So much to catch up on, I’m just not sure where to start. I suppose I could start with the obvious: I lost one of my best friends in the whole world back in May. My buddy, Sienna.
She was the first dog I ever had as an adult. Really, my first dog. And she really was the most perfect first dog to have. Words cannot even express how much I loved that girl. In fact, I gathered a whole bunch of photos for her final RIP blog entry — yet never was able to gather my wits to write it. There is too much to say and too few words.
She was my buddy. She changed our lives in ways I never imagined. And she will be greatly, greatly missed.
+ + +
After losing the girl, we needed a distraction. The distraction took the form of the vacation of a lifetime: a giant road trip to Wyoming all with the excuse of adopting a puppy out West. The quick back story: I’m obsessed with the Keeshond breed of dog (obvoiusly!) and when I knew Sienna was sick, I started looking around for breeders or rescues. There were no dogs — at least young ones — to be had in our region and I ended up finding a little pup in the little town of Lander. The trip planning then begun.
Honestly, I need an entire blog entry documenting that trip. We drove out to Yellowstone (via the Big Horn Mountains which included camping in the snow). We spent 3 amazing days in Yellowstone. We spent another 3 amazing days in the Grand Tetons. We completed amazing hikes. We saw amazing wildlife (including two black bears PLAYING in OUR CAMPSITE!). We then drove to Lander, picked up a puppy on a farm where there were sheep and rabbits and a turkey (and two ADORABLE Keeshond brothers who we had to leave behind). We stopped at Devils Tower. We detoured to Rushmore. And then we came home WITH A PUPPY!
It was an amazing 9 days of driving and sight-seeing and camping. And then we got to finish it with this cute-as-a-button puppy. Please meet her:
Her name is Penny. She’s now 18 weeks old. And we love her.
Our other girl, Dora, is doing okay. She was stand-offish at the beginning. But she’s opening up now and I think she and Penny will be great friends soon. They already play like crazy.
We are also in the midst of puppy training (housetraining is SO FUN!). We have puppy kindergarten for a few more weeks. And aside from the fact that Penny is a little anti-social in class (she growls at the other dogs), she’s adjusting well. She’s great with people. And she’s a complete doll.
+ + + +
News on the other fronts:
James started a job last month! (not sure if I shared that here, but it’s a HUGE relief)
I re-started Weight Watchers in June and started re-attending meetings. Sparkpeople just wasn’t cutting it for me. So, when a second income started coming back into the house, I forked out the cash for WW. And, surprise, surprise: going back to meetings has helped. I’m down 4 lbs. now. It’s slow. But it’s working. And it still kills me how much harder it is to take off than it is to put on.
I’m not really training for any big races or triathlons this year. It started with lack of funding, but it’s been nice to actually take a season off officially. I did do a triathlon two weeks ago that I didn’t even train for. I didn’t set any records, but I finished, I didn’t walk on the run and I was pleased with a 18-minute 1/2-mile swim considering I haven’t swam in months. Better yet: I earned hardware! I placed 2nd in the Athena division. Granted, there were only three of us, but it was groovy to get an award.
I am doing one big ride: Dairyland Dare. It’s in August and it’s a 150k (100 mile) cycling ride that includes over 10,000 feet of climbing in Southern Wisconsin. It’s kind of crazy, but it will be super fun. I did a 100k earlier in May that had us climb over 7,000 feet. It was one of the hardest rides I’ve ever done, but it felt like quite an accomplishment to complete.
I’m also finishing out my year with Bolder Options. My mentee and I have been having a great time. We’ve completed 3 5k races and it’s been amazing to watch her progress.
Not sure how much else there is to catch up on: my little sister graduated High School. My cat is still a bitch. I still love my job but struggle with finding balance between it and my personal life. One of these days, my husband and I really need to replace the concrete steps in front of our house. Exciting, exciting stuff.
