Just Another Saturday

I had a light workout week, due largely to my inability to decide how I want to restructure my schedule, now that the days are too warm for afternoon runs. I need to make some sort of decision, but I haven't yet gotten over the fact that I don't like any of my options. I'll bow to necessity soon, and in the meantime I'm trying to be patient with myself. And backing off a bit this week was helpful, because I felt a lot fresher than I did last Saturday.

I'm still trying to keep my "long run day" cardio level at my old levels as I back off on the running to let my hip get better. So I started with what I thought would be an hour in the gym, but turned into an hour and a half on the elliptical trainer, broken into 30 minute sets with breaks in between.

Then I changed into dry clothes and hit the trails.

It should be noted that this was my first midriff-baring day of the season!

By the time I got out on the bayou trails, temps were in the 80s-- warm enough that I probably would've needed to carry water with me, had it not been for some cool breezes and occasional cloud cover. Since the Fuel Belt seems to make my hip problems worse, I was glad to be able to run without it.

It was a rather dull day on the bayou. The sidewalk artist had completed her project in front of the Sabine Lofts, so I didn't have to make a detour on my way into downtown. On the way back out of downtown, I noticed someone had strung a clothesline down near the water and hung some shorts and t-shirts. This was odd on a lot of levels, not the least of which is that the bayou water is so filthy that I can't imagine anyone would use it for washing. So why the clothesline?

There were no races, no walks, no nothing going on. In fact, there weren't a lot of runners out on the trails at all. Too hot? Doesn't seem likely. Anyone who runs in this town has to acclimate or take up a different hobby. One of the oddest things I noticed when I did the IronStar Half-Ironman a couple years ago was the way everyone was reacting to the heat on the run course. Given that it was a mostly local field, I just couldn't understand how so many people had failed to learn how to properly fuel and hydrate for such conditions. It was sort of bizarre. How can you train through the summer months in this town and not learn how to handle heat and humidity?

In other related news, registration for the Houston Marathon opens on June 1. I've decided to go ahead and sign up early. The race actually filled up this past year and I don't want to take a chance on waiting. After so many problems over the past few years-- tendonitis, bronchitis and now hip and IT band troubles-- I'm pretty skeptical about this marathon. But since it's on my birthday next year, maybe that will be the charm and things will all go right this time. The last time I ran it was on my birthday too, so what could go wrong?

Please don't answer that!

Today's Workouts
Saturday: 90 minutes elliptical, 7 mile run

Wicker bunny tunnel 

Vacation Preview - Route 66

For the amusement of my friends -- great site about Route 66. Scroll down to the bottom and click on the interactive map. Enjoy, and don't blame me if you get nothing done for the next two hours!

Quickie Mid-Week Post

Just a quick update, since I'm such a slacker...

I'm tentatively scheduling my vacation for the weeks of June 5 and 12, pending completion of various urgent projects here at the office. We're hoping to do a lot of hiking and camping, but I've read some speculation that NM will be putting some restrictions on park use due to drought conditions. So I guess we'll see how that turns out. I'm looking forward to travelling Route 66, though. That's a big part of this year's plan-- it'll be a serious road trip this time!

As for my biggest and most urgent work project, I'm about to face serious Vendor Wrath for having figured out why we do not owe a major software vendor $800K. My boss is very pleased, but... oh, let's not even start on the fallout from this one when a certain big corporation realizes we've trumped them with their own vaguely-worded contract!

Lessee... my work on my new novel has slowed down a bit. My main character must've figured out I plan to kill her off or something. But I've finally put enough distance between myself and Tin Soldier that I can do some constructive editing. That makes me happy. I hate the "can't see the mistakes" phase, which is typically followed by the "this is a load of crap" phase. Gotta get through both of those in order for good things to start happening again.

My hip hasn't been any trouble this week, although one of my longstanding weird little ankle pains has cropped up again. But this is a known entity and not of any major concern. I'm just disappointed that it's now too hot and humid after work to go for a run outside. I'm going to have to start going to Memorial Park at night, I guess. It's either that or the dreadmill.

And finally, YES, I do have more bunny pics! I'll try to post tonight or tomorrow. I've been seriously behind schedule and Tidbit wants it made clear that the fault is not with her, but with her slacker owner.

Recent Workouts
Sunday: 7 mile run
Monday: 30 minute elliptical
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 45 minute elliptical

Saturday Run

I sure am glad it's the weekend! Work has been totally insane, but it's a good feeling to be steadily ticking the most troublesome items off my To Do list. And with both of my bosses out of town on Monday, I'm not really dreading the start of next week too much.

I really need a vacation, though. We're working on that.

In the meantime, I'm still in trying to get myself back in shape so I can train again and not just work out. My hip has been clicking a bit, but wasn't too troublesome this week.

Today I did an hour on the elliptical machine, broken up into two 30-minute sessions. Then I went out for a bayou run. The plan was to take the trails past Sabine and into downtown, cross over at the Wortham Center and head back. This worked out fine, except that there has been a sidewalk artist at work just outside the Sabine Lofts all week, and there's no good way to run around the area she has roped off. The grass is thick and squishy, perfect for turning an ankle, so instead I made a detour that added a few tenths of a mile, but at least kept me on asphalt and level ground.

Coming back up Allen Parkway after turning around at the Wortham Center, I came upon a group walk of some kind. Although there were some signs posted along their route, I still couldn't make out what the cause or occasion was. There were a lot of walkers, though, and they had special shirts, cardboard fans and all that. But no water stops. Odd, considering the weather report was predicting a high in the low 90s.

Overall, I had an okay run, but not one of my better ones. My legs felt tired. Maybe it was the hills or the lack of sleep. I don't know. But I was glad to get home and ice down with my sweet bunny by my side.

My plan is to run again in the morning, but on a flat course this time. We'll see how that turns out. I'm kind of liking these shorter runs, but I miss my long two and three-hour running adventures. I wish my hip and IT band would hurry up and get better.

Recent Workouts
Thursday: 25 minutes treadmill (too hot to run outside), 20 minutes elliptical
Friday: Scheduled rest day
Saturday: 60 minutes elliptical, 7 mile run

Meetings, etc.

I got called into an end-of-day meeting today that ended up being pretty nice. It lasted only an hour. It started on time, ended on time and stayed relevant throughout. About halfway through the meeting, a nice-looking young man showed up and gave us all cookies. Now, why aren't more meetings like this? All we needed was for someone to come and massage our feet, and it would've been perfect!

Things are maybe getting a little better at work. I'm starting to see some a dim light at the end of the tunnel. If all goes well tomorrow, I can probably have all the most urgent matters wrapped up by the end of this week. I do hope our planned reorganization happens soon. It would mean that the next time a convoluted contract-related matter like this comes up, it won't be my problem. And next year's budget cycle wouldn't be my worry either, except in a peripheral way.

In other news, I went for a bayou run yesterday. The weather has been so nice that it would've been absurd not to do it. It was my first time on the trails in awhile, and it was a lovely day for it, with temps in the low 80s and a nice breeze. I have a feeling we won't see temps like that again until fall, so I'm glad I got out there and enjoyed it.

I would have liked to have done the same thing today, but for some reason I was just really tired. I feel like I'm fighting off a cold, although I'm hoping it's just allergies. Normally I wouldn't mind an excuse to stay home, but there's just too much happening right now and I'm too close to being done. If it turns out I am sick, maybe I'll make a point of sneezing and coughing on the people who are annoying me. Then they'll stay home and I'll get my work done faster.

Recent Workout
Tuesday: 5 mile run

Sunday Run

I wasn't too sure about this morning's run at first. My foot was feeling better, but my hip and IT band were tight. I stretched a little and walked a bit, then decided I might as well go ahead and give it a try. To my surprise, I felt much better than I would have expected. I ran up Blossom Street to Memorial Park, followed the trail to the tennis courts and then continued on toward Memorial Drive, where I turned right to follow the trail that continues on to the 610 Loop. A train was stopped on the tracks, so I had to go underneath the trestle, but that was okay. Better safe than sorry. I'd feel pretty silly if I got hurt because I was walking between the cars when the train started moving.

I went up to the Loop, then turned around and came back. Once I was at the park again, I ran into my ex-landlord's ex-wife. She was walking the other way, so I stopped and walked with her for a bit. She told me she was back with my ex-landlord, which didn’t entirely surprise me. And she told me about some of the tris she has coming up. Then we ran back to the tennis courts and I continued on, now retracing my steps, to where the trail came back up to Memorial Drive. From there I ran home without any further incidents.

In all, it was a very pleasant little run. I had initially planned to run six miles, but the extra bit up to the 610 Loop added a little over a mile, and running with Linnie added another mile, so it ended up being a longer run than I had planned. My foot didn't give me any trouble until around mile five, and my hip and IT band didn't start nagging until about the last mile and a half. So it turned out pretty well, I think.

I called my mom this afternoon to wish her a happy Mother's Day. She wasn't too interested in going out, thank goodness. Mother's Day is pure Amateur Day in the restaurant business and is always a zoo. We're looking at maybe doing something on Memorial Day weekend, which isn't entirely sane but at least isn't insane, either.

