Weekly Recap: 12/11/2017 - 12/16/2017

Monday – After licking my wounds over the race and several people commenting.  “You weren’t prepared”; “You can’t be good at both running and biking”; “You are lapping everyone on the couch”; “Think about the people stuck in the hospital and can’t even get outside";  "For crap's sake Beth stop being so hard on yourself".  I do excel at beating myself about the head and neck.  We all have to be good at something right?  :)

Clara finally got Andrew's "hat"
This is the back of the stone, a fitting epitaph for Andrew.
This put a lot of perspective on my pitty party, I could hear his hearty belly laugh and his booming voice
"AAARRRGGGHHHHH, give it up."

The sun was shining and I went for a walk.  My right knee didn’t feel right and I know I was lacking the energy to run, however, it was taco salad day for hot lunch and I needed to get ahead of those calories!  It was a lovely sunny peppy walk and I felt much better for it.  Even got a bit of a sunburn on my nose and cheeks!  Lucky me and fair skin, eh?

The front, and the Russell Sprouts.
Adam, Eli, Erin
Adam and Eri are twins

Gus got a walk at night, I didn’t get him out on Sunday and knew he was bummed about that.  He wasn’t so much into a walk he wanted to climb hills, so we did that.    He steered me up two of the steeper hills and seem to be satisfied with that level of activity and marched us home.


Tuesday – My plan was to try another double day with the strength class at lunch and then spin after.  All the jumping in the warm-up for Addy’s class really isn’t so great for me.  I have to figure out an alternative.  Chris doesn’t do that, well maybe not as much, hmmm…  The class was good, three circuits with 3 minutes of cardio in-between,  I really do enjoy the classes and am seeing some improvements.  I do wish I was more motivated to do stuff at home or even do something solo in the gym, I just can’t get in the groove.  Although years ago I did do the 7-minute scientific work out from the NYT fairly religiously before my weekday shower.  I have to find that sheet, oh here it is!   I could forgo 7 minutes of WWF to do this again.  Ok so 21 minutes, three reps would be best, right?  Oh and now there is an App for that.  Of course, there is.

Spin was good, and a welcome sweat fest.  Still sucks to be the only one staying seated the whole class.  Jeff, the instructor, gets it and says he’s amazed I can stick with it as sitting is pretty boring.  I’m feeling some improvements, and definitely able to increase the tension a little bit each time for what is my ‘easy’ tension.  

My in-laws were visiting and The Imaginary Husband was cooking up a storm, I guess they would be my imaginary in-laws?  I think he enjoys having his parents all to himself.  I know I certainly do when I go to visit my parents; I have not done enough visiting this year.   It’s nice to have their undivided attention.  Dave has to compete with his siblings their spouses and their children and pretty much gives up trying to tell a story or make a point. Despite the newest daughter-in-law’s incessantly texting Dave’s father, it was a pretty good visit for them.

Clearly, this is me.

Wednesday - I had plans to run with Faith at lunch, unfortunately, my boss finally got a huge data set to me and it had to be dealt with immediately.  Considering it was probably 20 below with the wind chill and my right knee wasn’t feeling it, this wasn’t a bad thing.    I begged off the run and managed to get done what needed to be done and double and triple checked for accuracy.  Nothing popped back up in my inbox on Thursday morning so I’ll call it a success or Lori was too busy with kid stuff to take a critical eye to my analysis.

Jax has taken up snuggling under quilts, this is a new thing.

Got Gus out for a walk, it is time for a coat for him, I think it has been for a few walks.  I’m not sure if he like the coat or not.  It was Deisel’s coat, and he LOVED to be warm and snuggly and would be happy in the coat under a quilt on the couch, after a walk. I think the jury is still out if Gus likes the coat or not.   We didn’t get too far the wind was strong and cold and we made it ¾ of a mile till he turned us around.  I wasn’t very surprised. 

He is a dapper dude!

Thursday -  Pretty packed day, the work fun run, Jess (I can't call her New Girl anymore she's been there 4 years!!  When did that happen??) asked if I was walking or running it and I said I'd be happy to walk or run with her, but she'd have to slow down!  She's a before work exerciser.  By the time I'm at work and have my coffee she's already done with her workout, so no not running, walking would be great.  Awesome!  We did the course, and it was nice to get to know her a bit better.  Hardly felt like we walked a 5K, wished it would have been longer!   

After work was the WTAC Holiday Party and Jingle Bell Trail 5K beforehand.  I was so unprepared for a dish to pass and picked up a veggie tray once I located them in the store, after 3 laps around the store.  I'm a moron sometimes.  I kept muttering I KNOW I've seen these things here, and just as I was about to give up I remembered where they "hid" these things!  HA!   So I was a bit later than I wanted to be getting to the venue.  The fun runners were there and the leader wasn't, he was running late from marking the course.  Perfect.  Jeff was busy giving directions on the route and it became clear I should have paid attention as Colburn would be out there by himself and that was not acceptable to have someone alone in the dark.  

