Mornin' everyone, and welcome to the meteorological beginning of Winter.

I didn't do what Leslie did: When I woke at 3:45, I rolled over and slept for another hour. I guess I needed the rest. I hope you got your 5 in for both of us, Leslie! Good job of paying it forward with the VS and Starbucks gift cards you found, and good deal on the blinkies for yourself.

Hi LaT - must have been a good latte yesterday!

Holly, scales rarely tell people what they want to hear, so why bother with them? 

Welcome back, CR. I'm glad you're getting to see Patrick run, and it seems he's doing well. Nothing like 2 RFPs' to get you back to work right quick...

I hope your sick computer gets healthy today, Tammy. Good for you for getting in some runs despite the chilly weather.

I'm glad to see that Moebo and others also venture out to find new routes for workouts. It's an easy way to add a little fun to a run.

Daydreaming on runs is fun too, Aamos, as long as you don't wind up extending the run too far. Sounds like you did just fine. Congrats on the deal on the lighted vest; being visible is so important this time of the year, anywhere in the country.

Sorry about the bronchial cough, Deeze. Good call to take at least a couple of days off from work to (hopefully) nip it in the bud. Still sticking with the Don't Get A Fat Ass, eh? I'm also getting in at least a mile a day, so I guess I'm in the program too.

Nice run in the chill, WC. I'm sorry that DH wasn't on cruise control when trying to install the cruise control on Thanksgiving. I'm glad he's better now.

Twocat here's a recipe for calas cakes. The second time around, we put in a bit more nuts, cinnamon and a splash of vanilla, and it made 'em more flavorful. Have fun in Singapore and Hong Kong! Seems like Tet is the perfect guide for you.

Good run and sprints in the wet snow, Mike.

Great story about Paul Sommers/Summers, Starr, and it looks like it was a fantastic concert - and you look fantastic too!

Good for you for sleeping in for a change, especially given your chilly weather, Mariposai!

<Rant On> Pardon me if I offend some folks, but I've never liked nor understood using "gift" as a verb. You give a gift; you don't gift a gift. To me it is a lazy abuse of the language. I've heard lots of linguistic short cuts, but this one, for some reason, rubs me the wrong way (could you tell?). Maybe I'm just too 'old school,' but I'll always cringe when someone says "gifting." <Rant Off>

On the good news front, our conservation commission learned yesterday that we were awarded a grant that we applied for a couple of months ago. The money will fund a summer intern in 2016 who will help us monitor and catalog the state of town land that is under the management of the commission. In total, there are a couple of hundred parcels, ranging from 10+ acres of woodlands to a quarter acre somewhere in the salt marsh. We probably won't get all the work done in a year, but this will be a giant step forward.

Have a greta Tuesday!

Jay

Actually Leslie, I know it's a bit of a drive, but you need to hit up the running store in Ashland. What better place to find the perfect running shoes, then Hal Koerner's store, where the likes of Ian Torrence, Timothy Olsen and Anton Krupicka all started working. Even though they aren't around anymore, Hal still employs the same caliber of runners in his store.

Belated congrats to Tet on your marathon!

Beautiful pics Starr! Thanks for sharing them. I was never that musical, but I did play the recorder in 5th grade.

Actually Leslie, I know it's a bit of a drive, but you need to hit up the running store in Ashland. What better place to find the perfect running shoes, then Hal Koerner's store, where the likes of Ian Torrence, Timothy Olsen and Anton Krupicka all started working. Even though they aren't around anymore, Hal still employs the same caliber of runners in his store.

 

He has a great store.  The only time I've been there is when I went up to run SOB.  Actually, it's not too bad of a drive - 4 hrs.  I could make a very long day trip out of it!  Something to definitely consider, because I would really like to try and get out of a shoe that has such a high heel drop but don't know which way to go and am very much afraid of bringing back on ye ole tendinitis on the ATs.  I am pretty certain, however, that the size of the heel in Brooks I'm wearing is a factor in some of the issues I have been having.

2Kitty - Maybe you WERE smarter than you thought.  

Jay - Congrats on getting the grant for an intern.

Aamos - That's quite the vest!

Yes, I did my 5 miles and tried to keep them EZ.  Listened to a "This American Life" podcast where they went back and visited the 9th District in New Orleans around the anniversary date of Hurricane Katrina.  Very interesting and moving.

