Back to the Usual

Inside today…

…and outside.

Week of April 14, 2014:

Monday: Walked 15 minutes

Tuesday:  Running work-out.  20 minutes total with 10 minutes running

Wednesday: Walked 24 minutes

Thursday: Walked 19 minutes

Friday: Biked to and from Shiraz for a lunch date + walked 23 minutes

Saturday: Running work-out.  29 minutes total with 20 minutes running

Sunday: Walked 22 minutes.

Total minutes walked/ran: 152.  Estimated miles: 11.1.

Now that there’s a race on the schedule, it’s back to the usual weekly updates…or at least that’s the goal.  I’ve had a really lovely weekend.  Paul and I went to his family celebration yesterday, where we ate and laughed and relaxed for a few hours.  His mom made a pan of absolutely delicious vegetarian enchiladas, which we loved.  She’s relatively new at cooking for vegetarians, and I’m so touched by her efforts to feed us well.  I’m hoping we can visit his parents this summer before we move to Austin.  (And just for the record, we like to feed them when we visit, so there will be lots of kitchen love, I’m sure.)

Today I alternated work time with fun time: general chemistry for the former and lots of my favorite things for the latter.  My friend Tonya came over today to meet Lucy; Tonya wanted to meet the kitty before agreeing to cat-sit for me next month.  It was nice to catch up with her just the two of us; it’s been a while since we did that.  For our coffee date, I made these cookie bars, and she brought over strawberry cake.  I brewed us a French press’s worth of coffee using beans from What’s the Buzz, our local coffee roaster who makes freakin’ fantastic coffee.  As I was telling Tonya about giving her the wireless internet password for my apartment and letting her know she was welcome to anything in the kitchen, too, I mentioned the coffee, and she said, “Well, in that case, I definitely think I’ll be happy to take spend some time here!”  So it turns out that really good coffee is the thing to offer Tonya when asking for a big favor.  I love that!

Work-out-wise, my efforts have been focused on daily walking.  It’s hard for me to tear myself away from the computer, but I’ve been very diligent about getting at least 15 minutes of “leisure” walking into my day.  (Leisure = not work- or errand-related.)  It’s a great healthy habit to cultivate, and I never regret going for a walk.  Running-wise, I can only hope to keep up with JD when we run our 10K together.  I saw on Facebook that he ran nine miles yesterday, while I ran…um…two.  We’re not exactly in the same place, training-wise.  But it’s okay—I’d love to be able to run that 10K with him; it is not, however, the end of the world if he finishes before me.  We’re out there to have fun and enjoy our sport.  My real running goal for the next year?  To beat my marathon finishing time (4:56:50) when I run Toronto in 2015.

The Toronto Marathon is a long way off, so until then, it’s daily walking and a few runs each week and (maybe, just maybe) a running habit that sticks beyond race day.  It’d be nice to stop being such a yo-yo runner (you know, like a yo-yo dieter, but with running instead).  I have forgotten what it’s like to have a regular running routine, which makes me sad.

 Until next time, sweet readers!

From Couch to 5…No, 10K!

About two weeks ago, I started doing the Couch to 5K (C25K) program.  It seemed like a nice way to ease back into running after more than a month off.  Plus I have been walking as a form of exercise, and C25K seems like a perfect transition from walking into running.

I was perfectly content to do my C25K program as spring gives way to summer here…until my friend JD suggested we do a 10K when I’m in Michigan next month.  JD is my favorite running buddy and a great friend.  When he found the Heart & Sole Run/Walk in Chelsea, Michigan, I couldn’t say no—he’d found a 10K for us on the one weekend that I was available for a running event.  Perfect.  So even though I am most definitely NOT in 10K shape right now, I will be in 3.5 weeks!

