Weekly recap: 7/24/2017 - 7/30/2017

I ran one 50K with only a hydration pack guess this makes me a bad ass... ha ha ha once in a while I need to feel good about my minimal accomplishments amongst the masses of over achievers.

Trying to get back to a normal week, a week of travel throw me off, and one of the nephews visiting threw me even more.  I'm old and set in my ways, it's only going to get worse.

My right knee continues to be wonky, sort of collapsing like the joint doesn't exist.  I'll have to do something about this sooner rather than later.  Seems to be worse after a long bike ride.  I probably need to raise up my seat a bit to get more extension in my leg.

It rained on Monday and I do love to run in the rain and it was chilly, even better, I didn't have enough time to plod my usual route.  Got Gus out for a walk, the band and color guard were practicing at the High School.  The music caught his ear and the activity his eye so we hung out there.  I really am apprehensive of walking him too far from home.  He is going to be heavy (80 lbs) to carry back if Dave isn't home to pick us up.  I'm totally being overly dramatic, it will pass...

Gus, ogling the girls, like a dog.

A cool day on Tuesday, unfortunately not a running day, but a boot camp day.  The knee did the funky collapse thing, but I can't remember which form of torture, I think it was jump-squats.  Crap. Dave's nephew was staying for a few days, so there was some scramble to make up the guest room and after we took him to dinner I got Gus out for a later than usual stroll.  Gus didn't want to come to bed at the normal time, Nathan was far more interesting.  Both the dogs got me up at 2 a.m. to check on Nathan, of course.

OMG I can't believe how beautiful it was and this is so close to what we saw

Hills with Ro is Wednesday and it was nice to get back to the routine.  The knee didn't do anything funny, I was happy about that.  Dave and Nathan spent part of the day making a board game out of wood, Catan, it sounded similar to Risk.  Nathan was happy to have this and they did a lot designing with the CAD program and the CNC machine, making designs on the game pieces. I got to see if the pictures made sense.  Dave took Nathan out on a mountain bike ride, to get out of the house.  He came back unscathed, phew I was worried this was going to be a 'you break it you buy it' thing and we'd end up with a teenager.  The dogs were busy keeping an eye on Nathan all day so they were worn out and didn't come looking for a walk.

Bunny!!!

Between getting Nathan back to his father, and Gus having an appointment with his cardiologist early Thursday morning and me needing to go up to Amesbury MA to meet with my LUNGStrong team the day was kind of topsy turvy.  I took the day off, took a few calls, got Gus to the cardiologist.  Dave would need to wake Nathan up (teenagers sleep till the crack of noon, my parents were correct) and get him moving to then get to the appointment and then take him back to his father's.  Plus there was a ride with my riding team planned and I don't get to see them much as they are over 2 hours away.  The ride was canceled due to lack of interest, harrumph.  I took a ride locally and stopped for ice cream.  The drive up to Amesbury took an extra 90 minutes because of traffic.  At least I had an interesting book to listen to?  The knee got wonky after all that sitting, and this is what makes me think its related to riding because it had been since Tuesday that it felt wonky.  It was good to see my team.  The color on the shorts from last year was off so who ever bought them last year got a new pair in the right shade of blue.  I can't tell the difference, I'll have to line them up to see.  SO I'll be all matchy matchy for both days.  The new Jerseys are accented with a cool electric green print.

Relive the ride here.

For Aimee, my friend visiting last week.

After a long day, it made a tired start to Friday.  I went out for a walk run, I didn't want to do anything at all.  I knew I'd feel slightly better if I did something, anything.

Ahhh a blizzard, that would make me so happy.

The blizzard was such a tease, I am so disappointed, I was humored by the continued alerts from January.  I ran and walked and got in a 5K, I felt a little better.  Work would be great if it wasn't for people.

And work...

The Imaginary Husband turned 51 on Saturday, finally, he is back to being older than me and I get the benefit of his tales of experience.  Cue eye roll...

