Hakuna Matada - Fit, Fun and Fabulous in February

[verticalchaos]

Vicky ~ The sidewalks are "the responsibility of the building/property owners" ~ and they usually do a good job because if someone were to fall on an improperly cleared or uncleared sidewalk, that person CAN sue the building/property owner. The big issue comes in with the vacant lots and abandoned buildings where there isn't anyone to clear. Usually there's at least a path for people to walk single-file in front of most places.

Now for some irony? The City is constantly reminding people to clear the sidewalks on their property. Constantly. Well, a city pool (clearly not open now) is just down in the next block from me. That sidewalk hasn't been cleared since the Christmas blizzard. Way to follow your own rules City!

They were saying today that with the sun coming out and stuff we now have to be extra cautious to avoid falling ice and snow. Buildings that know they're prone to it put blockades out to leave a narrow close to the street walkway. But the best option is to not walk right against a building right now. OUCH!

 

[Hockeychic]

It is amazingly beautiful outside today. Wish I was home today and out for a walk.

Lynn WTG on the workouts!!! How did you like Dream, we are booked on Fantasy next year but I am worried about a ship that size being a bit crowded.

Beth sorry if I missed it somewhere Beth what race are you doing?

Vicky Yup still packing lunches but can't seem to kick the pepsi, however decided today is the last day. Ya Mike said when he got home yesterday that he can't believe how much more snow we have then in the city. It looks so pretty right now but hate when it gets all brown and icky

 

[verticalchaos]

I'm doing the Gridiron Classic 4 Miler. It's a New York Road Runners race in Central Park.

I'm so sad right now. I have worked summer school every year I've been teaching - I'm in my 5th year - and had planned to this year. The money is excellent and allows me to do special trips (like the upcoming Italy trip). I'd planned to use the money from it this year for the Wine and Dine weekend and probably John Bingham and Jenny Hadfield's cruise next February. Well, I just found out the dates that summer school will run this summer and instead of ending on a Friday like they ALWAYS do, it ends the following Monday. And you're "not allowed" to request the last two days off. (Technically that isn't a rule, it's a case-by-case basis, but you know EVERYONE is going to want that day off.) My family has already paid for a beach house rental that starts the day after it would have ended - the dates and so forth cannot be changed. And the only way I can affordably go is to fly into Charlotte so my parents can pick me up on their way through - 4 hours from the beach. If I flew down on Monday night or Tuesday morning, that would be an 8-hour round trip for my parents, and that's not fair to them. To fly into an airport closer to the beach, it's about $1000 more expensive (literally) So my options are: 1) work summer school and fight the throngs of people asking for that day off and hope that my request gets granted, which i doubt it will since my principal doesn't really like me...and then miss the family beach trip I've been looking forward to since LAST YEAR when I had to miss it because my parents went early or 2) not work summer school and lose all the extra money (and probably go stir crazy). Add to that the process of taking a leave of absence for the summer isn't as easy as I was led to believe, so I wouldn't have retention rights NEXT summer. I want to cry right now. I hate this choice.

~beth

 

[bunnyfoo]

Beth - Same here. People and businesses are suppose to make sure the sidewalks are cleared in front of their properties. It's usually okay downtown but in the suburbs, most of the homeowners aren't as good about clearing the snow. I laughed when you said the snow hadn't been cleared around the city property - isn't that the way it always is.

Sorry to hear about your vacation plans Are there other teaching opportunities this summer that you can look into? Can you rent a car from the airport and then drop it off at a location that's closer to your rental property? I haven't used Priceline before but I have heard about people getting some good deals through there (they said the taxes, fees etc. were actually more than the rental rate).

Kim - Good decision on the pop! You won't miss it after a week or so. And if you do go back and drink some, you'll be surprised at how sugary it is. Hope Mike is feeling better!

 

[bunnyfoo]

Weekend Racers ​

Good luck Beth and Emily! Burn some pavement! Can't wait to hear your RRs!


February
6 - NYRR Gridiron Classic 4M - Beth
6 - Rose Bowl 5K, Pasadena, CA - Emily

 

[Hockeychic]

Beth, I am sorry I do remember reading that have a great run.

Emily: Have a great race!!!

Official trainning for my next half starts on Monday...wahoooo I am really excited to get started on the new season.

Have a great weekend all!!!!

 

[Lynn G]

Good Morning Team!

Vicky - I have not had problems with the seat on our spin bike, the only seat I ever had problems with was the new bike that we bought last fall. I have bought a womens Terry Butterfly seat to replace it, hopefully that will solve the problem.

