8.2 for me. The last 1.7 were fast.

Pretty good run. The beginning sucked but when I started to go faster I actually started to enjoy it I didn't set my pace for those last 1.7 miles I just went by feel. I did glance at my watch and I was in the high 8's. That works. 57 degrees out there this morning! WEIRD. It just felt weird. BUT temps are dropping into the low 40's throughout the day. That works.

When I got home from my run Ruger was waiting by the door. Which is odd these days. Ever since I let him start sleeping with me I have to drag him out of there Anyways, after I fed him I heard this chirping coming from upstairs. Stupid fire alarm. HCBF changed the batteries last weekend but he must have done the wrong one! Poor Ruger was scared. After I yanked it out of the ceiling I went to shower and Ruger laid right next to the tub (he hates to go in the bathroom because that might mean a bath ) - he was still shaking! My sweet baby. 

Lots to do today. Including keys!

Hi Carol! Sounds like you are settling in to the semi-retirement. When are you going to be 100%??

Docket – Water in the rower?!?! I don’t think I have seen that. Oh no, I hope Hershey is okay and it is something minor.

Run4kupcakes – OH! You are lucky to have a spin bike at home!!! I might have to look into that, too. I would love to have that. That and a treadmill. Do you have free weights too? EW on the meeting. Doesn’t sound fun.

Tessa – WOOHOO on the points!!! That’s pretty impressive. Especially since it is Holiday pig out time.

I have to call the EZPass toll people. I didn't have $9.00 cash (RIDICULOUS) for the toll I took to get to my brothers last week. I am past the 48 hour period though so hopefully they dont charge me $50.

Have a great day everyone!

Lizzie, yes, I have a spin bike, treadmill and weights at home. Treadmill belonged to a neighbor; he asked DH to help him take it to the dump. It wound up in our basement instead.

Wacky weather indeed!  Cold and rainy here.  I went to the gym -- 3 on the tm.

Last night had 9 of the quilty ladies over for potluck Christmas party.  I rarely have people over , other than family. Went well, no dog incidents.  The pups hung out in the bedroom w DF. Jake would have been ok, but Skye would have knocked everyone's plate off their lap. And --she feels much better.  Back to her old goofy self, thank goodness.

Yikes on the fires Tessa--stay safe!!

Rest day today, did my PF exercises and will do the ab challenge stuff tonight (crunches, leg raises, and plank).   Older DD has a Christmas band concert tonight.  Maybe it will help me to get into the holiday spirit.    St Nick had to come last night.  That is new for me since moving to WI, we didn't do St. Nick's when I was a kid.

Lizzie, nice run!  It was really chilly here this morning.  One of those days that HCBF would probably hate.     Poor Ruger!  It seems that they pretty much assume everyone will get an EZPass.  Otherwise the toll prices are completely ridiculous!  I remember the days when I lived in Illinois and the tolls were 35 cents and we threw them into a machine.  Lots of fun while people dug around in their cars for change.  Or missed the basket and had to get out of the car and look for their change!     I'm surprised things aren't moving with your complaint.  It seems that companies are really afraid of official complaints made against them these days.  Maybe you should start throwing around things like "hostile workplace" and "EEOC".  The sweater I got was mostly black with a white pattern (jacquard?).  It has a black lace underlayer that sticks out on the bottom hem.  The sleeves are 3/4 length and a little puffy.  So it looks a little more fancy than a plain sweater.    Oh, cobalt blue would look great on you!

Kupcakes, nice that you scored a free TM!

Diane, sending some warm thoughts your way.    Even though I live in a colder climate, I really hate cold weather.  I can force myself to run in it, but otherwise it's painful!  Stay warm!

Elina, nice job on the report!  Hope you are out of "safe mode".  

Tessa, examining the course of the 14 miler, it is slightly different than the half course.  Not sure why they chose to go with 14 miles.  Maybe to differentiate from other half marathons in that same time frame?  Personally if I were looking for a race, the odd distance would put me off a bit.  Who trains for a 14 miler?     If I had any chance of a half marathon PR then I would look for a half!   The race is in Fort Atkinson and it is called the Fort 14.  Maybe they just thought the name was cool.    Yes, we have purchased the horchata mixes!  When DD was big in her horchata phase, DH had to buy it for her weekly but occasionally the Mexican grocery was out.  So he would get the mix.     The in-laws also buy the mix so they can have it for DD when she goes over there!  Hope the fires are staying away from you!

Sandy, Muscle Mix sounds interesting!  I need to start doing some other workouts.    My foot has calmed down enough that I may try some other things.  Haha, you don't like "first annual"?  Too presumptuous?    The race medal says "Inaugural" but it has a pin on the ribbon that says "1st Annual".  You can take the pin off though.     Wow, you got snow?  I suppose we normally do have snow already, usually when we get our tree the first week of Dec there is snow on the ground.