I puttered around with those "it only takes 5 minutes" chores that many people (ok maybe only me) let pile up until they are a good couple hours.  It was a pretty productive couple of hours making me feel better, funny how that works.   I knew I needed to wash my 2017 LUNGStrong jersey and the shorts.  I also needed to try out the shorts.  Last year I ended up with men shorts, the color was off so the company (Primal) gave us replacement shorts.

I took a short ride to see how it all worked together.  The men chamois was fine, actually better than all but one of the female specific chamois I've experienced, as disturbing as that sounds.  The women's was a bit wider in the ass, I'll need to make sure I have a few individual packages of chamois cream or make my ass wider?  Um, no.

I'll still bring my Voler shorts, I love them.

Sorry about that ramble....

I went out for a ride and all was ok.  The issues I anticipated with the initial try on of shorts were bang on, so I know how to manage them.  Saw one of the running club guys, running, of course.  Always nice to see someone I know.

Strava allowed for a bit of fun afterward.  Always a good time.

I can't find the other one where JHuckle said I had a bright shiny smile.
If I didn't know my purpose by now, perhaps it is to make Paul feel unworthy of being acknowledged by me
That was so horrible to type.

HA! This all goes back to a run where Paul was hiding behind Jenn and I apparently I snubbed him.  Jeff V was out in the middle of the road, plus I've seen JV towards me far more than I've ever seen Paul run towards me, so it was easy to recognize him as I was biking towards the group of three.

Of course, I also recognized Jeff H when I was out on the bike...  I can't find the convo in either of our feeds... oh well...  It was funny, trust me on this...  Poor Paul, it seems my lot in life to make him feel left out...

It was nice to have the opportunity to sleep in on Sunday, I couldn't, even with the imaginary husband feeding the dogs so they would leave us in peace and not have upset tummies for not being fed.

I got out for a ride to Napatree to talk to my old neighbor Tom Papadilla and to take a walk during high season.  Then pedaled my way home via Dusty's, nothing spectacular ice cream wise, however always interesting viewing the beach inhabitants.

Sampled Jeff H's home brew stout.  He better not let the housesitter let me raid the fridge!\

Wee bit fizzy settles quickly into a nice easy drinking stout.  Wonder if he needs a dog sitter for Shep and Maggie???

Mileage:

Feet:  23
Saddle: 79

Books:

OMG "Small Great Things" by Jodi Pioclult.  

It is hard to know what to say about this book. It is eye opening. I give this 4 because I liked it.

Why did I like it? It made me think. Really think. Picoult broke down, as best she could, for a white woman of privilege what it is like to be a black woman making her way in the white world of privilege. I had to really think about the definition of privilege during this book and after listening to the author's notes. Privilege isn't one sided and it isn't all encompassing it is made up of tiny small things that make a person life easier, make making it through a persons life easier. I am not a Cheryl Sandburg fan, I view her as starting life on third base and resent her audacity to tell me to lean in. To me, she has privilege, how dare she tells me what to do, she has not one single clue what it is like to start at bat, to start from the beginning.

People have commented on my privilege, I recall various comments made to me through my life indicating how much easier I had it than they did in one situation or another. Fair points and they always brought me back to ground level understanding that with what I have, I have a responsibility to bring people up, not put them down or use them as a stepping stone for me to rise higher.

That is the message I ultimately walked away with. We all have our perspective and we all have some form of privilege, it is our responsibilities to use these things to the advantage of all not just those like us.

Even for the main character, a light skinned black, her privilege over her dark skinned sister.

The story is disturbing and it is upsetting, it is real, real in terms of race relations, both inter and intra not changing much in 400 years.

Is it wrong a white woman wrote a book about a black woman's experience? Is it wrong gentiles write books about the Haulocost or being Jewish? Why? Something to think about.

I started "Underground Railroad" by Colson Whitehead.  So much for light reading....

Knitting:

Nothing.

Sincerely,
Beth, not sure what to think about privilege.

Weekly Recap 7/17/2017 7/23/2017

Why do they call it Tourist Season if we can't shoot them?

I spent Monday - Thursday in NYC.  It was hot and smelly and awful outside.  Fortunately, I wasn't required to be outside too much.

