little jag up to a friend's house to drop off a check. Probably slightly over a 5K, but close enough. Oh, and as usual - calling it a "run" is a bit of a stretch, but I "jogged" as much of it as I could and walked the rest. Did some stretching and core work when I got home. Then this evening, my friend Stacy dropped by and we did several songs of Just Dance 2 to work up a sweat. We also added some core work and stretching.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Strong(ish) - Even if not fast...
As promised, today I went to Columbia. Drove in the rain on the way up and thought about the TT1 guys heading out to get past St. Louis today. Apparently they've changed strategies with more runners dividing up the daylight running. Will be interested to see how this adjust their pace. At least it was in the mid-50's so running in the rain wasn't like being pelted with ice. I called Karen, but she wasn't sure where they were so I decided to forgo tracking them down again.
Stopped in and worked on a floodplain project with my surveyor friend and then to the county planning dept to check in with my friend over there looking for some info and touching base in general. Then to the pool. There was some kind of private party so only one lap lane that already had two people in it, but once they said "go" to the kids, they stayed pretty much out of the lap area so I jumped in and swam next to the lane and had clear water for the most part. I was kind of tired going into it, but ended up feeling like it was a pretty strong swim. I often wonder if my form looks as good as I think it should. Someday I have to find some kind of class. I had a good song in my head and just knocked out 40 minutes. I was thinking - I feel pretty strong, but not fast. I guess I can live with that for now. Not too sucky of a swim anyway.
Haven't run in over a week so will do that tomorrow. Maybe the Walmart 5K again - our bank has a branch there and I have a check from the middle of last week that needs to be deposited.
Stopped in and worked on a floodplain project with my surveyor friend and then to the county planning dept to check in with my friend over there looking for some info and touching base in general. Then to the pool. There was some kind of private party so only one lap lane that already had two people in it, but once they said "go" to the kids, they stayed pretty much out of the lap area so I jumped in and swam next to the lane and had clear water for the most part. I was kind of tired going into it, but ended up feeling like it was a pretty strong swim. I often wonder if my form looks as good as I think it should. Someday I have to find some kind of class. I had a good song in my head and just knocked out 40 minutes. I was thinking - I feel pretty strong, but not fast. I guess I can live with that for now. Not too sucky of a swim anyway.
Haven't run in over a week so will do that tomorrow. Maybe the Walmart 5K again - our bank has a branch there and I have a check from the middle of last week that needs to be deposited.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Met the TT1 Guys!!
So I don't know what happened to the rest of last week. I just was in a bit of a mental funk or something and didn't get my act together after a really good start to the week. Did a little blog reading and commenting, but not much else. Then this morning I woke up and realized I hadn't checked in on those amazing Team Type 1 guys and their Run Across America. OMG! I almost missed them! Thankfully, they had just hit Missouri late last night. So I checked around on their FB page and a couple blogs and got ahold of the team "mom" Karen this afternoon and made arrangements to catch up with them in Pilot Grove, MO.
I got there about 7:40 PM - just after the last of the runners had come in for an eating break. So I got to meet ALL of them!! Karen took pics that she said she'd email me, but I already have some proof - check out the awesome autographed water bottle!!
(Oops - no idea how to rotate this stupid thing).
They also gave me a t-shirt that I can wear to show my support. I'm so stinking excited! They were all wonderful hosts of my little groupie moment. I told them about my dad and they shared funny stories from the road (some diabetic and some not). One story was about how they chose who would run first when starting a new leg. I asked if it was "Rock, Paper, Scissors". Nope - highest blood sugar wins. Loved it! Another was about the newer technology of blood glucose monitoring that is real time (takes it every 5 min and sends it to a readout on a pager like thing). They set the range they want to be in and there is an alarm that goes off if they are out of that range. Not everyone uses this, but apparently the other night everyone in the van had them going off and it was like some kind of weird symphony. Time to slurp up some more of Karen's cooking!
I love their spirit! What an amazing group of men! Even if we were just standing in the parking lot of "Becky's Burgers and Cones" (which was closed of course). So no excuses - tomorrow I have business in Columbia so it will be a swim day. Back on the wagon again. Because if 10 guys with diabetes can run across America, then by golly I can get off my backside and walk/run my 3 miles!
