(Almost) Wordless Wednesday~Grocery List

Posted on April 6, 2011 by Coco

Posted in Food, Life | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Training Log – GW Parkway Classic 10 Miler – Final Week (6)

Posted on April 4, 2011 by Coco

This is my training log for my final week (week 6) of getting ready for the GW Parkway Classic 10 miler on April 10!

(You can read my log for week 1 here, week 2 here, week 3 here, week 4 here and week 5 here).

My training goal has been to train without getting injured and my main race goal has been to cross the finish line with a smile like I did last year. Now that the race is only one week away, I can claim success for my training goal as long as I am smart and cautious this week. And, based on my recent long runs, I think a 90 minute finish time is a reasonable goal, although I still need the weather, my ITB, my piriformis and my calves to cooperate!

I also need Congress to cooperate on the budget. If there is another impasse without another continuing resolution, the race may be postponed until May 1 because most of the race is on federal lands. (I have more updates here.)

 

April 4
20 min elliptical
20 min program of Bob Harper Pure Burn Super Strength DVD
Notes: I had to leave the house by 6:30 for work, but still managed to squeeze in a good workout! 🙂

April 5 (TM tempo run)
Warm-up: 5 min @ 3.7 mph; 5 min @ 5.7 mph, 5 min @ 6.0 mph
Tempo: 10 min @ 6.5 mph, 10 min @ 6.7 mph, 10 min @ 6.6 mph
Cool-down: 2 min @ 5.7 mph, 3 min @ 3.7 mph
Notes: My legs are ready for a taper. I hope the weather cooperates for an easy outdoor run in Thursday.

April 6
20 min elliptical
free weights:
deadlifts/military presses/push-ups
plie squats/tricep dips
lunges/bicep curls
squats/lateral raises
hamstring curls/leg extensions (Bowflex)
one-arm rows
chest flies/crunches (on FitBall)
side-lying leg lifts/crunches
Notes: I cut down to 2 sets of the leg exercises and added a few more upper body moves to start giving my legs a break. I guess this will be my last strength workout before the race.

April 7
Easy run: 3.5 miles; avg pace = 9:40 min/mile

April 8
20 min elliptical
20 min Twists program from Rodney Yee A.M. Yoga For Your Week.

April 9
Rest!

Posted in Fitness, Training Log | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Racing In The Rain Book Review

Posted on April 2, 2011 by Coco

I was bummed when the weather forecast for last night and today called for rain showers (and ignored the mention of snow!). I really wanted to do a hilly neighborhood run for my last training run, and really did not want to slog out 6-7 miles on the treadmill!

When I woke up @ 6:00, I was glad to see that it wasn’t raining yet, and decided to try to get out for my run and beat the rain. I wore my lightweight, waterproof windbreaker over a long-sleeve tech shirt, and my baseball cap-style running hat over my thermal headband (the temp was 35F) to help keep any rain off my glasses.

I made it to mile 4 before I felt the first rain drops. I was at a point where I could cut my run short, but remembered my son’s reaction when I told him it was supposed to rain for his lacrosse game (“So?!”) and kept to my planned 7 mile route. (I actaully had planned to run 6 miles, but when I figured out where I wanted to run, I realized it would be closer to 7.)

The dark clouds blew over, and I made it all the way back to my neighborhood before it started raining again. I jogged for part of my cool-down instead of walking so I wouldn’t get wet, but the rain never really materialized. The sun and clouds are still playing hide-and-seek, but I’m afraid the rain will show up for real by the time we are sitting on the sidelines at my son’s game.

I want to highlight four excellent things about my run:

  1. I did not get rained on!
  2. My time was effortlessly awesome (9:22 avg pace).
  3. My ITB was totally silent.
  4. It was my last long run before the GW Parkway Classic!

Garmin Data:
Distance: 7.4 miles
Time: 1:09
Split times: 9:52, 9:09, 9:05, 9:18, 8:58, 9:26, 9:16
(I had no idea those middle miles were so fast.)

Did you read this book? Did you like it?

(click image to see on Amazon via my affiliate link)

I know it got good reviews, but I found it annoying. I think the story was too neatly packaged for my tastes. Maybe I’m just jealous because my dog was such a trouble maker.

Don’t trust this innocent face!

Do you have a terrible dog?

Do you run in the rain?

Posted in Book Reviews, Fitness | Tagged , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

No Foolin’

Posted on April 1, 2011 by Coco

I am so ready for a new month, and April is usually a good one.

