Working on Weight Loss and getting Lean!

[MouseDogMom]

Jeanne - I agree. FB has all but killed the WISH boards. And I miss the interaction here. It's just not the same on FB. I'm not nearly as likely to pour out my frustrations and victories there for everyone to see as I am here to a more limited group, even though anyone could read it here too! I felt so sorry for all of you in Providence - the same weekend, we did an 18 mile training run here in Raleigh in similar conditions. It didn't pour the entire time, but it either rained or we ran through deep, muddy greenways. I only had a few blisters, but I was soaked from head to toe.

Tandy - I'm SO sorry! I knew you were struggling with injuries, but I had no idea it was so bad. Please be very, very careful. I certainly know how depressing it is not to be able to run, but the day WILL come, and you want to be healthy when it does! How's school going? I imagine you're busy enough that the time off from running is kind of a good thing?

I'm worried about Beth, and Maria - where is she? At least she appeared in Providence, so I know she's alive!

I'm very happy to report that things seem to be mostly healed on my end. I've finally learned where the line is that I can't cross, and not to cross it. I'm running 3 days a week - one track workout, one hill/tempo, and one long. I did my 20 mile run last Sunday, and it went great. I'm firmly committed to doing 1/1 intervals for MCM, and still holding out that I can get that 5:30 that's been eluding me for years now. I did, however, agree during Sunday's run that I would rather give up the 5:30 to stay with the group of friends who're also doing it than reach the goal. After being so miserably lonely last year, I'd rather finish with these guys than see that time on the clock. Or at least stay with them for most of the 26...

And then, in the name of all stupidity (and this may sound familiar, Jeanne) there is a group of 6 or 7 of us who are VERY seriously considering walking the City of Oaks marathon here in Raleigh the following weekend. Just for the medal, which is supposed to be really, really, cool. Top 5 in the country cool. Yep, back to back marathons. How much fun would that be to go back to my PT and tell him that not only did I do one, but TWO marathons this year? After he told me I wouldn't run more than 3 miles...

Oh yeah... I'm down 6 pounds this month!

Jackie

 

[jeanneg]

Tandy: so sorry to hear of your recent injury....what a bummer! Are there any races on your upcoming schedule that might need to be cancelled?

Jackie: OK, speaking of stupidity.......and this is totally out there....please tell me when the City of Oaks marathon is. And is the super medal just for the full and not the half? I have not trained but if you and all your buddies are truly walking then maybe, just maybe, I will consider it. Meanwhile, congratulations on your recent 20-miler....WTG! We both know how sometimes those don't turn out too well.

I am committed to getting myself to the gym today, even if it's just to read my book on the treadmill. Hey, ya gotta start somewhere. Now, let's see if I come up with an excuse to sabotage that. I need to be out the door by 2pm and my to-do list is long so I must get cracking......

 

[bunnyfoo]

Hi ladies! Sorry it's been a bit of a busy summer at work and away from work as well! I'm mostly posting over on my team thread and anyone is welcome to join in the conversation there if they want. But I know what Jackie means about being able to vent here. I don't do it nearly as much over there or on FB either.

Jeanne - How's your grandma doing? WTG on Providence and that's awesome that you got to see Maria! You must have a ton of awesome outfits with all the weddings you've had! I guess the wedding bug is contagious LOL Have a great time at the gym! I think every bit of activity counts and if you can get in some reading while you're at it, even better!

Jackie - Congrats on the 6lb loss!! Fantastic! Awesome job on your 18 miler! Especially in the rain! I can't imagine being out there for that long in wet weather but you did it! I think it would be awesome to be able to go back to your PT and tell him that you did 2 marathons this year! You've made such amazing progress this year! So I'm kind of rethinking MCM... I'll post more about it in a sec...