Damaris, nice workouts!  I hope Hershey is OK!

Happy Hump Day!

Cathy

Liz, poor Ruger with the fire alarm chirping! Hope he never has to endure it going off. (Smoke alarms going off all over the place here.)

And how annoying on the EZ pass. Yes you can pay it online but there may be a fee for doing it late. I'm not sure if you can appeal it or not.

Cathy, same here, they assume you have a transponder and there aren't many toll booths. We were driving north in the Bay Area and needed to pay a toll in Vallejo, we had 3 people in the car so should have qualified as a carpool but to be a carpool you HAD to have a transponder and key in the "carpool" status. So we had to pay as if it was a single driver. Bah humbug to Caltrans.

Kupcakes, nice score on the treadmill from the neighbor -- I would like one at home but I have no place to put it except the garage and I like to be able to park cars in there. No basements around here.

Susan, pets can be a challenge when you have people over, and not surprised that DF chose to stay in the bedroom. Men always seem to disappear when their partners have a bunch of women over to visit!  Sounds like a good time with 10 quiltie ladies.

Judy, still not sure how you wear 4 shirt layers.

Diane, I would definitely have gloves and not throw them away. They are light to carry and you may want them later in the day. Hope the wind dies down too.

All the cats will come in the bathroom, not just because the litter boxes are in there but also because they like the company and two at least like to drink from the sink. Gwen guards the time with her human jealously, she always wants to be in the bathroom when I'm showering. Fernanda likes to drink from the sink or the bucket of water in the shower.

I'm a vegetarian, have been since I was 15. (Boyfriend was vegetarian. The relationship didn't last very long but the dietary habit stuck!) I do try to go vegan for Lent but I can't handle giving up dairy products completely. I'm not an enormous fan of some vegetables either, in my mind every vegetable is improved by either battering and deep frying or by copious amounts of cheese, but I try to eat 2-3 servings of them a day.

Is it even legal to be a vegetarian in Oklahoma? Texas has a hard time with it too. Ask Lisa about the Team Beef member we met at Chickamauga whose shirt said "My Food Poops On Your Food". She giggled about that for several miles.

Cathy, I agree, why have a 14 mile race? I would also be looking for a half if I thought I was in PR shape. Imagine running the 14 miler in, say, 2:05 when you had never broken 2 hours for a half and then realizing that if you had done a half you would have broken the magic number.

Not quite as windy today but it is supposed to be really bad again tomorrow. I managed 3 miles, smoke wasn't too bad near my house but it was awful driving through the San Fernando Valley to the train station. And now we have another one in Bel-Air and the 405 is closed. I can see the smoke from that one from my window. Any races this weekend are not going to be enjoyable.

Tessa how interesting.  I don't like cheese on my veggie (those that I do eat) and I'm not a fan of fried foods.  I'm still mostly dairy free but the holidays put a crimp in that for sure.  LOL, it's probably one of those things you don't talk about here.  Secret society maybe, especially for the vegans.

I would probably do the 14 miler just cause it's different.

Kat, I got a RoadID several years ago and mine never comes off.  I'm thinking of getting one for DD but they haven't mover out of SIL's parents house yet.

Margaret, would you be willing so share your couch to 50k plan?  I have Karen's plan and no real excuse for not training but for the Hawk, the PH and now this 50k I am SO SO very undertrained.  I really need to get better at training for these especially the 50 miler next year.

Afternoon!  Dropped Hershey at the vet today because he surely does not behave like Hershey.  They were going to do a blood test and XRays, but they have not even called me with an estimate.  Looks like he will stay there all day.  Sigh.

I have 6 with strides and weights today. Switching with tomorrow as I am sure I'll run with hubby tomorrow and don't want to miss my strides.

Tessa, they are water rowers.  They have a big thing in front full of water which is what makes the weight.  The rowers feel like real rowers because of the amount of force you have to use to "move" them.

Lizzie, those cheeky little bastard fire alarms.  Even with new batteries they chirp all the time. Normally at 3am.  Read my explanation to Tessa on the rowers.  Hoping the smoke is not too bad.  The scenes from the morning commute looks right out of Lord of the Rings and Mordor.

HalfCrazy, sounds like my living room.

Judy, enjoy the outdoors!  Does your asthma get better or worse in the cold?  Mine is in the humidity and heat.

Susan, nice job on the run and the potlock party.

Diane, I was a vegetarian for 2 years and I hate salads.  You could make it work with what you like.

Cathy, enjoy the rest day and the concert.

Kat, didn't know she wears one!  Enjoy the nice weather.