Run Log: August 2013

Running right now is the greatest thing ever ~ I am feeling strong and confident and rocking the long runs.  The goal now is to maintain this running high.{and stay healthy & stay injury free & have great weather on October 13 & not die}

It has been HOT and MUGGY all week ~ so I've been running at 5am (when it's still hot and muggy...just not sunny)  That makes for long days ~ but the days I didn't run, I felt groggy all morning.  So maybe I need to keep it up.  But boy, that's EARLY.

Today I ran to the YMCA for the U Wanna Come Back Invitational.  It was an amazing run.  12 miles & I was drenched {98% humidity ~ I'm sure} but I just feel so strong.  Can't wait for my 20 next Saturday!

Something that I think is really helping is running with Dodd to start.  He runs fast to start & being as competitive as I am, I try & keep up.  We talk for 7 miles or so and the time goes quickly.  Then I put in my music.  I'm not tired of it at the end.  I think I will start the marathon without it & only turn it on when I need some motivation.

August’s Totals:

155.46 miles for the month 
805.46 miles for the year
0 biking miles for the month
132 biking miles for the year
480.93 miles in my Now Retired, {except for Camp Stig} black, pink & blue Asics 

99.17 miles (I did not separate out the few miles run at Camp Stig) in my orange mizunos {love them}


My WEIGHT:  The scale has not been my friend.  It was at 135 most of August.  Went back to school & after two days of salad at lunch it was at 134.  I'm not unhappy with that...just need to curb my poor eating choice.  {apple instead of cookie}

Some interesting facts:

Longest run this month: 18!!!!
Favorite place to run this month: The new white trail at Stig ~ and the last two miles DOWNHILL on County Line from 307 home.
# of bags of Candy Cane Kisses left in my cabinet: One
# of books I read this month: two
Monthly mileage record: 155.46 ~ August 2013!  WOW
Highest mileage ever-at-one-time:  18!   Saturday August 24, 2013

PR's:
5K: 22:45 (Rabbit Run 10/30/11~ but I think it was a short course)
10K: 52:02 (Cleveland 5/15/11)
10-miler: 1:21:29 (Hermes Cleveland 10-miler 4/28/12)
half-marathon: 1:47:35 (Cleveland Half 5/19/2013)
marathon: 3:50:05 (Akron relay {team run} 9/24/11)

Day two

Summer is over & there are 178 more school days until summer break 2014!

But who's counting?

Really, I'm not.  I am teaching in a great new room ~ in a great new building ~ with great new people.  It's going to be a great year.

My goals:  Be a good listener.

I may have to only have one goal ~ as that one will take A LOT of practice on my part.

We are doing something new to us {not so new in the education world} consulting.  I have a period of consultation with the 7th and 8th grade science teachers.  I'm not sure how exactly this is going to look, but I'm less anxious and more excited after two days.  I'm hoping that I can really help teachers help the special needs kids in their classrooms.  I've kind of been in a panic whenever I've thought about it this summer...{maybe I've been faking this whole intervention specialist thing for 23 years}...but now that I've been in the class & recognize the needs of some of the kids, I have some ideas, and I've feeling more confident.

Jacob is enjoying his classes & hopes to have his summer reading done by Christmas {seriously?!? I'm a bad parent}

Patrick is working out ~ joining stuff ~ meeting people ~ playing tennis ~ remembering calculus ~ doing fine.

Life is good.

Runaway Oven & #24

Last night I was cooking dinner {bacon wrapped hot dogs & baked ravioli}.  I check on the meal, and it wasn't quite done ~ so I added 5 more minutes to the timer & went on my way.  By the time the timer went off everything was smoking & burning..."oops," I thought, "I cooked it too long."  I pulled it out & shut off the oven.  As I'm getting the meal ready I notice the heating element is bright red.  I check.  The oven's off.  The element is still red.  The oven is REALLY hot.  REALLY REALLY hot.  It was, what the manual called, a runaway oven.
We now have a new one.

Book #24 ~ a great summer read, the last original wife by Dorothea Benton Frank.  Great story about the trophy wives of a group of people & the remaining first wife.  Funny, brave, sad, enjoyable.  Poignant in that a marriage must benefit all members and a family must work together and be honest, but really a light-hearted book.

