Oh wow! I am behind in these. Now let's see how clearly I remember the last week.
The week was going to be a little screwy with Ro and I walking on
Monday after a track workout on Sunday and the bike ride. We did flats versus our hill loop. I think it was a bit muggy and I know I was a bit not looking forward to hills, which is unusual. I keep thinking I'm coming down with a cold, but I think it is the air-conditioned world drying out my sinuses. I can't think of anything of note on Monday. Gus and Jax got a joint walk and that is always interesting.
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Jax sure that piece of bark is a threat.
This was after he knocked me on my ass going after the cat. |
The plan was to bike in on
Tuesday and bike to the Dog Watch, walk the route, and then bike home. Well it was raining when I woke up and the radar looked iffy and the prospect of riding in and then dealing with wet bike shoes really wasn't appealing. I loaded my bike and gear into the car and drove into work. It wasn't certain all the chaos Hurricane Gert was causing this far North was going to produce rain in the afternoon or not. There would be a bit of rain between 4 - 5 but clear after that so Ro, Anita, Karen, and I biked to Dog Watch. Anita's husband's job was to meet her and Karen and bring their shoes. Mark brought Ro and me our shoes. Hey if someone is going to transport my gear I am not going to say no! So they were out for the walk. Anita lives 3 doors down, Mark could have easily brought their stuff had they known Jack was having a senior moment. It was a nice walk, the last Dog Watch fun run for the year and probably forever... kinda sad the bad behavior of a few eliminate a fun event at least 100 people participate in. I got my free beer slammed it down, as I needed to be off on my bike by 7:15 p.m. as sunset was 7:46 p.m. That way I'd be home (6 whole miles) before sunset, I don't mind riding in the dusk, I have lights and brights. Gives angry drivers something to aim for right?
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These crazy geese all lined up on the green space on campus.
Maybe they were waiting for the goose bus? |
As I rode home Tuesday I needed to ride in on W
ednesday morning, which worked out well because I had meetings 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. with one small break to get some food for lunch. The ride in was a grind, I was tired. Imagine that.... I was so happy that I wasn't going to have to ride home, but by the time quitting time rolled around I would have been happy to ride home. Guess that's how it works right? Jax and Gus to a together walk, again. Twice in a week!
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Impressive field for the WTAC Wahaneeta 5K
I didn't have any other interesting pictures to share
Credit: Jana Walker |
Back to running with Faith on
Thursday, it's her easy run and my run run. We eventually do walk about a mile of the 5 miles so it all works out. I'm never much good at running after I walk so this is helpful training for me. We have our usual bitch fest and pity party and it's soul cleansing for the both of us. I'm not sure why I asked to walk, but I did, and I knew that would make the last two miles a struggle, we managed, Faith keeps me going, faith and Faith, I guess?
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First lap of the Wahaneeta 5K
I love this Girl Scout Cabin it is cool and eerie all at the same time!
Credit: Jana Walker |
The Beer'd Running For Rescues run is on
Thursday, I didn't confirm with Rachel, and couldn't exactly remember where we left it so I went anyhow. That was fine. I needed a double I hadn't run much in the last week and if I made 2 miles straight I was fine with that, and if I make that sort of commitment to myself it is more of a self-fulfilling prophecy that I won't be able to run more than 2 miles. Either way, I had a solid 5 miles running for the day and it was the only 5 miles I had run in a week and it felt good.
I met a counselor for the local women's shelter at the brewery. We had a nice chat about dogs, one of their directors adopted a white boxer. I remembered seeing her on their Facebook page. Once he did tell me the name of the shelter I was able to put it all together and mentioned I had done some volunteer work there last year and it was truly an eye opening experience. Their boxer companion is female and about 7 months old, it sounds like she is pretty mild mannered, more of a Gus than a Jax, which is good because boxers have an intensity to them that can be a little overpowering. Sage was very much an alpha dog when she set her mind to it, it was obvious when she was turning on her "my way or the highway" attitude and we had different ways of managing it, some successful, some not so much. She was very very very headstrong and very very very much a clown, so it made her stubborn times more manageable as they were temporary. It was nice to chat with him, I will look for more opportunities to volunteer there, the experience really was moving.
