Monthly Archives: July 2017

Week 4 of 16 Recap — July 24 through 30

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I cannot believe another week of training has passed.  When is this shite going to get easier? Here’s the breakdown:

Monday:  Nada, zip, nothing.  I wrote last week’s summary on Monday night instead.  Yes, I could have gotten up early to complete my 3 miles, but I’m using the excuse of the concert and that the late night made me tired (#truth).  Excuses are lame.  You play, you pay.  Suck it up and do it anyway. But I didn’t.  (Now, how many conversations do you think I have with myself during the day?)

Tuesday:  5 miles.  I think I need to start writing out my thoughts on a daily basis as my runs are starting to blend together.  I cannot remember for the life of me if this was a good run or if it sucked, but I think I got up early for it.  Which means it was probably a really good run as I do my best in the morning.  A shame I can’t start my job later.

Strange plant. It thinks it’s fall.

Wednesday:  5 miles.  I think this one was done in the evening.  I ran 2 on the treadmill while it was cooling off, and then 3 outside once I knew the temperature wasn’t going to down me. Ah-ha!  The memory is starting to come back.

Thursday:  This was a cross-train day.  However, the boys were leaving for a road trip; I went into work early so I could leave in time to say goodbye to them.  And then it was girl’s time… ohhh yeahhhh.

There are some things only a GIF can explain.

Friday: 5 miles.  You bet, why not.  As the boys were gone, I had nothing else happening. Can I get an awwwww… poor thing?!  I’m joking of course.  The short runs are important and aren’t to be missed.  So I say today.  But I still had happy hour!

Saturday:  Rest day. And total movie day!!  I got to watch three (3) chick flicks without being interrupted!  Do I know how to live or what?!!

Sunday:  11 miles.  Once again, the weather cooperated with me.  I’m feeling quite blessed on my Sunday long-run days!  It was overcast and cool, with a slight breeze.  I was supposed to do 12, but I missed a calculation, or something, and came up short a mile.  By then I was at my front door and I was in no mood to go out and get another mile.  I was done.

I am starting to freak out about the mileage climbing up into territory I’ve never done before. That is detrimental to one’s mental game, so instead of listening to my normal music, I downloaded a couple of podcasts.  I had to get out of my head, and listening to someone else talk was the best way to do it.  It worked, but I wasn’t too keen on the podcasts I downloaded.  I need something funny to keep me smiling… so the hunt is on to find something good before my very first 14-miler this coming Sunday.

(Son of a gun… I just realized I have a half-marathon in 41 days that I need to PR, then another one 2 weeks later, sandwiched by two 20-milers.  Wow.  The nerves are really coming at me hard.  Insert panic here.)

Weekly Total:  26 miles/41.84 km

Total Mileage So Far:  88 miles/141.6 km

Total Miles for July:  91 miles/146.5 km

As I said, the boys took a road trip.  They went to Boise to visit Grandpa for a long weekend.  I couldn’t go because, well, squirrel!  Yes, squirrel apocalypse has begun early and all the rescue centers are battening down the hatches and preparing for our upcoming guests.  I wrote about it last year here, even kept track of how many we were admitting but gave up around 100. Anyway, more on that later, I’m sure.  (For my new followers … I hate the word followers… for my new blogging friends, I work at a wildlife rescue and rehab center.)

Anyway… I really just wanted to share a couple of pictures of the boys having a good time.  Stay tuned to James’s site, 50 in 50 Marathon Quest, as I’m sure he’s going to write a nice little report about a killer trail run he went on while there.  If I would have been with them, I would have turned around and ran back to the truck and waited.  With the A/C on.  I don’t run on trails that are only 6 inches wide and full of boulders.

Have a great week!

Everything Happens For A Reason

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I do not believe in coincidence.  I do believe that everything happens for a reason.

I was raised to be spiritual, to love God, to trust in God’s will, to believe that no matter what everything works out in the end.  Through the years, particularly when I was a young adult, I had my doubts.  I’m a “black-and-white, no gray area” type of person, so I started to doubt the concept of God and went with the scientific explanation of the universe.  That didn’t work well for me.  My life went to hell in a hand basket.  I then started to strengthen my spirituality, and my life started coming together.  I continue to strengthen my spirituality and accept there are things that are not meant to be explained or understood.

Therefore, I do not believe in coincidence.  Everything happens for a reason, even if it is not specifically clear at any given time.

My brother Kris died a little over 1-1/2 years ago from bone and lung cancer at the age of 57.  From the time he was diagnosed to the time he died was just 3 weeks.  They tried radiation and one dose of chemotherapy which he could not tolerate.  They then put him on hospice and sent him home with his wife.