Tandy - I had sent Beth a message on FB but hadn't heard back. She is posting every so often - it seems like she's baking and getting out to her boys' softball games so I think she's okay but it would be nice to get an update from her. I think she's just busy. and I hope your doctor has good news about your calf. I will be thinking good thoughts for you. I hate sitting on the sidelines myself, reading about everyone's training ... but I know before you were worried about balancing classes and running so maybe the forced break will let you focus on classes. Plus you want to be back 100% before you start training for that ultra you were telling us about

AFM - I emailed Maria back in July and I know she was busy with family stuff, training and work. I've also emailed Debra and she's busy with writing and she's just returned from a trip to DL. She had a press pass which I thought was awesome! But I'll let her tell you more about that

I'm rethinking MCM - I asked my dad to book me a ticket to DC yesterday. I spoke to him about this even before I registered for the race. I asked if he would get me a ticket on his rewards card aka free (except for the taxes). Last night, he came and told me that he didn't think the flight to Washington was "worth" the points. He said I could fly to California or anywhere in the US for the same amount of points. I said "Fine. So you're buying the ticket then?" He says "No." Umm... hello?! We talked about this months ago and you agreed. Turns out a ticket to DC is more expensive than a ticket to Orlando (slightly longer distance) or California (even longer distance). I suspect because people who fly to DC go on business and have their tickets reimbursed. I think I have until September 23 to do a bib transfer so I'm going to think about it this weekend. What a jerk! I can't believe we're related. That's my rant!

My trainer is doing a series of free bootcamps tonight so I'm going to attend. I think there will probably be 20+ people but I need the workout My next race is the Island Girl Half marathon at the end of September so I have to get ready for that Lose some weight and get some speed work done!

Have a great day ladies

 

[MouseDogMom]

Jeanne - City of Oaks is Sunday, November 6th. And yes, the super medal is just for the full. Ron's logic is that the full course is one of the most difficult in the country so the medal should reflect that. Originally it was to have spinning parts, but that may or may not happen now. It is supposed to be free-standing, so either way, it should be unusual. And I did have memories of the last 20-miler I did on Sunday - this one went quite differently than that one! Gotta admit - I won't ever forget the one the three of us did. I was telling a couple of the women about that day, and what a trooper you were to literally drag Wendy and me through.
Did you make it to the gym yesterday?

Vicky - Your dad is a jerk. I'm sorry he's pulling this at such a late date. I hope you don't have to defer, but I certainly understand. I was looking forward to the cupcake meet! It's taken me a very long time to feel confident enough NOT to switch to the 10K, and there are still a couple of women in my group who ask me every weekend if I think they can make the cutoff at the bridge.

Have a great day!

Jackie

 

[mandac]

Hi ladies.

I am glad you are back. I checked in last week and thought maybe the thread had been moved. I know I have been a super slacker about posting here, mostly because I have been bad at eating right and the guilt keeps me from posting.

I am headed to Disneyland in a few hours to run the half. I am pretty excited bout this one. I should be able to run the entire race for the first time! Hoping to take 15 minutes off my PR. I will check back next week and let you know how it goes.

When I get back DH and I go into training mode for the R&R Las Vegas. I am excited to have him training with me for that one because we eat better when he is training. I try to be good on my own but I am weak and give into temptation too easily. sigh.

Anyway - have a great weekend everyone! Think of me early Sunday Morning!

 

[bunnyfoo]

Hi ladies! I'll try to keep posting here more often and keep the thread going!

Jackie - I think I'll probably just book a ticket with my own points. I'll send you a FB message because there are a couple details I don't want to post. Funny thing was, before he said he wasn't booking the ticket, I'd been kind of wavering on going anyway. But I'm a bit stubborn and have never liked anyone else to tell me what I can or can't do. So the fact that he wasn't giving me the ticket made me want to go LOL

BTW what happens if you don't beat the bridge - automatic sweeping? Do you have people from your group to run with?

Manda - Good luck and safe travels this weekend! I'll think good thoughts for you on Sunday! I hope you're able to get a PR I think it's awesome that DH will be training together with you for LV. It's always nice to have someone else to encourage you to train and eat healthy!

AFM - I did the bootcamp yesterday. It was my first time doing that kind of a class. There were three stations and the class was divided into groups of 4-6. Each station had about 4-5 exercises which everyone did for about 1 minute each and then we switched exercise. Once everyone had done each exercise x1, the groups switched stations.