Gus got a walk and we did a little illegal off leash at the old elementary school. Pretty packed day.
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I've never noticed the etched writing on the glass.
What does it say? |
The weather was to be crappy on
Friday and so was my mood. The office was bare and cold and I broke out my illegal space heater after two sweaters and a blanket on my lap wasn't keeping me warm. Boot camp class kind of helped, it was a circuit and some tough stuff, got my mind off my foul mood. It rained most of the day and night. We needed it.
Saturday was my track clubs Wahaneeta 5K trail race. Results
here. It is part of the fall trail series and the overall club series. I have only hiked those trails with Gus, I was excited to run them! So excited, in fact, my knee crumpled and I went down on the start line! It's the second time this has happened in a month so off to the ortho I go. It may be nothing, there is no pain, which I'm told is odd. I got up, hobble a few steps and run the race from my dead last starting point (I finished 44th out of 50) 40:03 was my official time. My moving time was 39:20. It is funny now, but if this happens while I am running, even at my conservative pace it would be the opposite of funny. Saying I tripped over the chalk start line seems to be the easiest way to explain it, I really can't figure out what happens. I've had the feeling of it going one other time while I was walking, it took a good couple hours for it to feel like I had enough strength to stand on it that time. Something is not right.
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I'm laughing after I picked myself up and dusted myself off.
Credit: Jana Walker |
The race was great! The rain did make the bog bridges slippery and I walked over them, I had a couple slides on rocks I was up right for the balance of the race. Glad I did it and the club wants to continue running it.
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To the finish line
Credit: Jana Walker |
The afternoon was spent at a fundraiser for Dana Farber. It is a corn hole tournament and emotional because the woman who hosts is a lung cancer survivor, mesothelioma, specifically. She is a 4-year survivor, cancer free nearly 3 years. She is also a year older than me, she discovered her cancer while training for a half marathon and when she could not comfortably complete easy 5 mile runs she knew something was just not right. It most certainly was not. Surgeries and chemo over the course of 15 months and she exceeded her oncologist's expectations. Always a good thing, right? Her event raised over $20,000. Spectacular! The amount of support she gets from local businesses is amazing, food donated, beer, wine, and special CancerIsCorny cocktails, plus the raffle prizes. We won one this year! Well, Dave did, he put the ticket in the canister for it.
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| Dave's prize! He's named it "Starry" |
Gus got a walk, of course, he is pretty good about reminding me when it is dog walk time.
Ro and Mark, along with Grace, and Mark's son Jason and his girlfriend Jessica met up at the East Lyme track for a track workout. I was a little curious how my knee would do, it was fine. Interesting.
- Mile warm up at the slowest person pace (mine)
- 400's 4 with a 400 recovery between (2 miles)
- 100's or 200's 8 or 4 with the same distance recovery between I did about 100's, ran the straights recovered on the curves (1 mile)
- 2-mile recovery jog - I bailed on the last 3/4 mile
Next week I'll get in the full 6 miles. Probably 200's then 100's and a mile recovery. The 100's are my favorite if I had to pick one. I'll have to set my watch up for the right interval length for the 100's and 200's, better than guessing.
I had planned on a 40-mile bike ride. When I got home I had the urge to clean. When that happens it is not to be ignored, so I didn't and knocked a lot from my nagging to do list.
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Why did you have to clean my Hut and my bed?
Why?
It was decorated with slobber and dog fur just the way I like it. Sigh... |
Knitting:
No progress
Books:
Ulysses is as promised. Confusing and bawdy.
Mileage:
Feet: 31
Saddle: 41
Sincerely,
Beth, back on track, just not sure which one.