I'm so not looking forward to going to work tomorrow and facing these silly crises again. But I think we're very near some solutions, and we're ordering box lunches for the meeting we're calling. The box lunches contain cookies. I suppose any day you get a free cookie can't be all bad.

Today's Workout
8 mile run

Bruises and Bargains

Today was gorgeous running weather, so of course I managed to hurt my foot yesterday and couldn't run today. Isn't that just the way of it? What made it even more annoying was that today was the Art Car Parade, so I missed my annual opportunity to run up Allen Parkway and admire all the cars lined up to head into downtown. If I had remembered about the parade, I might have just decided to run the bayou trails anyway, so it may have been for the best that I forgot. If I don't do anything stupid tonight like go blundering into the furniture, I think I can try a cautious run on level ground tomorrow morning. Running the uneven, hilly bayou trails today while gawking at art cars would have probably been a recipe for disaster.

After lunch today, Dan and I went to our LBS to wish the owner well. This was his last weekend. He's closing up shop and moving to Galveston. We met the new shop owner and browsed what was left of the current inventory. Everything was 50% off and much to my delight, a Louis Garneau jersey that I'd had my eye on for the longest time was still there! At $70, there was no way I would've bought it. Not when I already have plenty of bike jerseys. But at $35 it was a steal and like I said, I'd been admiring it for a very long time. Now I just need to quit being so lazy about getting that rear wheel looked at, so I can go out and ride.

Man, what a week I had! It's funny how things can putter along at the office for weeks at a time without much excitement and then suddenly all heck breaks loose and I'm really earning that paycheck. Several projects and crises came up at once, but by the end of next week the worst should be over. In fact, it could even be that the worst has already passed. I stayed late every day this past week, did some work from home, and spent a lot of time on the phone and in meetings with people so I could hopefully get ahead of the game. We'll see on Monday how that turned out.

Today's Workout
90 minutes elliptical, 30 minutes treadmill (nursing a very nasty bruise to my foot)

Friends in the window 

Mid-Week Post

There's nothing like getting an invoice for a completely ridiculous sum of money to make my day at work interesting. The company that sent it has been impossible to work with this year, sending us vaguely worded, generic invoices and then denying any ability to create better ones, even though they are in the business of supplying software solutions. How can they not give me an itemized invoice on a license renewal of over half a million dollars when I can get the balloon shop up the street to provide an itemized bill, no problem? And now we have this latest invoice, based on who knows what, seemingly in violation of our contract, and that they say we must pay within fourteen days or else.

Don't they know they're dealing with a state institution? I'm lucky if I can order a box of Kleenex in under fourteen days.

Anyway, it will all be resolved soon, but it's just one of many things keeping me at work late these days. At least I can't say I'm bored. This week has been flying by!

That's about all the excitement around here, and it's not very exciting at all, is it?

Well, here's a recap of some of what's happened around here lately:

• Our betta was sick but is responding to his medication and seems perkier now.


• I got the heels of my favorite summer pumps re-capped.


• I thought I liked my new shampoo, but now I'm not so sure.


• I have several new books to read.


• One of my new books is about world water issues. It's research for my next novel (which will complete my Peak Oil trilogy), where I have a main character who is interested in environmental issues, particularly water rights and usage.


• My writing has slowed down lately because one of my characters is copping an attitude. After what I've put her through, I can't say I blame her.


• My sister and father both had birthdays recently. With Mother's Day just around the corner, I'm about to hit the trifecta, don't you think?


• I still haven't gotten the rear wheel of my bike looked at, but I have seriously considered just getting a whole new bike. Makes perfect sense, doesn't it?


• Peanut Butter Puffins cereal bars RULE.

I think we're all in the doldrums here. The weather has been hot and so humid lately that when I leave for work in the morning I can feel my makeup being steamed into my pores. In the afternoon I come home to a mailbox full of soft, soggy bills and magazines. Everyone I know seems to be counting the days until they can take a vacation. I know that's all I’m doing.

It's been nice reading other folks blog about their training and races. Until my hip quits hurting, racing is out of the question, so it's fun to read what other people are doing.

Another Rainy Morning

This morning's storm arrived at the same time my alarm clock went off. Thunder, lightening, the works. Okay. I reset for half an hour and went back to bed. Thirty minutes later, it was still storming. So it was another long workout at the gym for me.

This time I took a change of clothes and an extra towel. Everything went pretty well, and no one showed up with out-of-control kids, which was nice. For some reason I couldn't get CNN on the television, but someone else turned one of the TVs to the Food Network, so that worked out okay. I wonder though, about people who feel the need to cut perfect circles out of pieces of bread.

The plan for tomorrow is to go for an early run, then hit the Y for some strength training. If time permits, I might also try to get in some time on the bike.

Not much else is going on. It's budget time at work and there are other projects going on as well. Everyone seems stressed-out and just not in the mood. I think we all want to go on vacation and are counting the days. But until they give us some firm dates for when the budget cycle will end, I can't set a date for my own vacation, which is probably fueling some of my angst and ennui. And so I try to slip out for a little walk at mid-day, or take a break to read some blogs, or schedule meetings that will end before I would normally go home, but not so early that it makes sense to drive back to the office. One does what one can.

I believe my financial advisor said I have sixteen more years of this to meet the state's retirement qualifications. Joy.

Recent Workouts
Tuesday: 6 mile run
Thursday: 45 minute cardio: 15 elliptical, 15 stairmaster, 15 treadmill
Saturday: 3 hour cardio: 45 elliptical, 45 stairmaster, 45 treadmill, 45 bike

Tidbit and a friend 

Mad Dogs and Englishmen

And silly rabbits like me!

Yes, I went for a run around mid-day today. And yes, it was pretty darn warm out-- sunny and in the 80s. But I have a high heat tolerance and there was a cool breeze blowing, so it was all good. I had thought I didn't really want to run because my quads were tight, but when I couldn't get a free place to park near the Y this morning, I decided to just come home, go for a run and deal with it. So many other people were out, running and on bikes, that it seemed silly not to join them. And once I got moving I felt all right. It wasn't one of my better runs, but it was solid.

I might do something else tonight, but I still haven't made up my mind. I've spent several days in one of those moods where doing anything at all seems like too much of a hassle to bother. I'm not depressed or anything, just vaguely annoyed with everything and everyone.

Must be hormones. I'll get over it.

I'm thinking of taking the day off tomorrow, just to stay home and nurse my massive case of indifferenciosis and its attendant symptoms of surliness and general grumpiness. But as a half-Hispana, I would hate for anyone to think I'm not working because I'm out supporting illegal immigration. Damn. Over three hundred years of ancestry in what is today the United States, and a bunch of upstarts have me worried I'll make a bad impression by taking a day off from work! How fair is that?

Hey, did I ever mention here that I qualify for Daughters of the American Revolution on my Hispano side of the family? Yeppers! My Montoya ancestors gave money in support of the rebel colonists. And got the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo as payback less than a hundred years later. Oh well. So my Pilgrim-descended ancestors screwed over my Conquistador-descended ancestors. There are few real heroes in history.

Today's Workout
5 mile run

Stormy Weather

This was a gym morning, if ever there was one. When I went to bed, Doppler was showing a line of storms around Austin, heading this way. When I woke up, it looked like it was somewhere around Katy-- not far at all. It was one of those serious storm lines, full of reds and yellows. When I looked outside, the sky was full of those gray, lumpy clouds that always carry the potential for tornadoes.

No outdoor running for me!

And since Dan decided to sleep in, setting up the trainer and popping in a Spinerval video was also out of the question.

Needing something to justify my Saturday Indian Food indulgence, I headed down to the gym for a few hours of what I call "fifteens." These are fifteen-minute cardio sessions, making a circuit of three or four "favorite" pieces of equipment. My reasoning is that I can tolerate anything short of massive arterial hemorrhaging for fifteen minutes.

So today I chose elliptical, stair stepper, treadmill and bike. It went very well, no horrible, screaming mental boredom. And the rain gushed down so hard that there were times when the windows of the gym were simply awash in water, as if someone had turned a huge garden hose on the building. Couldn't see a thing!

As I reached the 2.5 hour point, some women came in with their wild, undisciplined children and proceeded to let them run amuck through the gym, romping around on the equipment like it was some sort of playground. I really hate this! Are some people really that stupid, or are they hoping Lil' Pweshus will get hurt using a weight machine like monkey bars and then they can sue? I sure was glad to have earplugs and to be almost done with my workout!

In all, my three hours of "fifteens" turned out well. The only thing I would do differently is take an extra pair of workout clothes with me. I got really sweaty and was trapped by the rain, so I couldn't go home and change. Leaving a little trail everywhere you go may be par for the course and even a badge of honor on the running trails in summer, but at the gym, it's kind of nasty.

Oh, well. I earned my Indian food! And tomorrow promises to be a beautiful day!

Today's Workout
45 minute elliptical
45 minute stair stepper
45 minute treadmill
45 minute stationary bike

Spring Sinuses

Well, I am definitely am suffering from allergies. There is a fine haze everywhere and the whole left side of my face hurts. It makes it hard to think and even harder to do my job, which does at times require that I think.

So I didn't feel too bad about leaving a little early today, since I was just getting slower and slower, grumpier and grumpier, accomplishing less and less as the day wore on. But when I stepped outside, it was sunny out, with a soft cool breeze like fresh sheets on a summer day. No matter how my body felt, it was obvious that running was not optional.