Monday I had a meeting at a tricky time, either I left on the early a.m. train or a late afternoon train after the meeting got out.  I really needed to be on my game for that 30 minutes so I left on a late afternoon train.  As I drove to the train station, reflecting on, yet again, being a superstar (ha ha ha - like I could ever be that high on myself) ok having a good meeting with people who matter, I thought, oh shit I have my smelly wet running clothes in my gym backpack and they are going to spend the better part of the week baking in the hot car.  That is going to be disgusting, no uber disgusting or would that be meglo-disgusting.  I decided to take a chance and see if I could find a spot in the garage.  That ended up putting me on the next train, but I did get a spot and my clothes would only simmer not boil. And for clarification, it's the commuter Metro North Train, not Amtrak....  BIG difference.

My lunch run was hot and miserable, I can't believe people did speed work.  I could barely move my legs or breathe for that matter.

The train ride in was per usual, and getting to the hotel uneventful.  After I figured out where I was staying.  Why do I not check this stuff before I leave the office, rather than fighting with my work phone to divulge this data?

I grabbed a Corned Beef and a couple Guinness at Muldons, I love that place, so not pretentious.  While I miss Dave and the pups I do enjoy having a huge bed free of dog hair to sleep in.  My big plans to run the East River Greenway on Tuesday a.m. dwindled as I enjoyed lounging about and looking at the awesome view of Roosevelt Island and Queens well what I could see through the smog.

So no running, and enough walking to and from the office and to and from dinner to at least get my daily requirement of activity in.

I was up and at 'em on Wednesday to take on the East River Greenway, I stepped out into the lovely Convection Oven known as NYC at 6:30 a.m. Made my way down to the Greenway the passageway under the FDR smelled like urine, it was not pleasant, in fact, most of the smells in the city in the summer are not pleasant.  The run was uneventful and unexciting.  I went down 2.5 miles and turned around to come back.  That's the amount of time and energy I had.

Today was our team building, there are about 50 people in the group I work in, we are divided among four different functions.  I am lucky as I get to work across most of them and know quite a few people despite working not in NYC.  This summer's events were a charitable project for Free Arts NYC and then a team building event where we went to one of those escape rooms, this was called something different.  There were 5 different rooms so we were divided up.  If you've never done one, it is a really interesting activity on team dynamics and working together.  Our team failed spectacularly.  Between the Function VP and one of the folks who set up the meeting on the team, there was a lot of posturing going on and not a lot of listening.  So no, not a lot of team work.  Of course, I pointed this out from time to time and was ignored.  I let it drop once our VP Maggi finally caught on.  She is a lovely woman and has a heart of gold and is so frigging sharp me harping on this point would have backfired epically.  Fortunately, with age comes the wisdom to FINALLY realize when to let something go.

It was an awesome event and I'd love to try one of those escape rooms again, especially now knowing the format.

My plans to go to the 102 floor of the Empire State Building after dark were thwarted by my desire not to cook in the Convection Oven aka NYC Streets.  I've been to the top in the daylight, I think at night it would be amazing.  Fortunately, this is an option 365 days a year and in the fall when the sun sets earlier I can do this after an NYC work day.  She says optimistically!

Thursday isn't typically a running day and it was even hotter outside.  I went for my meetings and caught an early train 4:42, making a stop at The Beer Table for some Train Beers.  High-class train beers, for sure.  I saw and Evil Twin Maple Stout in the window and for whatever reason, their logo looks like EyeWitlin to me and when I said that the guy looked at me like I was an absolute moron.  He was COMPLETELY correct in this assessment, however, he did manage to get the beer I was interested in and his co-worker helped me pick out a couple more.  I'm sure I'm now one of those people they laugh at.  Totally fine, because really, it was pretty funny and I clearly wasn't paying attention and made words up!  Ha Ha Ha

It was nice to be home and unpacked before 8 p.m.  My colleagues on Amtrak didn't get in until 9:30 and it was after 10 before most of them made it home.  While being with the unwashed masses on public transport isn't always fun, it can be more efficient.