Kim - The Dream is a beautiful ship, it is really big, has lots of small cubby holes to escape to if needed. On the Maiden voyage, there were only 3100 out of 4000 possible passengers. At times it did seem rather crowded, at other times seemed rather empty. We think it might be difficult to fill one of those ships on a cruise that is not special, unless it is a time when kids are out of school. A Fantasy cruise would be better than a Dream one in that they are 7 night cruises instead of 3 or 4 night - 4 nights on a ship is not enough! The AquaDuck was very popular - lines any time it was open.

Beth - It has warmed up quite a bit here, todays high is supposed to be int the 40’s! Was pretty windy yesterday, and my shopping and errand trip took longer than I thought, so I never got outside for a walk. Sorry to hear your summer school is becoming an issue - Pixie Dust for you in deciding what to do. Good luck on your race!

Emily - Good luck on your race!

AFM - I am ashamed to say that I did nothing yesterday exercise wise! Today I plan to get downstairs right after breakfast, as we are headed to Colorado this afternoon for an appt with Scott’s knee doc.

Pixie dust to all who are in need!

Have a great day team!

 

[es45]

Hello, everyone,

I missed my morning run because my DD6 is sick with a virus. Just finished a quick workout at the gym to say that I did something remotely athletic today.

Good luck at your races, Emily and Beth!

 

[verticalchaos]

Good luck Emily!!

Hope all are well! I'm about to get a hot shower, take some Nyquil to sleep, and then get up and head to the race tomorrow. Whee!!

 

[Motomiker]

Hi Team!

I found the new thread! We survived the blizzard of 2011 without too much trouble. I made it to work the night the storm hit, just before the road got closed and a "state of emergency" got declared. Snowplows, cars, even an ambulance got stuck on the main road in front of our store. Fifty eight people called in that day! I stayed and worked overtime as there was plenty to do, and I couldn't leave. We got enough snow that it is up to Robert's shoulders when he walks on the path that we cleared to the cars. He loves it!

Beth~ sending you PD and hugs, for your frustrating work schedule

Vicky~ I love how you added links to each one of our listed races. And yes, I have alot of back to back races on the same weekend. I figure two halves on one weekend will be good training for a full. We shall see! I am still contemplating doing the Chicago marathon, but it would be a week after the Milwaukee marathon. Cancer hasn't killed me, so maybe I'm indestructable?

Beth and Emily~ Hope your races went well!

AFM~ Ran twice at the gym this weekend, did some weight lifting, rowing, and a little swimming. Been sittin' on my butt way too much! Liz has been an animal at the gym, running, biking, and swimming alot. She's looking great! On Sunday mornings, the gym shows a movie on a big screen in the spin room and everyone rides the whole time. I might try it next weekend to get some cross training in.

Train one everyone! - Mike

 

[verticalchaos]

Hi guys!!

First off, my race report is here: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2651709 13 second PR with icy tangents and a cold or whatever this is? I'll take it!

Mike ~ Glad you and Liz survived the snowstorm!

Elizabeth ~ Hope your little one feels better soon!!

Lynn ~ I hear you on no-go days! Hope the appointment about the knee went well!!

Kim ~ Woohoo for official training!! Mine for the NYC Half officially starts (at like week 9, but whatever) tomorrow too!

Vicky ~ Hope you're well!!

Me? Besides the race? I'm sitting here watching Puppy Bowl. LOL. I'll probably jump in the shower in a little while, then plan on an early bedtime. I'd like to make it to 8, but not sure if that'll happen or not. I'm pooped! I've about decided I'm at peace with the no teaching this summer thing if they don't get it worked out - or maybe even if they do. I'd honestly started to think about taking the summer off anyway - feel like a "normal" teacher with the summer off. The good thing is the money was not mandatory for me to live on. Given that there's not a lot of theatre I'm interested in seeing that's slated to come out, I can save a good bit of money with that. And if I stick to a budget, I should be able to put money away to be able to do some fun stuff with. And if something has to wait a year, oh well. I suspect I might ultimately be a happier me if I take the two months off. But we shall see.

Ok...time for some more water and then a shower. Hope all are well!!

~beth

 

[Pudge_The_Fish]

Hello Team!

DH and I did the Rose Bowl 5k this morning. Overall, it went well. We took it easy this race since we're just getting back into running and weren't looking for a PR.

We got to the race really early, the 5k started at 8:15a but roads were supposed to close at 7am. So, we got there at about 6:45a. I was able to trade my tshirt for a larger size and then we sat in the car until closer to the start time. Many of the racers were sitting in there cars since it was a chilly morning for So Cal.

The 5k field was about 230 people. We lined up towards the back at the start. We did a 2min run/walk interval. I felt pretty good after the race so I probably could have pushed a bit harder and done a smaller walk interval. We finished at 39:26.

