Congrats to Econo and Herr W for your half marathon, and for seeing Tet!   Funny about the overdressed runners.

Jeanne, nice sales at the craft fair!

Murray, slow runs are the only kind I can do anymore, with lots of walking the uphills.  Good ultra training!

I met some friends at an open space park down toward town, and it was in the 60s!  Skirt and tank top weather - delightful!  We went about 11.8 miles. Some of the trails were new to me, even though I've run at that park a few times, so I decided on a new goal for next year - run at least one new trail a month!

 

Apologies for the long post.

You call that a long post?

Rest day for me.  Just got back from a walk down to the village park where they lit the Village Christmas Holiday Tree and handed out hot deer and hot chocolate.   Wintry turns are the norm each year but this year they included Joy to the World, and the actual lighting was done after the singing of Silent Night.   We have a new mayor, so that may have something to do with it - maybe ne can feign ignorance the first year?

I taught Adult Bible Class this morning at our church.  It used to be normal to have 40 people in class.  Today, due to Covid, Thanksgiving Weekend travel and hosting, and just a general contraction of our congregation, there were 7 people in class and one of them was me.  Sigh.

I'm currently writing this in my new nook, which up until this afternoon was the part of my daughter's pad that was being used to store things she hasn't brought to their new apartment since they got married (including big wedding presents) as well as items each of my three boys left here after the times that they individually lived in this room.  It's the only completely finished room in the basement, with one half set up as a guest room / snore room for me and now the other half will be my work area during the rest of my work from home period, and DW's sewing area.   So many things the kids couldn't bear to part with from their elementary school and middle school years....the oldest are now 29 and 27 and I say it's time......Eventually this is going to be a train room....Toot!

GN and his Dad are hanging out in the rec room part of the basement which is kinda sorta finished - sofas, large screen TV - watching movies together.   His dad has free time from the residence until 9:00 tonight.  He seems to be enjoying it.  They got out for a walk together before crashing down here for the afternoon.   

DS#1 finally gets to celebrate his 29th birthday with us this evening.  His birthday was 11/2, the same day as our 30th anniversary, so he got bumped almost a full month.   His GF can't make it but his brothers and sister should be here so that'll be nice.

BTY - It's really nice that GN and his dad are enjoying their time together under the roof of a home full of love.

Erika - Yes, our cats are indoor/outdoor - more indoors than outdoors these days.  We tamed a feral kitty a number of years ago, and with a lot of time and patience things turned out great.  Neither of them will be allowed outside until I'm certain they understand this is their home and am even thinking about trying to get them used to halters and leads to take them safely outside to explore first. We'll see how that goes . . . 

erika - with the S^1/2Marathon being an add-on about 20 years ago or something to the traditional marathon distance, they've always started off about a half hour apart on race morning.

. . . new goal for next year - run at least one new trail a month!

Wildchild - wow, I really like that. Have fun.

Quote from shadow runner on 11/28/2021 at 10:29 AM:

Apologies for the long post.

 You call that a long post? .

BTY - not that you or I ever have

long posts but gave me a chuckle too.

ps - fantastic that GN and dad

are enjoying at your house.

pps shadow - in case people

get too used to your shirtless

running, I have another idea

that people sometimes notice too.

Having been up there on short trips in those days and knowing that it's way too cold even for runners who can run in all kinds of other weather adversities, I also get a chuckle out of erika's matter-of-course running below at 16 degrees zero and where minus 27 isn't even worthy of a special weather advisory. . There should be a movie about her.

. . . halters and leads . . .

catlady - I've seen 'em being walked on leashes same as like dogs are around here and was wondering if you ever do.

ps - how many now?

pps - do you have a lifetime total like some people keep track of their lifetime marathons and ultras?

Econo - thank you and Herr.

I remember some Seattle Marathons with runners dressed as if embarking on a climb up Mt. Everest.  I'm pretty sure they never practice in the rain and may not even know it's not raining when the weather forecast says it is.