I think I can officially claim catch up here. I do have oodles of vacation and puppy photos and videos to share, but they still need to be uploaded and organized. I’ll share links when they are ready. Until then, chow!
I’m not ashamed to steal this meme from EJShea. After such a long hiatus from blogging, I’ve been honestly struggling with how to come back and write again. What do I talk about? How do I start after all this time away?
But since blogging is something I want to get back in the habit of doing, I figured filling in the blanks would be an easy way to start back. Baby steps.
1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before? Visited a national park (can you believe that? WTF?); Completed my first XC ski race; Mentored an at-risk youth; Took a Hot Yoga class.
2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I don’t really set resolutions as a rule of thumb. That said, I did sign back up with WW in January in hopes that I would finally get my weight that’s been steadily creeping up to go back down. But the year of eTools didn’t do much for me. I didn’t stuck to the program consistently. The formula without meetings just hasn’t been effective. I’ve also had a hard time concentrating on weight loss while juggling an insane work schedule. I love my job. I let it take over too much. And it made weight loss less of a priority for me in 2009.
That said, I did set two goals at the beginning of the year: stick to a 2009 training program and become a mentor for Bolder Options. The 2009 program was successful: I completed two ski races, a handful of runs and triathlons and met my 4:15 marathon goal @ Twin Cities Marathon. Then Bolder Options allowed me to share my passion for fitness with an at-risk youth — something more rewarding than all my races combined.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Oh, yes. So many friends & family members having babies. We were especially excited for the birth of one close couple’s first. She came early and is absolutely lovely.
4. Did anyone close to you die? No. We’ve been very blessed this year.
5. What places did you visit? A number of cabin visits up north in MN; my first trip to the Upper Peninsula and Isle Royale (my first National Park); Nashville for a wedding; San Francisco for a conference
6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009? More work-life balance. I made some good strides in the back half of this year, but I need more. Working and sleeping immediately upon arriving home is not a healthy pattern every night of the week.
7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? Oct. 4. The date of Twin Cities Marathon. After loads of training and lots of doubt around being able to accomplish my goal, I had a dream race and hit the 4:15 mark. And it was SO FUN. After two less-than-stellar marathon experiences, Twin Cities was a dream and I loved every second of it. Even the pain afterward.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Probably Twin Cities marathon. That and my killer Web site that I manage for work. We’ve taken her from #14 in the category when I started to #6 in Oct. & Nov. and that has been THRILLING! I should also add here that my mentee’s two 5ks were pretty big accomplishments as well.
9. What was your biggest failure? Working too much and not concentrating on the other important aspects of my life.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Nothing major and, for that, I’m blessed. I did have a really nagging Achilles tendon injury that I nursed for the first 3-4 months of the year until the PT finally made me stop running so it would heal. And it did. Imagine that.
11. What was the best thing you bought? Hmm… do I daresay my minivan? But the jury is still out on that. I love the storage and ability to travel with the thing but I do miss driving my Buick.
The jury is also still out on the kitty we brought home two weeks ago. She’s sweet, but still adjusting to life in our home. With dogs.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? James. My spouse. Good lord, I have no idea how I could have made it through the year without his constant support on the home front. He makes our meals. He does the dishes. He lets the dogs out when I work late. Best. Husband. Ever.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? I don’t really know how to answer this in a way that is appropriate online in my personal life. Politically, I have been pretty disgusted by the Hyde amendment proponents in the health care debate. The past decade saddens me in terms of how much we’ve retreated around reproductive rights.
14. Where did most of your money go? On food. At least that’s what it feels like when we grocery shop each week. We’ve also been good about saving this year and our only major purchase with the minivan which was needed because the Buick was dying.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Seeing the iPhone app my team developed for Betty on a Apple iPhone commercial in December. Super fun to see your project recognized that way.