April is one of the prettiest months in Washington, D.C. Dogwood and cherry blossom trees are in full bloom. Daffodils, tulips, and hyacinth add color and fragrance to my neighborhood walks. April holds the promise of warmer weather, running without bundling up, eating dinner on the patio–Spring!

April is going to be a busy month at work and at home. I have three different clients coming to town over the next few weeks (two from Australia!), and that means meetings, dinners, and juggling my usual schedule. My son’s lacrosse season is in full swing and his first prom is April 16th! My 10 miler is April 10th and then I have to figure out how to train for the half marathon I’m doing in June.

But first, I have to get through April Fools’ Day. I’m not too worried about my husband or my son playing any tricks on me, but my daughter can get me good if she thinks of it.

One year when she was in middle school, she distracted me while I was fixing breakfast, and put blue food coloring in my Eggbeaters while they were cooking. When I went back to the stove I was truly puzzled! I couldn’t believe the planning and scheming that took.

Last year she was at college on April 1st. She sent me a text message about getting a tongue piercing. Since she’s over 18, I tried to remain calm, but lectured her via text about the possible dental consequences. I was trying to figure out how to break the news to my husband when she sent the message: April Fools! Boy, did she have me fooled!

I am hoping that she is too busy at school today to make me feel like a fool, but I wil try to remember to second-guess any unusal text messages or phone calls I get from her.

Do you celebrate April Fools’ Day?

What’s the best trick someone has played on you?

Do you have any tricks up your sleeve today?

Posted in Life | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

March Madness

Posted on March 31, 2011 by Coco

March 3-17: The Celebrations

  • On March 3rd, I finally found out my income for this past fiscal year, and it was good news.
  • On March 5th, I celebrated my raise by buying a 4WD car that should be able to make it up our hill in the snow (unlike my previous car that got stuck in only a few inches of snow 3 times in the past year !).
  • On March 7th, we celebrated my son’s 17th birthday with a big family dinner.
  • On March 12th, we bought my son a gently used car from CarMax.
  • On March 17th, I stayed home from work to take my son to his driver’s license ceremony at the city courthouse.
  • On March 17th, my Dad emailed me a lovely poem.

(A wooden toy my Dad made when my kids were younger)

 March 17-25: The Madness

  • On March 17th, I got this phone call from my Dad’s wife:
    “The paramedics are here–It doesn’t look good.”
  • On March 17th, my priest prayed with us as the hospital:
    “Into your hands, O God, we commend your servant . . . .”
  • On March 18th, we went to the funeral parlor to make arrangements.
  • On March 20th, I broke down in church when my Dad was mentioned among “all who have died.”
  • On March 20th, we visited my Dad’s wife to talk, hold each other, and cry.
  • On March 21st, I returned to work for 3/4 days and was overwhelmed by the kindness and support of friends and colleagues.
  • On March 23rd, I picked up the Death Certificates and visited my Dad’s wife to talk, hold each other, and cry (again).
  • On March 25th, I picked up the Certificate of Creamation and was haunted by the words from the Ash Wednesday service:
    “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
  • On March 25, I prayed for my Dad (who didn’t want a formal funeral service):
    “Our Father, Who art in heaven . . . .”
    “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death . . . .”
    “. . . I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

(Flowers from my sister-in-law on the front hallway cabinet my Dad made)

March 26–> The Mourning

  • On March 26, I woke from a violent dream, knowning that I was trying to process the anger that hasn’t surfaced by daylight.
  • On March 27, I woke thinking that I hadn’t dreamed about my Dad, but then caught images from my dreams that proved me wrong.
  • On March 27, I quietly savored the words of the prayers we said in church:
    “. . . comfort . . . all those who, in this transitory life, are in . . . sorrow”
    “we bless thy holy Name for all thy servants departed this life in thy faith and fear”
  • On March 28, I re-read my blog post from my son’s birthday dinner and cried (I didn’t write about my Dad, but it was the last time we were together).
  • On March 31, I threw out the last of the fading flower arrangements and collected the condolence cards.
  • On March 31, we visited my Dad’s wife to pick up the last piece of furniture he worked on, because it’s been making her too sad (and we talked, hugged, and cried).

(The chest my Dad stripped of thick white paint and refinished)

What could be more madness than starting the month celebrating life with my Dad, and ending the month learning to adjust to life without him?

Posted in Life, My Faith | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments