Trails
Well so far Sept has been a bust for me as I've not done one thing but work on projects for work. My allergies are off the charts with ragweed in season now.
Here's some fun for Sept 3rd
Runs in the rain
Catch up time with my comments, going all the way back to Aug 15th!
Rich - I have two outdoor thermometer and like you did they are installed under the eaves. My north one is wireless like yours and typically will show a lower temperature than the south one, which does have a wire that passes through a window. Not sure about cooling effects I would get from the lakes since I am a good distance away, but maybe they pull down cooler air from Canada. I don't follow sports much, but do like to observe the form of elite runners, just have not had time to look at the videos. Power Company workers have to be quick in taking care of downed trees and wires since customers need their power. DGGD is a cute picture. Enjoy the visit from brother in law! You are doing great with a 10 mile trail run and all those VO2Max sprints! Careful about those muscle knots, hate to see you injure yourself again after all your hard training work!
Di - Thanks for starting the month, it looked like nobody wanted to be the one to think up the heading name! I hope the "tripping" does not become literal, I've done faceplants and it's not too pretty! Now my own solution for local weather is to look up time lapse radar maps online and they give more of an idea about weather conditions headed to my locality before I start my run. I did have a barrel set up by my shed to collect rainwater, but took it down when an animal drowned in it. Most of the state group home workers in my area are working crazy overtime hours so it is not just me. Fall allergy season does seem to be kicking in, was sneezing myself today! Having unvaccinated workers is a risk factor, lucky if you can work from home. Your walks were improving with consistency and speed, but like me the work schedule can interfere with our plans.
az - Several years back I had to take care of a wasp nest that built between the joists in my basement ceiling. I was seeing wasps in the house and finally saw them coming out from a small hole in the drop ceiling of my basement. When I removed the panel I found like a foot and a half square huge nest! I sprayed and put on a heavy shirt, gloves, scarf and hat and used a ice scrapper at the end of a long pole to start removing the nest, it took several days to finish and despite my protective gear I was stung multiple times each day and they seemed to hurt more and more. Funny how the little buggers find the slightest opening to get to you! I hope Bones finds a younger friend than Clint to play with, dogs do seem to age quickly. Packing for a move and getting a house ready for sale are time consuming projects, good luck with getting it done! You are busy now and I'm sure you will be glad when you have time for more running. Humidity I now think is worse than just heat, it sure can make a run uncomfortable! Rain may be nice for some areas, but looks like New Your City and Long Island were hit with a disastrous amount, I think they said like 3 inches in an hour! Lives were lost, thankfully that weather had little effect where I live. My sick leave hours do carry over and can be used to continue my health insurance when I retire.
Led - The near 17 miler and other double digit distance runs seem very impressive to me right now, looking at my log for double digits I have to go back to last October when I did a slow 10 mile run and my last run over 16 miles was a Sept marathon way back in 2018. Like you I expect it will take longer to get back to running longer distances when I start training again. A run of any distance is impressive when temperatures are near 100 degrees. You were lucky to take that bathroom break before getting caught in that downpour! Although running in heavy rain does not feel bad if it is hot enough. I'm sure we are all happy as cooler fall weather approaches.
Art - I think you said you went like a year without rain, so several rainy days soaking the ground must be a rare occurrence for you! Good luck with the tomatoes! My garden grew enormous plants this year turning my garden into a jungle hard to walk through! But despite the giant growth of the plants I got little squash this year and not as many tomatoes as usual, although the plants are like 8 feet tall! I'll try to send a picture later. As usual you are getting in those 4 and 5 mile runs and long bike rides! Keep up the good work!
Wednesday I came into work at 2:30 pm and as I expected did the overnight until 5 am Thursday morning. Better than being stuck to 9 am and did not feel totally wiped out, I had taken a short nap before work. After a few hours of sleep I went outside and mowed some of the lawn, was going to do more, but lack of sleep caught up to me by 5 pm. Today I am off the whole day and feel more rested. I did call HR to find out the status of my FMLA paperwork. Seems the doctor made an error, I had requested not to have to work past midnight but 12 pm was written on the form and 12 pm is noontime. So now I am trying to get this redone and am waiting for a phone call from HR. Hopeful news is the HR person gave no indication my application would be turned down. I intend to continue to work for a while if I can get out of working night shifts every week. Unfortunately my running has to take a break until this issue is resolved. Too bad because the outdoor temperatures hare like in the 60's or 70's this past week, perfect for running! But with my crazy schedule I need more rest. I may just go for bike ride later on, but I'm still expecting that phone call and must stay near the house.