16. What song will always remind you of 2009?Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier. As much as I might have failed on the work-life balance thing this year, I’m in a much better place than I was in 2008. We’ve done some amazing things at work in terms of structure to support that this year. The changes have been very exciting and rewarding. I’ve also made a stronger effort the maintain balance that will only continue and improve. Even just making sure I leave the office by 5pm 2xs a week is a great place to be.
b) thinner or fatter? Fatter. I’ve steadily been gaining and didn’t focus on food & diet much this year at all. Oh well. It was a year of different priorities.
c) richer or poorer? Richer. Our savings has grown. Our debts have declined. And mentoring has added a level of richness not calculated in $$.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of? More trips with the pups to the dog park. More trips to the farmer’s market with the spouse on weekends, too.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Working after hours on the couch.
20. How did you spend Christmas in 2009? With my family in Wisconsin. There was lots of loafing and a movie. Also, lovely laughs with my brother & sister. I heart them.
21. Did you fall in love in 2009? I think so. Work-wise, we accomplished a lot. And while I might regret working so much, I’m very proud of what myself and my team has accomplished. Add to that crossing the finish line @ Twin Cities marathon, it was a pretty sweet year.
22. What was your favorite TV program? So You Think You Can Dance. While America’s Funniest Home Videos and The Amazing Race are my absolute faves, I discovered SYTYCD this year and it’s made me really appreciate dance as an art. We might even attend some modern dance performances in 2010.
23. What did you do for your birthday in 2009? We were in the UP getting ready for our kayak trip on Isle Royale. Started the day with an authentic Pasty, crashed a ton attempting to mountain bike on difficult trails with a bike that didn’t fit me, got eaten alive by bugs during our water skills training and completed my first wet exit from a kayak in 55 degree water.
24. What was the best book you read? Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I held out in finishing the series because I didn’t want to be done. But I finally completed it this year and I thought it was everything it should have been.
25. What did you want and get? Accomplishment of loads of goals a work and a 4:15 marathon
26. What did you want and not get? To lose weight. But I didn’t make it a strong enough focus.
27. What was your favorite film of this year? Fresh. It was an incredible film that focused on the hope around sustainable farming as opposed to the bleak picture portrayed by films such as Food, Inc. I was also very surprised by District 9 and how intense an experience it created.
28. Did you make some new friends this year? Yes. Including a sweet couple in Nashville that we want to go back and visit.
29. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Less time working, more time focused on home.
30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009? 2009 was the year of the dress for me. And I found some cute ones.
31. What kept you sane? James. My dogs.
32. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Barrack Obama. It’s been a lovely year not to cringe every time the President would speak.
33. What political issue stirred you the most? Health care reform and the lack of willingness that so many of my fellow constituents have to invest in a system that provides equitable care.
34. Who did you miss? My grandpa. He died when I was 16 and I still miss him every single day.
35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009. If you’re going to complain, come with a solution. It’s empowering to actually take control and effect change.
I know I don’t post much about the fact that, to date, James and I don’t have kids. And, for a couple that is mid-to-late thirty-somethings that have been married for almost 14 years, that’s kind of a oddity. We do have other couple-friends who are childless — a few are our age or older. But, sure, by far the majority of our friend-base have started families — some of them are even married, too!
No, the thing is, I’m used to being a little different. I’m used to being the only thirty-something in the room that hasn’t chosen to breed. I’m used to being accomodating of the child-responsible schedules of my friends. I also care about my friends kids. (surprise!) I really do. Just like (I hope) they care about aspects of my life – whether it’s work, my pets, my family, etc.
But it gets hard. It gets hard to hear, all the time, “you don’t understand.” I know I don’t understand. I know I can’t relate. For some reason, being a mother has become the one acceptable defining life-experience that can be used to judget another human’s ability to relate vocally. I’ve never heard someone with a dead parent say, “you don’t understand because you still have a mom.” No one dares to say to another human, “you don’t understand because you don’t have a father who is an alcoholic.” We all have different life experiences. They all define us in very unique ways. And, for the most part, I think we all can really appreciate how those unique experiences translate into characteristics and behavoirs for friends and family.