Quote:
p173 ~ Dreams made your eyes sparkle over the possibilities of doing something new and exciting.  Reality made the rest of you break a sweat in panic.

fl: Welcome to Saint Magnolia's Wounded Theater.  ll: I was surrounded by love, and truly I felt cherished.  There was nothing more I would ever want.

Eighteen!

Today, I reached yet another running milestone.  I ran 18 miles and I did it in 2 hours 38 minutes and 56 seconds.  That's a 8:45 pace, if you must know.  It's an incredible feeling to reach that distance successfully!  As I was crossing the train tracks, so was Mike.  He gave me a thumbs up? and I answered with two thumbs up and a smile to break my face...I felt so good!  {for being at mile 18 ~ I have to admit my foot was feeling it and my left knee was making itself know...but that was it}

AND my keeper of a husband sidewalk-chalked the route.  "H2O ahead"  "you feel fine"  "I'm proud of you"  "Only 2 more miles"  and my favorite, "Palmer says, I love you, Daddy.  Jacob grunted"  {I ran the first 10 with Dodd}

Amazing.

I know I will finish the marathon...and I hope the wall is at mile 27.

DRESS!

I bought a running dress.

This is not me.

It's adorable.

I haven't run in it yet...but I will soon.  It doesn't have any pockets, so I can't wear it on my long runs {18 tomorrow}!  But it will be great for a 6 miler.  I've just been running those in the dark...and I want my dress to be seen.

On the other side

August 21, 2013.  The day Patrick moved into Calhoun Hall & our lives changed.  Yet again.  I guess I haven't quite accepted the fact that life is really just a series of changes.  Most of which turn out to be very very good.  I am so proud of this kid.  He's smart and funny ~ and has so much ahead of him.  The trip to UC seemed to take forever ~ a major truck fire clean up, construction, lots of traffic...so as it approached noon, we decided it would be smarter to eat first & unload second.  So we found {after many attempts} a Cracker Barrel.  Jacob and I worked on the "you are smart" puzzle.  Jacob finally got it down to two pegs.

The first time I tried I was an "eg-no-ra-moose" with five pegs left.  The second time ~ WINNER ~ I took a picture to prove it.  And now I don't have to do that puzzle any more.

Then we went to campus...where the whole dropping off process is a well-oiled & smooth process.  You pull up, they help unload to the sidewalk.  You sign in and get a number & your key.  They call numbers & you load your stuff into a cart & get in line for the elevator.  This was all done while I searched the parking garage for a spot.  Then hiked up 6 flights of stairs...a number of times...

His room is in the corner & it is larger than most dorm rooms.  That was pretty sweet.  It also views campus & you can see the soccer field & most of the football field from the window.  It really is a great view.

We walked around campus & showed Jacob the cool view of the engineering buildings.

Then we left.

What kind of a mother just leaves her child in a strange place, with a stranger for a roommate?

I know, I know, but it's still selfishly difficult.

Endings always are.

But beginnings are wonderful & this is such a beginning for Patrick.

I will rejoice for him.

But I'm still a little sad.

Now I am on the other side of August 21, 2013.  The view is bittersweet.

Car Hoarder

Not only am I a basement beer bottle hoarder, I'm a car hoarder.  Today I got cold after our run at Camp Stig (such STRANGE weather for August) so I went to get my sweatshirt from the car.  I remember that Terry gave me one of Katie's old Newbury sweatshirts on Sunday so I dug a little deeper into the pile of stuff in the backseat of my Yukon.  I found the black zip-up sweatshirt jacket that I was sure I'd accidentally put into the Goodwill pile last month & my yoga pants that I couldn't find for my Colorado trip & a bag from Dicks with energy gummies...brand new & my clipboard from school with my checkout information & a lunch I packed for someone...probably for a tennis match...last spring.
Let's just say that ziplock bags are pretty effective in holding in odors.
I should be more embarrassed than I am...well on my way to being a house hoarder.

New shoes!

Pretty orange Mizinos. 

