Well goodbye to Amsterdam! Today was the marathon. After doing a 7 mile "test run" two days ago I figured a DNS was better than risking a DNF or a finished but out of commission for six months. I guess some more time off is in my future. I have an appointment to see my orthopedist a week from Thursday about my ankle. I will see what he thinks and go from there. Alas, my DW's as well who decided her hip was still causing her sufficient problems to DNS as well. Enough with the depressing news how about some good news! We came to Amsterdam with another couple of which the DW planned and did run the marathon. She set a PR by about 12 minutes! To say she is happy about this is the understatement of the year. She is just floating several inches above the ground now; which after running 26.2 miles is quite a trick! Her DH equivalent (not technically married) is just amazing! He is totally supportive and is a wonderful support team for her. Word from our runner is that the marathon route is amazingly flat. But best of all it starts and ends in Amsterdam's Olympic stadium. Even sitting up in the stadium seating it is quite impressive and I can only imagine what it must be like to be down on the field. Our friend said it was just incredible and I really do not think she was exaggerating.
Tomorrow all four of us head back to the states, although on different airlines. I cannot say getting back to reality will be something to look forward to even though I did spend two full days out here giving talks. But, I got to write papers to earn a living so back to doing so it is!
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/
Twocat - sounds like you both made a wise decision - thinking about the future over the present is not easy for runners. Good luck in your recovery and may it happen sooner not later.
We both ran short runs this morning. However, we will be traveling as of this afternoon and will have intermittent wifi access. If we can post, we will - if not pictures when we return.
Good luck to racers in the next two weeks and happy runs and recovery to all,
Henrun and Marj
Twocat is not joking when he said the their friend was in cloud 9 with her 12' PR. Her excitement and happiness came oozzing even out of Skype. Seeing her big smile made me smile as well (thanks for the Skype call Twocats! Sorry about your DNS, but I think it is the right choice.)
Henrun and Marj, where are you heading to now? Have fun, and yes, we love pictures!
Holly, thanks for the recipe. I shall try it.
Fatossig, you have a lovely home. Shorty is great!
Stumpy, good luck on your travels this next two weeks.
Well today was my first 16 miler since September. For some reason that first 16 miler and the first 20 miler is always the hardest for me. Is that the norm for you as well? It was 22F when I started and the twocats can attest at how bundled up I was during my run since their Skype call came at about mile 14. I walked for about 15 minutes to chat with them and then finished the run.
Now is time to clean up the house after a fun party last night, the time to go to the Symphony. The first performance of the local orchestra and chorus. Troy, the Thornton girls will be singing!
Have fun, folks
"Champions are everywhere; all you need is to train them properly..." ~Arthur Lydiard
Marathon Maniac #957
Twocat - that's a tough call, but sounds like the right one. One race is not worth risking months of being out for an injury. I hope that you and DW got to enjoy your trip in other way, though. Congrats to your friend on her PR - awesome!
19 miles for me today, although the last 2.6 were a walk/run with my DD and the dogs, as she starts her training for the Turkey Trot. No energy for me today, no idea why, just not there, so I was happy to walk/run the last bit.
Next Saturday we're having a costume party for Halloween - something DH has wanted to do for a long time. I am also scheduled to do my last 20-miler before the Monkey, and had hoped to do a tough, hilly LR. Trouble is, how to fit that in with the party? If I run on Saturday, I will be pooped for the rest of the day, and may not be able to stay awake for the party (not good when you are the host). If I wait until Sunday, I may be tired from the late night and possibly a bit hungover. Hmmmm. What to do?
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."
MM #5615
Hello everybody!
Twocat--that is a tough call. I would like to think I would be smart enough to make the same one if I ever find myself in that situation...but I've never been accused of being smart.
Holly--I'd say do your run first.
Posie--every 20 miler is hard for me.
Yesterday, I ran 2.5 miles with the high school cross country team. I was assigned to pace a girl to get her ready for Sections. We did 1.5 miles at race pace--then a 20 minute rest--then a hilly 1 miler at race pace. She worked me hard! Then I went and did an easy 10.2 miles--that wasn't so easy--after Ryan's cross country meet.
Speaking of Ryan's meet...The teams did great. The guys won the NSIC Conference Championships with 18 points and the women won with...I think 23 points. Ryan was 2nd overall last year in this meet...this year he was 19th overall and 7th on his team. This whole team thing is really dragging him down and I don't know what to say to him to get him out of it. Physically, he's in the best shape of his life--mentally--he he is just not on his game at all.
Here's some pictures...
He gets out just fine...
He's up in front after the 1st mile...
But coming up to the 2 mile mark, he's already cashed it in...
He's not looking too happy...
He was still good enough to earn 2nd Team All-Conference
And a team championship...
Here's both teams with their hardware...
So, anyway--it's time for him to get ready for Regions in 2 weeks down in Joplin Missouri. I hope he can figure things out.
Okay--that's all I've got. See ya!
Carolyn
Where is everybody today?
Twocat, sorry about the DNS. I know how much you were looking forward to running in Amsterdam.
Leslie, your house looks great with the new paint! You and Shorty are doing a great job.