But it isn’t okay to generalize my understanding based on my familial status. The truth is: I may not understand because I didn’t grow up in the same city as you, or my mother raised me differently, or I didn’t have to work a part-time job in high school or my gym teacher treated me like shit. OR because I don’t have kids. The thing is: you don’t know. I don’t know. So it doesn’t make that okay to make that gross assumption VOCALLY about me — to me. Just like you wouldn’t want me to make a gross assumption about you — VOCALLY to you – for any number of life-choices you’ve made or life-experiences you’ve encountered.
I just get tired.
And, you know what? We’re not even decided on the kid issue. James and I haven’t decided. But if we do. And we don’t have kids, it is okay. It really is.
At the end of the day, we all have our priorities. We all have what is important and meaninful in our own lives. And we just need to understand what those important things are to the people in our lives. We need to respect those things uniquely. If I can do that for you, please do it for me.
Tuesday March 04th 2008, 9:58 pm
Filed under: the husband
Well, I made it. A 3-night dog sledding expedition into the wild in the winter. Many thanks to Outward Bound for the amazing experience.
I’m still processing the experience. James and I had a lot of conversations about it today as we took some time to visit Ely, MN and spend some quality time (and tourist $$$). I will start the posts to recap the vacation tomorrow night because it’s something that needs to be documented to the fullest.
But the biggest takeaway? I was amazed at how relaxed I was upon completion of the experience. More relaxed than I think I’ve ever been in my adult life. And, as James confirmed at lunch today, we spent 4 full days not thinking about work, regular-life obligations or anything else. It was all about the experience and getting from point A to point B. Such a clear mind is so hard to come-by and it was weird to experience it so fully for such an extreme amount of time.
Many thanks to our wise instructors, Simon and Anna Lisa.
Saturday December 29th 2007, 9:00 pm
Filed under: the husband
Get this: I have skied 7 days out of the past 9. Seven. It’s crazy. No wonder my back muscles have been getting a little ornery.
This afternoon, James and I headed out on Phalen. I’ve said it before and I’ll probably say it again (many times), but walking two blocks to a groomed trail is awesome. I skiied Phalen yesterday, but only did one loop. On Thursday, I did two. I wasn’t sure what the plan was today since James was headed out with me, but I brought along my water bottle and some of those new Luna gummi things (Moons?) just in case I needed nutrition.
Since James had to work Thursday & Friday, he hadn’t been on his skis since Christmas. So, honestly, this was only his fourth time out. The snow was great. The trail must have been groomed in the morning because it was a lot more packed and way faster than yesterday. I started out feeling pretty darn good. Unfortunately, James was frustrated. The glide that he was starting to discover earlier in the week seemed to be eluding him. It just wasn’t going as smoothly as he’d hoped. But we kept at it. I continued to feel pretty strong. James would catch a rhythm for a bit and then lose it. When he would catch it, he would come up on me fast and strong. As soon as the boy gets more practice, he’s going to be flying by me. [Which is why I need to relish these moments. This is the only time I've EVER been better at him at anything. It's kind of weird.]
It took us 50 minutes and 30 seconds to complete the first 7.5k loop. James was a little satisfied knowing that’s how long it normally takes me (he’d felt he was doing poorly up until this point). We decided on another loop.
This time around, James felt more glide. He fell many less times. I offered tips as I saw them (pole close to your body, you’re skiing on your edges, etc.). It felt weird to be giving advice considering how new I am. I still snowplow down the hills and barely corner without falling over. I did fall once nice and hard. There’s also the two falls from yesterday. I have a very pretty bruise on my knee. [Reminds me of mountain biking!]
The ski was beautiful. I wished I would have brought my camera. The sun was starting to set on the second loop and the reflection was pink sky and pink snow. The trees were covered with snow like heavy frosting. We saw only a couple of other skiiers out there and they were never close to us, so it felt like we had the entire golf course to ourselves. I don’t know if Phalen is a secret or what, but it’s super nice to have such an awesome territory to oneself. We only slightly regretted not bringing the dogs out to run along side us considering how few people were out.