I went to Memorial Park and did four miles. It was one of those runs where you never really feel strong or fast, but since the temps were so nice, it really didn't matter too much. And since I'd taken a Singulair in the morning, my lungs stayed clear, sort of. Or rather, my lungs kept clearing themselves, meaning every quarter mile or so, I would find myself hacking and gagging as the medication made me bring up the nasty fluids that tried to collect in my lungs. Very attractive. Not to mention that it totally messed up the rhythm of my breathing.

Not one of my better runs, by a long shot.

But hey, it was a pretty day. And as I said, it was not a "running-optional" sort of afternoon.

They're predicting rain this weekend and if it will clear the air of pollens and pollutants, it can't come soon enough for me. I'm tired of my face hurting, and I hate having to take pills so I can breathe.

I'll quit whining about it now.

Did I mention the air was soft today, the flowers were blooming and the butterflies were out?

Not such a bad day, at all!

Today's Workout
4 mile run

One Flower

A guy from another department in our building was going around handing out flowers from his garden yesterday. The one he gave me was a bit windblown and a few of its petals were tinged with brown, but the smell! OMG! I put it in a vase and set it in the window, and that one tiny little flower made my whole office smell good! Hard to believe so much wonderful scent can come out of something so small and nondescript.

I came home a little early today. I just wasn't feeling very good, and since I'd put in a productive morning/early afternoon already, I figured it was better to come home and take a long nap. I can't tell if I've got an allergic sinus thing going on or if I'm trying to get sick, but with all the things I have going on at the office I didn't want to take a chance on feeling worse Thursday or Friday.

I was very tempted to go for an afternoon run because the weather was so much cooler than it had been recently-- probably the last little cool front of the season. It was perfect running weather, but I just wasn't feeling it. So I ended up doing housework instead, of all things. What's up with that? I don't know why it is, but I feel so guilty if I'm home during work hours on a weekday that I always find myself compulsively cleaning things.

So I hope I feel a little better tomorrow. I'm deep in ProjectLand right now. But it beats the heck out of MeetingLandia, so I'm not complaining. Not much, at any rate.

Recent Workouts
Sunday: 4 mile run, 30 minute elliptical, 30 minute weights/core
Monday: rest - hip was hurting
Tuesday: 45 minute elliptical

Tidbit and her favorite (ugly) towel 

Lazy

As you can see, I've been a bit lazy about blogging lately. Mostly it's been due to a lack of things to say. Things have been quiet, but I'm not complaining.

I've been given some more projects at work-- fun, interesting projects that I'm excited about. Too bad people are keeping me in meetings all the time and I can't actually work on any of said projects. I'm still trying to understand the business mindset that increases your number of meetings each week as they add projects and other responsibilities to your plate. Many years ago I used to joke to one of my bosses that you can gauge your importance to the organization by the number of meetings you're required to attend. Sadly, I have yet to see evidence that this observation is in any way incorrect.

In tri-related endeavors, my hip is bothering me again, although I'm trying some new things that I think will have good long-term results if I can just be patient. In the meantime, it's putting a damper on my runs. And I'm trying to deal with a seemingly intractable problem with the rear wheel of my bike. It keeps flatting on me. I finally took it to the LBS out of frustration, thinking maybe I was missing something. I had checked the rim for evidence of something that might be puncturing my tube, but turned up nothing. The LBS found nothing either, but the new tube they put on is slowly leaking, just like all the others. I'm going to take the wheel to a different LBS and see what they say. I'm scared to take this bike on the road as it is. The trainer is fine, since I can always stop and add a little more air, but I'd like to get out and see some scenery.

In other news and observations, the Indian restaurant Dan and I go to on Saturdays has hired some more waitstaff-- more Latinos. They appear to be Central Americans, perhaps Guatemalans or Hondurans. They have a bit of a Mayan look about them. They're nice, polite young people, but it feels a little strange to be waited on by Latinos in a place where the staff used to be entirely Asian. Now the Indians and Nepalese are outnumbered and I've noticed they've added Spanish to the fifty-something languages they seem to know. Years ago when I was working on my undergraduate degree in Spanish, I read about a community in California where Indian immigrants had intermarried with local Californios (or was it Mexicans?). Anyway, they ended up with their own new cuisine and their Catholic religion developed some Hindu overtones. It was quite interesting. And to think I get to watch a similar cultural meld take place in my very own local Indian restaurant every Saturday!

And that's about it. I'm doing a lot of writing and my blogging is suffering by comparison. There are only so many hours in a day. But for those of you who are keeping up, I added another chapter to my novel, linkable through my profile. It's one of my favorite chapters because it contains a bar scene. Yeah, ten years in the restaurant business does leave you with a certain affection for things like that.

Today's Workouts
1 hour elliptical, 2 hour bike - Spinervals 9.0 Have Mercy

Look who came to visit! 

It's the Easter Bunny! 

Much Ado About Nothing

Well, unbelievably, three of my four meetings today got cancelled! A key player was home with a sore throat, so that ended that.

And it was a good thing, because just as I predicted, all heck broke loose. I arrived at 7 am to find the emails already flying about a visa crisis with one of our foreign nationals. And things just got wackier as the day wore on. So it was a good thing I wasn't in meetings all day!

As it was, I got some important things done and the day just flew by. Only four more days, eight months and fifteen years to go!

I haven't decided on a workout tonight, but after Iron Benny's Ironman finish yesterday, I guess I've got no cause for whining about a little 30-45 minute cardio after my nap. Darn that Iron Benny! Please drop by and congratulate him if you've got a minute!

Sunday Night Blues

How am I not looking forward to Monday? Let me count the ways:

• Meeting at 9:00


• Meeting at 10:30


• Meeting at 1:00


• Meeting at 3:00 where I've been asked to present

Well. Am I just the most popular girl in the class, or what?

When am I supposed to actually do my job tomorrow? When am I supposed to reconcile March accounts? When am I supposed to eat? And more importantly, when am I supposed to goof off? With a meeting schedule like this, you just know there will be at least one major crisis that will throw everything else into tizzy. Guaranteed.

So what are the chances I can develop the Bird Flu in the next 12 hours? Just the 24 hour variety, of course. Nothing too serious.

I know, you're probably wondering why I don't just cancel a meeting or two. I've thought about it. But they're all meetings that I want to see happen. Each one of them, except the mandatory 3:00, is one I've been trying to schedule for over a week now so I can get information I need in order to move forward on stalled projects. So in a way, this suits my purpose. If I survive tomorrow, I should be able to have a hugely productive week and make a lot of progress on all three of my major projects. I might even bring a couple of them to a conclusion by Friday.

But… a whole day spent in meetings? There's something very sick and twisted about that. Isn't this why the Roman Empire fell? Oh, wait-- that was noun declensions. Equally abhorrent, but quite different.

I guess tomorrow calls for a suit, don’t you think?

Recent Workouts
Sunday: 30 minute elliptical, 45 minute core and strength training

Announcement

Aha. You see, I'm burying this quietly underneath another post in the hope you don't pay this one much mind.

I don't know how long I'll keep this stuff posted, when or if I'll post more, etc, etc. I feel very vulnerable and exposed putting it up in the first place. But…

I've put the first three chapters of my completed novel draft onto a separate blog. No, I'm not going to link it here. It's a draft and I feel shy enough about it already. Follow the link in my profile, if this sort of thing interests you.

It is currently my intention to add chapters as I edit them until or unless I get bored with the project. While I still intend to pursue publication for this novel, I am so caught up in editing this first manuscript and working on the second novel in what has become a trilogy (how'd that happen?) that I'm running out of hours in the day.

So blog posting is it for the very immediate future. If I slack on posting additional chapters and anyone gets antsy about it, let me know. It's a finished manuscript. There's plenty more where this came from.

Blustery Day

What odd weather for April! This morning was all sunny and sparkly, seemingly a perfect day to be outside, except for a very strong, cold wind. So in spite of the fact that I was running in lightweight shorts and shimmel just the other day, it was long compression shorts and a long-sleeved wicking shirt today. But at least with cooler weather, I didn't have to take water with me. My fuel belt sometimes aggravates my hip, so I try not to wear it unless I have to.

Today I wore my GPS and did some more scouting on the new bayou trails. This time I made sure to stay on the trail that looked like it went to the downtown University of Houston campus. I was correct that this was where it would end up, and I got to see some ducks along the way, too. There weren't many of them, but I hope they're busy making baby ducks so that one day there will be whole flocks of them along the way. That would be fun to see.

I'm not sure how accurate my mileage read was through the new section of trail because the trail meanders under a lot of the elevated freeways, blocking my signal. But that was cool too-- bayou below, trails going down to the water, alternate trails going up to just below the street, stairs going all the way up to the street, freeway overhead… I don't know why I find such multi-layered activity interesting, but I do.

I just can't get over how clean, attractive and pleasant these new trails are. There were other runners on them this morning, as well as a few walkers and mountain bikers. I hope enough of us use them and advocate for their upkeep that they stay nice. I think they're part of some larger plan by the city to do something similar to San Antonio's Riverwalk with our bayou. Crazy idea, that. It's one thing to walk or run along the bayou, but honestly I can't imagine wanting to sit next to it (especially in one of our summers!) and eat a meal. But we'll see what happens.