Okay - Guess I'd better get some work done, since that's I'm getting paid for.

Ran 7 slow hilly miles this morning on Heartbreak Hill before the rain- I always try to follow Twocat's Rule.

Great pictures Starr. I love music, especially jazz. 11 years ago when I turned 70 I decided to learn how to play the alto sax (I also had to learn how to read music). Since then I've been taking lessons, the last few years in our adult education course at our local high school. There are usually 6 of us (one tenor sax) who play as an ensemble once a week. Difficult at times but great fun. Our teacher just turned 89..

Twocat, that's pretty funny--when did you realize your mistake? I hope not until you had finished your run!

Leslie, I remember that podcast. I agree that it was a good one.

And speaking of shoes, what Brooks do you wear? I have lately been wearing Ghosts but am considering splurging on a pair Glycerins--I have had some trouble with metatarsalgia and it seems they have more forefoot cushioning.

5 miles for me this morning. For some reason lately, I find that it takes until mile 5 or even 6 for me to start to get a little bit speedy. What's up with that?  I need to figure out how to warm up sooner!

And speaking of shoes, what Brooks do you wear?

I run in the road and trail versions of the Adrenaline.  I started in them because about a year and a half ago I had a really bad bout of tendinitis in both Achilles.  I was wearing Inov-8's at the time, which I absolutely LOVED!  Prior to the Inov-8's I had been running in Mizunos, which were way too small in the toe box.  I changed to the Inov-8's after coming back from an injury that kept me from running for about 5 months.  I was on crutches for 3 of those months, wearing flat shoes, so figured I'd give the Inov-8's a try.

Fast forward a year and a half - tendinitis.  Unfortunately, the initial PT I went to (nice, but no running experience at all) said I needed to  be in a shoe with the heel lifted and wanted me in orthotics.  I refused the orthotics, and went to a running store in the San Francisco Bay Area and got fitted for the Brooks based on the PT's recommendations.

The Adrenaline is a very comfortable shoe, but it's a stability shoe for pronators and has an 11mm heel drop.  I don't know if I pronate/overpronate, but I do think the heel is too stacked and is contributing to my tendency to heel strike.  I think I had much better running form in the Inov-8's with the lower heel drop (their highest is 9mm) and less cushioning throughout the shoe.  I also had to go up to a size 11 (from a 10-10.5) to get the necessary room in the toe box.

So I don't know what to do.  I'm very nervous about the whole tendinitis thing, because I  know once you've had it, it can come back quite easily. That's why I'd really like to have an analysis done by someone who knows what they're doing and who can give me solid advice.

And that's probably a LOT more than you were expecting!! 

Back from Hawaii. Re-entry is hell. The worst part was being in seats that don't recline for over 5 hours, then getting home at 7 a.m. and having to go to work. Who scheduled this trip anyway? [oh wait, we did... oops.] Running in that heat and humidity seems like a distant dream now though. I noticed how much faster my hair dries here, and even after putting on lotion my skin feels dry. *sigh*

I missed that Tet had such a good run last weekend at Seattle Marathon. Nice to have those every now and then, right?

Jay, I always see "conversation" first in your posts and have to do a look-back and see it's "conservation" and then it makes more sense! Congrats on the intern.

Starr, that is a great story and love the pictures. I have a lot of respect for anyone who keeps playing an instrument into adulthood. And Henry, picking up the sax as a retirement activity (AND learning to read music!), wow is all I can say.

Leslie, I picked up a pair of Brooks Ghost when in Kapa'a where the shoe store there was getting rid of all their running shoe stock. All Brooks were 50% off. I'd been wanting to try those for quite awhile and now have some! Opie and I both have had metatarsalgia problems in the past, and he uses these. I like the Brooks for the broader base so my running spikes stay on those better than the narrower profile New Balance I usually wear.

I didn't run yesterday. Realize it was my last chance to increase November's pathetic mileage, but hey I ran every day in Hawaii and after that trip and work... I just didn't have it in me. We are in that time of year when we get these good inversions though, so when it's zero or -10° in town, it can be 10 to 20° warmer in the hills where we are. So since our roads are plowed pretty well, and it should be about 15 or 20° at home, I'm thinking of a short(ish) hilly run tonight, with my headlamp. First time wearing that this year!