Colburn is 84 and really didn't want to be in the woods by himself, smart man, guess that happens once they get older?  I bought boots and was willing to hike the trail with him, no problem.  Colburn chatted my ear off!  It was great.  I was worried what to talk about and he handled that from his first great-grandchild to be born in February and all the trips he and Lori took for the years they were together before she passed to fixing cars to asking me questions on who was the Lazor and who was the Smith and why?  He started running when he was 49 and that was when he was his fastest and it has all gone downhill from there.  It was a really enjoyable hike in the snow-covered trails in the woods.  The snow gave an extra level of comfort we were going the right way because we could see the runner's footprints, and Jeff put out signs and strung LED lights around them. It was really fun!  

The party was a new format: potluck and that went well.  I can see improvements for next year, but for the first time putting this together it all went really well and the snowy hike or run in the woods beforehand was the highlight for those who participated.  The goal was to have more interaction between the members and the board.  I think we did well.  

Stolen from Jeff's Strava post.
Colburn and I could see these from 1/4 to 1/2 mile away.
Perfect!

Friday - I took the day off from work, the Imaginary Husband and I were going to do some furniture shopping, but he decided maybe we'd peek online to see what it was we'd be looking at before going to the store.  Brilliant!  We need small tables and bookshelves.  The end result is he is going to have his furniture/cabinet building buddy make exactly what he wants.  I think that will be perfect.  Jim has already made us some nice stuff.  I'm much happier spending the money on a quality piece of handmade furniture from a local craftsman.  

Nothing to see here... keep walking...

Saturday -  It warmed up over 30 and I took Barney out to play in the snow on some trails!  We had a grand time, 8 miles of snowy trails on the 29er+ was a workout for sure!  The packed parts were easier pedaling the unpacked presented a bit more of a challenge, there were some slippery spots on the single track, usually where they are when I run these same trails and I was equally as cautious, even with my knee pads, because who knows what can happen.  Plus I didn't have my phone with me because it would probably freeze.  I'll take the chance next time.  The woods are so pretty in the snow, I drank as much of it in as I could still, it is nice to have a picture of the beauty.

Jax, wondering where Dave went.

Thinking I need some 'lobster gloves' or some 'bar mitts' my hands got a little colder than I would like plus my hands felt too stiff in the gloves and my wrists were at a funny angle.  Not sure if this is a glove thing or a break and shifter level adjustment on the bar or a rider adjustment.  I'll figure it out.

Gus, wondering where Dave went.

Sunday -  Both the dogs got out early for exercise, probably early than they would have liked.  How unfair of us interrupting post breakfast pre-lunch nap nap!!!

Wilcox Park in Westerly
Town Hall is in the distance.
Always beautiful any time of year.

Eventually, I got out to Barn Island.  I rode for an hour.  I'm still dialing in how to stay warm on the bike.  This time I wore my PI Barrier Pants,  OMG, they are awesome on the road bike AND on the mountain bike.  My knee pads fit under them and those give me a bit of extra security if I actually do try and conquer an obstacle.  The rocks and roots and branches were pretty slippery today, as well as very leafy areas.  I toppled over a couple of times, more for going to slow than being too daring!  HA HA HA!  It was beautiful in the woods and I feel extra secure as there is no hunting in CT on Sunday.  For some reason this year I'm more paranoid about hunters than in previous years. 

Barn Island

Mileage:

Feet:  16.8
Saddle: 15

Kind of a light week and I didn't run a step, not sure if that is good or bad, my knee does feel better and my bruised ego is healing.

Books:

"My Cousin Rachel"  by  Daphne du Maurier - finished - this was good!  I loved Rebecca, the plot twists and turns kept me enchanted. Same with this. It started slow, and I was about to give up and then the mystery started. Why DID Ambrose die? Who was this Cousin Rachel Philip was so obsessed with? Why was he so obsessed with her? Was he falling for her being foreign? Was she really that enchanting? Wait, maybe I have this all wrong, or do I?

"Lusia's Long Journey Home: A Young Girl's Memoir of Surviving the Holocaust" by Lucy Lipiner - In Progress - I haven't picked this up in a week, I continue to think about it.  I'm looking forward to hanging out with my mom and reading in the afternoons when I visit in a few days.

"The Identicals" by Elin Hilderbrand - In Progress - This is a take on The Parent Trap but the twins know each other, they were just raised one on Marthas Vineyard and the other on Nantucket.  Once Billy, their father dies, they are reunited.  Why they stopped speaking is still a mystery 1/2 through the book.  It is kind of formulaic but well written and interesting enough to not give up!

Knitting:

Finished the Wild Child sweater, just needs buttons.  Started a sweater for one of The Imaginary Husband's friends freshly minted granddaughter.  On deck is a sweater for a friend, who shared she is having a girl in her Christmas card, this has been a hard-won pregnancy and it will be fun knitting that sweater for her!

All in all one of the best weeks I've had in a long time,  feeling very positive despite my waining athleticism...

Sincerely,
Beth, remembering one day at a time really is a good idea, we don't know what the future holds.