Weekly Rundown- I Can Explain…
Well, there’s good news and bad news. The bad news is, I DNF’d my race. I know- that’s VERY bad news. The good news is, I didn’t die of hypothermia (like I thought I might) or have to have my foot chopped off (like I thought I might.) Read on for details… but first, I’m linking up with Kim and Deborah for the Weekly Rundown. Let’s start with the beginning of the week… Monday This was a gym day- I walked one mile on the treadmill, then did upper body- bench press, reverse fly, abs, low back. I read somewhere that women shouldn’t taper strength too early, because they need the testosterone. While I didn’t do any lower body this week, I tried to make this workout hard. Did it make any difference? Probably not, but it felt good. Tuesday On this day, the forecast was still showing very warm weather for race day. Even though it was in the 60s I wore my long sleeve shirt (trying to make myself as hot as possible) and carried my double hydration vest, just to get the feel of it (all my long runs have been so cool, I only needed my single bottle vest.) 3 mile run, followed by dead bugs. Wednesday This was an exciting day- Darlene was in town, so we met at Yamato Scrub for a long walk! This is the sandy trail I did all my long runs on when training for my 50K last year, and it’s so pretty. It was fun to show it to Darlene! We walked for two hours, which was longer than I planned, but we were gabbing away and the time went quickly. So fun to have a blogger meetup! Thursday Last run before the race! I walked a mile, then ran 2. Done! I got through the training without hurting myself! Friday Day off! During the time I usually exercise in the morning, I packed. And then after work I drove up to my hotel in Titusville! Saturday I”ll go into much greater detail in Tuesday’s race recap (because even though I DNF’d I still have LOTS TO SAY) but the short version is, I DNF’d due to a combination of poor clothing choices and some bad luck. I was so focused on not being hot, that I failed to realize 60 degrees can be cold IF IT’S RAINING STEADILY. I had to move pretty quickly to hold some heat in, and then around mile 15 I twisted my ankle and fell hard. At that point I had to keep going for 8 more miles to make it to the next aid station- there was no other choice. But now I couldn’t move fast, so by the time I got to the mile 23 aid station I was literally shaking and my teeth were chattering. The runners ahead of me had warned them I was coming, and one of the aid station volunteers already had his truck running with the heat blasting, and he ushered me right in. I told him right away that I was a DNF. As I sat there trying to warm up (and contemplating my life choices) I could hear them warning runners starting off on the next loop, “Be careful! It’s VERY muddy and slippery out there!” and there was no question in my mind I had made the right choice. I mean, I’m obviously disappointed about how this race turned out, but going on would have been dangerous, and I stand by that decision. Or at least, I would if I could actually stand. It just wasn’t my day. But that’s life- you have to take the good with the bad. There will be plenty more races! Sunday Oh boy, this will be fun. First I have to drive home- luckily it’s my left ankle. Then there will be more icing and resting. Fun times ahead! Have you ever DNF’d a race? – I think this was my first one! Ever sprained your ankle? – I sprained the other one years ago, and didn’t really enjoy the experience.
Friday Free-For-All
I’m writing this on Thursday, but if you’re reading it Friday, I’m leaving this afternoon (TODAY!!!) for my race! I’ll be staying overnight in Titusville, FL- but that’s not where the race is. The race begins near a town called Christmas, Florida (I know! A town called Christmas!) but there are no hotels there. And, the closest city to easily track the weather has been Orlando. Confusing, isn’t it? Speaking of the weather… the weather app has sure taken me on a roller coaster ride these past two weeks! At first, the forecast for February 17th showed a low of 47 and a high of 66. YES. Then, every day it got warmer and warmer, until it finally showed a LOW of 60 and a high of 78 (NOOOOOOOO!!!). Now, we’ve gone back down and added a fun twist- low of 58, high of 66, and rain. I’LL TAKE IT. But how much rain? A sprinkle? Drizzle? Downpour? It will be an interesting surprise, I guess. Let’s move on. I got this amazing postcard from Engie: I love it so, so much. She wrote a truly inspirational message on the back, too. And as if that’s not enough, she ALSO sent me a Valentine! She knows I don’t love Valentine’s Day, and was trying to convince that it actually can be fun. Well, this definitely helped! But you know what I realized? If someone really, really wanted me to LOVE Valentine’s Day, they could get me an ACTUAL KITTEN on February 14th! Wouldn’t that be awesome? (Orange tabby, preferably.) This would be a perfect idea for my husband, but unfortunately he has the strange idea that two cats is “enough.” (What? I’m not comprehending that perculiar combination of words…? Enough? Cats? Hmm.) Anyway, Engie’s card was the perfect substitute for a real kitten. Since I’m still not entirely sure of the weather for Saturday, I’m bringing a little bit of everything. Luckily I’m driving and can throw as much as I want in the car! I’ll check in on Sunday with the Weekly Rundown- but it probably won’t be much more than “I did it!” (er- hopefully.) I’ll have a full race recap up next week! See you then. Have a great weekend! Header photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash
In Other News…