One of the trails put me almost directly behind the place I worked twenty years ago. What memories that brought back! It was my first time out from under the restrictions of school and parents, and everything was new and shiny and begging to be explored. I hardly knew what to do or grab at first, but I was determined to experience everything all at once or die trying. I must have been terribly obnoxious. But it was so much fun! I think everyone has a summer like that.

And then we get a little older, gain a few experiences, and not every little thing is infused with the magic of being new and full of strange and exciting possibilities. We seek out long-term satisfactions instead of the intoxicating whim of the moment. But we can all still take a childlike delight in the things that matter. Things like glorious spring days full of sunshine, flowers and yes, maybe a brisk, cold wind, just to keep us from getting complacent.

Recent Workouts
Saturday: 60 minute elliptical, 10.5 mile run
Friday: scheduled rest day
Thursday: 20 minute spin, 30 minute elliptical

Happy Trails

When I got home today I decided to go for a quick run before I had a chance to start thinking of excuses not to do it. So I headed down to the bayou trails and began running east toward downtown, expecting it to be much of the same old. But as I approached the Sabine Street bridge, I realized that the new stairs were finally open and free of yellow tape. And because all runners like to go exploring, I went to investigate.

The stairs led to a finally-reopened stretch of neatly paved trail that headed into downtown. It went past the Aquarium, past the Wortham Theater, dipping and rising and twisting back on itself as it gave seemingly endless options for running up stairs or inclines, at street level or below, past waterfalls and canoe launches, around benches, mulberry trees, and little nooks where one or two people could stand and look at the bayou, at daffodils or at other sections of meandering trail.

Most junctures were marked by signs, vaguely art deco, with a buffalo on them and discreet arrows pointing the way to parks, theaters, parking lots, business district and even University of Houston's downtown campus. To the best of my knowledge the university had never been accessible via these trails before, so I'll have to investigate more thoroughly and check if it's really possible now. That would make for a very nice run, and one where I would almost certainly be able to find easy access to water fountains and restrooms. Because you see, that was my only complaint whatsoever with the new (and newly reopened) sections of trail-- no water fountains. But I did see a lot of shiny capped-off pipes in places that looked perfect for water fountains, so maybe those will come later. I hope so. Because for now, these sections of trail are strictly BYOB. Although I suppose if we really want to get picky about it, you're never far from a restroom and water fountain at 5:00 on a weekday afternoon if you're in the shadow of an office tower. You just have to find dehydration more embarrassing than walking into an office building in sweaty running clothes, which I do.

But that wasn't necessary today. I made a few wrong turns and found I couldn't get to the trail that led toward the university without having to retrace a lot of distance. And since I had left a note for Dan saying I would only be gone an hour, I figured I had better head back. So I wandered my way up stairs, down walkways and around new sections that when some of these trails were first created a few years ago had been only scarred and muddy lots, treacherous with trash and deep pointless gashes from a backhoe. Now they were clean and well-tended with trails, lights and flower beds. Everything wound around and dipped under the Sabine Street bridge, eventually connecting back into the original bayou trail so seamlessly that I found myself laughing. Sometimes a design is done that well.

I'm not sure how far I went, but I got home within the hour, as I had promised. So with the little stops I made to check things out along new sections on the trail and to read lost dog notices stuck to the water fountains on the old sections of trail (Chewy, go home!), I figure I'll call it five miles. It was probably a little longer, but that seems fair enough. Perhaps I'll go down there Saturday with my GPS and some water and scout myself a new route.

Happy Trails!

Recent Workouts
Wednesday: ~5 mile run, including stairs
Tuesday: 30 minute elliptical, 15 minute stair stepper
Monday: massage day
Sunday: 30 minute elliptical, 45 minute core and strength training

What we're reading! 

Checking In

Sorry I haven't been blogging this past week. Nothing of any particular importance was going on, so I simply didn't have anything to say. I think we all have times like that.

My week ended on an interesting note when some decisions were made about the future of my position and those of my counterparts where I work. We've been in a sort of holding pattern for awhile on a reorganization plan. I've been looking forward to the reorg because I know it will be an opportunity for me to finally do what I do best, which is come up with ideas and solutions in an environment in which I'll have the authority and support to carry them out. The long delays in seeing this come to pass have been a bit discouraging. But now it looks like things are picking up speed. I might even be in my new position by summer! It doesn't necessarily come with change to pay or title, but I'm really not too interested in that angle. I just want to be building and creating again. It's been tough these last five years, working for someone who thinks no idea is a good one unless he had it himself.

But enough of that!

Today's workout was an extended session on the elliptical trainer, followed by a couple loops at Memorial Park. My hip and ITB are starting to get up to their old tricks, so I figured the bayou loops wouldn't do me any favors because of the uneven surfaces of the trails. I needed something a little smoother, and it had been long enough since I had run to the park that it sounded like a fun thing to do.

It wasn't a very interesting run. It was a warm morning, overcast with periods when the sun broke through the clouds for a bit. The park wasn't overcrowded, and I saw my ex-landlord's ex-wife up there. She and I did the IronStar Tri a few years ago. She's quite an amazing person.

On the way home I stopped to use the restroom at the Picnic Loop and was pleasantly surprised to see that some improvements have been made to the facilities. The sinks have running water again and there is actually soap! I'm not sure how long this will continue, but it's very welcome.

Tonight I have a little stuffiness in my sinuses and some post-nasal drip. Yuck. I hope it's just the tree pollen and not the beginnings of a cold. I've had enough sinus pressure and breathing trouble lately from all the pollen that allergies seem by far the more likely culprit.

I'll try to be a little better about blogging. As much time as I spend in the evenings working on my novels, you'd think it would be no trouble to dash off a quickie blog entry about something, wouldn't you?

Recent Workouts
Saturday: 60 minute elliptical, 10 mile run
Friday: Rest Day
Thursday: 35 minute spin, Cyclerobx
Wednesday: 30 minute core and strength training
Tuesday: 30 minute elliptical, 15 minute stair stepper
Monday: Unscheduled rest day-- too lazy and grumpy

Pretty Day

What an absolutely lovely day for a run! It was a little colder than I usually like this morning and I was tired because I got kind of caught up in my writing last night and was up until an embarrassingly late/early hour. But I don't usually worry too much about sleep. I can do that anytime, and I often do.

So today was my first "run-only" long run with no walk breaks, since February's illness. And it went great! After 30 minutes on the elliptical machine to get my sleepy self going, I headed out to the bayou trails and did 10 miles, stopping only for water. It's so nice to run in early spring! The crepe myrtles were blooming, the little gardens along the trail were full of flowers, there were little purple wildflowers, pink primroses and white clover nestled in the grass at the sides of the trail, and there were even spots of honeysuckle and jasmine blooming over by the budding mulberry trees.

I ran along, scattering fat, lazy pigeons, watching people walk their dogs or zoom past me on their mountain bikes. A few people were out early, playing Frisbee golf. And there was a 5K fun run/walk going on over on Allen Parkway, so I got to watch that as I ran by. It's always great to see so many people out getting a little exercise. I find it especially encouraging to see parents with their young children. It's so important to teach good habits early. I've noticed that even adults who stray off into bad habits in their teens and twenties will eventually get back on track if they were shown the right way to live when they were younger.

When I finished with the trails, I crossed the bridge over Memorial Drive and ran the little loop behind the park by my apartment. It's a regular part of my run and adds about a quarter mile. The trail goes past a softball field that is always in use this time of year. The park itself was full of dogs and their humans, and the tennis courts were in use, too. Everyone comes out for this kind of weather. It seems like the time between "cold and wet" and "unbearably hot and humid" is so short.

Gotta make the most of it!

Recent Workouts
Wednesday: 30 minute elliptical, 20 minute strength training
Thursday: 45 minute spin - Spinervals 7.0 Uphill Grind
Friday: Rest Day
Saturday: 30 minute elliptical, 10 mile run

Perky Girl! 

Blue Skies

What a pretty, sunshiney day!

The day started out very stressful. After a meeting that ran late yesterday, I came in to my office this morning and found an email saying in effect, "Remember the plans we started to make yesterday? You need to present your plan at today's lunch meeting."

What?

Okay, I only just started wrapping my brain around this project and already I'm supposed to present and answer questions at the big pan-managerial meeting… at 11:30 today?

Oh, sure. Right. I have nothing else to do this morning, other than generate a couple of critical documents, review some reimbursements, and teleconference with a major vendor who can't seem to get us a correct invoice for our biggest software maintenance package, which is already past due.

So I did what I could about getting a plan together. Then I got a few other basic housekeeping items out of the way and went to my meeting. But once there, it quickly became apparent that no one was going to stay on schedule. So my business manager took me and my counterpart from another department aside and told us that we wouldn't have time to present, after all. All that stress for nothing, but we didn't care. Brenda and I were relieved and feeling silly, so while she pantomimed the dramatic declamation that she wasn't going to get to do, I did a few arabesques and said that I had spent all morning preparing an interpretive dance about the budgets. We made the business manager laugh and it certainly lightened the moment.