Here is the ROUTE- if they are coming near you it is totally worth going to meet these guys! I was fortunate that it was a pretty short drive for me (hour each way - could have been a little shorter, but they are hitting Columbia in the middle of the night). Their next stop is in St. Louis - but your guess is as good as mine as to when. The tracker tool is a little off though based on cell tower locations. Had them a little further up the road than they were tonight.
I got there about 7:40 PM - just after the last of the runners had come in for an eating break. So I got to meet ALL of them!! Karen took pics that she said she'd email me, but I already have some proof - check out the awesome autographed water bottle!!
(Oops - no idea how to rotate this stupid thing).They also gave me a t-shirt that I can wear to show my support. I'm so stinking excited! They were all wonderful hosts of my little groupie moment. I told them about my dad and they shared funny stories from the road (some diabetic and some not). One story was about how they chose who would run first when starting a new leg. I asked if it was "Rock, Paper, Scissors". Nope - highest blood sugar wins. Loved it! Another was about the newer technology of blood glucose monitoring that is real time (takes it every 5 min and sends it to a readout on a pager like thing). They set the range they want to be in and there is an alarm that goes off if they are out of that range. Not everyone uses this, but apparently the other night everyone in the van had them going off and it was like some kind of weird symphony. Time to slurp up some more of Karen's cooking!
I love their spirit! What an amazing group of men! Even if we were just standing in the parking lot of "Becky's Burgers and Cones" (which was closed of course). So no excuses - tomorrow I have business in Columbia so it will be a swim day. Back on the wagon again. Because if 10 guys with diabetes can run across America, then by golly I can get off my backside and walk/run my 3 miles!
Here is the ROUTE- if they are coming near you it is totally worth going to meet these guys! I was fortunate that it was a pretty short drive for me (hour each way - could have been a little shorter, but they are hitting Columbia in the middle of the night). Their next stop is in St. Louis - but your guess is as good as mine as to when. The tracker tool is a little off though based on cell tower locations. Had them a little further up the road than they were tonight.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Team Type 1 is Amazing!
I just spent a little time on a couple of blogs reading up on the Team Type 1 Run Across America (Here and here). These guys are just amazing! I found out about them from IronDiva's blog (her husband Tom is one of the runners). They are trying to average 8:15 min miles for over 3000 miles to get from CA to NY in time for World Diabetes Day on November 14th. Two vans with five guys each are doing this incredible relay with a RV for additional support. They aren't just dealing with the usual blisters, inflamed achilles tendons and so on - they are juggling blood sugar levels through adjustments to basal insulin rates (or not), testing frequently (the joke is that the test strips will fill the van like confetti by the time they are in NY), and eating/fueling their bodies to handle the challenges of running so far for so long.
I lost my dad to Type 1 Diabetes in June 2010. I had watched as he battled this awful disease for almost 37 years at that point - which doesn't touch the 19 years before I was born. At 66, he was considered "very old" for a Type 1 diabetic. He was in renal failure for the last 3 years of his life attending dialysis three times a week in order to survive. He went blind about 13 months before his death. Towards the end, the poison his kidneys weren't able to remove left him foggy headed and unable to hold a coherant conversation most of the time. It was truly awful to watch.
When he lost his wife in December 2009 (to lung cancer and heart disease), I think he just gave up. We should have let him go then, but we had hope that he would remain strong enough to get something out of his life for a little longer. But he just didn't want to and his nephrologist finally confronted us with his thought that he gives people dialysis so that they can live - not the other way around. We made a decision together - as a family - to discontinue treatment. By the next morning he was in a coma and two mornings later - he was gone. I still have bad dreams.
My dad was told at an early age he'd never live long. In his early years, he embraced that and told me once it made him a great cop because he wasn't afraid to die. Later, he said he went to law school because he knew his body would fail him eventually and he figured he could practice law from a wheel chair if necessary. He hated the idea of dying with no dignity. He was angry that the disease took this from him. Actually, he was pretty angry at his disease for a lot of reasons. I'm sad that he was never able to put that anger away and focus on what all he could do. This is why these guys inspire me so much. They don't let it limit them - they don't let it define them (other than naming their team). They overcome it as just another obstacle in this thing we call life.
I found one approximate map of their route and it appears to go through central Missouri. I have no idea what time of day they might be coming through, but I am going to follow the reports and see if I can find out as they get closer. I want to go out and cheer them on. I want them to know how truly INCREDIBLE this feat they are doing is. God bless and keep them safe on their journey.