How does one safely go from 0 to 6.2 miles in such a short span of time?  Well, I’m hoping that my overall good shape (lots of walking and biking these days) will be enough to support my running burst.  I’m planning to do two “long runs” each week, adding a mile to each long run and then doing whatever work-outs I feel like on my other days.  I think I can get away with this without injury because I’ve been running for years, and my body adapts well to running stress.  Plus it’s only a 10K—it’s not like I’m trying to run a marathon on a whim.  Right?  Right.

Tonight I went out for my first “long run”: one mile of running, plus walking warm-up and cool-down.  Not surprisingly, it was fine.  (I’m not that out of shape!)  Still, it was nice to return to running, and with a goal in mind, I think the motivation will get me out the door pretty easily.

Have you ever run a race just to run with a friend?  Tell me about it!

Happy running! 

Spring Forward

Whoa! Look who’s back after disappearing from this space for a month.

March was, in a word, ridiculous. It started with the Armadillo Dash Half-Marathon (complete with awesome medal, which you can see above!), included a trip to Dallas, another trip to Michigan, and nailed me with one of the worst colds I’ve had in my life. It also included some pretty significant personal growth, which rattled me quite a bit but is, I think, ultimately preparing me to be a better partner and a better provider to those who depend on me.

I haven’t had as much time to write since I started working this year. As a part-time freelancer, time management is something I’m learning all over again: how to manage my time with an uncertain work schedule and much more freedom than I’ve had while employed.

How about a few highlights from Ridiculous Rainy March?

* Paul and I spent an AMAZING weekend in Dallas with our friends Amber and Jeremy. They are always wonderful company, but before that, we met my professor friend Cliff for a fantastic day of food and science. Cliff taught me organic chemistry when I was an undergrad, and by now, he’s probably taught well over a thousand students that carbon has four bonds and oxygen will attack a nucleus.  It’s been more than ten years since I was his student in the proper student-professor sense of things, and now I consider him my friend and mentor.  While he was in Dallas and escaping the bitter cold of Michigan, we visited the Perot Museum of Nature and Science.  As Paul said, it was a very cool space in which to have hours of conversation about science and engineering.  With the exception of the crystal hall, we didn’t spend much time examining the exhibits; instead, it was more like the exhibits served as inspiration for our discussions.

On top of the fun of seeing the museum, Cliff got to meet Paul, which I loved.  They totally hit it off!

* After the weekend in Dallas, I flew to Michigan for my sister’s bridal shower.  Getting to Michigan turned out to be an unwanted adventure, but being there for the weekend was awesome.  Theresa and I got to spend an afternoon with our niece, and we celebrated the surprise marriage of my brother to his partner Thom.  The bridal shower was very fun and friendly.  Theresa’s future mother-in-law did most of the work, and it turned out beautifully.

* Even here in Texas, March was a cold, rainy month.  I got to enjoy a new pair of gray boots, and I’m so glad I decided to buy new boots because my old ones get wet really easily on rainy days.  With my uncertain income this year, I feel a lot of pressure to be very mindful of how I’m spending money.  New boots add so much to my overall comfort on a day-to-day level that I think they were totally worth the money.

* Did you guys catch the Ironman article in the April issue of Runner’s World?  I love Dimity McDowell’s writing—she’s funny and helpful and the kind of woman you’d like to call a friend.  Her Ironman experience was such an inspiring read.  (If you missed it, they published it on-line too!  Yay!)

* Speaking of exercise, I took it easy in March.  I wasn’t injured or anything, just super-busy and feeling too stressed to fit running into my days.  Instead, I made it a goal to walk every day…and then failed at that.  Sheesh.  This month I’m back at it, fitting at least 15 minutes of walking into each day.  (Though today, I think I’m counting my short walking commute to tutoring as my walk…that plus my bike ride to and from campus feels like enough for one day.)

* Finally, I’ve been doing some deep thinking about my relationships to money, work, and Paul.  I’m writing about my thoughts over on my other blog, if you’re interested.  Here is my latest post about two ideas that are giving me good reason to reconsider my money anxiety.  Enjoy!

Up next: my plans for April!  Have a great week, dear friends.  I’ve missed you and this little blog.