January 2015… on his way to Maui.

He never told me he was ill.  He knew he was going to die, and he never said goodbye.  And I was angry.  Very angry.  Regardless, I ran my next half-marathon less than 2 months later in his memory.  It was my goodbye to him… I was running Maui, his most favorite place in the world (…everything happens for a reason.  I do not believe it was coincidence that my first race after his death happened to be in Maui.).

However, sometime soon after Kris died, I discovered Terry from Spearfruit (everything happens for a reason).  Terry was having his own battle with cancer, and still is, fighting every day for his life.  Terry recently wrote a post, I Will See Her Again, about a recent visit with his mom, sister, and brother.  Because of this heartfelt post, I now understand why my brother never said anything.

My brother didn’t “do” emotions.  He expressed love and occasionally anger or frustration, but he never showed grief or sadness.  Outwardly anyway.  He despised any type of drama.  He accepted the way things were and moved past it.

It took me a year and a half, and finally Terry’s post, to realize my brother couldn’t deal with the emotions that would have come with saying goodbye to the people he loved.  He had enough to process in dealing with his own mortality, and the emotions of having to say goodbye were just too much for him to handle in the short time he had left.

Taken a couple of days before he died, November 2015.

Terry… thank you for sharing your journey with us.  You may never know everyone you’ve helped during your fight, but I am sure there are many.  I appreciate you.

Rest in peace, bro… I finally get it.

Week 3 of 16 Recap — July 17 through 23

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The recap part of this post will be short and sweet.  Lather, rinse, repeat as they say.

Monday:  3 miles.  The day after my long run.  This is probably not the day I should take on Mo-Fo Hill, but I did.  I’m enjoying seeing my progress and how much easier it’s getting week by week to go up this hill.  I’m no longer needing 10 minutes to catch my breath once I get to the top (only 9 minutes now, lol).

Tuesday:  5 miles.  If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen the picture already.  It was a gorgeous, early morning run by the lake.  I usually fight getting up so early, but I’m always so happy when I do.

Wednesday:  I rested.  Yep, I said it… I rested. I was supposed to cross train, but I didn’t.  I’m not proud of it, but life happens.

Thursday:  I rested again.  I was supposed to run 5 miles, but I missed my early morning and it was so nasty hot in the evening.

Friday:  3 miles.  Again, I couldn’t get up as early as I wanted, so that only left me enough time to tackle 3.  I was going to finish it off with 2 in the afternoon, but, well… we all know how that goes, don’t we.

Saturday:  Rest day.

Sunday:  10 miles. You know you live in a small town when running from one end to the other is only 5 miles.  I had to make up the difference with an out and back on the trail.  A beautiful run, so cool, so overcast.  I live in the Pacific Northwest for the clouds, people, not the sun, hehe.

Weekly Total:  21 miles/34 km (Shameful… I must do better this coming week.  Respect the distance.)

Total Mileage So Far:  62 miles/99 km

But wait!

There’s more!

Sunday night we went to see 2 Cellos play at Chateau Ste Michelle Winery in Woodinville.  It was thanks to Motivational Music Monday and the lovely Dorothea from Wanderwolf Running who introduced us to these fun musicians.

In case you don’t know who they are, they are two classically trained cellists from Croatia who took the world by storm with their rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal.”  They play everything from Vivaldi to AC/DC, not to mention a little Iron Maiden and some Nirvana.

An amazing time.  The child even enjoyed it.  (Side note here… AJ has asked to go see Bon Jovi if and/or when they come back to Seattle… I’m so proud!!)

Not my photo. I totally pilfered it from 2 Cellos Instagram site. Can you see us? We’re the ones waving our arms!

And just in case you’re interested… here is a link to them playing Smooth Criminal, Thunderstruck by AC/DC, and Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana.  I’m telling ya, they really rock.

Have a great week!

BibRave Pro!

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I have a fun announcement!  I’ve been selected to be a BibRave ambassador, otherwise known as a BibRave Pro!

What is BibRave?  BibRave is a website that provides a community forum for runners to research and review races.  Anyone can submit a race review and there are no fees to use the service.  There is already a great online community and a weekly twitter chat, #bibchat, hosted each Tuesday at 6pm PST.

What is a BibRave Pro?  BibRave Pros are run bloggers who help spread the word about BibRave and BibRave-partnered races and brands.

What does this mean?  It basically means I’ll be reviewing races and products right here on my blog and continue to write race reviews on BibRave.