The first station was focused on arms - TRX rows, pushups, bent over rows, and goblet squats. I found this one to be the hardest. I did the TRX row first because I knew my arms would be too tired if I did it last. The squats were easy because they used 10 or 12 lbs weights. I had thought about asking for a heavier weight but figured we'd probably rotate back to this station and felt better about going at an easier pace instead of conking out early

The second station was cardio exercises and I thought this one was the easiest for me. There were side steps on a plastic step platform, backward lunges, burpees and military presses. No one in my group did the burpees except for me - but they were only timing the exercise, not how many you could do in a minute. The side steps irritated my knees a bit so I didn't go as fast on them.

The final station was weights - so there were kettlebell swings, step ups, a core exercise, and dragging a sandbag back and forth across the gym. That station wasn't too bad.

Each group had a trainer and they were pretty good about letting people work at their own pace. No one was yelled at or forced to do any exercise. My trainer invited me back to his Saturday session ... and even though my first thought was to say no, I decided to go because I need to start getting serious about the weight loss

After the boot camp, I went with a friend to see 'The Debt'. It was a little slow moving but excellent performances from Sam Worthington and Helen Mirren. I wish they would have had more scenes with Helen Mirren.

Anyone have big plans for Labor Day weekend? I will just be at home. The city is pretty quiet on long weekends because everyone usually goes to their cottages. I kind of like it... shorter lineups at the supermarket, less crowded restaurants, theatres and shopping malls, fewer cars on the road.

Have a great day everyone!

 

[rubato]

Jackie: I am so proud of you for healing slowly and getting through the training smart. You are going to make your goal, I know it! Yes, you are crazy to want to walk another one the next weekend, but I would do it. After Goofy this year, I was ready to walk the next weekend. You will probably have a longer recovery time after that 2nd one, but I'm sure you can do it.

Jeanne: Well, did you get to the gym? It's one step at a time, you know. No, luckily, I have no races to cancel. I planned nothing for 2011 after Goofy. I just wanted to do that ultra next April, and don't know if my leg will be ready for that kind of running. My main focus is no scar tissue, because that will just weaken the strength of the muscle.

Manda: Happy to see you back! Let us know how you did today. Can't wait to hear.

Vicky: Sorry about your dad. I hope you still go. You have trained so much that I would hate to see you not get to do it. Does your family do stuff like this a lot? I've kind of gotten an 'unreliable' theme. I'm only saying that because I deal with the same kind of family.
Happy to hear that Maria, Beth and Debra are doing well. Hope to hear from them some time, but without FB, it's hard.

AFM: The leg is healing. I can't wait to go to the doc next Thursday. I have been doing some short walks, like just in my bedroom, without the boot. I think it's important to try to stretch the calf out as much as possible. So far so good. I stretched it on the stairs a few times, and it can only handle about 10-15 seconds before it gets painful. I'm not pushing it.

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend.

 

[Worfiedoodles]

Honestly, I didn't fall off the face of the Earth....just busy, and I had to get on FB to check on ds, so that hasn't helped...I'm writing a mini TR later tonight, so I'll post it here. Just got back from Vicky's country...and as I said on another thread, I'm tired of trying to read French. The next "Bon" I meet better end in "Jovi"!

Maria

 

[Worfiedoodles]

I promised you an mini TR, and if I don't start it will never happen... This is our summer vacation trip to Montreal. We originally weren't going anywhere this summer, but Ben and I got so antsy, Dennis decided it was in the family's best interest to do something.

Monday, August 29th -- We decided to wait until later to leave, to give the storm clean-up time to happen. Based on what we were seeing on the Boston news, it didn't seem so bad...(note, this impression was corrected when we started seeing the news in Montreal, they were much more concerned about VT). So it was a pleasant drive. We went up about 2 hours in NH, then another 3 in VT, and then about 45 minutes in Canada to Montreal. I had never been in VT for any appreciable time before, and I found it to be quite Green. Just miles and miles of green trees, green mountains, a lovely state. We decided to get something to eat in Montpelier, and the golden dome of the capitol just seemed to sit and shimmer in the forest as we approached. So, by the time we got to the border, we were ready to be done. We didn't have any issues entering, and were on our way up the farmland. Dennis said it looked like we were in IL, and I had to agree. If the signs weren't in French, I would think I was in middle America.