Friday is a running day, and I ran, and I also stood under the outdoor shower at Eastern Point Beach.  I think I will continue this until someone makes me stop.  Sure my shoes squished a bit on the way back to campus, they will dry.  That 1.6 miles was probably the best of the run as they were into the wind with the wind off the water and I was wet with water instead of sweat!!

Dave, the Imaginary Husband, was up and out early to ride Case Mountain (I don't think it's a real mountain, but for CT is it??) on his Fat Bike because something broke on his regular mountain bike and he was too wussy to ride his single speed.  I asked if he got two spares parts instead of one to ensure what ever it was didn't break again.  I surely am NOT winning wife of the year award, that was never my goal in life anyhow!!  HA!

It was up to me to make my own coffee and feed the dogs.  They were happy with my usual generous portions and I was happy with my extra scoop in the coffee bean grinder.  I wrote down the 'correct' grams somewhere, but who knows where those are.

We all had a lovely breakfast and I went out for a ride.  I really need a century (100 miles) for July, and clearly, that wasn't going to happen on Saturday.   I opted out of George's drop Century ride, on the DROP portion of it.  I can drop myself quite easily on a century and with this hell like weather I wasn't going to set myself up for failure.  George assured me I'd love the ride and keep up.  I, well, I have my own doubts about my abilities on the bike.  I left early for me on Saturday, crossed paths with coworker Dan (I'm sure he had no idea who this biker was cheering him on) and several other nice runners a few bad bikers and quite a few nice bikers.  Bad bikers are the ones who pass you and never say "on your left"  I have yet to do the Strava Fly By to find out who the jackasses are...  I may, I may not.  For Christ sakes, bikers have a bad enough rap with car drivers don't fuck with your own kind on the bike and be an asshole.

Relive here.



I did something I never do and that was stopping for lunch.  The lunch, if it was a regular lunch was unremarkable, probably horrid, but after a few hours on the bike and not having breakfast it was delightful!!!  I enjoyed people watching and then pedaled my way home, to ensure I could stop by Grey Sail.

OMG, they had Black Mast Porter on tap and I was happy!  I'm really a dark beer fan....

I enjoyed my ride and ventured home.  Still getting there before Dave so I mowed the lawn.  It was my turn....

Not exactly recalling the events of Saturday night so they must not have been impressive, so on to Sunday.  Dave had no plans and I was going out for a ride.  Not sure how long.  I pedaled along on some familiar and unfamiliar Rhode Island roads.  Thought about it and really wanted to edge the lawn, it was both perfect biking and lawn work weather.  We get so few of these days in July I was very torn.  I ventured on a road I wasn't sure where it went but really should have known!  HA HA HA, sometimes being a Midwesterner in New England sucks, no grids!!!  I went North, into the wind on RI112 and realized where I was actually heading.... shit,  I hate riding on RI138 and really don't want to back track and ride on US 1 in the summer at this time of day.....

I tried a cut through, it turned dirt with a steep rocky up hill.  I turned around and braved RI138 till I hit a familiar road and then braved the craptastic Woodville till I could get off that and head towards home on Tamaquock road.   It was after I got off Tomauaog that an obnoxious person in his huge white with a brown stripe truck decided to torment me.  I turned into a driveway with an open garage and pedaled in like I lived there.  I figured the homeowner would accept my explanation better than the giant asshole in the big truck trying to be intimidating.

Relive here.



All the while I was riding I was thinking of edging the lawn.  I do love this job.

Mileage; 

For a week being in NY, I accomplished more than I expected milewise.

Feet:  22
Saddle: 102

Books:

I continued with  "Small Great Things" by Jodi Picout.  Wow.  This is truly disturbing subject matter. It was a hard decision to leave my iPod in the car and not listen to this book in the hotel room.  We can tell ourselves things are not the same as when my mother was a young girl, I really seriously wonder if there has been any progress.

Knitting:

Nothing, nada, zilch.  

Sincerely,
Beth, wow it's Wednesday, this traveling stuff really throws her off her game

Weekly Recap: 7/10/2017 - 7/16/2017

And another week starts.   Monday was humid and warm, I won't say hot even though it was.  I'm not going to whine and complain like SOME people when it is cold and they wish for the HHH.   I did ask one of his running partners to whack him on the back of the head anytime he complained about the weather he pined for in the weather I so dearly love.

And anyone else that runs with him, please do the same.  I'm not fast enough on my feet to keep up.  Maybe I'll bike around with a whip?  he he he  (see he really needs to resume reading my blog, for warned is for armed???)

So Monday was weird, I felt like I got a good nights sleep. So apparently I didn't work hard enough on the 100K bike ride?  But then again it is a nice change of pace to sleep after a long day.  I didn't get around to jotting anything down so from memory it was hot and humid on Monday and I was miserable and tried to stay near the water and try and not bitch about it too much or punch Mikey who likes this weather.

Got Gus out, the humidity is still too much for him and I'm still really nervous about him passing out last week.  We had a nice walk and there were so many white dogs in the park it was kind of fun.  It is too soon after Gizmo to start the pre-grieving process I go through with the pups.  I'm really not ready for it.

Met up with Faith on Tuesday for an 'easy' 30 minute run for her.  She judges 'easy' on heart rate so we kept it in range by walking a bit. I was fine with whatever, Tuesday isn't a running day and it was nice to spend time in the miserable weather with someone who was just as miserable as I was.

Met up with Ro and Pam for the Dog Watch fun run, we walked the 3.1 miles and I was fine with that.  I'm getting my miles in this week.

Wednesday was going to be just as miserable as the rest of the week and I did a stupid thing and attempted the hill loop without Ro and running it.  Gus wasn't getting out, and he was pissed.  I think it rained, I'm not sure.  I am sure he was pissed.

Hoped to ride in on Thursday but that didn't happen for whatever reason, could be rain could be who knows, could be the heat and humidity.  Ro and I went out for our flat loop and both were happier for that and the brief breezes and shade the loop offered us.  The rain was coming and the temps were dropping it was near 60 when I got home.  Gus and I got out for a much needed and peppy walk.  Such a happy boy he was!

Friday's are never my day, I'm tired, and really didn't want to run but I did and the weather was conducive for it.  I went home and took a nap, the boyz swapping out snuggle time.  I needed that nap.  Not sure what it is about Friday, I am a disaster by 2 p.m.  Gus and I got out for a bit of a longer walk.

Run with the Beavers trail race on Saturday!  I have wanted to run this race for years, one thing or another got in the way, stupid other races, stupid vacation with the in-laws, stupid injury, stupid fear, like I said stupid stuff.  And even more stupid was dropping to the 5 mile.  I could have done the 10 it would have been painful.  In hindsight I'm glad I dropped down, I got to spend some time with Julia who I never see.  We connected in 2011 with my first 1/2 marathon I ran with Team Lung Love for the Lung Cancer Alliance.  It was a race I was so NOT prepared for and really launched me into for real training.  In the process of training for the second 1/2 the next May, and raising funds for Lung Cancer Alliance I got the bug to do my first marathon, with Team Lung Love, of course.  And this also started my blogging in earnest to record my training.  Julia suggested it as a way to enhance my fundraising.  It never panned out that way, however, it was a great way to see what others were doing and eventually meet many of the people's blogs I followed and who followed mine.  Julia lost her mother to Lung Cancer and was looking for an outlet to raise awareness and worked with Lung Cancer Alliance to create an endurance team focused on fundraising for their mission.  I haven't talked much about cancer lately, I did use to quite a bit.  It's on my mind daily, either my mom, my family, and my friends.

Where was I going with this?  Yes, Julia saw I posted I was going to this race and she was interested, it was the day of her birth, and she is a spit fire powerhouse on the lookout for ways to celebrate life, was it technical, she had just done the short course at Exter and found that technical (rooty and rocky).  This got me on the trail of finding people who had run both Exeter and Beavers and their opinions.  The opinion was Beavers was more technical, was she still interested.  YES!  OK, no time like the present to toughen up one's ankles.  I honestly don't know from technical.  I think that everything is fun and the rockier the more fun.  My focus isn't on racing it is enjoying the experience and maybe just maybe exploring places on my own, with my uber-faulty sense of direction!