I’ve updated my website to include some discount codes.  If you’re interested in a race discount code, such as any Rock N Roll or Hot Chocolate race, you can visit my Race Discounts tab, and for gear and product discounts, visit my Gear Discounts tab.  These discounts are for runners and non-runners alike!

If you’d like more information on BibRave, you can visit http://www.bibrave.com.

I’m super excited to be doing this!  Wish me luck!!  You may be seeing a lot of orange in my near future!!

 

Week 2 of 16 Recap — July 10 through 16

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Week 2 of marathon training didn’t go nearly as well as week 1.

Monday:  3 miles.  After long-run Sunday, we decided it would be best if I had some nice active recovery.  So moving forward, Monday will now consist of an easy-going run where speed or pace doesn’t matter, just to loosen up the legs from the previous day.

The only problem was I couldn’t get up early to do this, so I ran in the evening.  On top of that, I took an allergy pill as something started to tickle my nose.  Because of this, there was probably no getting up early on Tuesday morning to beat the heat…

Tuesday:  2 miles.  It was supposed to be 5.  I did manage to get up early; however, because I had taken an allergy pill the night before, I couldn’t get it going.  My legs felt like lead and my heart rate was erratic, as was my breathing.  (#BenadrylHangover)  I called the run at 2.

Wednesday:  5 miles.  I redeemed myself.  I finally got over the Benadryl hangover and was able to pull it out, but I did this late in the evening when it had cooled down.  I’m so thankful for long days of light right now.

At work, we got in a poor little domestic white rock dove.  He had been attacked by crows.  He had probably been released during someone’s wedding and couldn’t find his way back home. Because he was domesticated, he got to hang out with me all day and get out of the clinic.  He perched happily on my shoulder while I worked, even slept there a bit.  He should be okay as long as the stress of being in a hospital doesn’t get to him.

Thursday:  Cross trained.  I didn’t feel like doing much more than walking, so I practiced my speed walking for 2 miles.  Cross training doesn’t count towards plan mileage, but hey, 2 miles is 2 miles.  More time on my feet.

This was also “Take Your Kids To Work Day” at Starbucks.  AJ got to go hang out with James at Starbucks Headquarters, for which they had lots of fun activities planned for all the kids.  AJ was super excited about getting to make his own Frappucino… any flavor or ingredient he wanted to add, he did.  He even got his own special green Starbucks apron.

Friday:  4 miles.  Again, I couldn’t get up early, so this had to be done on a hot afternoon on the treadmill.  I earned my happy hour, lol.

Saturday:  Rest day.

Sunday:  8 miles.  I was supposed to do 9, but I took an S-cap (electrolytes) at mile 5 and then ate a date at mile 6, and by mile 7, my stomach was cramping up.  It sucks to have a sensitive stomach.  Regardless, it was a beautiful day to be out… nice and overcast and cool!

Weekly Total:  22 miles/35.4 km

Total Mileage So Far:  41 miles/66 km

So tell me:

  • Are you training for race?  If so, which one? (Shout it out loud and proud!!)
  • Are you on Instagram?  If you are, reach out and say “hi!”  I’m finally starting to figure out this fun little app (I know, I know, but I’m old, what can I say), and I’ve gotten to know quite a few blogger friends better by following them on Instagram, so I’d love to follow you if I’m not already!  You can find me here.
  • Who’s your favorite internet provider?

Hope all ya’all have a super great week!

Sedona – Throwback Thursday to 2001

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Have you ever been to Sedona, Arizona? When we lived in Tucson, we would visit it occasionally as it was always a great getaway.  It was usually cooler than Tucson, so it was almost like a break in the heat.  Sedona is considered to be a spiritual mecca and they are known for their healing massages, spas, hypnotherapy and retreats.  Regardless, you can’t beat the beauty.

One of my favorite activities was the horseback riding that I talked James into doing.  It was not his thing but he said he would try it just once.  He really enjoyed the ride… but I’m thinking it’ll be the last time I get him on a horse, hehe.

By the way… this is before the digital age, so the pictures don’t do the Red Rock justice…

Week 1 of 16 Recap — July 3 through 9

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Marathon training has officially begun.  Okay, okay… I started 3 weeks ago… but now it’s the official start of the plan and the weekly countdown.  From here on out, I don’t miss a run and the mileage creeps up and up and up.  Let’s break it on down, shall we?

Monday:  Non-running day.  I always nail the first day of a new plan, hehe.