We were very pleased with our hotel. We had a suite so Ben had his own space to sleep and watch tv in. Unfortunately there weren't a ton of channels, but we brought the dvd player thinking that might be the case. We were beat, so we unpacked (we had a small kitchen), and walked to the local Mall. We had some not so great takeout, but we also found the close IGA, so that was fortuitous. We went to bed pretty quickly, we had a busy day ahead.

Tuesday, August 30th -- This is the day we scheduled a hop on/off bus tour, so we could get the lay of the land. It was a double decker bus, so of course my adventurers had to sit up top. This was fine for most of the tour, until it started pouring We were all glad we had picked this, we felt like we had a much better handle of where things were and what we might like to do. We also learned there apparently is a rivalry between Toronto and Montreal. Who knew? We spent the morning on the tour, then got off and had lunch. We went to the Notre Dame Basilica in the afternoon (absolutely beautiful church, where Celine Dion was married), and then back there in the evening for a light show. We went to Old Montreal for dinner, and Dennis had poutine. None for me, thanks Then Dennis decided to take a walk to see St. Catherine Street, since his co-workers had told him so much about it He went about 2 blocks and came back. It was a bit raunchy for him, and he wasn't overly comfortable being solicited

The next day we wanted to walk around the city a bit. We went to the Underground City, and enjoyed the miles of mall -- but didn't really see anything that caught our fancy, much. We had lunch, and then we had to grab a taxi -- we had a tour of the headquarters of Cirque du Soleil scheduled! This was a special treat, they do not do tours for the public. Dennis works with them to find their space when they come to Boston, so we were offered a tour. We could not take any pictures, but I was absolutely amazed at what goes into a production. Of course they have the studios where they practice the shows, a gym, etc. What I did not realize is they actually dye the material for all of their costumes, and then sew them. They make or adapt all the shoes, and make all the headpieces. I could go on and on, but suffice it to say it was extremely impressive, and they also do a lot for the communities they appear in, as well as Montreal's poorest neighborhood. We went back to Old Montreal for dinner. It was my turn to pick and I wanted a crepe! It was more dessert than dinner, but my crepe had a ton of fresh strawberries and sliced banana covered in Belgian chocolate sauce, with sides of vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. No, not exactly on any diet

Thursday, September 1st -- This was our last day in Montreal, and we planned to take the subway out to the Olympic Park. We found the subway to be quick, clean, and pretty easy to maneuver. We went up in the Olympic Tower, which had a fantastic view of the City and surrounding community. One thing we quickly discovered was there weren't really suburbs that go on for miles like around Boston, once you get out of Montreal it seems to be pretty farmy. We also toured the Biodome, with 5 habitats found around Canada and the animals that go with them. We did some more walking around Old Montreal, and ended up having dinner overlooking the marina. We did our final souvenir shopping (I got a couple of great pairs of artisan earrings and plenty of maple products for family and co-workers), and that's when Dennis sprang his brilliant idea for our exit on me -- wouldn't it be great if we could be on the road at 6am instead of 7:30?!

Friday, September 2nd -- So, up at 5am, car packed, and groggy me and Ben are ready to hit the road. We were very happy to be over the border when we would have been leaving, but still...When we got to the border the guard asked Dennis where he worked, who Ben was, it was a little intimidating but, safely back in the U.S. we were able to relax and enjoy the Green. We got home in early afternoon, I started the , we made our grocery list, and started putting away things we had out for the hurricane that didn't hit us, we were so fortunate.

I am pleased to say I started eating correctly right away, and I've run 3M Sat. and today.

We enjoyed Montreal, but I was struck by a couple of things.

The Good:

The news anchors were so multicultural they looked like the United Nations. And the sports announcer we saw was a very healthy woman. I liked that!

The people were polite, and we could figure out most things without too much help.

The Surprising:

Everyone seemed to be smoking -- all the time. It was hard for me (I'm allergic to smoke), but there were not smoking at all in indoor restaurants, so that was actually good.

