running under the BigSky
Good Morning Trailers!
Tiny E and I got a nice 4 miles on the trails yesterday, another really nice Spring day- low 60's, mostly sunny- evidently coming to an end soon as snow is in the forecast Sunday-Tuesday, it won't last long though.
Have today off, so will get some miles in with Tiny E.
qotd: have you ever met with a retirement specialist? worth it if you did? it seems like we're going to be in good shape, but would be nice to hear that from an "expert"
2023 goal 2023 miles √
2022 goal- 2022 miles √
2021 goal- 2021 miles √
Trails
Morning! I did 3 on the TM at the gym last night before my meeting with the personal trainer. It went well, mainly just a walk through/demo of the various things I could do. They weren't anything new but I'm mostly concerned with correct form so I don't hurt my back again. I'll go back Fri and hopefully we'll develop a circuit. No machines as none really fit me so just free weight and body weight stuff. I can do that at home once I learn.
qotd: DH has been the primary retirement person as he has a goal of a certain amount of money before he's 50. I'm much more conservative and had let him do it all but we had an issue a few years back and I thought I might leave so I've been learning. My dad has been real helpful with tips and things but no retirement planner.
Le professeur de trail
I got a message today from our bank of our tax return deposit. Finally! I filed back the beginning of February but something got screwed up. Now to spend it!!!! But not on running gear....at least not yet.
Warden - snow? That's a four letter word this time of year.
QOTD: Retirement? What is that? Obviously my answer is no. I would be afraid that a specialist would laugh at us. We have little in the way saved for retirement. We're just trying to figure out how we going to put our kids through college in a few years. I anticipate working until I am 80.
Have a great day!
My favorite day of the week is RUNday
dh- nothing against weight machines, but free weights/dumbbells and body weight stuff is much better imo- you're recruiting a lot more accessory muscles in that way, as well as your core, you also benefit from the balance needed w/ free weights, plus like you said- you can do it at home w/ no fancy machines
Jamie- snow will be short lived I'm sure, it will also likely be that heavy wet stuff that does a good job of green grass/flowers! What it does up higher could be interesting though, the Bob Open is only a month out
mt - my problem with the machines is I'm too small to really benefit. Plus when I travel most hotel gyms only have free weights and I can take my body where ever
Snow...it's almost May that seems just wrong. Sat when we go to the ren faire it's supposed to be 81.
Jamie I would like to work till 80 but mostly due to the fact that I might be bored otherwise. Part time would work great.
No run yet today, but I have to get out and do something after work. I don't care if it is just one mile after work. I have gone for a run, hike, or both for 40 straight days, and my old streak record is 41 days from last summer. I don't want to stop until at least 50 straight days.
QOTD: No. My wife and both have very good retirements with the state. Before I transferred to my current college, I used to always think about retirement. Over here, I don't even think about it. I love it here.
LB2
Sitting at work so no running or biking. Might get in a parking lot walk if it doesn't start to rain. It's kind of dripping some right now. Did a little over 7 miles running and walking yesterday. DW has been jogging on some of her walks. Just a couple of hundred yards at a time, sometimes a pretty good clip other times pretty slow, but it gets the heart rate up a little more then just walking.
QOTD: Just myself. Been studying investing for retirement ever since the mid 90's. Handle it all myself. I find that most "specialists" just give generic advice. It's kind of difficult to find one that would actually be able to help me out. Most of the ones that I have spoken to in passing are the ones from work and they admit that they are geared more towards those who need a lot of basic help. They tell me to just keep on doing what I've been doing.
The one area that I may talk to someone about is the whole Social Security and Medicare thing. That can get really confusing and very nuanced. The problem there though, is that a lot of advisers have their own prejudices about what they think someone should do, i.e. draw early or wait, and their ideas may not be right for me. Since DW is 8 years 11 months and 10 days older then me , It's something that we really have to plan for.
For those of you who want to, or anticipate, working until you're 80...........................You're nuts. If I could retire today I would. No problem with being bored.
Sue
No run...house cleaned a bit. Yoga at lunch.
QOTD: No but it's too late. I think It's too late for you too Warden. I think we are set pretty good. I'm a simple living girl. Wish I would have put more money into mutual funds. I f'd up when I changed jobs. I think I am the last generation of good retirement plans through work.
DD: Maybe Warden can run his number by you and you can give him the OK.
05/13/23 Traverse City Trail Festival 25K
08/19/23 Marquette 50 dns 🙄
Are we there, yet?