I didn't think the logistics were done very well. The road around the Rose bowl wasn't closed off, except for one lane on one side. Everyone had to run on the pedestrian path which made it difficult to pass. We did get to finish inside the stadium on the 50-yd line which was neat. Medals weren't given out for the 5k, but they did have a beer truck so I got a free beer instead.

Have a good day!
Emily

 

[verticalchaos]

Way to go Emily!!! Congrats on a nice race!!

~beth

 

[Lynn G]

Good Morning Team!

Beth - Scott’s knee is doing better. Doc says probably has small meniscus tear caused by arthritis, gave him a shot of steroids - doesn’t want to do more surgery at this time. The steroid shot should help the swelling and the pain (Scott cannot take NSAIDs because of previous stomach surgery, so his options are limited). Was told to keep up the bike riding and walking, just no running! We watched the Puppy Bowl also! Sounds like you have a good handle on the summer plans.

Emily - Good job on your race - sounds like it was fun!

Mike - Glad to hear that you survived the blizzard! Good job on the workouts.

AFM - We have signed up for a bike ride (they are not really races) called the Front Runner Metric Century in Salt Lake City, UT on April 9th. it is a 62 mile ride from SLC to Ogden, UT, then they take you back to SLC on a train, then feed you dinner. You get BLING from this ride (unusual for a bike event)! So - I have 2 months to really get in shape! Yesterday I spent 1 hour on the spin bike, Saturday was a dog walk (1.27 miles) and 30 min on the spin bike. Today will be Pilates, spin bike and weights. (I ate a bit too much at the Super Bowl party last night).

Pixie dust to all who are in need!

Have a great day team!

 

[bunnyfoo]

Hi team! Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Lynn - That is quite the bike ride! I will add you and Scott to the racing calendar. Glad to hear that Scott's knee is doing better! Sending him some anyway!

Emily - Great RR! A lot of the 5K races here don't give out medals either. I did 10K race last year that had a 5K race as well and a lot of the people doing the 5K were upset they didn't get a medal. But the free beer sounds good! Better than the free bananas

Beth - Great RR! And congrats on a PR - especially you not feeling well and the chilly weather! Fantastic time I'm glad you're ok with your plans for the sumemr. Time off is always good to recharge and relax! Btw, what's the Puppy Bowl?

Kim - More snow! Why couldn't this all just show up on one day! How's your eating and exercising going? I cheated a little bit on Sunday with a pain au chocolat It was so good though! I'm going to do 30 minutes on the spin bike to make up for it though Are you registered for the Toronto Goodlife?

Mike - Glad to hear you survived the snowstorm! I saw your pics on FB - that's a lot of snow! And the OT will come in handy for all those races you've registered for. You might just very well be indestructible! I've heard that the Chicago marathon is a blast! I think Kim might have done it one year? Are you aiming for a PR in any of your halves this year!

Liz - Way to rock the workouts! You go girl!

Elizabeth - Hope your little one is doing better today! Did your orthotics arrive?

AFM - I had a great weekend! On Friday, I met a friend for dinner. Saturday I went to the gym did the spin bike for 40 minutes and got a mini facial and then I had brunch on Sunday with a friend. I did cheat a bit on the no sugar and ate a pain au chocolat. So worth it! Not much planned for today except a quick training session and an extra 30 minutes on the spin bike to make up for the cheat.

Have a great day everyone!

 

[Saylan]

Congrats on the race finishes! And great race reports.

Sorry for being MIA. I keep losing track of life with the plans coming up.

Friday we went out for dinner to the Keg. Baked Goat Cheese with crusty baguette bread and red pepper salsa, Roasted-red pepper and goat cheese sirloin, and for dessert, baked apple crumble with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream (since I don't eat caramel). Yes, I was bad, but it felt so good and tasted even better. The only downside is there were two loud tables, once of which was a birthday party with a VERY large and loud drunk guy in it. He made one of the most embarassign spectacles I've ever seen. The poor birthday person looked like they wanted to disappear under the table.

I just got my Princess bib number so now it feels realer. I got in slightly over 11 miles this weekend and I wanted to go more I seemed to have gotten a blister. Blister + Aggravated Ingrown Toenail = Painful!

Sunday was leisure day so I picked up my GU for the week and settled in to watch Prince of Persia and Super-Glee.

 

[verticalchaos]

Hi team!!

Lynn ~ Pixie dust for Scott's knee! I hav a friend who's doing that bike ride too! Very cool! Once upon a time I had dreams of big-time bike riding...but that never happened. Now I don't even have a bike.

Vicky ~ The Puppy Bowl is Animal Planet's answer to the Super Bowl (I remember when they or Discovery did Shark Bowl...but that has morphed into Shark Week). It's basically 2 hours of cuteness as puppies on a little playing field try to "score" by putting toys over goal lines. This year there were chicken cheerleaders, more cute puppies in the "tail-gating" section, and hamsters in a "blimp". Sounds like you had a great weekend!!