We finished up the meeting just after 2:00 and I hung around to network and chat with people. Then I ran a couple campus errands and decided to go home. I got in at 3:00, answered a few emails and voicemails from the office, then decided to go for a little run. The sky was bright blue, the crepe myrtles were blooming pink and white, clover patches covered the banks of the bayou and it was an absolutely delicious day to be outside.

I still have some things I need to work on this evening, but it sure was nice to be able to enjoy a sunny afternoon! Burying myself in a spreadsheet is something better done at night or in bad weather, not when there's a whole bright world out there just begging me to enjoy it!

Recent Workouts
Tuesday: 5.5 mile run

Weekend Workouts

Saturday morning I dragged myself downstairs to the gym and did 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer. My plan was to go for a run afterwards, weather permitting. And although it was gusty and threatening rain, I decided to just go for it and see what happened. I'm glad I did! It didn't rain a drop, and I did two bayou loops, walk/run but at a nice hearty 20 minutes per run session. Barring unforeseen illness or injury, I'll be ready to tackle a full ten miles without scheduled breaks next weekend!

I didn't see much of interest on my route, but I was pleased at the number of spring wildflowers that are starting to pop up. And the mulberry trees are full of little green clusters that will be ripe in just a few more weeks. In other happy news, the new stairs that they've been taking their sweet time about building from Sabine street down to the water level, are almost done. They have some fancy signs up now that say "Buffalo Bayou" something-or-other and have a picture of a buffalo. I'm pretty sure Houston wasn't ever buffalo country, but I'm very excited about the stairs. They'll be good for torturing myself when I want to add a little stair-running challenge in the middle of a run. I hope to learn to hate these stairs with enthusiasm.

My tentative plan for today had been to do an organized ride out in Pearland this morning. But last night the weather reports said to expect thunderstorms, "some possibly severe." Well, that didn't sound like good bike-riding weather to me, although since the promised rain on Saturday hadn't materialized I kept checking weather.com all evening long for updates. When I finally went to bed, it was still "thunderstorms, some possibly severe."

So when I woke up at 9 am this morning to no storms, severe or otherwise, I logged on and found that we were now due for "scattered showers." That's right, just showers.

Thanks, guys. I know weather forecasting isn't easy, but I wouldn't have stayed home just for scattered showers.

I went to the Y instead and got in a good strength training workout. There was a woman there who looked to be in her fifties and she was slim, strong and gorgeous with fab upper arms that curved in all the right places and didn't jiggle a bit. I was so envious! I tried not to stare, but I so wanted to go tell her, "I want to be just like you when I grow up!" Oh, and did I mention she was lifting 25 pound hand weights? Sigh. Someday. Heck, if I could just get back up to 20, I'd consider myself well on the road to goddesshood.

Tonight's plan is to spend a little time on the trainer, since the you-know-what's at the weather service can't tell a thunderstorm from a chance of showers and I still need to do something on the bike today. Grrrr… Maybe I can get Dan to leave me his satellite radio when goes out for the evening. Sometimes I prefer that to queuing up mp3s. I don't know why it is, but I can never think of a song I want to hear when I go to download new music, but whenever I turn on the satellite radio, I hear song after song that I love.

Go figure.

Update: I did a 90 minute spin session this evening. All scheduled workouts present and accounted for!

Recent Workouts
Saturday: 30 minute elliptical, 8.5 mile run, 1.5 mile walk
Sunday: 15 minute elliptical, 45 minute core/strength training, 90 minute spin - Spinervals 5.0 Mental Toughness

The wearin' o' the green! 

Luck o' the Irish

When you can trace your lineage back to Pilgrims and Conquistadors, the Irish can sometimes get lost in the shuffle. So today I'll tell you about the Irish part of my family.

One day around the turn of the last century, Mayflower descendent Lillian Carver had the audacity to go out for a buggy ride with upstart Irish immigrant Frank McPeake. Lillian's father locked every door in the house and she was forced to spend the night with the Irishman's family. In those days, if a young lady didn't come home and spent the night with her beau, she had no choice but to marry him or lose her reputation. And so she married him, and family lore has it that she never really got over it.

But to a casual observer, it seemed a lucky break for Lillian. Through luck and acumen, Frank became quite wealthy in the hotel and tavern business. They sent their eight children to school in chauffeured limousines. They hosted Teddy Roosevelt, Admiral Byrd and Babe Ruth. They sent their children, even the girls, to college.

But Lillian made a bad investment in the Florida land boom of the 1920s and the family hadn't sufficiently recovered to weather the 1929 stock market crash. They lost everything, even their house.

Their daughter Lillian, who became my grandmother, always had more boyfriends than she could keep up with. She wasn't a great beauty, but she was pretty and had a charming way about her that kept men interested. One man, George, was the son of Irish immigrants. After the stock market crash he seemed to have no prospects. He went to work for a federal relief program where one of his jobs was to shovel dead rats out of warehouses after they had been exterminated with poison. It was a lousy way to earn a buck, but what could one do?

Then one day George won big in an illegal lottery. He bought a golf course in Boston. And he bought young Lillian's destitute parents a house. The young lady who had already been engaged three times and had turned down so many other men, became his wife.

No one was playing golf during the Depression and they soon lost the golf course, but young Lillian's brother Frank had gotten a job as a mechanic for American Airlines. George knew nothing about airplane mechanics, but he had a natural aptitude for machinery and there was no such thing as electronic reference checking in those days. Frank vouched for George's skills and he was in.

To the best of the family's knowledge, no plane ever crashed because of my grandfather. And he must've done something right because when he retired in the 1960s, he had oversight of all American Airlines maintenance at one of their important hubs. The job had enabled them to send their youngest son on trips to Europe and allowed George and Lillian to spend the early years of their retirement flying all over the world. They bought a house on Cape Cod, as did Lillian's sisters and brothers. They settled in to many happy years of visits, bridge games, and of course free airline travel, which they used to bring their only granddaughter to the Cape for long summer visits where she developed a passion for the New England coast that persists to this day.

Thanks, Grandpa and Grandma.

And a hearty Irish Blessing to you all!

Recent Workouts
Today: 500 meter swim

Spring Break

One of the cool things about working at a university is that we sometimes get to benefit from the same breaks we give our students. So while we didn't get all of this week off, we do get Friday off, which is nice. Very nice. Especially when you consider that the local K-12 school districts are also having their spring break this week, so a lot of the people I work with have been out this week, lightening my workload. Although Monday and Tuesday were busy, by Wednesday, things had gotten pretty quiet because so many people were out. Today I had to finally give up and go home early because there weren't enough people around for me to get any work done. I'd start one project, hit a snag, not be able to find anyone to answer a question, move on to another project, hit another snag, make another series of unanswered phone calls…

You get the idea.

But it was cool. I left at 2:30 and got an early start on my personal to-do list for Friday instead. And who doesn't like that?

My plan for tomorrow is to hit the gym in the morning and then run a few errands. After that, who knows? I'll probably just settle in at the computer and eat a late lunch, but a whole extra "free" day all to myself is a very special thing. I might get inspired. I might have a sudden brilliant notion. Or I might just say to heck with it and take a nap. You never know!

Recent Workouts
Tuesday: 5 mile run
Wednesday: 35 minute bike: Spinervals 1.0 No Slackers Allowed
Thursday: 30 minute elliptical - intervals

All Ears. 

Getting' Macha

Yesterday I hit the weight room again. I didn't do anything significantly different from last week, but I'm not as sore this time. If I do my core and strength training at home again during the week like a good girl, I'll be ready for a small increase in weight by next weekend, I think.

Of course, that could prove problematic, since I'm hoping to do a ride next Sunday, and that would conflict with my gym time. There's an organized ride out of Pearland, which is perfect for where I'm at in my recovery-from-illness phase. It's flat, it's not a huge long drive to get there, and there's a 45 mile distance which ought to be about right. According to weather.com, it will be raining this coming weekend, but we'll see about that. This far out, a lot can change. But I've got a plan and a backup plan, so I'm all set, no matter what kind of weather we have!

After I did my weight training yesterday, I ran a couple of errands and then settled in to do a bit of writing. It's way too early to tell if the novel I'm working on now is any good, but I really don't care. It's distancing me from the manuscript I recently finished, and that's what I'm really after. I will need that mental distance in order to properly edit my completed manuscript.

Last night after my evening nap (aren't I decadent?), I got on the bike and did a Spinerval. I was happy to see my cadence and mph weren't too far off from where I was before I got sick. I had expected it to be a lot worse. So things are looking pretty good in that department.

Now if only I can get through tomorrow. I have another late afternoon meeting that threatens to be much like today's-- long on talk and short on real solutions. I really do wish we could do a better job of staying on topic. I don't usually mind a meeting that runs overtime if we're solving problems or at least identifying what those problems might be. But when we're just taking turns rambling on about stuff on the periphery, well… I've got other things I could be doing. Don't they? Life is way too short to spend sitting in a conference room talking about whether or not we'll have enough time to do the real work, if we can ever figure out what it is. Am I the only one who sees what's wrong with this picture?

Recent Workouts
Sunday: 1 hour core and strength training, 45 minute spin - Spinervals 3.0 Suffer-O-Rama

We like Sport Beans! 

