Weekly Recap: 6/19/2017 - 6/25/2017

Feeling like a million bucks on my run on Monday gave me far too much confidence in my abilities.  A peppy pace and legs that felt great made me think I was fit enough for such a quick recovery from Mount Washington.  HA!

As a result of feeling like a million bucks, I didn't reconsider joining the EBAC (Electric Boat Athletic Club) guys for the 100K bike ride on Long Island on Tuesday.  Hell, I even considered upping to the Century (100 miles).  Fortunately, smarter heads prevailed and asked if I REALLY wanted to "get involved in that testosterone fest" as I was "the only WOMAN".  Oh, yeah, that could get pretty brutal pretty fast.  Love ya guys, but wow can you get competitive....  middle-aged men on bicycles...  akin to 'pretty girls'...

I met up with Tom, Ray, and Frank for the 7:15 fast ferry out of New London to Orient Point NY.  We could have taken the cheaper 7 am. ferry and arrived after the 7:15 a.m. ferry.  I'd rather take the slow boat back.  After stashing our backpacks at the ferry office we were rolling by 8:15 a.m. and the 100-mile guys hadn't arrived yet. The weather was perfection, sunny with big puffy Simpsons type clouds to filter out the sun when we weren't riding in shady spots on the awesome route Tom mapped out for us.

Relive the ride here.



The minor hills we did have to 'summit' were a wee bit difficult, however, I sucked it and after letting the guys know why I was lagging on hills, I wasn't lagging so much anymore.  Funny how that works.

The usual fare for Wednesday is Hills with Ro or Hills w/o Ro.  I wasn't really in the mood for hills, however, the weather was perfect, Ro was in VT, so solo it is.  I headed that direction only to be met with a right knee that was not happy and quads that felt like lead.  I turned around and walked till the Space Watch hit 1/2 mile and started running, or something that perhaps resembles running. All felt better, but it was still like running through pudding.  I managed a bit over 3 miles and called it good.

Took part in the track club fun run for one mile and then walked the pups for another mile and change, all told I got in over 5 miles...  Definitely felt sluggish and heavy legged.

Traditionally Thursday is not a running day, it is a class/core day, and I did the circuit class despite the beautiful running weather.  Totally messed up my social secretary duties and forgot to remind Rachel about the Beer'd Fun Run.  While I should have bailed on the run, I was there so I ran.  Not fast, not particularly slow.  The boyz got out for a walk when I got home, only 2 minutes late for Dog Dinner time.

Met up with Ro for a power walk on Friday, neither of us were into the Hill Loop, so we did the beach loop and called it good.  And that was that for the week.  I'm tired, I really need to embrace less active 'rest' days!  Missed Friday afternoon nap due to a hair appointment.  I enjoy my time with Maggie, she is fun and funny and is jealous of my hair.  I had to admit I am not jealous of her beautiful blonde thick straight hair, I am jealous of her youth.  We continue to try and find a way to manage my unruly curls, one day they, perhaps also their owner, will be tamed.

A rainy Saturday turned into chores and knitting and doing nothing, a day I've needed in a while, sure last Sunday was a near 0 day with the drive back from NH, so that doesn't count.  I was hoping to watch some television, totally not my thing.  The box wasn't working.  After a call to the service center and resets, the tech declared it dead so I went to the store and traded in the old (as the clerk told me ANCIENT) box and got a new one and did some grocery shopping.

Nothing was going right setting this thing up. I did the same thing 5 times, because?? Insanity.  Clearly, insanity. I finally got so frustrated I yanked the coaxial cable and it was attached to NOTHING but the splitter.  What the actual fuck.  The cable from the basement was directly into the modem and the Imaginary Husband thought all of this a mystery, stating the tv worked last night (yeah, right).  Got that all straightened out and scratched my head as to how this could have magically happened. We have some pretty comical poltergeists, don't we???  ha ha ha Wonder what their next trick will be?  Emptying all the cabinets? (it's happened!!)  

All told I enjoyed my truly lazy day, started a new baby sweater and continued to look for my missing watch charging cable.  I swear I charged it on Monday....  a new one arrives on Monday, now to hope the battery lasts!  Because? Insanity.  I'm sure it is in the house somewhere, taunting me.... Damn poltergeist.