Long distance runner, what you standin' there for?Get up, get out, get out of the door!
not bad for mile 25
I started off September with two immunizations: Pneumonia in my left arm, and shingles in my right. They both made my arms more sore than any previous shot I've had, and I guess it was the Shingrix that really knocked me for a loop. I finished the day at work well enough, but by that evening I was really feeling like crap - headache, fever, and general yuck. Didn't sleep much, and Thursday morning, although I was feeling slightly better, I only ran the minimum, the dog run plus a mile solo. Got a good night's sleep last night, and now I'm back to normal, and I'm thinking I can probably do my long run as planned tomorrow. All that said, if needed, I'd get the Shingrix again because shingles can be really bad. (It isn't needed..this was my 2nd, The first didn't affect me like this.)
Not totally sure about my run tomorrow, however, because DD and her partner are driving from CO to visit us. Staying flexible.
Di - I'm particularly sensitive to two types of pollen - juniper in the spring, and ragweed in the fall. I was hit by ragweed 1-3 weeks ago, but it seems to have eased off. You have my sympathy.
Altair - Thanks for your effort in catching up on all our posts! Bummer that your FMLA form is held up on a technicality, but for sure you don't want midnight mistaken for noon! Sure hope it's approved soon, and you get some relief!
That wasp nest was scary huge! I don't know if I would have been brave enough to deal with it.
Hey everyone! I"m around ........Di, thanks for starting the month!
I had to laugh at the "50k" distance for the year so far, LOL!! Sense of humor keeps those miles going, ha!
Will get back to others when I have more time ......
DH and I made it to our northern AZ home safe and sound Monday evening. Tiring, long drive but glad to be back in the DRY heat of home.
Last Friday: I did run 3 miles on Friday on the hotel TM somewhere in Montana, LOL! And, 10 mins on elliptical, 10 min on bike, 20 mins on weight machine, it was great!
Sat, Sun, Mon: all travel days.
Tues: unloading boxes for about 4 hrs, "cross-training" day. DH was sore afterwards and the next day but I was fine.
Sept 1 - Wed: 3 miles on trail near home. Made it back before a good downpour.
Thurs: 3.0 miles on different trail. Missed another nice rain shower.
Fri (today): rest day because I need to unpack the boxes in the house that didn't go to the storage. It hurts to keep staring at them.
We are staying home for Labor Day weekend. Lots to do around house with all the weeds, etc from the monsoon. We are leaving next Tuesday or Wed for MN again. Then we will put house on market. Hope we get that settled before winter,
az - I was gonna say glad you're home (well, I am) but you're heading back up in just a few days. Well, rest up, and enjoy the Labor Day weekend. Don't work too hard.
Altair: That sounds encouraging from the HR ....... you did not need an error from the MD to delay a response, good lord!! At least you've had some decent 'rest days' but you're smart to listen to your body to get in a nap when needed. Running will always be there. Life does interfere and hopefully, work and home balance takes place sooner than later. Toxic work environment just isn't healthy for your overall health.
I started off September with two immunizations: Pneumonia in my left arm, and shingles in my right. They both made my arms more sore than any previous shot I've had, and I guess it was the Shingrix that really knocked me for a loop. I finished the day at work well enough, but by that evening I was really feeling like crap - headache, fever, and general yuck. Didn't sleep much, and Thursday morning, although I was feeling slightly better, I only ran the minimum, the dog run plus a mile solo. Got a good night's sleep last night, and now I'm back to normal, and I'm thinking I can probably do my long run as planned tomorrow. All that said, if needed, I'd get the Shingrix again because shingles can be really bad. (It isn't needed..this was my 2nd, The first didn't affect me like this.) Not totally sure about my run tomorrow, however, because DD and her partner are driving from CO to visit us. Staying flexible.