Have I mentioned that I have a race coming up on Saturday? Hahahahahaha… I’m pretty sure just about everyone is aware of that. Obviously the weather stalking, list making, planning, and worrying are in full swing, but there have been a few other things going on! Like… let’s talk about the Super Bowl. What a great game! It was close, exciting, and the correct team won (although some might contest that.) But more importantly, I made a REALLY yummy Super Bowl dinner. Instead of doing anything football-related, I just decided to make a fun dinner that I wouldn’t normally make. I chose the Vegan Buffalo Mac and Cheese from Nora Cooks. GAH! This was so good. You make a cheesy cashew-based sauce that has hot sauce and plant-based ranch mixed in. Nora’s version is prettier, because she garnishes it with extra sauce, but it didn’t need it. As a last minute nod to “health” I threw a couple stalks of celery on my plate. And then we had leftovers the next night. Next topic! I’ve invented a new thing called “reading in bed.” Ha, well, MAYBE I didn’t invent it, but I haven’t read in bed at night in years… like, probably since my kids were born. My husband usually goes to bed before me, and I normally read at night on the couch in the living room. Last week I decided to shake things up, and in an effort to get more sleep, I started getting in bed early- between 8:30-9:00 with my book. I love it! It really relaxes me, and somehow it’s soothing to hear my husband out puttering around the house. The only danger is, sometimes it’s hard to put my book down and go to sleep. But I’ve been pretty good about turning the light off by 9:30 or 10:00 at the latest. I get a gold start sticker in my planner (thank you, Elisabeth for that idea!) if I turn the light off by 9:30, so that gives me extra motivation. And what am I reading? In addition to My Brilliant Friend (Cool Bloggers Book Club book) I’m reading this book: Lindsay mentioned that she loves Ann Cleeves, so I decided to check her out. So far I’m loving this book- but it’s a mystery, so I’m going to give my final verdict after I finish it. Nothing worse than a great mystery with a disappointing ending. I trust you, Lindsay, but I’ve been burned before. And that’s it! I’ll be back soon with some final pre-race thoughts. Did you watch the Super Bowl? Did you make any fun food? What are you reading? Header photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash
Weekly Rundown- ONE MORE WEEK!
I’m almost there! My race is this Saturday. I’m getting more and more excited every day- this race better come soon or I might explode. Meanwhile, I had a good week, although (as I predicted) it was not without drama. I’m linking up with Kim and Deborah as always for the Weekly Rundown. Read on for details! Monday Our beautiful weather continues, and I had a nice 4 mile run. followed by Knees Over Toes exercises and some planking. In the evening I had an interesting conversation with my husband that went something like this: Husband: I just found out Ron has Covid. Me: Oh no! Who’s Ron? Husband: The guy I sat next to last night. GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! After I got over my initial panic, I calmed down a bit. The truth is, we’re probably both- or, including my daughter, all three- exposed to Covid all the time. I made my husband promise to tell me if he started to feel ANY SYMPTOMS (in which case I would immediately move out of the bedroom and wear a mask in the house) but otherwise went on living my life as usual- except that I went to bed at 9:30. Finally, motivation to get eight hours of sleep! Tuesday I went to the gym and did the “Cool Bloggers Workout” (CBW) which is 30 minutes on the treadmill, 12% incline at 3 mph. Then I did upper body weights, including (but not limited to) reverse flys. Still trying to strengthen my upper back to carry my hydration vest for 50 miles! Wednesday Okay, so bear with me. For the last couple days I was noticing a pain in my left shin. I know what you’re thinking: “Jenny. You can’t possibly have all these things actually wrong with you! This is all in your mind.” Maybe. OR, maybe I tweaked it last week on that sandy long run. I’m not taking any chances, so instead of running outside I went to the gym to run on the treadmill. First I walked for 20 minutes at a 12% incline (CBW) and then ran 4 miles. I was prepared to stop immediately if my shin hurt, but it was fine. After the run I walked for 10 more minutes at 12% incline. Then (knowing I wouldn’t be back at the gym this week) I did deadlifts. Someone was using my usually rack, so I didn’t get to use the big plates (the little ones don’t look as impressive, ha.) Thursday It was an easy day! I did a 2 mile walk and then the Knees Over Toes exercises. On this walk I experimented with putting my headlamp around my waist. At night my daughter’s jazz band had MPA (Music Performance Assessment.) Her high school has two jazz bands, and since she plays guitar she plays in both of them. Anyway… both bands did great, got Superior ratings, and it was a late night. I didn’t get to bed until 11:00, wrecking my amazing sleep schedule. Oh well. Friday 4 mile run! Followed by dead bugs. I was dragging a little all day, thanks to the late night, but there was more! On this night my daughter had Solo and Ensemble, where she played a solo, a flute choir, and a woodwind choir. Once I got over the tiredness and crankiness at having to drive far away (again) I enjoyed it. And she got Superior ratings in all her events! Saturday After two late nights, this was a planned rest day. I was able to sleep in until 7:00 before going to work. While at work, I discovered something surprising, which is that I’m on the schedule for tomorrow. My manager claims that, when I asked for next Saturday off (to run my race) I said I would work tomorrow instead. I NEVER SAID THAT. One of us is crazy, but there’s no way of proving which one. I’m already booked with clients, and I don’t want to cancel everyone. Sunday On tap for today- 5 mile run, and then apparently I’m going to work! Grr. Then, home to get ready for the Super Bowl, hooray! I’ve been going through football withdrawal. We have a fun meal planned, and will be rooting for Patrick Mahomes. Er, I mean, the Chiefs. Heh heh. So, I finished the week with two healthy shins, and no one has Covid (yet.) My husband is healthy and I’ve been masking at work (and will continue to do so until after my race.) ONE MORE WEEK, WOOHOO!!! I think I’ll make it in one piece. How was your week? Do you still wear a mask? – I forgot how much I hate it. Any big Super Bowl plans?