Product Review: Sport Beans

Sport Beans by Jelly Belly!

The short review is: Yummy!

They come in orange and lemon-lime. Rumor has it that more flavors will follow.

I tried these on Thursday when I found myself faced with an interesting dilemma. One of my cars was ready to be picked up at the shop, just a mile away. Usually I would walk over, but I also wanted to get in a run before I got caught up in other things and lost my ganas. The perfect solution was to go for a run and make my route end up at the auto mechanic's shop. The problem was that it was dinner time and I was hungry.

What to do?

A gel didn't sound good. And a Clif bar was more calories than I needed and would've sat in my stomach like a rock. Then I remembered I'd bought Sport Beans awhile back! One packet is about 100 calories and also includes sodium, potassium and vitamins C and E. Sounded good. I opened a package of orange ones and found them to be very tasty. They were exactly what I needed-- a little sugar boost before my run, but fun to eat, easy to get down, and not heavy. I ate half the packet and then saved the rest for when I got home.

They really were tasty. And I had a good run, too. I don't know if I'd go saying it was the jelly beans that did it, but they sure didn't hurt!

Conclusion: Buy Sport Beans!

Saturday Run

This has been a pretty good week of training for me. I'm not back up to the levels I want to be at, but I'm happy with the way I'm bouncing back.

Today I did half an hour on the elliptical trainer, then did a ten mile run/walk. I shortened my walk breaks from last week and did seven miles of running, three of walking. There were some times when my lungs hurt a little, and toward the end of the run I could feel my legs getting tired, but overall it was a good run. The Bayou City 10K was going on, so I got to hear lots of music while I ran the trails. I kind of wish now I had signed up for the race, but I wasn't at all sure I would be ready for 6.2 by today, and it was probably for the best anyway. I would've only tried to push myself and that wouldn't have been a good thing.

One positive thing has come out of my forced time off from running-- my hip pain and ITB symptoms have gone away. I'm determined to be careful of how I get back into things this time-- more strength training, less of my usual desire to do too much, too soon. It takes such an effort of will to remember that I'm not twenty years old and can't just go throwing myself into things, expecting my body to be able to deal with it.

I'm disappointed that I had such a setback in February, because the weather for tomorrow's Bluebonnet ride looks like it will be good. But I'm not up for a long hilly ride yet, and I'm sure not going to get up at dark-thirty to drive all the way out to Hempstead and ride the short route. If I'm going to spend more time driving than I will on the bike, it ain't worth it. So the plan is to hit the weight room in the morning and then spin or take my bike to the picnic loop, depending on time and personal inclination.

Recent Workouts
Saturday: 30 minute elliptical, 7 mile run, 3 mile walk
Friday: Rest day
Thursday: 4 mile run
Wednesday: 45 minute core and strength training
Tuesday: 30 minute elliptical, 15 minute run

Rabbit. Belly view. 

Ouch

That's what it feels like the day after hitting the weight room for the first time in awhile. And the scary part is that I wasn't really lifting that much. It was kind of embarrassing, actually. In some cases I was at only half what I could lift back when I was much more serious about it.

Oh well. The only thing more embarrassing than lifting girlie weights is not showing up at all.

I rounded out my Sunday with a walk and a good 30 minute spin session. I did better than I had expected on the bike, so I might be hitting the spring ride series sooner than I had anticipated. That would be nice. It might not even be too late to still consider an April tri in Austin. I just need my arms to quit hurting long enough for me to get in the water and make sure I can still swim, now that I can breathe again.

Did I mention I'm really enjoying this breathing thing? It's great. Everyone should try it.

Recent Workouts
Sunday: 45 minute weights, 3 mile walk, 30 minute spin

We like good news! 

Running Again - Finally!

I had a bit of a setback with my breathing on Thursday, but Friday was hugely better-- I felt almost normal again. Normal for me, at any rate. So I decided to try out my newly healed lungs today with a "long" run. Or rather, a long event, consisting partly of running.

The plan was to alternate a half mile of walking with a half mile of running for as long as seemed reasonable. Good thing I got the battery in my GPS watch replaced recently! Everything went very nicely. I wore my new shoes from the Marathon Expo, and they felt very springy and comfy. I did a bayou loop/River Oaks combo and ended up doing ten miles, of which five were running, five walking. I could've gone a little farther, but I felt pretty tired and I didn't want to push anything. It's been what, more than two weeks since I've run at all? Three? Whatever the number is, it's scary.

I figure I'll be sticking with run/walk combos for a little while, at least on my longer ventures. I highly recommend it to anyone getting back into distance running after injury or illness. It's how I've always returned to the road, and I've always been able to get my form back within a few weeks without mishap. I know there are folks out there who sneer at "Gallowalkers," but to them I say that run/walk combos absolutely have a place in the sensible athlete's training plan, not as an end result but as a transitional stage. I look forward to being back to my usual run-only mileage by April, if not sooner.

My plan for tomorrow is some weight training and moderate spinning. I'm hoping to get my bike legs back in shape soon, now that the spring bike series is here. I've already missed the Gator Ride in Baytown, which I haven't missed in a few years. Bluebonnet doesn't look too good for next weekend, either. I doubt I have the legs or the lungs for hills right now. But maybe I'll be ready for a good metric century by the end of the month. I need to quit being such a pessimist about these things. If I'm slow for a little while, well, I have a good excuse. It's hard to train when you can't breathe.

Recent Workouts
Today: 10 miles, alternating walking/running

Feeling Better

Well, I'm pleased to report that I'm off all my meds and doing better. Yesterday was my first day off the prednisone and it was kind of tricky. I had times when I was really dragging and having trouble controlling my body temperature, but I just kept drinking lots of water and trying to flush my system. I figure I'll wait until the weekend to try any strenuous exercise. I spent a week on a Cipro-derived antibiotic, so I'm now working at flushing all the remnants of that nasty poison out of my body, too.

But I felt a lot better today. And so of course my car wouldn't start. Did I mention that I've been driving my "extra" car while my RX-7 is in the shop?

Great.

So I got AAA out here, and since it wasn't a battery issue, we had to tow it. Luckily my mechanic is only a mile away. I told Francisco kindly but in no uncertain terms that I needed at least one of my cars back today. So after determining that my "extra" car simply had a bad ignition coil, he said he would fix that first. As for me, I was like, whatever. Just get one of them fixed today because you can't keep them both.

I walked home, checked some emails from work, then settled in to do some things around the house. Funny thing, but I always feel guilty if I spend a workday at home and don't do any housework. I feel that way even when I'm sick, which is kind of odd, because I really do hate housework, and illness is such a great excuse to not do any. So since my lungs were feeling better today, I decided to tackle the vacuuming and see if I couldn't mess up a good thing. Not only did I vacuum up enough bunny fur to create three new bunnies, but I also gave myself a mild asthma attack.

No, I’m not really stupid. I only act that way sometimes.

I felt better after I had a little Breathe Easy tea. And I completed my "scary projects day" by emptying all the trash cans and taking the trash out to the dumpster, then putting a new tube on my rear tire. I just replaced the tube a few weeks ago, but it was an old tube and it turned out to have a very slow leak. It was okay for riding the trainer because it would stay inflated long enough to get through a workout, but it was never going to do for the road. So I got that matter taken care of.

In all, it was quite a productive day, even if I never made it to the office.

At 3:00 they called to say my car was ready, so I walked over and picked it up. Then since it was such a pretty day, warm and sunny with a cool breeze blowing, I decided to go for a walk. I went and did the five mile bayou loop, and it was one of those wonderful golden days that feels like an unexpected blessing. Very nice. It made me happy and perky. I got in just a little ahead of Dan, who had spent the whole day working, poor baby. I sure didn't seek out this little "free" day, but I made the most of it, just the same.

Recent (Lame) Workouts
Monday: 30 minute walk, 30 minute slow elliptical
Tuesday: 30 minute walk, 30 minute slow elliptical with intervals
Wednesday: 7 miles brisk walking

Absolutism

Okay, so I haven't updated this blog in like, forever. My friends must think I'm dead. But no, although my first day's reaction to my meds made me wonder if I was going to die (I got so agitated that I had to be scraped off the ceiling with a spatula), my body, quite amazingly managed to adapt. I had a slightly less horrendous reaction on the second day and I've felt pretty normal ever since. Maybe the nurse knew this would happen, that my body would adjust, and that's why she refused to ask the doctor to change my meds.

At any rate, I've been feeling better in the sense that I can actually breathe, but my lungs still aren't 100% even on the prednisone and I'm worried what will happen after I take the last pill tomorrow. They're strictly palliative, not a cure, and all I can do is hope my lungs stay clear enough on their own that I can at least continue walking a little and maybe get back into my strength training a bit. Unless I find myself completely unable to breathe again, I refuse to put my body through another course of such dangerous medicine. It was only because I was desperate that I agreed in the first place.

I feel fat and lazy and soft. I can just feel my fitness ebbing away and if I let myself dwell on it I can get pretty upset. So I try not to think about what the last two weeks have done to my base. I hate, hate, hate building up my fitness, incrementally and painfully increasing mileage and stamina. I've got spring bike rides that I'm already embarrassed to even consider because I know I can't hang with the boys any more and I refuse to ever be the Slow Chick again. My long runs, if I can ever run again, will be laughably short. And speed? Don't make me laugh.

