following the advice from tramps article did amsterdam morning run in the local park about 5 minutes from the apt we rented. Today's plan includes lots of walking, canal cruise, etc.
have a wonderful day everyone - when you wake up, although jay may be out walking right now.
marj and henry
Mornin' Marj, Henry, and those still in the dark behind their eyelids.
It sounds like you've gotten your day off to a good start in Amsterdam, and have a good day planned as well.
Gotta watch out for those 20-something instructors, Jlynne! They'll work you hard, but you'll benefit from it in the long run.
Nice deer shot, OM. You never know what you'll see out there, so it's good to keep your eyes open and your phone/camera handy.
No math today, Twocat - have a good day! But that was a good trick quiz yesterday, Ribs.
Good luck with the orthodics, Leslie. I'm glad you got them early, and hope the do the job for you. I'm very sorry to learn about your SIL and brother's issues, It's a tough time for them, and I hope they find a way to help each other through it.
The first estimate I got from a local garage for fixing my car (mostly cooling system leaks, thermostat issues, etc. etc.) is over $800. I'm going for a second opinion. The car is an '06, and this isn't the first repair bill I've had that's pretty dang expensive. So I'm beginning to wonder if it is worth it to keep pumping money into it.
We had a race committee meeting for our Nov. half marathon last night. One of the things we agreed to do, sadly, is meet with the local police to get their thoughts about whether or not we need to increase our security at the race. I know that other RDs around the country are having those same conversations.
I slept in this morning because I needed it (sorry to disappoint, Marj & Henry).
Good luck to this weekend's racers, including those in Loouval!
Jay
Without ice cream there would be darkness and chaos.
Marathon Maniac #957
Good Morning!
Jay - $800 isn't very much compared to what it would cost you to replace the car. Like Clark Howard says, you can save a lot of money by driving your cars till the wheels come off.
2.5 miles with some striders for me this morning in 31 degrees. Looks like we may be having a rainy marathon tomorrow. I can never decide what to bring for an out-of-town race, so I usually pack way too much. Hopefully my friend Renee will have room in her van for all my stuff.....
Happy Friday!
Life is a headlong rush into the unknown. We can hunker down and hope nothing hits us or we can stand tall, lean into the wind and say, "Bring it on, darlin', and don't be stingy with the jalapenos."
coastwalker I will admit that a potential $800 repair bill would not induce me to get a new car. That is unless that is what I really wanted! It is true though you can take the keep the car until it dies thing too far ..I had a '91 Vette and kept it until it was essentially unrepairable. The last engine, transmission, engine, transmission round of fixes were clearly money poorly spent.
henrun you will have a great time in Amsterdam! Runners and bikers get to see places in a way nobody else does. It is one of the many perks of our sport! Enjoy your trip through the park and many of the other sights.
No run for me today. I am going to give my leg another day off. I may go to the gym later and do some weights. On the other hand I may go to the couch and do a nap instead. I am beat. I was up until about 1:30am trying to put together a database to send to my coauthors who are spread around in Asia and Europe. Why I did that I have no idea. They will get the data, do nothing and wait for me to produce some results.
Live like you are dying not like you are afraid to die.
Drunken Irish Soda Bread and Irish Brown Bread this way --> http://allrecipes.com/cook/4379041/
Trails are hard!
Godd morning to all (and good afternoon to Henry and Marj) I hope to visit Holland one of these years--all 4 of my grandparents were born there.
Jay, unless there's a bunch of other things worng, an '06 is just getting broken in. We have that discussion about DW's car--a '98--from time to time, but it's holding up so far.
Have a great run, Holly. (and Mike). Do freshly painted nails make you faster?
5 basic miles this morning. I did discover that a large sirloin steak with mushroom/cream sauce is not necessarily the ideal pre run meal. I took DW and a couple of our friends out to a very nice restaurant in town last night and decided that I hadn't had a real steak in a really long time. It was REALLY good, but seemed to sit just a little heavy this morning. The fact that I was the only one of the four of us that didn't bring home leftovers may have had something to do with the heavy feeling. Doubt it was the chocolate torte birthday cake aftwerwards that did it.
Need a fast half for late fall. Then I need to actually train for it.
Good luck to the weekend racers! A full slate this weekend (courtesy of Ilene’s excellent thread). No slackers here!
04/27 Holly S. - Kentucky Derby Marathon, Louisville KY
04/27 Mike E - Kentucky Derby Marathon, Louisville KY
04/27 wildchild - Cheyenne Mountain Trail Race 50k, Colorado Springs, CO
04/27 tetsujin - Lake Youngs 50M Dash (Seattle) - thongs
04/28 tetsujin - Mt. Si 50-mile Run (trail run - Seattle) - thongs
04/28 Coastwalker - Wallis Sands Half Marathon, Rye NH (walker div.)
04/28 OrangeMat - Got 2B Safe 5k, Morristown, NJ
04/28 Ileneforward - Kids 4 Kids 10k, Los Angeles CA
04/28 Opie - Memorial Marathon, 4:45 pacer, Oklahoma City, OK
Marj and Henry—enjoy your trip! Sounds like a great start.
Stumpy—yum. Sounds worth the discomfort.
Just an EZ 5 for me on yet another in a string of gorgeous Spring days.
Be safe. Be kind.