As an aside, way back when I lived in Michigan, pre-Imaginary Husband days, the group I hung out with were Tom and Earlene.  They were a childless couple living on a big lot off a deserted road, they had the party house...  Professionals in their 20's are allowed to call it a party house?  or no? Someone figured out where they hid their spare house key.  It was a slow build up of things moving, never missing over a period of months.  Then came home to find every cabinet in their kitchen emptied and the contents on the counter.  After a few weeks they figured it out and the spare house key location now contained the key in a lockbox!!!  Trust me they gave as good as they got!  I know I had a few zingers over the years, I do miss those days, however, wouldn't want them back...

Gus woke up with a grumbly tummy on Sunday morning so this was kind of an excuse for me to forgo my planned century ride and do something shorter.  After Tums and an hour wait, he was still having nothing of his breakfast so I loaded up a ride in the Garmin and then noted that it was going the opposite way I wanted to go.  Clearly, I was not in the mood to bike...  I threw that out the window and texted Dave that I'd be out for 50 miles and was leaving about 9:30...  Failing to plan is planning to fail, right!  I meandered here and there wondering which way this or that road went.   Happy to note Mechanic St in Hope Valley/Richmond is NEW TAR and amazingly smooth.  This, unfortunately, put me at the option of riding Rte 3.  I should have taken the first road that cut through but didn't I took Woodville.  Stay off Woodville, it's awful.  Fall 2017 it gets dug up and fixed, wait till next summer.  I had to get off that nightmare as soon as I could which put me on nice shady Tomaquag, however, I was greeted with two raging dogs barking and running up to their electric fence.  I'm sure my guys back home heard me scream!!  These were the worst of the dogs chasing bikes.  Enjoying the nice downhill on Collins meant I'd be riding back the same roads I rode in on.  Whatever, it was a blah ride.

Relive here.



Mileage:

Feet:  24
Saddle: 102

Books:

I finished "America's First Daughter" and enjoyed it very much.  

Like him or not Thomas Jefferson is a founding father, did he live by the words he wrote "all men are created equal" in my eyes, and many others no. He did live with the accepted norms south of the Mason-Dixon line at the time. The authors' prologue and epilogue clearly state they have interpreted timelines to compress the time line, they have also stated that where there are breaks in the correspondence records, they filled in details for dramatic effect. It is an enjoyable novel based on an interpretation of history. This is not a fully historically correct reference. 

I am more curious about Martha Jefferson Randolph than Thomas Jefferson, perhaps because I am continually stories of seeking strong females in a time when they were not supposed to be. I can only imagine she was similar to how she was portrayed. She knew what needed to be done and she got it done. She could not have been a shrinking violet considering the life she led or was forced into.

Started "The Boston Girl" by Anita Diamant, I think I am going to enjoy this one.  Addie is a spitfire personality, coming of age when women were still supposed to be in the shadows.

Probably because her last name is similar to a title by Irene Nemirovsky (an author my mother introduced me to) I picked up this book, plus a reading friend also liked it, but I think I saw the author's name before I saw Sheila's review...  which came first the chicken or the egg?  Either way, I don't think I'll be disappointed.

Knitting:

Still, haven't washed or blocked the cardigan or found the perfect buttons.  It's too warm to wear it....

Started yet another baby sweater.  I seriously need to start sending these off to all the newborns this year.   They will fit well into their second year of life so...

Sincerely,
Beth,
Not many pictures this week.... sorry

Catch up

I haven't had much to say, well I have, thing is it hasn't been very coherent, well thought out, or considered in the impact it may have.  Times like these sometimes it is just best to keep ones yap shut, no?

Friday was my work anniversary 14 years at this company.  Holy wow... I remember that terrified person I was in my suit all ready for her first day at work in this brand new company and industry.  Leaving automotive was tough.  I was warned that people in New England weren't as, well, blunt, as I can be.  Nor would they "get" the world I cut my teeth on in the working world.  First on the shop floor in college where I ran an Injection Molding machine making parts for, well yeah, cars, duh!  This plant made head and tail lamp covers for Ford, oil filter casings for Freight Liner, mufflers for Tecumseh engine and bunches of other pieces of plastic goodness - whoopiee twang, right?  After Grad school it was on to the offices, white collar baby, where I ended up buying those same parts I used to make for one of my buying desks.  Talk about what goes around comes around.  My favorite commodity and my last was fasteners, yeah, I was a screw buyer, ok?  The only female in a group of 9 men in a predominantly male industry, with predominately female sales reps. I will hand it to a couple of the suppliers for assigning male sales reps, didn't help much their product was crappy and usually late, but they were fun to golf with.  Ah the good old days...  The group I work with now is very proper, the group I sit with, well, they check their morals at the door, it is nearly as good as those days in Dearborn.