I've been trying not to think in absolutes here, but it's hard. The words always and never keep intruding into my thoughts. I'll never be fast again. I'll get lazy and stay that way forever. I'll always be slow. It'll never be like it was.

Ugh. How depressing. Of course it will get better. Once my lungs are clear enough that I can do more than walk, I'll start building back up again. I've been here before. It's not a fun place to be, but it happens to everyone from time to time, even Kona winners and Olympic champions. Maybe I'll hire a trainer once this is all over to help me get back up to speed quickly and to keep me from becoming discouraged.

But for now, I just need my lungs to clear up. It's not happening, and I'm praying that my body can at least get a bit of a handle on this before I take my last pill tomorrow. Because I'm not taking this poison again.

Recent (Lame) Workouts
Sunday: 30 minute walk, 30 minute slow elliptical

Update

Okay, this morning wasn't much better, so I went to see the doctor. We did the nebulizer thing, which didn't help much, so I'm very glad I didn't go to the minor emergency clinic last night. If I'm going to pay for a treatment that doesn't help, I'll take the $20 primary care co-pay over the $100 emergency co-pay every time. The doctor also x-rayed my lungs just to be sure there was no sign of pneumonia. By the time we did all that and I drove to the drugstore and got my prescriptions filled, it was kinda late to go back to the office. So I came home. I'm on prednisone and antibiotics for a few days and we'll see what that does for me.

I sure hope I'm breathing again soon. I don't mind scaling back my workouts when the situation warrants, but this has been bad enough that even walking or lifting weights has been out of the question. It really sucks. And the worst part? Since I'm not working out, I've had to cut back on calories. Man, food is the reason I got into running and triathlon in the first place! How else am I supposed to justify my cookie habit?

So yeah, I'm a little grumpy. Can't breathe. Can't eat. Can't go for a run to take away all the stress of not breathing and eating. Plus I feel stupid, very foggy-headed. I must not be getting enough oxygen to my brain.

If I ever find out who gave me this bug…

Good News And Bad

The good news: I finished the draft of my novel. Yay! I'll be doing a lot of editing, but that's the sort of thing I can do on a schedule, as opposed to the actual writing, which tends to take over everything in its path.

So in terms of time availability, I'm ready to get back into serious training.

And that leads to the bad news: Although I felt much better on Monday, I've spent most of Tuesday fighting to get my lungs clear enough just to support normal breathing. At one point I was even considering driving myself to the minor emergency clinic for a nebulizer treatment. It was that bad. But then my lungs cleared a bit and I was breathing well enough to not see the point in handing over a $100 co-pay and hanging around a waiting room with people who might actually be contagious or something.

So no training for me, yet. I'm starting to get really antsy about this. Missing a whole weekend was bad enough, but based on how I felt Sunday and Monday I fully expected to be doing some light elliptical or spinning by today. So I'll just have to wait and see how I feel tomorrow. If my lungs are acting the same way, I guess I'm off to the doctor.

It's so frustrating to be totally sidelined. And the worst of it is that I don't even feel all that bad. If I were running a fever or had other symptoms, maybe I wouldn't feel like such a slacker. Instead, I just can't breathe.

It's all in the details, isn't it?

Bunny Butt 

On the Mend?

This morning was a bit of a disaster. It took two hours before I could breathe well enough to consider going to walk on the treadmill (too cold to walk outside), and by that time I'd totally lost my ganas for such an endeavor.

So I did nothing today. First time I skipped a Saturday morning workout in over five years.

But the good news is that I woke up from my afternoon nap breathing fairly well. When I bent over to pick something up off the floor I didn't feel like I was going to have a coughing fit. And I'm feeling a little perkier, too. So I might just be turning a corner, and in a good way.

I'm going to keep doing what I've been doing and hope for the best!

Status Quo - Respiratio

There is no change to my breathing, so I guess tomorrow's long run is off. I'll probably try to do a nice long walk, though. If it's too cold in the morning, I'll go to the gym and walk on the treadmill or do some slow elliptical. If it bothers my lungs, I'll stop.

I stayed home from work today, but didn't go to the doctor. There didn't seem to be much point since I had no other symptoms and I haven't gotten any worse. I've been hitting this thing with various meds and herbs and I've had a few episodes where my lungs have tried to clear themselves by bringing up some fluid. Sounds nasty, I know. But it's a good sign, I think. Last year when bronchitis kept me out of the marathon, I didn't have periods where my lungs would clear. Not significantly, at any rate. They would clear only enough to mock me. But this is better. Sometimes I feel almost normal.

A repeat of last year is precisely what I'm trying to avoid, even if it means I might be overreacting a bit by staying home. I certainly was capable of working today. But I was capable of working throughout my bronchitis last year too, and look what it got me. Nope, I'm taking things easy as much as I can this time. There's a lot of really nasty bugs going around, including one that's leading to pneumonia. My boss's doctor said there are people being hospitalized and even dying from it. Healthy people, not folks who were old and sick to begin with. It's odd, but for as many people who I've run into at work or out shopping who've mentioned this, there's nothing in the papers. If I were to judge by the anecdotal evidence alone, I'd think there was an epidemic.

Or maybe it's just my bad luck-- maybe I just keep meeting the sick and friends of the sick.

One good thing happened today. I went out for a little bit this morning and got new batteries put in my sport watches. I don't know how it happened, but somehow they all died at about the same time. So I got that little errand taken care of. Once I'm well and can run again, I'll be able to see how fast and how far I'm going, too!

I did my usual Friday night grocery run tonight, since I didn't feel really bad, just a little short of breath. Feeling like this makes me not want to talk, so as luck would have it I got the chatty cashiers tonight. Whole Foods was the worst. All Whole Foods cashiers seem to think you've come to pay them a personal visit when all you really want is to buy your organic whatchadoodles and be on your way. Tonight, I thought I'd picked out a sensible-looking girl, only to have her and the sacker gang up on me and try to talk me to death. First the cashier started reading the labels on my Amy's Organics and asking me questions about them. I do not want to talk about my groceries. Will you just scan them, please? Then the sacker pounced on my Breathe Easy tea (good stuff, btw) and asked more questions. I thought if I explained I was sick with what seemed to be bronchitis, they'd ease up on me a bit, but no, they then started asking questions about bronchitis, spinning off into a bizarre riff on lung diseases in general. Come on, kids-- I'm sick. I don't want to hear about pneumonia and tuberculosis. I've got enough problems, okay?

The cashier at Central Market was not only chatty, but stupid. And she looked so smart, too! But at least they had chicken tortilla soup tonight. Yum! Who can't get well after that? And I also found that Enzymatic Therapy makes a product called Air-Power, which is 200 mg of guaifenesin in tablet form. That's the same thing you get in OTC cough syrups, only this is double the good stuff and none of the sugar. So all you peeps with chest colds and worse this season, keep an eye out for it!

Off to go dose up. Stay healthy out there!

Heavy Breathing

Well, I've been keeping quiet for several days, trying not to admit it, but here goes…

I think I'm coming down with something.

What at first seemed like asthma has proven remarkably persistent. That's not typical for this time of year. Spring and early fall, sure. But February? I've also been a bit headachy-- sinuses, maybe? And I've been just plain tired, to where I don't even read before I go to sleep. Not normal at all.

But my meds were still working, clearing out my lungs as if it were just asthma until today. Now it's sticking. It's nothing major, I just have a constant awareness of my lungs and a small shortness of breath and occasional cough.

Nope, not asthma.

And since my boss was just out for two weeks with pneumonia, I'm more than a little worried.

So I'm taking care of myself this evening, see how things go. If my lungs feel the same way later tonight and/or in the morning, I'll call in sick to work and go see the doc, even if the rest of my body feels okay. There's something nasty going around and I want no part of it.

Recent Workouts
Monday: 20 minute core, 45 minute spin - Spinervals Suffer-O-Rama
Tuesday: Rest - I was really dragging
Wednesday: 30 minute elliptical

Happy Valentine's Day! 

Cold Run

Okay, you people up north won't think it was cold, but by the standards down here, overnight lows in the thirties with gusts of 15-20 mph is pretty darn cold.

It was in the 40s when I headed out this morning, bundled up a little more than was probably necessary because I like to be warm. A long run on a sweltering August morning makes me happy. If I'm not leaving a drippy trail of sweat, it's just not a proper run. So if adding a fleece vest and a cap for this morning's run was a bit of overkill, hey, it was just my way of trying to bring a little bit of August to February.

It was a very dull run. Not many people were out and there wasn't much to see. Now that my abductor exercises seem to be mitigating the ITB problem, I may have to start wandering a little farther afield so I can have something to report. I've stuck close to home doing permutations on the same little routes for a long time now.

After my run I had a pretty severe asthma attack. It was enough to scare me for a few minutes, which doesn't happen often. I had woken up with a little difficulty breathing, but I took a pill, hit the inhalor and was fine when I headed out the door. Of course the cold air did me no favors, but once the adrenaline kicked in I was okay. Then when I stopped running and there was no more adrenaline, my lungs decided to make up for lost time. When I got up from icing my legs and went into the other room for my inhalor I was getting so little air I actually felt dizzy. It scared me because Dan was at the LBS helping with packet pickup for a ride tomorrow and it was just me and the critters. I'm not quite sure what would've happened if I'd blacked out. I like to think my lungs would've called it a victory and gone on to find other sources of entertainment like, say, breathing. But one can't be too sure about these sorts of things. All was well once I got my albuterol, though.