Our second loop timed out at 49:30 — a full minute faster than the first loop. This seem to satisfy the boy. Although, he still seemed frustrated. But I can totally relate. I can also now suddenly see the world a bit through his eyes considering how many bike rides we’ve been on where I’ve been lagging and tired and grumpy and he’s all cheery. Now I understand.
At least a bit.
At any rate, it was an awesome 100 minutes out on the course. I loved every second and I’m so glad I bought these skis. (Did I just say that??!!)
Tomorrow we’re headed out with our team. It’ll be my first attempt to ski with them since that night I went out on only my second time out. It’ll be interesting to see how I can compare. And I’m so looking forward to the experienced advice. I’m also looking forward to yet another active day with my buddies. And, yes, it will be my 8th day out of 10 on my skis. Rad, man!
Our day otherwise was full of errands and home-i-ness. We went to the REI Scratch and Dent sale that sucked a little bit having to stand in line to get in, but I did score some nice Swix gloves and a REI angora cardigan. I worked a little. James worked a little. We were supposed to head out with friends for birthday cocktails, but decided to stay home instead. The skiing made us both very tired and we’re cooking instead. All-American Chili
from Cooking Light is simmering. I’m also baking some PB&J muffins for our post-workout potluck tomorrow. A movie is in our future.
The funniest moment of the day, though? I’m combing through cookbooks looking for something easy that we have ingredients for that I can make for tomorrow to share and I realize that we don’t have eggs. I say to the boy (who’d been offering to go to the store), “I guess you need to go — but you might as well by a mix. If you have to go, it might as well be easy.”
As most of you know, I now work for a company whose bread and butter is partly from cake, cookie and muffin packaged mixes. I’ve made my fair share of this stuff since I’ve started (and most if it is good!). And now that I don’t have any in the house on hand, James has drawn the line. Tomorrow, he wants homemade.
Friday October 05th 2007, 9:26 am
Filed under: the husband
6:15 am Wake-Up
The day did not start so great. About 6:15 am, Sienna was whining like a pesty little dog until I finally got up to let her out. It was still pitch dark. I was standing around in the kitchen waiting for the girls to do their business (I was afraid if I went back to bed, I’d fall asleep and leave them out there). Five minutes or so later, I open the door and only Tryna comes in. Upon further inspection, I see our front fence gate is WIDE open and Sienna is nowhere to be seen in the yard. So, I start to freak a little. I go outside in front of our house calling her (which is hard pre-dawn with neighbors!) and Sienna is still nowhere to be seen. At this point, I start to get panicky and decide to just get some clothes on so that I can walk around the neighborhood looking for her. But when I take a second look out the back, I see the back gate is WIDE open as well. So, I peek out into the alley and, THANK GOODNESS, there she is sniffing our neighbor’s driveway. Argh. I’m relieved. Annoyed. She’s the “good dog” but she sure doesn’t come when called.
At this point, I get back in bed and promptly fall asleep until after 8:30 am.
When I finally get out of bed, I eat my breakfast (once again) at the computer with my cup of coffee with cream. (It’s a bad habit — both the cream and the computer/breakfast thing). I update the blog. I play with Facebook some more (man, that’s a terribly addictive thing). The weather is so freaking gorgeous that I finally tell myself to get my butt out the door to ride.
The original plan was over 70 miles. I have a route that I go on often (although, this summer much less frequently) where I head out to White Bear Lake and then to Marine on St. Croix. After that, I take 95 straight to Stillwater (along the St. Croix river bluffs). After Stillwater, you can continue to Afton or head straight home via the Gateway Trail. I had planned on doing the Afton loop, but after getting to Stillwater, decided to head home instead.