We quickly got the impression that speaking English was frowned upon, even for tourists. From watching the news, we also felt like English-speakers were second-class citizens. That may not be the case at all, it was just the impression we got.

I did keep thinking I would have a better time if I were at Disney -- I think part of that was all the smoking, and part of it was things were unfamiliar and we had to work to figure them out. The taxes seemed really high, and figuring how much something really cost was a more math than I wanted to do.

The Verdict:

I am really glad we went, but I don't see the need to return any time in the near future. I don't know where next summer will take us, but I predict it will either involve a cruise or another big city in the U.S. My guys got a taste of non-theme park vacationing, and unlike me, I don't think they want to go back

Maria

 

[bunnyfoo]

Hi ladies! Hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend! I am definitely enjoying the extra day off. It certainly is nice not having to rush and do all the laundry, chores, errands etc.

Maria - I think next time you should visit Toronto Everyone speaks English and Kim and I are here! I'm not sure about the smoking though - to be honest, I've never noticed it. I know people smoke outside of the office buildings but all the restaurants and bars here are smoke free. When I read the part about St. Catherine the first thing I thought of was shopping but yeah... I think I know the part of the street you're talking about

I know a lot of people in Toronto like Montreal because it has a European feel to it and most things are open later ... things in Toronto close shortly after 2AM because the bars aren't allowed to sell alcohol past then.

Glad to see you back though

Tandy - I don't know where you'd get the unreliable theme from But yeah you pretty much nailed it! I almost feel embarrassed talking about them sometimes because it almost feels like I'm making up stuff up. Sadly no...

Careful stretching your calf ... If you have scar tissue, is there anything you can do to break it up? I will be thinking good thoughts for you next week

Manda - How was DL?

AFM - I did the boot camp again on Saturday, the exercises were more or less the same. I ran 2 miles before I went to the session. Not sure if it was the best idea but I wanted to try and get the miles in. My knees are starting to bother me a bit (again). So I'm trying to get an appointment with my PT. He now does house calls ... so I have to tidy up a bit! Eeek! I have training tomorrow morning and will see if I can get some baking done in the afternoon.

 

[MouseDogMom]

Maria- Welcome back! Both to the thread and to the US. Sounds like a really cool trip, although I think I'd be really happy to be home too. We were in Vermont about 10 years ago for a few days - it was a really pretty state and we thought we'd like to spend more time there. We were there for a wedding so we didn't have much time to sightsee, and ironically enough, there was a hurricane so the weather wasn't great.

Tandy - I agree with Vicky. Be careful when stretching that calf. I've always heard not to stretch the calf muscle when it's injured, but your injury may be different. I know it's really easy to do more damage, but I also know you don't want it to waste away inside that boot!

Vicky - I'd probably have to come to Toronto. I'm such a chicken of a tourist. Our first trip abroad was to London, since I knew we could handle the language! We considered trying to go to Paris, but we were terrified of the French. I feel the same way talking about my job that you do about your family. It seems like a broken record - we're always in some sort of chaos, understaffed, or something else ridiculous. But it's true... At least I can get away from my job. Family, you're stuck with.

Jeanne - It looks like there are at least 3 of us firmly committed to City of Oaks. One is on the fence, and I haven't seen the other one to ask her. I'm going to send an email out this week to try to get everyone to go ahead and register so we know we're stuck. Or at least stuck committing to a DNF!

Did 10 miles on Saturday on the hilliest course we run during the season. Our group ended up splitting, and I was very happy to finish with the front half in the stronger half. We ran it slow, but there are some killer hills and I never once felt like I couldn't finish! Was in the middle of a really good workout at the track last night, but a mean thunderstorm blew in and soaked us. I don't mind running in the rain, but when you can't see...

Was a little anxious about getting on the scale this morning, since it's TOM week, but I was actually down another 0.3 pounds. I'll take it!

Hope everyone else's week is off to a better start than mine...

Jackie

 

[Worfiedoodles]

Hi Lovely Lean Ones!

Totally flat out at work, but I feel like I deserve a little break to DIS...