Spent the morning watching heats of the girls HS 4 x 800m relay at the Penn Relays. Will get in a run after lunch while the 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m relays are being run, then get back to watching at 5:30 PM when the College Women's Championship DMR is run. Most of the rest of the evening will be more distance races.
qotd: I've been educating myself over the last 30 years about investing and feel comfortable with making my own decisions. I'm comfortable enough that I'm not entirely reliant on Social Security... and definitely not bored during retirement. I stopped working because it was getting less enjoyable and more stressful/annoying.
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.
Tim
Remember yesterday's QOTD? Well today was one of those days. Ran a trail along a swollen creek and the water was really rushing. Had a few spots where I ran though ankle deep water due to overflow. I was smiling like a little kid. What a fun run with beautiful scenery. I run by this creek often, but never saw this much water flow. Only negative was no camera. It was a real "John M" day, and I stopped a few times just to take it all in.
Warden - WTF, snow. That's going to delay fire season.
Queen - any potential buyers yet?
DD#1 just accepted a new job. A big global company called Cvent. They do event planning all over the world, and they are expanding in Portland. One small glitch is she may still be training in Tysons Corner VA (1 hour from our house) while we are in Oregon for our race (and to visit her). Oh well. Great management opportunity with good $ and awesome benefits, so she can't pass it up.
QOTD: My uncle does this for me. I look, but no too often since I don't like actively see to how much we go up and down on a daily basis. I'd retire earlier if we cold find a way to pay for insurance. That seems to be the kicker for most people looking at early retirement. I love what I do, but the regulations are sucking the fun out of it. I spent more time on the phone the other day trying to get an MRI approved than I spent with the actual patient, and that's not right (insurance company needed to speak to me and not my staff since it was questions they couldn't answer).
“Paralysis-to-50k” training plan is underway!
Was planning to run after work today, but I have a late meeting so it'll probably turn into a rest day. I'll run tomorrow instead.
qotd: Never met with a specialist but we have retirement calculators and other savings planning tools through work that I have used. I have also talked to a lot of recent retirees from my company to see what they did and what seems to be working. We have a traditional old school pension plan and the big choice I'll have to make is whether to take the lump sum payout or stick with the monthly payouts for the rest of our lives. We also have some company provided residual medical and life insurance coverage that stays with us during retirement. And we have other savings, a 401k, and some Roth IRAs. We'll be ok. I'm still enjoying my job and feel I'm still contributing quite a bit, but....................... I'm also getting ready to make the change, maybe a year from now.
DD1 - yeah we also have to figure out when to file for SS (early, on schedule, or at 70) to maximize the total payout need to break out those actuarial tables. Plus when to start the medicare supplemental insurance thing, start too early and you're paying for nothing, start too late and the premiums get expensive...
tbd.
Sorry but he's on his own with that. Giving retirement advice gives me chest pain and I'm sure it shortens my life . Just had a guy at work picking my brain the other day. DW and I get that a lot when people find out that we are quite active in retirement planning. The problem is that past the basics of just investing in mutual funds through your 401k etc, things can be so different for each person.
Of course if he wants to leave a trail of bread crumbs during his journey through the SS and medicare system, that might help me in a few years when we venture into that.
Of course as a government employee he may be blessed enough to not have to worry about that.
Every time I think I have it figured out someone will say "yea, but what about this?" Then It's back to the drawing board to make sure things are covered. From what I'm told waiting until your 70 to draw, or at least sign up for Medicare, can really leave you wide open to huge increases in your insurance premiums.
I'm quite certain that DW will sign up for Medicare at 65 both to lock in the premiums and to get away from the insurance she is in right now.
Been spending a lot of time in the gardens this week, cleaning up weeds, sprucing things up, preparing for mulch fest. Took a short break at lunch to plant most of the tropical plants that winter in the basement. With rain coming tonight and tomorrow I wanted to get them in the ground for a good soaking.Plan to get the Lady out this evening for 6 miles or so. I think we will head to Warwick Park for a mix of flat and hills and a bit of goofiness with the deep crossing of French Creek. That is always fun in the warmer months.
QOTD: No, but I need to get my shit together and do so. I think we are pretty good shape based on my net worth calculation but the majority of our savings is in 401k and annuities. I have a small stock account as well and a whole life policy worth some decent change, but I think I should start getting my ducks in a row. Assuming SSI stays solvent I will get a decent amount there as well, nearly a full 2 week paycheck per month.
In dog beers, I've only had one.
12 x 200m to work on form
qotd: see previous post