The ride was absolutely beautiful. I couldn’t have asked for better weather: sunny, low 70s, not a ton of wind. Since I was by myself, I could stop and take pictures whenever I wanted without James saying, “Isn’t this a training ride?!” I could also go at my own pace: fast when I wanted, slow up the hills if I needed. It was perfect.
The trees are just starting to turn, too, so there was lots of fall color to oooh and aaaaww at. I saw a bald eagle on my way out soaring above WBL and then a flock of wild turkeys in a field (is that called a flock?). I tried to get a picture of them, but they just came out as specks. I also saw lots of cows (my favorite) and horses. And I just drank it all in.
I stopped in Marine for a bathroom break. I also took a picture to email from my phone back to James wishing he were here (And, honestly, I wished he were – I wasn’t trying to torture home. The only thing that would have made the ride more perfect would have been having him there). The straight shot to Stillwater was probably the most challenging part of the ride. I had a slight headwind which slowed my pace, but I couldn’t complain. Once in Stillwater, I stopped at Starbucks where I had a small Pumpkin Latte while sitting in the sun. Can I say it again? It was absolutely gorgeous.
By this time, it was after 1:30 pm. As much as I wanted to finish the ride in the Afton hills, I thought it would be best to head straight home (still 60 miles, that’s not a bad ride). The five miles out of Stillwater were as challenging as they always are with the hills, I never seem to get used to them. The final 12 miles home on the Gateway were nice and easy. The tree-covered trail was just the icing on the cake for a perfect fall day.
4pm Nap
When I got home, James was there to meet a repair guy for our dryer. The repair guy was gone and James was doing some work from home. I ate my late lunch and noticed the boy had made it to the couch for a nap. Soon, I was there, too. As was Sienna. The three of us napped together and it was so nice and fabulous. At least until I slipped off and knocked my shin on the marble coffee table. That left a bruise.
Dinner and a Show
We had tickets to see Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah downtown at the Fineline, so we decided to make an evening of it. We went to MasaPerfect Stranger move for dinner beforehand and took advantage of their outdoor patio since the evening was so spectacular. I got to wear a new top that I scored at one of my favorite consignment shops. We had a great dinner of cerviche, Shrimp with this crazy roasted pepper sauce, Chili Rellenos and butter crepes with goat cheese filling. I also had a cucumber margarita which was really quite refreshing. It was a very pleasant meal.
. I really, really like them. They had a nice, eclectic sound. Unfortunately, the crowd wasn’t giving them much attention so we had to listen over the conversations.
Between acts, we had to wait a really long time. It was way over an hour and James and I were both getting a little bored. We people-watched (which, really, there was all to do). When Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah finally came on stage, we were relieved.
It was funny when they started playing because the first thing in my head was, “His voice is kind of whiny.” Which is fine for me, whiny singers are some of my favorites (Mountain Goats, Counting Crows, The Decemberists, Bob Dylan), but James hates that. He always complains when I have those CDs in. So, when I thought this, I turned to him and, before I could even utter a word, James looks at me and says, “His voice is really whiny!” with almost a panicked look on his face (since he was, of course, the one who obtained the tickets).
Luckily, when the music tempo picked up, the whiny-factor lessened and the music was really, really good. I recognized some songs from the radio. The crowd seemed to be really into it. They played a good set, although we didn’t stay for the encore. The old folks that we are, we needed to get home. It was almost midnight — and on a school night for James.
We were in bed by 12:15. And as I drifted off to sleep, I had to thank my stars for such a nice, nice day. Leisurely morning, perfect Autumn-ness, great ride, naptime, awesome food, live music.