Happy birthday to Hopeful! We need to see pictures of your new birthday puppy!
I'm in Ithaca NY, visiting my DD. We went to hear her sing with the University Chorus yesterday - their fall concert. They are really outstanding! This afternoon we're going to sit in on their rehearsal for their next concert - they're doing the Haydn Harmoniemesse in a joint performance with the Glee Club and Chamber Orchestra. We're renting a house on Cayuga Lake, and I'm sitting looking out the window at the water and the amazing fall colors here. I'll post a picture when we get home - I didn't bring the USB cable so I can't download pictures here.
Ran 5 miles yesterday and 7 today. Tomorrow I'm meeting up with Skip for a trail run!
I hammered down the trail, passing rocks and trees like they were standing still.
Taking Sunday off running...having some kind of hip issue...Will go back at it tomorrow....hopefully upping my mileage.
Holly...Do your LR on the Saturday(early as possible) and try to have a short nap...that always worked for me.
aka FlyingFinn
Sounds like fun with DD, wildchild. Have fun running with Skip tomorrow!
Sorry about your DNS Twocat but it sounds like a wise decision.
Leslie your house looks great!
10 miles for me today, the first 6 super sproinky on the towpath then 4 more on hills much slower. I saw a nice 8 point buck on the path.
The boyz were here to play outside for the afternoon. We sat on top of the big rock and threw acorns over the edge, and we found trees where the bucks have been rubbing their antlers. They used their wooden Wolf and Bear whistles to try to call in the Pileated Woodpecker (without success). They used pruning shears to cut open plump acorns. Some acorns are occupied by white grubs. Who knew? We let the survivors go in the leaf litter.
Instructions for living a life:
Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it. ~~~Mary Oliver
Hi all.
Great job on the house, Leslie!
Tough decision, Twocat, but it is wise to save yourself to run another day. I'm glad your friend did so well in the marathon, and that you got to enjoy some of the excitement of it through her.
Nice Skyped 16-miler today, Mariposai! Enjoy the symphony.
Looking forward to your decision on how to handle the long run and the party next weekend, Holly. The party'll be great.
Mike, I'm sorry Ryan's having such a tough time with the team thing this year. I hope he figures it out. He still looks great when he's out running!
Ithaca is gorgeous, Wildchild - I'm glad you're enjoying the trip.
Heal well, Lyndenrunner.
Sounds like you and the boys had great fun today, Paavo!
I had a racewalking training session this morning, so I got there early (7:30) to head out for a 7.75 workout around New Castle island before the session. It was cool and with a westerly breeze, but quite nice. When I got to the high school for our session, the h.s. marching band was practicing in the infield, so we had music to racewalk to! They were quite good, and I was sorry to see them go about a half hour after we started. I shot video of everyone at the session today so they can see how they are doing. One woman is good, but loses form when she picks up her pace - it'll be real helpful for her to see that. I spent the rest of the day moving leaves around: DW and I made 3 trips to the transfer station to empty leaf bags and bring them home to refill and repeat. I blew the rest of the leaves in the driveway into the woods behind our house. More than 50% of our leaves are down, but in another couple of days, the driveway will be hidden by still more leaves. Sigh.
Enjoy! - Jay
Without ice cream there would be darkness and chaos.
Dave, I'm glad to hear you've got a handle on your stomach issues. Tammy, what a great finish for your son in his XC season. C-R, neat you got to run with your son at Disney. Twocat, you and your wife made a wise, but painful decision. Congratulations to your friend. Mike, I hope Ryan can work things out with the team issues. fatozzig, you and shorty have put a lot of work into your house and it shows.
Nice long runs for mari (longest since Sept), RCG, holly, Mike, and paavo.
Yesterday and most of today, we were at our son's along with his inlaws and an uncle helping with some home project work. This morning, it was in the mid to high 30s and almost calm. Before most of the people were up, I got in 5 miles at a 10:28 pace.
A good day and good runs for all.
TomS
Twocat - It sounds like you made the right decision re your ankle. Heck, you had a great vacation anyway, right??
Holly - Run first then drink lots of water and caffeine to stay awake the rest of the night. The caffeine will keep you amped, the water will keep you moving 'cause you're gonna have to use the bathroom a lot.
Thanks for the comments re the house. He's doing a good job and is a little over halfway done with painting the body. Unfortunately, we're suppose to get rain all this next week, so no painting will be done. This might turn into a longer-term project.
Church this morning, then we headed down to Singing Trees for the 18-month sobriety birthday of Shorty and pal of his he was in rehab with. Great speaker, and with about 10 minutes left, it was opened up to anyone who wanted to talk. Paul talked first, then Shorty. He shared some things that, of course, made me cry, but not in a bad way. Maybe one day it'll stop being such an emotional thing for me, but for now some issues are still in the healing stages. I'm just so grateful to have a sober husband, a happy husband. The change in our lives has been indescribable.
