Training Log Archive: vmeyer

Two mile run, about .4 walk, 1 mile run, walk, then ran down the hill again so I could walk back up it to kill some time.

Humid!

Compared to yesterday, when I was up and ready to go by 7:30, today I was sluggish, and possibly hung-over from too much wine (though only 3/4 of a bottle) and exercise yesterday.

Luckily, I had dug out a map last night from an old training I had set in GFVA, so, I didn't have to think too hard when I did get out of bed at 8:45.

Tracks

Got to the parking lot outside of the park and hit the trails about 10 AM. I was due at a baby shower at ~1, so I was allowing myself just 90 minutes or so. I started at #12, and realized I had missed 13 to the left when I was in the next reentrant over, but I had no time to fiddle, so I went on. I also recognized where I was when I missed #6, and then skipped 8-11 on purpose and headed to the car, hitting 9 & almost 11 totally by accident, so I am not sure I am able to claim those as spiked, or semi-spiked controls, since I was basically just bombing downhill to the car. I didn't take the trail going right into the parking lot, since it was marked as closed at the road.

It felt like a mid-summer Washington, DC day with high humidity, and temps in the low 80s. The water plants were totally leafed out making the streams difficult to see, and the gnats and spiderwebs were numerous.

I taped my heels, and that prevented any blisters, but I need thicker socks with these shoes since my heel was slipping around and making it difficult to run, at the few times I wanted to run.

I did take a couple of falls today - one after getting a stick twisted between my legs, and the other a full roll down the hill to the car. Nice bruises on my left shin, and a little bit of wrenching feeling to the right hip/lower back.

In terms of fitness, I was not regretting that I skipped WP this weekend as I was climbing from 4-5.

Event: USMA West Point A-Meet 2010
 

A beautiful morning for a ride on the new bike. Lots of people out at 7:45.

I like the bike, though I think I may switch to the saddle I had put on my other bike. But, my arms and hands did not hurt like they did on the other bike.

Temps started at 60, and the long sleeve shirt, though very light weight, only lasted 20 minutes.



The irises are very beautiful again this year.

Well, I cut out the fabric for the first block for the quilt last night.

I am pretty sure even my most manic self won't get it done by Sunday afternoon, but the planning has been fun. Good thing they are registered at Target, which is right by the house, so I can get an alternate present easily enough...

Here is the main fabric which I bought maybe 8 yards of in 2005 and is still unwashed, along with about 50 yards of other fabric.



I am using the animals as applique patterns and making nine or twelve 10-12" blocks. There will be a rainbow stripe as the sashing, and then the main fabric for borders and backing. At least, that is the plan.

The blocks will be similar to how I copied the fabric in this smaller effort:

C • Quilt 4

Took a brisk walk around the school neighborhood, as well as around the paved track. It may be close to .25 mile. I will have to gps measure it sometime.

The opossum was indeed still playing dead this morning.

Additional exercise the last three days has been climbing up three very long flights of stairs to use the bathroom on the third floor at work. My private is not working. Yes, there are others available below the third floor, but I decided that the climbing would be good for me. Those of you who know me well know that this can add up to a significant workout, albeit spread out over the day.

I didn't really need a new bike, but I got a new bike. It is a Trek 7.6 FX WSD. Picked it up after work, so it wasn't the bike I rode to work today. It has skinnier wheels, and it doesn't have the front end suspension like my Trek 7500 (a hybrid), so that will take a little getting used to. It is actually a 19 vs a 17+ and feels less cramped.

C • Excelent taste 4

The trifecta of backyard excitement this evening:
-the racoon family drinking out of the pond before sunset. Two very large healthy adults.
-a opossum playing possum. Though, if it is still there in the morning, then it is actually dead. I turned it over with a long stick, and it was stiff as a board.
-the first hummingbird of the season.

You would have lost the bet if you said I would actually run outside today, wind weenie that I am. After shaking off a too short nap after work, I went out the door, but while waiting for the gps signal, I decided that outside wasn't for me, so to the basement.

One minute of walking then set speed at 5 mph, pretty easy pace outside, a little harder on the treadmill. About twenty minutes in I got bored, but I did not feel like going any faster, so I starting increasing the incline (I always use zero). I set it at 1, then increased it by .5 up to 5, stayed there for a couple of minutes then worked backwards by 1. Felt the effort and really started to sweat at the top end. I need to use the incline feature more often.

Got my act together last night and planned on biking in this morning.
I was out of the house at 6:55 and to work 30 minutes later with just about 1 minute of time spent at a red light. I was a wee bit nervous before I left the house, but the ride went very well.

Didn't get out of work until after 4, after fielding all of the phone calls in one day which I have been spared the last three weeks. Crazy, but good.

Ride home was a bit more difficult with the strong headwinds coming from every side. :) Again, just about 1 minute of stop time vs. the ~5 minutes I would have for the shorter trip to my old place.

No bike tomorrow because of the even stronger winds forecast for the afternoon. I am taking my running stuff and hope to get a run in at lunchtime. Things are a bit more flexible for me, if I take advantage of it, since I won't be meeting Roger for lunch everyday at 11 AM.