Led: ouch and a bummer to feel cruddy after but that's to be expected. I got my pneumonia vaccine last year even tho' it was not recommended till after age 65 ....... I discussed with my doc that since COVID attacks the respiratory system (lungs), it just seem logical to get it now than waiting a few years. No after effects for me! I got the Shingrix a couple of years ago. I felt achy all over like I had a head cold, no fever. Next day, I was fine. The second shot didn't affect me at all. COVID didn't affect me at all. Totally surprised me but it's a good thing compared to DH who had the after effects for a few days. Poor guy!
I ran the day before my shots but took a rest day the day after ....... just because I could, ha!
Enjoy your visit with DD/partner. It's always nice when 'kids' make the effort to visit mom/dad.
Di: hope the weekend gives you some rest and you can return to your walks. LOL at the meme. Bet you're counting the days to visit DD and GGD I've noticed that the older I get and staying in one place longer (not moving every 3-4 yrs as before), I've had allergies that creep up when there is a changing of the seasons. It's annoying but I know there are ppl who have it so much worse on a daily basis ......like my cousin. She has to wear a mask just to do house cleaning. I don't know what pollen(s) trigger them but I just live with it. If it isn't one thing, it's another, right?
Hey folks,
Been awhile. Figured I better stop in and say "Hi!" before too long. Ran first real race since Feb 2020 yesterday. Just a 5K, but you got to start somewhere! 🤪 Official time was 25:03. Which, to be honest, was better than I hoped for and disappointing at the same time. Stopped running at the beginning of the year and w/o any races just didn't have the motivation. In June had to start getting ready to run Berlin marathon or lose hefty deposit. Was up to 35 miles a week and pulled a muscle. Been struggling to recover from that and am mostly there. 3 weeks til the marathon and just not ready. Oh, well - first rule is get to the starting line healthy. Pretty apprehensive about traveling even tho DW and I have been fully vaccinated since April. At least our N95 masks arrived.
Good to see you all are still active and healthy.
Ray
Yesterday I was at work when the runners for the Oak Tree Half Marathon ran down the road in front of the house I work at, the start is just a quarter mile down the road. This is the race I always have ran for the past several years and usually people from where work come out to cheer me on. This time I got to go out and watch them run! I clapped for them as they passed and it was raining pretty hard. Some smiled and waved back. They ran another half mile to the Bear fountain on Main St. and then turned around, so I saw them run past twice. Soon afterwards the 5K runners went past also. My coworkers thought me crazy because I was soaked myself by the time I came back inside, mostly my shirt nd hair and I dried off quick. It was fun to be able to watch part of the race, but I felt disappointed I was not a participant this time. The rain cleared up so the HM runners got a chance to dry out during the race. There were 141 finishers of the HM, about a hundred less than a typical year, maybe because of the rain or covid precautions. I looked up the HM results to see how fast my AG results were and there were three finishers in the M70+ group, all familiar names from past races. Ron Wightman set a new course record for the AG with a 1:46:44 time. David Coyne, a regular runner of the Boston Marathon who I have met and talked to came in 2nd with 1:59:20 and Jim Lovallo 3rd with 2:06:20. My own best time for this race was a 2:06:28 done back in 2017, a few seconds slower than this year's 3rd place. Older runners are becoming faster, just a few years ago there were few or no runners in the 70+ AG and just finishing would give me a top place. Guess when I run the race in the future I will need more speed to be competitive. Sorry for the detailed report on a race I did not even run.
Led - A second vaccine shot seems to have more bad effects, perhaps because the immune system is already geared up to respond. Fortunately I just got a sore arm from my second Covid shot. My doctor does want me to get the Shingrix because he says it is more effective than the previous shingles vaccine I already got. Good you still did a run even if you felt bad, keep up that streak! Enjoy the visit from DD. I was foolish to tackle that wasp nest on my own, should have called professionals!
az - Glad you made it back safely and got in a few runs. You are very busy unpacking and doing yardwork and then plan to return to MN soon. I am sure you look forward to not having so much to do on your agenda!