I rested today since I ran the last 3 days in a row. I'm skipping my 10M this week -- I'm doing at least 3M 3 days in a row and then resting, so Wed.-Fri. and then rest on Sat. We have a wedding to go to we have to leave early for (it's at 11am in NH, and we have to drop ds at dh's cousin's first), so no way I can work out Sat.

Jackie -- 10M is awesome! You seem to be off to a good start to me

Vicky -- Your PT does house calls? Sounds great I hope you heal quickly. I don't get the deal with the plane ticket -- sometimes it's hard to understand how other people think. I hope it all works out for the best, somehow.

Tandy -- You poor injured athlete! I hope you get good news Thursday. I don't think I ever told you how proud I am of your summer grades! You totally rocked it out!

Manda -- How was the Half? Was there any cool new merchandise at the Expo? I'm wishing for Tervo Tumblers right now I hope you had an awesome race

Jeanne -- How is getting to the gym going? And planning that wedding? You have a lot going on!

I'm doing SB Phase 2 for eating right now. I'm happy with it, and it seems to be working. I guess I'll have a better sense at the end of the month. It's going to be hard for me to workout this month because I'm swamped at work, and we have a ton of company coming. We gave my dad and smom a cruise to Canada for his 75th birthday, so they're coming to spend a few days with us before and after. While they're on the cruise, Dennis's sdad and his wife will visit for 3 days. It's going to be interesting to see if my new-found resolve helps me actually make some progress and get workouts in while we have the company. I'm historically really bad at it because the TM is in their living space...

Ok, back to work. Sigh. Jeanne -- do you have a super secret way to check on Beth with her work buddy? She hasn't posted since May, and I'm worried

I hope you guys have a great week!

Maria

 

[Creativebeth]

Hey buddies! I am around......I didn't fall off the earth either! Busy, and non running still......back surgery was the end of May and the recup time has been a pain in the A$$. I gained weight with the non-running thing.....which is also a pain in the A$$.

I am still doing rehab, but back to work for a month or so.....I will check back later!

Hi to all!

Beth

 

[Worfiedoodles]

Beth!!! I am so happy to see you! You just made my day!

We want more details later, but for now I'm just happy you are here!

Now back to work, I have a ridiculous amount to accomplish this afternoon...

Maria

 

[bunnyfoo]

Jackie - Gee thanks! :laugh: It's okay, I know what you mean! And vent away so I don't feel like I'm the only one doing it! You've got some serious dedication if you're running in that kind of rain! WTG on the loss, especially during TOM week!

Maria - Happy birthday to your dad! A cruise sounds like a wonderful birthday gift! Hope you're able to keep up with your workouts, house guests and work! Yikes! Maybe you can organize after dinner walks with the ILs and maybe sneak in and use the TM while they're out.

Have you ever watched that show "Everybody Hates Chris"? It's about comedian Chris Rock's life growing up. I only watched a few shows in the first season but his dad is kind of like mine. Like if Chris spilled milk, his dad would say "That's $0.35 of milk wasted!" ... Same with my dad. He thinks he gets more value for his miles the longer the trip is.

Tandy - Good luck at the doctor's tomorrow! I hope eveything goes well

Beth - Great to see you posting again! Don't be a stranger!

AFM - I have another boot camp session tonight so I'm looking forward to that (strangely). My knee's been acting up again - I scheduled an appointment with my PT on Thursday and hope to have that sorted out. Although... last night, I ran in a new pair of runners and in much cooler weather and didn't have much pain afterward. Maybe I just needed a new pair of shoes? Or maybe it was just booking the appointment with the PT

 

[rubato]

Hi team. I hope everyone's having an enjoyable weekend. The weather certainly is perfect here. Low's around 50 and highs in the upper 70s. Couldn't be better.

Beth: Happy to hear from you. We've all been worried. I'm glad you're recovering. I know it sucks to gain weight, but you'll be able to take it off when you can exercise again.

Vicky: I'm happy the knee is feeling better, and hope it was just the need for new shoes.

Maria: It sounds like you're going to be pretty busy with family. That's a fantastic bday gift for your dad. I hope my child thinks that highly of me later in life.
Sounds like you had a great trip, even with all the negatives. I hope to someday visit Canada, but don't know where I would want to go. The St. Catherine street part is funny. Frank and I went to Hamburg, Germany and really wanted to go down the street that doesn't allow women. I don't know why. Probably just because I was told I couldn't! We weren't allowed to, but the guys with us did. They said it was just cool that it was there. There was enough stuff in the regular area to open my eyes, let me tell you!

Jackie: You are doing so great with your training. It's so exciting to see how far you've come since your surgery, and even before. I too cannot run in the rain. I'm impressed!

AFM: I am bootless, and getting ready for PT!!!! I am in so much pain still though. The doc said I did a lot of damage to the muscle. He said another 4 to 6 weeks before I can even begin to jog, much less run. So, basically, his theme was to take it easy. Will do!
Did ok on the ACT. They don't give you enough time for the science part and that stunk. My friend and I were the only ones over the age of 17. It was funny. All the little children were curious about us, as if we were animals at the zoo. They were asking us all kinds of questions and whispering about us. It was kind of cute. I'm just glad it's over!

 

[MouseDogMom]

Tandy - on being bootless. Sorry it still hurts so much. Although I have to say, I'm only just now beginning to believe the pain is ALMOST gone from my surgery, and it's been 9 months. Patience is a horrible thing!

Vicky - How was the PT? Is the knee behaving? Sometimes I really believe scheduling the appointment is all it takes to make the pain go away. Then again, new shoes can make miracles happen too. And you do NOT want to encourage me to vent. Trust me!

Beth - So happy to see you and know you're in the rehab state. Drop in again soon!

Maria - Is the company here yet?

Work - I will not vent. I will not vent. I'll just say that our upper management is clueless and leave it at that. We need people badly, and if we don't get approval to add personnel soon, those of us there will just walk out. It's not possible to continue the way we're functioning.

I had the absolute bestest run in the world last night. (Yes, I know it's not a word. But it was the bestest run!) Our little training group has been complaining that all we've done all season is train. We haven't run just for the fun of it in months. I think for me it's been over a year, since I missed the off-season. So last night, we did a fartlek run, but it didn't turn out to be a true fartlek. We were supposed to run a slow mile warmup, then randomly call out points on the trail to pick up our speed and run to, but we ended up in all-out sprints to each designated point. Did a 6 mile run, and none of us can remember the last time we had so much fun. DH did his own run and caught up to us at about 4.5 miles and just shook his head when he saw what we were doing, since it wasn't what he'd told us to do.

And today my legs hurt in places I've never hurt, but I used muscles I don't normally use. I saw a couple of numbers on my Garmin that almost stopped my dead in my tracks - 6:48, for example. I've NEVER, ever run that fast! Mind you, it was only for a few seconds, but still... it was fun!

Jackie

 

[mandac]

Hi Ladies!

The race at Disneyland went great. I beat my PR by almost 20 minutes (19 to be exact). I went from 2:45 to 2:26. I was pretty excited about the whole thing.

It was kind of pushed under the rug though, becuase while I was in California my grandpa was in Utah dying. We had a real struggle deciding if we needed to come home or stay out there. When we left on Thursday he was fine. By Saturday they had moved him to the hospice floor to make him more comfortable. I knew he wasn't really aware by then, and they kept updating me saying that he could go any time. So I didn't change my flight. I acutally got home at about midnight on Tuesday night and he died a few hours later, before I could get out there.

With all of that going on I just couldn't really brag much about my race. I still kind of think I should have gone home, but I had trained so hard for the race and knew it would be a good one. Oh well, that was a decision that can never be undone. I just like to think that he would have wanted me to do the race after all the hard work.

Then with the funeral stuff and just being depressed (post race depression) I haven't been doing well. I have tried to get back on a couple of times, but have been fighting migrains also. It has been a tough couple of weeks. I am hoping today is the new start. I have been tracking my food on My fitness pal and I plan to run after work (hopefully I really do).

Thanks for always being there ladie! You are great!