Work kind of sucked though.  Our hot water heater in the clinic sprang a leak and, thus, a plumber had to be called. After begging and pleading for same-day service, we finally found someone and only had to be without water for a couple of hours. They were good people, very gracious to come out on an almost holiday, and it only cost us an arm and a leg and a soul.

Tuesday:  2 miles.  Weak, I know.  It should’ve been 3.

But with it being the 4th of July, and with me living in a war zone, and it being hot as Hades, I stuck to the treadmill.  Did I mention I had to work as well?  No rest for the wicked.  And the 4th of July is never good for any animal, especially the wild ones.  Stress is the number one killer of animals in the wild, which is usually caused by people.  Just food for thought.

Wednesday:  Cross trained.  Yes!  I actually cross trained!!  Hallelujah, she did it!!  I rode the indoor bike for a bit to warm up and then practiced my speed walking on the treadmill.  I don’t walk fast, I’ve never walked fast, and I don’t know how people do it.  But I’m trying…

We admitted many patients at work because of the holiday, the one most notable being a baby bald eagle.  She had fallen from the nest and the parents were still taking care of her, feeding her while she was on the ground.  Sad situation as she couldn’t be re-nested.  Ironic, isn’t it, to celebrate the nation’s independence and that which gets displaced is the ultimate symbol of freedom?

Thursday:  4 miles.  I am now having to set the alarm earlier and earlier as the mileage increases.

Friday:  5 miles.  I was not aware that it was light outside at 4:30 a.m.  Imagine that!

#spottedthebunny

Saturday:  Rest day.

Sunday:  8 miles.  I didn’t get up quite as early as I wanted, so because of the intense sun, I ended up doing 6 miles on the trail and 2 on the treadmill to finish it up.  Did you know you can get sunburned at 7 a.m.?  True story!

Weekly Total:  19 miles/30 km

So tell me:

  • Did you have a good weekend?
  • Are you melting from the heat yet?  
  • If you live in the U.S., are you a fan of the noise the 4th of July celebration brings? 

 

Queen + Adam Lambert

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I believe it was 1977 when I first heard Queen and Bohemian Rhapsody playing on the radio.  I know the song was released earlier, but this is from my ancient memory banks.  My mother had a pink T-bird in 1977 (I kid you not); we used to cruise around Tucson and that song would come on all the time. The funny thing is Mom loved it. So at the ripe old age of 10, I was instantly in love with Queen and all things Freddie.

In and around 1980 when I was 12, I bought the piano sheet music to Bohemian Rhapsody so I could get to work on perfecting it.  It took me 10 years or more, but I managed to master it to the best of my ability.  If you’ve ever played any Queen music… on a musical instrument… you understand.  Freddie did not compose easy music.  And I am not an accomplished musician.

When I was 14, my father bought my sister and I a stereo for Christmas along with a couple of vinyl albums to get us started, one of which was Queen. Ahhh, that opened a whole new world to us by way of music. Money allowing for a teenager, I eventually owned everything Queen.

(By the way… July 3rd is my father’s birthday… he would’ve been 88 today!  Happy Birthday Dad!)

Fast forward to 1991 when devastation hit and Freddie died.  Gone were my chances of ever seeing Queen live in concert…

But then… enter Adam Lambert some 20 years later.  Brian May and Roger Taylor (the remaining members of Queen) for whatever reason took a chance on this kid to bring Queen back to life and give fans what they wanted… one last shot to see and hear their music.  And wow, I have to say, Adam rocked the house.

 

Adam doesn’t try to personalize Queen’s songs.  He sings them as Freddie would have sung them of which I was very appreciative.  And he sings them well.  Dr. Brian May still managed to make that guitar come to life just as he did 40 years ago, and Roger Taylor… well, how he doesn’t manage to lose 5 pounds every night from the workout he gets with every show is beyond me. The older boys definitely still have it!!

I can count at least 3 times during the show when I become so overwhelmed with emotion that tears flowed, as did the entire audience.  One moment in particular was during Love Of My Life. Brian sat down with his acoustic guitar and sang the song as Freddie would have, and towards the end, Freddie appeared on the big screen with Brian and took over the singing… then walked off at the end of the song as Brian waved goodbye.

Another tear jerker was when Adam sang Who Wants To Live Forever…

By the by, Adam has a new single out, Two Fux.  I’m thinking this is one we will never hear on the radio, but he sang it during the concert and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  He deserves recognition for that catchy little tune and I will definitely be adding it to my playlist.

It was an amazing time.  This is one show I would see over and over again if I could, so if you love Queen and ever get the chance, do go see it.  You will not be disappointed.