Ray - Great to hear from you! You were mentioned last month and I did check your log to see how you were doing. I saw that there was a period where you were not running and you were starting to train again. Great job on the 5K! Maybe 25:03 is disappointing for you, but I would be very pleased with that time! So is the plan to run the Berlin even if not fully prepared?
7 am to 9 pm work days over the weekend. I have to work holidays, so I am going in today at 2:30. Looks like Tuesday night to Wednesday morning is covered but Wednesday to Thursday is open so I can expect another overnight shift. I will still try to get in the corrected paperwork from my doctor, but rumor has it they are going to eliminate the medical leave because too many staff have it now and that makes it harder to mandate and fill positions. Retirement looks more like my only option.
GF's holiday, Rosh Hashanah, starts tonight and speaking of holidays, happy Labor Day everyone !
Just a quick note as I relax after dinner and before dessert.
Saturday got in a 5 mile walk with exercises and then started doing some prep work for some remodeling around the house. The city is doing a neighborhood cleanup this week. They drop off several large roll-off containers around so everyone can get rid of stuff. So I thought I would start tearing stuff up as I have a place to dump it. Redoing the walls in the Arizona room and some work on the back yard semi-patio cover.
Sunday did a 19 mile bike ride and did some more garden work. All the first plantings are in. So there are 2 tomato plants, peas, beets, carrots, green beans, onions, radishes, lettuce, spinach, broccoli and cauliflower. And 6 pepper plants. Now I wait and see if everything grows. The pea seeds from last weekend are starting to sprout already. Need to keep everything watered because of the heat.
Monday morning got in 4 miles as usual and spent time in the garage doing some things. Out till it felt too warm then went inside for a few. Repeated several times. So I got a few thing done but not all that I would have liked. There's always tomorrow, right?
I see that everyone is doing well and getting their runs/walks in even dealing with travelling, the weather, shots or allergies.
My name is being called letting me know that my ice cream is melting.
Art in AZ
Mesa, AZ
Art: do you take before and after photos? it's always good to know that your city taxes are providing some needed community work. And getting in some needed activity with the biking and walking is always helpful.
Altair: That sounds like fun ......I'm sure the runners appreciated the cheers.......sometimes the unexpected cheers provides the energy for the runners to stay strong. I do that too, checking the times in the AG just out of curiosity ....but it does provide a goal. Yes, it sounds like retirement is calling your name. Very annoying and frustrating to be force into that. How long will you be able to stretch it out?
Ray: good to hear from you again. I think you have company in the "no motivation" ......well, except for Led Lincoln, LOL!! He's the only one running races for us and rocking it with good finish times! Take care and check in again soon.
Sat: 3 mile on trail.
Sun: 4 miles on different trail with hills.
Mon: another 4 miles on different trail.
Today: I should have run this morning but overslept. Thought I might get in an evening run but it's smokey here, and high 70s, whew!! No breeze at all.
If we don't leave too early, will try to get in a short morning run.
There was a "Art in the Park" and the County Fair over the weekend, and our neighbor's annual 'End of Summer' cookout. We DID NOT attend any of them. Too many ppl and traffic was a nightmare according to DH who visited his old friend who lives alone.
We plan on leaving for MN tomorrow, hauling back an empty trailer. Taking same route back. Been getting truck ready, cleaning house, unpacked some boxes, DH had to repair the 20 yr old dryer that was not heating up, and we did alot of weed pulling and DH rented a machine to cut the larger brushes and tumbleweeds. Oh, we each got a full body massage yesterday. We wore our masks even the MT. Gosh, we needed it. Will try to check in when I can. Take care everyone!
Tuesday morning turned into a rest day as I had an early work start.
Wednesday morning did the usual 3.9 mile route and exercises. Even though it is dryer out now it felt pretty warm out at 7:00. Those big drop-off containers sure filled up fast. Most of them were filled to the top when I went by them this morning. Thankfully my stuff was small size but weighed some. I'm remodeling the patio cover that is probably around 25 years old. The roll roofing needs to be replaced so it's a good time to clean up and redesign.
AZ - I probably won't take any pictures since I don't think the remodel will be that different. I'm trying to get as much removed as I can while that container is available. Cooler weather would certainly be great.