After 480.93 miles on my black Asics, it was time. I really went looking to buy Brooks, but Second Sole hadn't received their shipment, so there were none in my size.  Same was true about other color (pink) Mizinos. I could have ordered something else, but I really wanted new shoes.  So I got these orange ones. And I had a great run in them this morning.  Things happen because they are meant to happen. And I love my new shoes!  

Rock Star

I ran 16.26 miles this morning.  I did it in 2:24.  I am so PROUD of myself.  I am also very tired & my legs feel like I ran 16 miles this morning.  I did it and I was STRONG.  {The reason I didn't quit at 16 is not because I was a show-off, it's because I wasn't home yet, and I wasn't sure I'd make it if I stopped & walked!}
My foot is a little sore.  I've iced it twice & am wearing my comfy shoes.  I will nurse it & I think it will be fine.
I'm also off to buy new shoes....my black Asics have close to 500 miles on 'em & it felt like it today.  It's a good week to break in new shoes as next Saturday is only 10 miles so the body has time to heal.
I am more and more excited and less and less anxious for October 13.

#23

#23 is After All These Years by Susan Isaacs.  I didn't like it as well as I liked Compromising Positions, but it was still a good mystery.  A little fantasy...really, she's on the lam and has not one, but two romantic encounters...but the thing that really jaded me was that she had a fling with a former student who was her son's age. {I guess things in 1993 were a little less 'sexual predator' than they are now}  The characters were pretty stereotypical of the rich and well-to-do.  To be honest I was rushed to finish it because I got the dreaded email that my digital library loan was about to end.  I may try another Susan Isaacs...we'll see.

Susan does have a great vocabulary tho:

p 130:  pejorative

expressing contempt or disapproval

p172:  skulduggery

underhanded or unscrupulous behavior; trickery

quote:
p379:  But had God been in a breezier mood when he chiseled Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery than when he forbade murder?  {Oh, how that puts sin in perspective!}

Great Run Day!

Had an adventure run at XC practice.  We took off into uncharted territory on a different portion of the white trail at Camp Stig.  It was beautiful & steep in some places.  We got muddy & a little banged up.  The kids got mad when I wouldn't let them cross the 'river' ~ as feet would have gotten very wet.  It was still a half mile in & then they took off on the known white trail ~ which is now missing the rope...so it's not quite as amazing as it was.
THEN
I came home & took off on my training run.  I decided to run County Line to 307...and as I was crossing 90...a truck was coming westbound.  I pumped my arm...and he HONKED at me.  SCORE.
Made my whole run.

I need new shoes...but when I put my old blue & white Asics on today to run at Stig...they HURT MY STUPID TOE.  I can't go buy shoes if they might hurt my toe...how will I know if I like the shoe or not?  Stupid stubbed toe.

B-b-b-Bacon

This is the best dinner ~ bacon wrapped hot dogs.  I don't want to know the nutritional value {or lack thereof}

With a little bit of experimenting, I have perfected the dish.  

Put a wire rack in a 9x13 pan.  Wrap the all beef hotdogs with peppered thick cut bacon.  The thick cut is the key to success.

BAKE {which makes them healthy} in the oven at 350 {or so} for 30 minutes {or so}  They taste best with the bacon still a little limber.  {my family is adamant about this, and I agree, even tho I prefer crispy bacon strips...the limber bacon tastes better around the dog}

delish on a fresh hot dog bun {usually, the fresh ones are a treat anyway} and some mustard.

UP

UP girls trip 2013 is experienced.  It's always an interesting time to be together in close quarters eating exceptional food and drinking girly drinks.  The weather was perfect {except for a little rain in Friday...but that allowed us to shop & visit the distillery in Three Oaks}.  It was sunny and warm with a great breeze on the beach & cooler at night for great sleeping.
Heidi tried to drive 70 mph on the way there...but was not successful.  Bean & I saved a turtle crossing the road.  I ran 14 miles {successfully!} with my girls cheering me on.  We ate dinner with Chris & Mike from next door & totally enjoyed the new outdoor porch.  Wonderful space!
The best part was the outdoor shower.  I need one.