Obviously there comes a point where pouring repair dollars into an older car becomes a waste of money. But generally speaking the cheapest car on the market is the one you already own.
3.5 miles was all I could fit in this morning as I overslept. But this is a cutback week anyway so no harm. no foul. Back at it next week.
Bill
"Some are the strong, silent type. You can't put your finger on exactly what it is they bring to the table until you run without them and then you realize that their steadiness fills a hole that leaks energy in their absence." - Kristin Armstrong
King of PhotoShop
I liked Enke's answer best of all yesterday.
My first 5-miler since the marathon, with two miles at HMP, so I guess I'm fine now.
Tons of work to do today. I am in St. Louis all next week so I have to get a bunch of stuff done before I leave. Spareribs
Wow - this is a busy joint this morning.
Hi Marj and Henry! How's the weather over there?
I chose the obvious answer with Ribs' math problem yesterday. My DH had to get a piece of paper and pencil and 'splain it to me
Good thing the ladies are heading to Kentucky in a van. Have fun Holly and Mike. And be sure to take lots of pictures.
Did we miss your birthday yesterday Kevin, or was that someone else's chocolate torte? If it was your birthday, happy belated and hope it was a good one. AND - a new AG for your first marathon??
Ouch. Took a fitness test this morning as the first step in signing on with a personal trainer. I was doing great until she took the "body fat" test. Let's just say there's lots of room for improvement. "Just put the fork down and push away...."
I was doing great until she took the "body fat" test.
Shouldn't there be a law against such a test??
Safe Travels and Good Luck to our racers!
The "is the vehicle worth fixing" issue is one I need to discuss with my dad. Since I know virtually nothing about vehicles, it'll be tough. But he keeps putting money into his and I'm thinking it may be time to at least semi-retire it and get a more economical vehicle that will last him a long time.
It's a sad day for country music . . . .well, for all music. George Jones died today. He was 81. What an unbelievably golden voice. Smooth as silk. Rest in peace, George. God's choir just got better by 1,000%!!
Leslie Living and Running Behind the Redwood Curtain -------------
Trail Runner Nation
Sally McCrae-Choose Strong
Bare Performance
Bad faerie
I'm planning a short, easy run tonight that will enable a good, long ride with friends tomorrow. Our sunny , beautiful week is giving way to rain, so it's back to the winter bike, the inelegant one with bulletproof wheels, fenders, and long, sweeping mud flaps.
Cycling is a much, much more gregarious sport than running, on the whole. I remember telling cyclists about my 3-hour pre-marathon runs and they'd boggle. "ALONE?! You did that ALONE?" Of course I did that alone. Who would want to be with me being as crabby as I am after three hours of running? But I get this mindset completely now and find myself a little sad when Coach insists that my weekend long ride be on my own so I can manage effort at the levels she requests, rather than be at the mercy of the peer pressure and chaotic nature of a group ride.
Well-fendered bikes are an obsession unique to Victoria, thanks to our wet, mild winters. We can ride all winter, which is more than most of Canada can say, but it takes a little thought. Stock bike fenders need careful tuning or they will drive you crazy, and while they are long enough to keep the rider dry, they will fill your shoes with water and soak someone who is following closely. People with inadequate fenders are exiled to the back of the pack. Recent arrivals wonder at the loving care we put into installing them, decorating them, (one of the guys has managed to cut reflective material into an argyle pattern that echoes the club's colours), and making long flaps to keep road spray to a minimum. Some people use cut-down water bottles, others cut strips from heavy vinyl mats, others include Guinness cans in the fabrication. My own rig, tuned after a few winters, keeps me and the person on my wheel relatively dry. (Mine is made, in part, from a San Pellegrino can.)
So, I laugh, now, to see how my mindset has changed over the past few years. After years and years of avoiding running with anyone else (with the exception of visiting friends and faeries), I feel self-conscious when I'm out cycling alone. But in Victoria's weird dialect, the fenders on my winter bike speak for me. "Hey," they say to the oncoming pack whirring by. "I actually do have friends. I could be riding in a big bunch like yours. I'm out here alone because I want to be. So, there."
I'm such a nut.
Blogjoy
My rule of thumb is, "am I spending more on maintenance now than I would spend on maintenance, depreciation, and interest for a newer car that may or may not be free and clear?" Until the answer is, "yes," I keep putting resources into the car I have. In other words, I drive 'em until the wheels fall off.
Are we there, yet?
Sounds good to me. I have a '98 with 132K miles. Been 12 years or so without any car payments, just maintainance and the occasional repair.
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.
...MS is my New Biking Hero(e)..........
..nothing takes the place of persistence.....
aka FlyingFinn
wc, that's about how long we had the old Subaru. We gave it to our son and bought another Subaru. If we keep it as long our grandson will get it before its wheels fall off.
Gorgeous running day. I rolled Jocelyn's Pack-n-Play close to the window so I could peek in on her as she napped and I did my woods/fields laps. I got in a solid 40 minute run (4 laps) before I spied her wrestling with her teddy bear and came inside. No worries, she's not by herself when I'm out there. DH works from home every Friday. He didn't scoop her up right away because she was still making "happy sounds". Outside the only sounds were birds singing, leaves rustling, and twigs snapping. Sunny blue sky.
Good luck racers.
Instructions for living a life:
Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it. ~~~Mary Oliver