Pinch me. I don’t want to go back to work if this is what the life of leisure is all about…
Sunday March 18th 2007, 10:49 am
Filed under: the husband
Yep, that’s right. I don’t even have a handful of rides in on my new bike and she’s already taken a tumble. Thankfully (and I’ll end the suspense right now), she’s okay. There are some scratches on the skewer and brake lever, but the frame is okay. The components seem fine and I was able to get back up and complete the 60 mile hill ride with just a burning elbow due to some road rash. But, boy was that a scare! Especially after I figured out the bodies in question were okay and I just stared at my pretty purple bike on the road almost not wanting to look closer for fear that it was wrecked. James and the boys were up ahead and I knew they were all thinking the same thing, “are they okay? is the new bike okay?”
What happened? It’s hard to tell for sure. It all happened so fast. I was riding on the inside. We were approximately 15 miles into the ride on our way to Stillwater when my cycling mate on the outside of me (who was a little in front of my bike) hit a pothole and lost her balance. I saw it happen. For a second, I thought she would pull it out, but the impact of the pothole and loss of balance had her turning in towards the shoulder and right in front of me. She went down in front of my wheel, I tried to avoid her, but I ended up hitting her bike and collapsing over as well sliding on my right side as she tumbled over the shoulder and into the weeds/snow/gunk on the side of the road. I got up right away and knew I was fine. Just a little scrapped up and surprised. My cycling mate was a little worse off. We were probably going 18 mph and she never got a chance to brake before she fell so she hit the pavement much harder than I. We waited for her to get her bearings and see if her limbs were operable. Nothing was broken. But she was sore. Her leg and back took the most impact. We got up and then finally inspected the bikes. Both were shockingly fine and we eventually hopped back on to continue the ride. When we got to Stillwater, we stopped at a coffee shop to regroup and see how everyone was doing. My teammate was having a hard time breathing and was feeling soreness from the fall so she opted to have a friend pick her up. I continued the ride with the rest of the guys. So, it was scary — but the good news is everyone is okay and the bikes are okay. It could have turned out WAY worse.
So, with the crash recap out of the way, I can continue on and talk about the ride. I was a little nervous from the start because it ended up being a group ride with a lot of guys. I thought it was going to be just James and our teammate for a moderately-paced Saturday ride. But since James posted on the ride board the day prior to the team, suddenly there were three guys at our house at 10:30 am with two more on their way.
[To make matters worse, James and I were out until 2am at this nightclub called NV
-- some swank new premium nightclub in MPLS that went into the 1st floor of the building where I work. And before you think I always show up to Saturday rides hungover, EclectchickThe Ninth Configuration
, this was an anomaly -- we usually don't go to clubs like this. But we were at our company post-holiday party and when that closed and we were going to go home, some coworkers talked us in to trying to get into the hip club. Which we were successful at (because we "have someone who knows someone"). At any rate, it was a late night and that made the 10:30 meet-up kind of rough.]
So, back to the ride. I’m an okay pack rider and I don’t mind regularly riding with the girls. But I do lack some confidence when it comes to “guy rides.” I knew we’d be doing hills and the fact that there where 6 guys and two girls had me somewhat comfortable in that I wouldn’t be the only one to fall behind. But then my teammate couldn’t continue and there I was, the only girl. But I had to just get over that and ride.
And it was all okay. I kept up okay. They weren’t pushing the pace. On the big hills, I did fall behind quite considerably. But they waited up at the end and, as we tempo-ed it back home, one of the guys would fall back to pull me up to the group whenever I got dropped. It was nice and it felt good to be challenged. It wasn’t a moderate ride for me — but that’s what I need to get better.
All in all (and aside from the crash), it was a good ride. I’m pleased that I felt so good for 60 miles (including hills) after only two 25-mile rides out this season. I also am once again so very pleased with my new bike. She is awesome and fast and can take a spill better than I thought possible.
After the ride, we crashed on the couch after a burrito and recovery drink. We then headed out and for dinner at a friend’s home which was pleasant and low-key. After that? Bed. Originally, we’d considered participating in St. Patrick’s day festivities with some other friends after dinner, but when they called at midnight, I just didn’t have it in me. I needed rest.Ghost Ship trailer
Saturday March 10th 2007, 10:03 pm
Filed under: the husband
James is afraid we’re getting old.
