Weekly Recap - 5/15/2017 - 5/21/2017

Someone turned the heat on this week, I'm not pleased.  Guess it's part of the cycle of the climate?  Looks to be a small blip into these wretched temperatures, and by wretched anything over 75 meets that mark for me. We all have our own benchmarks!

I'm back to running on Monday, it was in the 50's and raining, well only sprinkling then the sun came out and it got warm, a pleasant warm with a breeze.  I managed 5.7 at a reasonable pace.  Definitely felt the Dirty Girl 10K course in my calves.  My right one was the most prominent in the ouchie department.  

I've never been in Manny's but he has great signs!

As the day progressed my allergies went bananas... lovely.  By the evening swallowing was difficult and I was sure I caught Stupid Cold from Stupid Husband.  Sleep was fitful. Even with a triple dose of Cetirizine and vitamin I, blech....

I started Tuesday grouchy with a scratchy throat and a nose like a faucet... of course, I went outside for a walk at lunch, versus taking a class in the gym.  It helped, mentally, not physically, to be outside.  I planked along the shore to get in my daily minimum of 3 minutes of planking.  I surprised Stupid Husband when I came home early to nap, he actually seemed a little sorry he may have given me Stupid Cold.  

One of the views from my at work runs

Took Gus out to the woods, because that makes dealing with pollen overload that much better.  

Seemed like Wednesday started out a bit better, less scratchy throat and eyes and more snot fest.  Seriously, this is ridiculous, this is why I'm not a fan of this weather.  Made it mostly through the whole day of work.  Slogged through Wednesday Hills, well they were fairly average, not a slog.  So I've got that going for me.

I knew Stupid Husband was going biking and hoped he would be gone before I got home.  He wasn't.  I did manage to knock his bike over as he had it leaned up against the front door.  Who does stuff like that?  Stupid Husband or people who don't realize there are other people in the world?

One left after this one.  So tasty.  So not available here...  :(

Jax and Gus got a walk, we enjoyed our quiet time.  Well after Jax treed a squirrel and tried to pull my arm off getting him.

The temperature went up and I stayed inside for HEAT Class on Thursday, even upped the heavy weight to 15 lbs.  We did a circuit of 11 weight exercises 10 repetitions and 1 1/4 mile run four times for class.  It was fun.  It was better than sweating in the oven outside.

Took Gus to the beach for the first time in forever.  We used to go all the time in the winter, mostly because it was easier to keep an eye on the nut cases, not sure why we fell away from our 'family' beach trots on the weekends.  Things change, I guess.  I took Gus out to Quonnie which is usually a very quiet beach we can walk to the breachway and back for a 3-mile walk.  I used to take the dogs out there quite a bit.  Once summer comes they can't go to the beach so we do different things and when fall comes around it is nice to be in the woods and the beach gets forgotten about.

Gus at Quonnie!

A little part of me melted overnight and I woke up Friday knowing that Saturday was predicted to be in the mid 60's and I would be happy again.  That is probably the only thing that kept me going, even through a sweltering 5-mile run where I stuck close to the shore to stay cool.  I could feel my speed sagging so I did telephone pole pickups to boost back up my speed and not be a total slug.  It helped, it helped a lot.  I've been told that helps, huh... it does.  Better keep that in mind.  It's not too far between telephone poles, or a Bill corrected me Utility Poles, so I'll keep that in mind when I'm slogging.

The fountain in the park, so eerie, and also reminded me of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
Muwahaaaaa

Took the boyz out after it got dark for a short walk,  they are a pain in the ass otherwise.  They slept and the temperatures dropped and we were all quite happy on Saturday morning, even when I was up and moving at 6 a.m. to be at Faith's by 7 a.m. for a bike ride.

Me Joe and Faith in the back
Jess up front!

We had a nice 43-mile ride and there were opportunities for me to burn off some extra pent up speed, ha ha ha.



Gus got a hike and collected three ticks.  Dave let one of the ticks Jax collected loose in the house.  Ugh..

Up early again on Sunday for Tour de Lyme, I rode the 58 mile loop and Dave met up with some of his mountain biking buddies to do the 28 mile mountain bike loop.  The proceeds go to the Lyme Land Trust.  There are truly beautiful places in that area.  The road loop is very hilly, over 4,000 feet of  climbing, you seem to be always climbing, there are only a few long sections to cruise.  This was the 3rd time I've ridden this, the second time the whole loop.  The last year (2015) I rode this I skipped the last loop.

My first 100 mile week of the year, there need to be many more of these, probably not that much elevation with every ride!  I was so beat, the gut punch is the mile long climb at the end of the ride.  You are so ready to be done at that time.  I toyed with the idea of adding on 4 miles to get the Gran Fondo (100K - 62 miles) for May.  I can do that next weekend on the nice flat shore!!



Dave decided we needed to do lawn work.  I requested specifics on this.  To me this is mow and trim, to him this could be anything from that to raking the whole yard, to moving stones, to planting, to digging and moving dirt.  He and I, surprisingly, were on the same page, I mowed and he trimmed.    

This was super tasty, hope there is more on Thur for the Beer'd run!

The dogs got a quick walk and we went to the movies to see Smokey and the Bandit, yes that one from 1977!  TMC is doing re-releases of 'classics' on the big screen.  It was fantastic!  I was close to begging off but movies back in the good old days were well, good, and 90 minutes and not full of graphic and other nonsense.  This did not disappoint.  I remembered seeing this at 'the show' in the little town I grew up in, they had $2 movies all second releases. It was fantastic!  Next month is The God Father and Some Like it Hot!   

Books:

I finished "A Confederacy of Dunces"  Oh this is good, hysterical, very entertaining.  I have no idea why I picked this one up and I am glad I did!  Yes Muddy, Ignatius is incredible, the picture I could paint in my head had me laughing a lot.  Myrna and Irene were fun to picture.  Totally and incredible find!

I started "1984" by George Orwell.  Krikies, it's been years since I've read it and it is eerie and terrifying.

Knitting:

Nearly finished the left sleeve on the sweater.  Started the cuff and if the weather is supposed to be as bad as it is predicted I'll get that done and start on the right sleeve and catch up on Blindspot.

Mileage:

Feet:  35, only 16 running.  I do need to get that up to 20...
Saddle: 100, on target for May, I did enjoy my back to back ride, but not sure if I can do that every weekend.

Sincerely,
Beth, totally craving one of those maple glazed bacon donuts!!!