Okay - off to transcribe ~
Leslie Living and Running Behind the Redwood Curtain -------------
Trail Runner Nation
Sally McCrae-Choose Strong
Bare Performance
MM#209 / JapanJoyful#803
Two-cat: was the Amsterdam route pretty much cobblestones? Barefooters love smooth cobblestone, especially since that’s mostly what Abebe Bikila ran on to his gold medal in Rome in 1960. However, I don’t think there was much on mariposai’s Athens Marathon..Speaking of Sunday goodbyes, I got together today with eight cousins from here and there, along with some of their twenty children and 12 grandchildren and three greatGC at services for my 98yo aunt. .Honoring growing up in the Depression days with my dad and uncle who preceded her, auntie was famed in the family for wearing everything to the very last thread. However, Cousin Jim clarified it a little by revealing that, though his mother could always say,“oh, I’ve had it for quite a while,” about most anything, to make sure it was always true, she would keep brand new dresses in the closet for several months before finally taking off the tags to take out in public ..
ps Mike - your son's got a lot of making up to do and I hope he gets connected with a good group and coach for the next running season. Sounds like you might do just fine for a while though.
"Enjoy yourself. Your younger days never come again." 100yo T. Igarashi to me in geta at top of Mt. Fuji (8/2/87)
Twocat, like everyone else has said, it sounds like you and DW made a wise decision about the race. What a great time for your friend! So Henrun and Marj are off again. Please send pictures, I always like to see pictures. The house looks lovely, Leslie. The purple door will be awesome!
MikeE, Congrats to Augie's teams and good luck to them in the Region. I hope Ryan has a better year next year. You'll have to let me know tha next time you're heading to Sioux Falls. I'd like to meet you sometime.
I sure don't know where the day went. After church I put my running clothes but never got out to run. I got a lot of other stuff done though so that's a good feeling. I finally got around to organizing and packing up my sewing room at our old house. We moved out of in June and have been slowly downsizing our stuff. I'm leaving for a quilt retreat on Wednesday and needed to get my stuff.... I knew the sewing machine was in that room somewhere! I should have taken a picture, that's for sure. It's not as bad as "Hoarders" but man do I accumulate fabric. When I got hom, MrStarr had a fire going outside by the lake so I opted for roasting marshmallows over a run.
We are going to have an auction so yesterday I boxed up all my Desert Rose dishes that I collected from Ebay. I sure like the simple plain white set I have now. I just wish mariposai would come cook for me. Say , how was the symphony tonight? What did they play? I play the clarinet in the area symphony and have a lot of practicing to do. I feel woefully inadequate!
Rosie, thanks for sharing about your Grave's disease. It's helpful to know more about it. Since my mom is 97 and weighs 102#, I hope she does gain some weight if we go through with the treatment. Right now she takes tapazole for it, but has never seen an endocrinoligist about it and doesn't think it's necessary. I hope they can get the medication adjusted without several 120 mile round trips to the doctor.
Time to wake MrStarr up and send him to bed. G'night all.
“Courage is not defined by those who fought and did not fall, but by those who fought, fell, and rose again.” — Adrienne Rich
Sorry about the DNS Twocat, but sometimes that's for the best. Glad your friend had such a great race though.
MikeE, it sounds like Ryan might be on the edge of burnout. Maybe not physically, but mentally. I know our DS2 pretty much cashed it in at the end of his junior year in high school, when he was at the top of his game. He had a carpy coach, and he was just tired of the BS. His team had a lot of inexperienced players, and he just said to hell with it. Too bad too, because he had a lot of potential for college and after. But he was just done. Hope that's not the case with Ryan and he can pull something out of the hat for Regionals.
Tammy, awesome news about David and his running. He definitely has a lot of fans here.
Leslie, not sure what's up with the blistering paint. Hope you get some help from the store. That shouldn't happen, and can just ruin the whole job. I like the plans for the door though!
Holly, I agree with doing your 20 miler early on Saturday. You don't want it hanging over your head Saturday night when you want to party. Sounds fun!
Not much happening here other than house stuff. DH made a loaf of his absolutely outstanding banana bread, and a loaf of sun-dried tomato herb bread that turned out soooo good! I spent most of the day vacuuming screens and putting them away, and cleaning up DS2's room. Well, at least his desk. He left last week for his basic training for the U.S. Marines. I'm consoling myself with cleaning up his room and straightening up stuff. Amazing the layer of dust/lint/whatever back there... Took a break to go run 6.5 miles in the late sunshine and 23° this afternoon. That was nice. And my leg felt pretty good so I'm happy with that, too.
Speaking of Sunday goodbyes, I got together today with eight cousins from here and there, along with some of their twenty children and 12 grandchildren and three greatGC at services for my 98yo aunt. Honoring growing up in the Depression days with my dad and uncle who preceded her, auntie was famed in the family for wearing everything to the very last thread. However, Cousin Jim clarified it a little by revealing that, though his mother could always say,“oh, I’ve had it for quite a while,” about most anything, to make sure it was always true, she would keep brand new dresses in the closet for several months before finally taking off the tags to take out in public ..
Tet, it's always good to get together with family. it sounds like everyone gets along, that's good Although funeral's are not fun, it does bring the family together. I love the story about your aunt,. she sounds like she was quite a clever lady!