As if to make up for a rather uneventful run, my drive to the Rice Village area to meet my husband for lunch was very interesting. It reminded me of the video from the driving simulators we used in high school driver's ed class-- just about every possible road hazard and weird driving situation that could be imagined happened. Yes folks, we had it all-- oblivious jaywalkers, people ignoring signals, emergency vehicles, work crews blocking lanes, a huge charter bus lost on a residential street, a parked moving van taking up an entire lane of a two-lane street, and a guy trying to kill his daughter by taking her for a bike ride on a busy street full of road humps, narrow lanes and parked cars. Oh, and did I mention he didn't stop for stop signs? Daddy must've taken out a new insurance policy on her.

In light of the even colder temps tonight, I'm probably going to skip tomorrow's bike ride. I had been looking forward to it, but I'm still a little spooked by this mornings's asthma attack. I would've been fine on the ride, of course. But not being able to breathe while attempting to drive home afterwards doesn't sound appealing at all. Now that spring ride season is here, there's a supported ride every weekend, so there's always next week. And it never stays cold in this town for very long. Not outside, at any rate. How we set our air conditioners is a tale for another time.

Recent Workouts
Thursday: 20 minute core and strength training, 35 minute spin - Cyclerobx
Friday: Rest Day
Saturday: 15 mile run

Big Ears 

Odds and Ends

It's another quiet week at the office. The boss is out with pneumonia. Other than needing his signature on a few things, this boss-free stuff is pretty cool. Very relaxing.

My week got off to a slow start on the No Limits front, though. My Monday meeting ran late and I got home tired and hungry to find my husband in the middle of bureaucratic phone hell with the bank and student loan people. And of course now that I was home, I became go-to gal for all his questions. Oh, man. Didn't I just put close to ten hours of this sort of thing? And get paid for it? I put in some earplugs around 7:00 pm and told him I was taking a nap just so I could get some peace from all the pestering. And you know what? By the time I woke up two hours later, he had figured it all out.

Imagine that. Big baby didn't need me after all. I knew it all along.

My sleep has been really messed up lately and the Monday nap wasn't the half of it. I'm doing so much writing, both in pixels and in my head that I can't seem to turn it off and rest. It's nice when it's all flowing so easily, but it can quickly become an obsession. But at the rate I'm going maybe I can have a completed draft by March and begin editing. It's easier to put editing on a time schedule and then I'll have more time for little things like sleep.

And swimming.

I know, I know, I know. I really need to hit the pool. I'm even thinking of reviving my membership at the university rec center just to increase my pool options. I could go right after work, before I have a chance to come up with excuses.

So maybe I'll get off my duff and do that this week. Boss is out, after all. Who's gonna know if I leave for half an hour?

Today's Workouts
20 minute core and strength training
30 minute elliptical

Flats and Other Cycling Thoughts

Woo-hoo!

I fixed my flat today!

I didn't want to mention it before, but due to a combination of luck and gender, I had never before found myself having to change my own tube. I knew how to do it, mind you, but it was only in theory. I had no field experience, as it were, so I am very proud to report that everything went without a hitch.

Okay, that's not quite true. There was one little problem. When I was checking the wheel for anything that might puncture my new tube, I found a nick on the rim. It didn't seem to be in a place where it would interfere with the tube, but I wasn't taking any chances. I brought out all my girly tools, filed down the sharp edges with my emery board and applied three layers of clear "Hard as Nails" nail polish. I dried it with my blow drier, went and did a few other things while I waited for it to set completely, then put my new tube on, got the tire on and voilà!!

(Come on guys, 'fess up. I bet you wish you'd thought of it!)

After that I did an hour spin, making sure to spend some time out of the saddle so I could be sure and put plenty of weight on the back wheel. If I'm going to get a pinch flat, or if the tube is old and is going to fail on me, I want it to be here at home, not out on the road, which is where I plan to be next weekend at the West U Warmup ride.

In other news, has anyone else heard the rumor that Lance and Sheryl have split up? I wonder what my chances are, now that Lance is a free man? It wouldn't have to be anything terribly important-- just enough that Dan can sue for alienation of affection and then we cash in and skip town for Lanzarote. Me, my hubby and the critters would then spend our days getting buff on the brutal but beautiful hills of the Canarias and Dan could cheer for me at IM Lanzarote every year.

Sound like a plan? No? Well, Lance likes blondes anyway. It's Tyler who likes brunettes and all his money is tied up in legal fees, so there's no point trying to get Dan to sue him for anything. Besides, I'm suspicious of a guy who has no concept of a normal human pain threshold. If he's into anything kinky in the bedroom... Okay, we don't have to go there, but let's just say I have the greatest admiration for his wife!

And thus conclude today's thoughts on cycling.

Today's Workouts
30 minute core and strength training
60 minute spin - Carmichael Training Systems Climbing video

Really relaxed. Really. 

Train-ing

I haven't got much to say about today's long run. It was a little chilly this morning, so it felt strange to be in tights and long sleeves after running in shorts and singlet just two days ago. But it was a pretty morning and even though I didn't see any friends or regulars on my route, it was a happy sort of run. I felt pretty strong throughout, even at the end. I guess taking my Hammer Gel at the halfway point helped. Sometimes I forget and take it too late to do much good.

I added a little out-and-back from Memorial Park to the 610 loop today. I wanted to see if there were any wildflowers yet and it was a nice way to add a little mileage. I saw a few red clovers starting to bloom, but no sign of bluebonnets yet, thank goodness. I read in the local paper this week that some places that participate in the annual Azalea Trail festivities in March are putting ice on their azaleas to delay blooming.

Yes, our winter has been that warm that we need to ice our flowers so they don't bloom too early.

On the way back from 610 to the park I stopped to watch a train go by. I waved at the engineer. One of my many cousins is a train engineer and I thought about him. Then since the train was on a bridge, I walked underneath to the other side so I could continue my run. I had never been underneath a moving train before. It was kind of cool to stand underneath the tracks, listening to the rumbling up above.

Back on the trail I stopped and turned around to watch the rest of the train go by and got kind of mesmerized. I got to thinking about the train tracks that cut through my family's property in New Mexico, and how me and my cousins used to sneak out at night to go watch the trains pass. My cousins were more experienced in this than I was and weren't at all bothered by the way the boxcars would sway and the iron rails would bounce under the wheels. As a child I found it unnerving. But time changes everything and today it only made me smile at the memories.

Today's Workout
15 mile run

Unintended Brick

This morning I received the joyous news that:

my boss's flu has become pneumonia

my assistant would be out with car trouble

they would be turning off the water to our building immediately, no word on restoration

Another day without the boss? Okay, that's cool. But no assistant and no running water, either?

Not. Cool. At. All.

Water line breakages around our building are a fact of life. We get them several times a year. When we're lucky, someone bothers to give us a few minutes' notice and at least tell us what's going on. So it was nice they said something, but I hadn't even had my first cup of coffee yet, so this was going to be serious.

Because I was the only person in the business office, I stuck it out as long as I could. The university made some inquiries and got another building opened to us at the far end of the complex where we rent, so that helped. The restrooms were small, smelly and without paper towels, but they at least looked clean. I've seen worse. I held out until 3:00 and then went home.

I was pretty happy to find myself at home early, so I set up the trainer, queued up some music and hopped on my bike. After about twenty minutes, I started noticing that my rear wheel was slipping where the tire meets the resistance bar. Odd. It felt fine when I started. Maybe I just didn't notice because my quads were stiff and I needed to warm up.

Nope. Something was definitely amiss. I paused Coach Troy and felt the back tire. A bit low. Okay, no big deal, right? I got out the pump and immediately all heck broke loose, so to speak. My slow leak suddenly became a very fast leak and in seconds my rear wheel was useless.

Great.

My mind ran through my options. I didn't feel like changing a tube. Especially not on the rear wheel. Cogs, grease, just the general hassle of it. I could finish up on the elliptical machine. I could run on the treadmill. I could go run the trails. Or I just take a shower, have dinner and call it a day.

No, my muscles were warm and I had only done twenty minutes. That's not a workout. Gotta do something. Pretty day outside. Might be fun to run the small loop on the bayou. That's about two miles, counting from where I start and finish in the little park on Jackson Hill. But my quads-- if I wanted to torture them with hills, I wouldn't have set up the bike in the first place. Maybe…

I looked at the bike again. I so did not want to change a tire. And it was such a pretty day out.

Screw the quads.

So I did a quick change and enjoyed the last bit of sunshine before the sun went down. The banks of the bayou were green with early clover and the sun was warm on my bare shoulders. I took it at a nice quick pace and was back home, cooldown included, in twenty minues.

It wasn't the workout I had planned, but it was a good one.

I hope my office has water tomorrow.

Recent Workouts
Today: 20 minute bike, 2 mile run
Wednesday: Rest. Felt lazy and cranky
Tuesday: 30 minute elliptical, 30 minute core and strength training