I lost my dad to Type 1 Diabetes in June 2010. I had watched as he battled this awful disease for almost 37 years at that point - which doesn't touch the 19 years before I was born. At 66, he was considered "very old" for a Type 1 diabetic. He was in renal failure for the last 3 years of his life attending dialysis three times a week in order to survive. He went blind about 13 months before his death. Towards the end, the poison his kidneys weren't able to remove left him foggy headed and unable to hold a coherant conversation most of the time. It was truly awful to watch.
When he lost his wife in December 2009 (to lung cancer and heart disease), I think he just gave up. We should have let him go then, but we had hope that he would remain strong enough to get something out of his life for a little longer. But he just didn't want to and his nephrologist finally confronted us with his thought that he gives people dialysis so that they can live - not the other way around. We made a decision together - as a family - to discontinue treatment. By the next morning he was in a coma and two mornings later - he was gone. I still have bad dreams.
My dad was told at an early age he'd never live long. In his early years, he embraced that and told me once it made him a great cop because he wasn't afraid to die. Later, he said he went to law school because he knew his body would fail him eventually and he figured he could practice law from a wheel chair if necessary. He hated the idea of dying with no dignity. He was angry that the disease took this from him. Actually, he was pretty angry at his disease for a lot of reasons. I'm sad that he was never able to put that anger away and focus on what all he could do. This is why these guys inspire me so much. They don't let it limit them - they don't let it define them (other than naming their team). They overcome it as just another obstacle in this thing we call life.
I found one approximate map of their route and it appears to go through central Missouri. I have no idea what time of day they might be coming through, but I am going to follow the reports and see if I can find out as they get closer. I want to go out and cheer them on. I want them to know how truly INCREDIBLE this feat they are doing is. God bless and keep them safe on their journey.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Quick bike ride + cute kids
The warm weather stopped by mid-Missouri again today - low 70s. It must have been brought in by that south wind (14 mph according to Weather Channel). Boy could I feel that wind tonight. Husband ran off to work, kids were playing with their cousins and I snuck out to get in a quick bike ride. Almost bailed, but I really would have felt guilty for skipping it when the weather turns cool again in another day or so. So just 8 miles in my usual area - threw in three decent hills to make it interesting. I was huffing and puffing a little on them. Maybe I can blame the lingering congestion from last week's bug, but truthfully - I'm always winded on hills. No blistering speed here - it took me 45 minutes or so to do the lousy 8 miles. But better than nothing.
Especially given the crazy amount of candy these two cute trick-or-treaters brought home. My little cowgirl and my soldier.
The week before we carved these pumpkins while daddy was at work. The pumpkins looked kind of icky last night and got tossed today.
Since I swam Monday and biked today, I guess tomorrow will be a run day. Unfortunately, my other workout is house cleaning. Ugh!
This evening while little one was at Brownies, I returned the older one's tackle football gear and then ran into JCP to look at athletic wear (newbie status means I don't have much). I had a coupon for $10 off. I scored on an Adidas running jacket on clearance and a "Tokyo green" tech tee that was 40% off - all for $25! Yay me! Still need to find something I can wear cycling in the cool weather, but this should cover me for a little longer on my walk/run.
Hope everyone is resisting the giant piles of candy that may have invaded their house this week. I did pretty good today - only one peanut butter cup and one small snickers.
Especially given the crazy amount of candy these two cute trick-or-treaters brought home. My little cowgirl and my soldier.
The week before we carved these pumpkins while daddy was at work. The pumpkins looked kind of icky last night and got tossed today.
Since I swam Monday and biked today, I guess tomorrow will be a run day. Unfortunately, my other workout is house cleaning. Ugh!
This evening while little one was at Brownies, I returned the older one's tackle football gear and then ran into JCP to look at athletic wear (newbie status means I don't have much). I had a coupon for $10 off. I scored on an Adidas running jacket on clearance and a "Tokyo green" tech tee that was 40% off - all for $25! Yay me! Still need to find something I can wear cycling in the cool weather, but this should cover me for a little longer on my walk/run.
Hope everyone is resisting the giant piles of candy that may have invaded their house this week. I did pretty good today - only one peanut butter cup and one small snickers.
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