Very nice about neat course changes to go around, through and by some landmarks and favorite places of your college days here, to say nothing of the morning’s unbelievable abatement in the steady rains of the last month that have become so incessant as enke experienced on her drive back from their mountain retreat and you and Herr did too on the 8-10 hour drive up I-5 yesterday that it’s like driving through a waterfall with all the spray flying up to make even the highest window wiper setting hard to keep up. Being from Eugene and graduate days up here too, I know you’re used to it but be careful as, unless you wait for next month, or year, it’s going to be more of the same on the way back.

Roch - I like that course profile and nice scenery to work your up to the pass summits and get rewarded by a long descent plus not having to do it in the rain which I did a lot of over the years in my commuting days but, though not me as cycling for fun needs to have good weather to entice me into the saddle, even in this afternoon’s drenching rains (that had the car hydroplaning for the first time since last winter’s same), there were soaking wet cyclists circuiting the island’s 13 mile perimeter as happens every weekend no matter what. However, even if they used a waterproof, underwater camera for some of your routes, I suppose any cyclists who would use it would already be out in it. Nevertheless, though it sounds bad, it’s not that bad at all when it’s 60F+ outside.

Murray - I've never listened to a podcast before but, with my new megaspeaker on the passenger seat hooked up to my cell phone so I can actually hear something even when driving through the splashing rain in our otherwise very silent Chevy Volt, with yours being about slow running I now am, I listened to yours on the way to Costco this afternoon but,  unfortunately, did the Sharmin one that was more about starting out too fast, nutrition, headlamps, etc.  I'll try to get the Seiler one next time.  Probably doesn’t, though, because, when I was back in your current AG and even back to the late seventies when I first started running, comfortably conversing without panting/gasping has been my definition of slow too. Still is, . . . except for it happening at 16m/m instead of 10m/m.

ps - hope Tramps didn't get rained out.

At least, hockey games never can.

Econo, so great that you and Tet could meet. And I laughed at the thought of those overdressed runners. I always wonder why so many people overdress for runs. I used to think it was because they were new to running, but I have to think that anyone doing a half marathon must at least have some running experience. So maybe I am the weird one, running in shorts when there is frost on the ground? Nah…

Leslie, have fun with your new family members! 

For my first day in Covid isolation, I decided to try the treadmill for the first time in almost two years. I was surprised to find it was not bad at all! I remembered that running to music (something I never do outside) can be pretty motivating. I played with pace and incline, and felt like I could go for miles and miles!  I stopped at 4.5 miles, though, because my SO came down to our basement gym and caught me. I pretended that I had been walking along and just decided to try a little tiny bit of running. He seemed to buy it. Or else he knows everything and is just waiting for my full confession…

This afternoon I got news that my PCR test was negative. Yay! Told my boss, and the nurse, and figured the whole positive rapid test was much ado about nothing. Ha! My SO did a second rapid test (negative) and convinced me I should just do another one too. It was positive again! Called the nurse back, and she was baffled. She asked me to stay out tomorrow while she checks with our local health district for guidance. Then she called back tonight to say I have to isolate for 10 days, with or without a negative PCR test! Turns out ANY positive test sets off 10 days of mandatory isolation. Since I am asymptomatic (so far), I can take sick days or Zoom-teach from home (with just an adult body in the classroom to supervise the rascals). I am going to take the sick day tomorrow, then probably Zoom in starting Tuesday or Wednesday. 

Ugh.

the testing isn't foolproof, thus the multiple tests. some company developed a home test like litmus paper you use a finger-prick drop of blood, and gives result in 10 minutes. Not on market yet, but maybe soon. I keep thinking something like a breathalyzer would be extremely useful, especially if result was less than a minute. But, it would probably have to be a "3 out of 5" negative if they were to use it to enter events or airports etc

4.6 miles this afternoon to give me 19 miles for the week (all in the last 4 days). Highest weekly total since January and first time I've run 4 days consecutively since last year's 100 day streak was ended by Hurricane Laura.

Talking of Hurricane Laura, this weekend's task was installing a door & frame at the top of the stairs - have it in place and working, but still need to do the trim.

Reading Erika's post, I realize it was 75 degrees warmer for my run than it was for her.

 

 handed out hot deer and hot chocolate.   

 

"Hot Deer?"

Yay Econo for a nice HM and Tet meet up!

Surly - like Erika said, you should get that looked at.  There's a reason they have doctors devoted entirely to hand injuries.  You need that thing to work right...