Saylan ~ Congrats on getting the bib number!

AFM ~ I woke up feeling like death warmed over and probably should have called in, but I had a feeling... That turned out to be true - because our unit coordinator was out as was her second in command, the assistant principal showed up and...well, it wasn't pretty. Because of mid-year assessments my student binders are in a mess, and she ripped me a new one (granted, deservedly so but it's never fun). At least she didn't have the "you had to call in a sub and had no plans" thing to hang over my head. Reinforces the decision to take the summer off to recharge and get re-inspired. So I'm taking an unscheduled rest day. Because of the stress, I didn't eat lunch, so I went to the neighborhood pizza place to get dinner. The guy who owns it makes me a really good cheesesteak sandwich without peppers and onions...only he left right after I ordered it and the guys who seem to always be in there on the weekends not only piddled around so that when he got back 20 minutes later from doing a delivery run I was still waiting, when I DID get it and got home I discovered that it was chock full of peppers and onions. EW! Even pulling them out, I couldn't enjoy it because the nastiness was all over the meat and bread. Had I taken it back, it wouldn't have really made a difference as he was out on another large delivery. So...unless I know he's there and STAYING while my order is prepared, I'm not going back there.

All right...enough whining out of me. Hope everyone's having a good day!

~beth

Just signed up for 2 more races (that will put me at 7, so only 2 more to get in by December 31 for guaranteed entry into the NYC Marathon in 2012!!)...

4/10 - NYRR Scotland Run 10K

6/25 - Front Runners New York Lesbian and Gay Pride Run 5M

 

[Lynn G]

Good Morning Team!

Vicky - Thanks for the PD for Scott! Puppy Bowl is on Animal Planet - they put a bunch of puppies in a room with a carpet marked like a football field, give the puppies toys, watch them all run around the room and give points if one happens to push the football across the goal line! Fun to watch.

Saylan - Congrats on the weekend workout. Sounds like a great dinner.

Beth - Is your friend doing the Front Runner Metric Century live in SLC or in NY? If in NY, that would be a long distance to travel. (or is there also one in NY?) Sorry you had problems with your dinner after the stressful day at school.

AFM - I was very good yesterday and did not eat any dessert! (That is a big accomplishment for the sugar-holic in me). I did 50 min of Pilates and 30 min on the spin bike. I was going to go longer on the bike and do some weights, but I was also doing laundry at the same time, and it got really late and time for me go get dinner together - so today I will have to do the weights. That is fine, I am house-bound today - cold and snowing out (2 below zero right now).

Pixie dust to all who are in need!

Have a great day team!

 

[bunnyfoo]

Hi team! Hope everyone's training is going well! And that everyone is keeping warm!

Beth - Awesome! I will add your races to the calendar shortly (if you don't see them there right away, it's because I'm at work). I didn't know about the Puppy Bowl but it sounds super cute! I'm going to check out the Animal Planet site when I get home, maybe they'll have clips. Hope you're feeling better today Sorry to hear about the sandwich, that would have grossed me out too if there were a bunch of things on it that I didn't like

Saylan - I love The Keg but haven't been there in a while. I love their French Onion soup Nothing like making a scene on someone else's birthday... good grief! Keep your nails trimmed! And try some body glide for your feet - that might stop the friction that causes the blisters. I'm sure someone else will jump in with better advice though!

Sue - Heard about the GO problems this morning - hope you made it in okay! How's ATB training going?

Mike - How's your mom doing?

Lynn - WTG on skipping dessert! From one sugar-holic to another, I know how hard that is!

Scott - for your knee! Any news from the doctor?

AFM - It was a usual Monday - training and treatment. I braved 3 acupuncture needles but was a huge baby about the whole thing I did 30 minutes on the stationary bike after acupuncture - it's a lot easier than the spin bike and I can FB and text while I'm on it. Haha!

I've decided not to go to the Princess Half Not exactly what I wanted to do but I do want to let my ankle heal properly and not keep patching it up all the time. So if anyone is interested or knows of someone who's going to register, I'm selling mine.

Have a great day everyone!

 

[wilbur]

Good Morning Team!

Vicky, Bummer about the Princess but you don't want to do any long term permanent damage. I'm blowing off ATB. It will be the 1st race I've signed up for then didn't race.

Lynn, Are we all dessert-a-holics? A nice dessert is our Sat. night calorie splurge.

Beth/ Emily, Congrats on your weekend races.

Nothing exciting to report. The roads/sidewalks are making running hard. I'm into spinning/ swimming/ yoga right now.

Have a great day everyone............Sue