The next anniversary celebrated was Monday the 17th, hubb and I celebrated 13 years of marriage!  I met him through my brother.  They were class mates then house mates during grad school.  I'd talk to this guy on the phone from time to time looking for my brother, he was always pleasant and rarely had a clue where my brother may have wandered off to.  My parents and my other brother even met him before I did, we met in 1996.  Guess you could say he was pre-approved?

Things haven't changed much, now my brother calls, looking for me and Hubb has no idea where I may have run off too but eventually I'll turn around and come home.

We decided to meet at  Captain Scott's Lobster Dock for Fish and Chips Monday night. The sky threatened rain, it rained maybe 50 drops, pshew.

Stunning sky @ Captain Scott's Lobster Dock, New London, CT

Nice greasy fish and chips post TRX for me and bike ride for him.  I think they are still with both of us. They were soooo good.   Nice anniversary!

TRX was just two of us so our leader had a good time abusing us.  My abs burned as the day progressed on Tuesday.

Tuesday night was the Dog Watch 5K.  I missed last week due to traffic. Didn't have the opportunity to run during work and wondered what impact this (and those fish and chips) would have.  I did a 3/4 mile warm up and could tell, yeah, not so much. Feh 30:30...  The sky continued to threaten rain so I went home to hang with the pups and read.

This is a very well done book.  I'm about half way through it and really enjoy Julie's writing style.  I met her at the Ice Age 50 in Wisconsin.  She ran the 50 Mile race with all the relentless hills and finished in 10:09.  Holy wow.  From time to time the book reminds of "Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Coast Trail" by Cheryl Strayed.  I am kicking myself for not picking up Julie's book on the PCT.  But you just never know, you know?

Wednesday I finally got my at work run, the full Native American, even ran into Mike B on my way back and caught some rays (read: teensy bit of sun burn, shhhh don't tell my dermatologist, Irish and Eastern European skin is a blessing and a curse). 

Opted for dinner out with some co-workers in from out of town at Ford's in Noak instead of the Tom McCoy fun runs at the beach.  Who would pass up Lobster Bombs and this sunset?

Sunset from Ram Island Yacht Club, Noank CT

Thursday nights are the runs with the Narraganset Running Association, met up with Nicole, I think it has been a month since we've run together.  I've REALLY missed them.  I gave her the glow in the dark goodies for the Glow Bash run on Saturday night.  Her kids will have fun putting things together and I'm sure they will be far more creative creating things for us to wear! Neither of us are sure what to expect but imagine it will be fun!  How could a team of 6 adults dressed in glow in the dark stuff from glasses, bracelets, hair pieces to tattoos NOT have a good time?  

I dragged Nicole along, you know those runs where you are feeling it but your not feeling it and you need a reason to not walk?  This was Nicole tonight.  I COMMEND her for sticking with it and getting in the 5 miles.  At the end of the day it was worth it, right?  *ducks*  

The major topic of conversation is what marathon training plan did she decide on for her first marathon, the Philly Marathon!  Probably a hybrid between "Run Faster Run Less" by Matt Frazier and Hal Higdon's Novice plan.  I'm super jealous that by the time her really long runs roll around her kids will be in school and she has the opportunity to run long runs during the week, and not beg the weather gods to please just a few nice hours, over the weekend, please!?!?  Her training starts in the beginning of July. I'm rather excited to hear and read all about her adventure!  GO NICOLE!!!  

Tomorrow afternoon I am taking advantage of a compressed work week to go bike shopping, I really like the mountain biking with hubb but it is such a pain in the rear, when it is just me, to pack up the bike and take it to the trail.  To be able to hop on outside the house and ride to Stonington or Charlestown or?  after work seems too perfect.  I am sure there is a flaw in this grand plan somewhere. Buller? Buller? Buller?  My goal is cross training to get in some decent cardio without all the pounding on the asphalt.  