We talked on the way to the race, and how to find this place, I said 151 Pulaski and it will show up as either Glouster or Chepachet, both will work.  So that put her mind at ease.  My GPS says Glouster, her's also.  We met up before the race start and chatted a bit I introduced her to who ever wandered by.  She was curious about Leslie O'Dell, the superstar runner.  After the race, I had the opportunity to introduce them and they had plenty to discuss.  It was kind of fun knowing I know someone she wanted to meet.  Yeah, I do get star struck with all these super fast and super cool runners I know.  I'll admit it.  The thing is though, they are all such awesome people it makes it even better to know them.

That was a complete nonsensical two paragraphs, or three?  The race was awesome, it was great to see Julia, it was great to see everyone and put new names and faces together, although I did get them all mixed up.

Photo by Scott Mason
I was a bit humid and he was in a great spot mid way up a small rise

An evening of sampling Vermont IPAs (IKR, me and IPAs) with another couple, Dave mountain bikes with Bill and Dace (which is Latvian and sounds like Dutzy) is his wife.  They are a childless couple our age with a love of rescuing dogs.  The IPAs were ok, I can't remember the one I really did like, I didn't get a picture for the beer page, whoops!

Usually, I wake up ready to go on Sunday, none of us were having anything of getting out of bed, or even crawling into bed for scratches (Gus).  Partially it's the week ahead being spent in NY and totally messing up my lunchtime runs.  I am going to make such a great grumpy old lady, aren't I?  Plus I am so behind on my bike miles.  I got out for a 30-mile ride, not even close to what I needed for elevation, but I did have a girlfriend and her husband and one of her kids coming to visit.  Her daughter Lauren lives in NY, sort of west of Westchester County CT.  And they were visiting Lauren and wanted to see RI. meet the dogs, and see if this husband actually existed.  I was the avenue to do these things, ha ha ha.  Aimee is a breast cancer survivor.  They caught it pretty early, it had spread to her lymph nodes, surgery x2 and chemo got everything and she has been clean for a year now.  Last time I saw her she had no hair, she has hair and has had several hair cuts.  I remember that was a big deal for my mom too.

She made me take my baseball cap off...

It felt like there hadn't been time and distance and we were teenagers again.  But then I walked into a room with a mirror.  It was great seeing her daughter all grown up.  I remember when the twins were born, I was in Grad school in Ohio and Judy and Tammy were visiting and we all rushed back to Michigan to see the first babies (Lauren and Amber) of our group from High School.

Knitting:

I've done nothing but look at it and say, I really should.

Books:

I finished "Lilac Girls"  I should start over from the beginning.  What an awesome novel, well told and documented historical fiction.  At the end, the author's epilogue gave details on what was true and was not and where she enhanced the story.  It was an amazing book about a horrible time in history, also one I love to know more about and three very different woman's experiences.

Caroline Ferriday, a New York socialite and philanthropist; Kasia Kuzmerick, a Polish prisoner at the Ravensbrück concentration camp for women; and Herta Oberheuser, a Nazi doctor at Ravensbrück. How could Caroline be so selfless, how could Herta be so heartless, and how could Kasia ever move forward.  Caroline and Herta are actual people, Kasia (and her sister) were a combination of several of the 'Ravensbruk Rabbits' the author researched.

A wonderful book that would invade my thoughts and dreams, I am sure it still will.

I started "Small Great Things" by Jodi Picoult.  This one may disturb me more than "Lilac Girls".  The subject matter, race, privilege, and prejiduce, sounds gut wrenching.   Probably more disturbing as this is a current event.

Mileage:

There has been planking, I've not been recording it.  I should get back to that.  Recording it makes it happen.  Not sure why I fell off the wagon.

Feet:  37
Saddle:  30

Sincerely,
Beth, happy to finally get to run with the beavers, although the beaver didn't show up, maybe next year??