 

[jeanneg]

Manda: so very sorry about the loss of your grandpa. Please don't beat yourself up over not being there. As you say, he was pretty much out of it by that point anyway. If he cared anything for you, I sure he would want you to complete the race you had trained so hard for. That said, congrats on a fabulous PR. You really blew your old time outta the ballpark! I wouldn't be surprised if his spirit hovering on the precipice of 2 worlds was channeling positive energy to you. Think of your success as a celebration of his life.....and stop being depressed! We here all love ya.

Beth: welcome back! We missed you!

 

[deekaypee]

I hope I'm welcome back here, even if I'm not quite lean. I know I've been gone for months, and it'll feel like starting all over again - sort of like my diet.

I've been meaning to come back seriously for about three weeks, after coming back from DL and the D23 Expo - where I got my first official media pass from Disney. I "quit" one of the places I write for (one of those free, for-exposure gigs) and pulled back on another.

But then, for whatever reason, it just seemed really odd - stressful - to come back. Blank page syndrome. I'd been gone so long that I didn't know what to say.

So here's what I have to say. I've lost 10 pounds over the summer, total. (Up and down, up and down.) Traveled a lot, between family - my dad finally retired and we have 3 new-ish nieces, with a 4th baby on the way - and Disney. Worked too hard. And have a hectic schedule. But Facebook is no replacement for you all here - as Jeanne and Jackie, and others - have noted.

Thank God for the recent FB changes, which have given me a kick in my pants to come back. I love the convenience of seeing what folks are up to on FB - like eavesdropping - but it's not really the interaction that keeps me going, KWIM?

Jackie: I've been keeping up with your mileage headed into the MCM marathon. I had no doubts you were doing the 26.2.... As usual, I'm in awe. And every time I read what a great time you have in groups I think, "I gotta get me one of those." Still running alone. It must be the BO. I love, love the fact you did a fartlek sprint with your group!

Jeanne: You, of all of us, have just the busiest schedule. Not that everyone isn't mad busy. But I think of weddings and caretaking, with this odd, unstable scheduling & emotional needs, as being particularly exhausting. I'd planned to make it to Hershey, but DOOD's work schedule took an unexpected turn this summer & we're both affected by it. You'll do great, of course!

Tandy: I've been lurking here, building up courage to come back. I have to say I'm impressed by your academic prowess. I'm not sure I'd have what it takes to go back to school. And I'm' a lifelong academic. You're so organized.

But I'm sorry to hear about your torn calf muscle, the pain you've been in, and the extended break from running. That's got to frustrating for you, esp. since you get so much energy from running. I suppose it's cold comfort to know you're not alone in learning to adjust to the many benefits of healing slowly & needing to strengthen weaknesses as we age. I've been learning that the hard way. But yeah for going bootless (much better than bra-less)!

Maria: Congratulations on Providence! I loved the mini-TR to Montreal, which reminds me of what I miss about the DIS. (And you!) I can't believe your son is on FB and your dad celebrated his 75th. My, how time flies!

Vicky: Thank you from the bottom of my heart for continually reaching out to me while I've been MIA. I don't know how I'd find my way back here without yout! I guess I didn't realize your fall race schedule was so very busy - but I should have.

I'm impressed and more than a little intimidated by bootcamp. We have one here, but it starts at 5 a.m. and I just can't do it. Nope, nope, nope. And especially when I read about what you do. I bow to your overall fitness.

Manda: I'm so sorry to hear about your grandfather's death. That certainly does affect how you would see your race. That said, I'd like to offer you congratulations on your DLR 1/2 PR & for committing to RnR LV. I hope you can embrace what I'm sure your grandfather would have wanted - to see you accomplish your goal. What Jeanne said about his spirit looking after you & your being happy and healthy is a celebration of his life. Hugs to you!

Beth: I'm glad to hear that your back surgery is over with, you're rehabbing and back to work. When can you get back to running?

AFM: 8 miles for this weekend's LR. I'm doing okay - not getting any faster but just focusing on being consistent. Right now, that's about what I can hope for. There hasn't been a week in, oh, six months where my weekly schedule has been the same. And I'm afraid I've become the type of person who needs structure in her life. I'll attribute that to age, not to my natural inclination to disorganization.