Saturday I have a 5K in North Haven, CT in the a.m. and then the Glow Bash 5K in Bristol, RI.  Hubb asked if it was normal for people to sign up for so many races.  He was absolutely serious.  I said, not really, I'm an over-committer.  And there really isn't any response to that but "Do you want me to commit you or will you commit yourself?"

Sunday is TBD, the last brunch with a girlfriend before she and her hubb move to Dallas on the 26th.  I'm sad and will miss her and I'm excited for her new adventure, mostly sad though.  Once she gets settled in and finds her people I'll feel less sad.  Knowing her it will take about 45 seconds!

Sincerely, 

Beth saving it all up for one big word vomit.  Happy Thursday!

Inspiration

Wednesday afternoon I did a 50 minute 4.8 mile loop around campus in the afternoon.  It was a little warmer plus I had a shirt with built in mittens which helped keep my poor fingers warm.  As I was leaving the gym, with my bright green cap on because it is one of the few with a pony tail hole, plus it was sort of dismal and the cap is noticeable. (This outfit was far less of a train wreck than the Blossom / Pippy Longstocking inspired get up from last week)  Still Chris felt the need to make a crack about my hat, "Well, Beth at least the hat goes with your shoes. Have a great run."  I thanked him and motioned my head back to the slogs on the dreadmills and said "Outside in any weather is better than that!"  He laughed and agreed.

Thursday I was in Manhattan for the day, productive.  Wrapping up a huge project at work and I received some wicked cool kudos for my work. The radio station I had selected to wake up to forgot to start broadcasting so my 5 a.m. alarm didn't go off, I did manage to wake up at 5:38 a.m. (I should be on the road by then to make the 6:42) get my self put together and out the door. Number One Smart Guy also had to be in the City for meetings  and he nearly ran into me in the parking lot.  I'm fairly certain neither of us were paying attention me because I was trying like hell to see the teeny tiny print on the train schedule and he was looking for a parking spot.  I was in time to make the 7:06 train however that would mean I would have to change trains and stand for the last hour of the trip.  I settled in to wait for the next express.  Number One Smart Guy caught up with me once we arrived in NY and asked why I didn't sit with him on the train I said I'm not much of a conversationalist because I sleep on the way in and didn't want to risk drooling on his shoulder.  He thought that was a good reason.

The drive home it was time to change Audio CDs.  I started listening to "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall

Friday back to the office, with designs on a muddy trail run after work.  YIPPIE!!!  It was slow muddy and wonderful.  Could have been muddier, I am sure.  I felt so great afterwards.  Reflected back on my awesome week and the first few chapters of "Born to Run" and how far I have come from when I first started running this trail. It really was a nice decompressing end of the week run.

Well not so muddy on top!

I bagged Yoga, I really should give Preeta and her Asana class another shot, I stayed home and snuggled with dogs and knitted.  I think that was just better overall for completing my decompressing.

Today was a non-running day, just errands spending time in the car means more listening to "Born to Run" O.M.G.  AWESOME!  I'm now 4 discs in and reinvigorated to attempt a 50K trail race.  Thinking maybe June?   It is incredibly inspiring and reminding me why I love to run and what I want to accomplish by running, to just feel good, not to win races.  Although we are at the part with Ann Transon and the Tarahumara Indians are competing in the 1994 Leadville 100.  I'm so tempted to go for a drive to hear more however my windshield wipers have died and that would be dangerous!!!  Yeah, yeah, I could bring the CDs in the house, but it just isn't the same...

With the rain (and warm weather because it is raining and not snowing) means the Vin Gormley trail will be nice and muddy tomorrow.  I think 8.5 miles of mud will be delightful tomorrow.  Oh yeah, I know I have a marathon to run next weekend I'll be fine.  I am far less nervous about the AZ Rock n' Roll than I was about Marine Corps.  I've done it once I can do it again!!!

02/03/12 Run of Vin Gormley

Vin Gormley Trail Map - Red single track.  

I need to remember to look for that trail to the left after the yellow road trail.  Remember I run clockwise so I will start from the white mark.  I also need to look for trail extension.  I think those make the trail closer to 10 miles.  Woo hoo!!

Sincerely,
Beth, seriously contemplating a 50K ultra and not expecting to PR the upcoming marathon