That’s what he said tonight as we finished dinner and I asked him if we were going to the show. The show, in particular, was the one I discovered earlier today while seaching music on MySpace. Nee NeeFailure to Launch dvdrip
is a local band (artist?) who we discovered and I saw that she was playing that the Kitty Kat Club tonight with two other acts. It’s been a while since we’ve been out to listen to live music and the boy was really jazzed about the idea of going out to see the groups play.
Of course, then we fixed dinner. We had some appetizers. A glass of Belgium beer. A glass of wine. Over our fabulous meal of homemade lentil stew and Indian-inspired cauliflower, the alcohol was making our eyes droop and the sound of jazz from the speakers was lulling us into the living room. I asked him again if I should get ready to go to the show. He replies, “I want to go. But I don’t. I’m tired. Does that mean we’re old?”
Poor James. No, that doesn’t mean we’re old. We’re just busy and active. And it all takes its toll. We both had crazy busy weeks. Then, today, he went riding. I did my own yoga / run combo. We grocery shopped. We cooked. The Saturday was full. And just because we like Nee Nee, we should be okay with the fact that if we’re tired, it’s okay not to go. We’re not old.
(Okay. Maybe we’re just a little old. But we still can party. Really. We just “choose” not to.)
:)
At any rate, it’s daylight savings tonight and we’re missing an hour of sleep. If I have to get all sensible on you, I can credit staying home to the fact that I’d like at least 8 hours of sleep.
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Cooking dinner tonight was really nice. It’s honestly been months since I’ve participated in any of the kitchen obligations. As busy as I’ve become with work, the cooking has either fallen on James or turned into simple “heat-and-eat” affairs. Lots of pizzas, pasta and soups have been staples. Green salads are easy. So, when I assisted James tonight by making the Crackling Cauliflower from the Whole Food’s cookbook, I got to see what it was like to once again touch whole foods and put together a nutritious and delicious dinner. Looking at the ingredients going into both my cauliflower and James’ lentil stew, I became nostalgic for when I had more time to cook. I appreciate meals made from scratch chock-full of plant-based foods. I just wish I had more time. Unfortunately cooking like we did tonight isn’t an option during the week. At least not right now.
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I went to Yoga this morning. I didn’t know that’s what I was going to do. In fact, it wasn’t on my training schedule and I got up with the full intention of a long run. I even ate my bowl of shredded wheat as planned fuel. But the more I thought about the day while I ate my cereal and surfed blogs, I kept thinking about how much I missed my Saturday morning Yoga classes. And while I’ve been doing Yoga at home, it’s just not the same. And the next thing I knew, I was donning my baggy workout pants with my Yoga mat bag on my shoulder. I could run later in the day.
I arrived at class about 10 minutes early. I brought along a mug of Sweet and Spicy tea so I sat and relaxed on my mat prior to class with the warm mug of cinnamon goodness in my hands. Jan had candles and insense burning and just the peace of sitting there was affirmation that I’d made the right choice.
Class was great. It was challenging. Jan (the instructor) was lively and enthusiastic. She got me all sweaty and limber and every muscle in my body was shaking at one point or another.
And, as hard as it was, it was also an amazing retreat. I felt like I was able to let go of a lot of baggage and really live in the moment and relax. I had a clear mind and a clear focus. I wasn’t the same chick 70 minutes later.
After class, I came home where I refueled with some melon and cottage cheese. I felt strong and at peace and I finally talked myself into the run workout that I’ve been avoiding all week. A 30 minute time trial to determine my lactate threshold heart rate.
The workout was tough. Forcing myself to run at full-speed for 30 minutes in a non-race enviroment is one of the more challenging workouts I’ve ever faced. But I managed to do it (with positive self talk all the way). My 5k TT time was 0:26:11 (an 8:26/mile pace) and my average heart rate for the final 20 minutes of the TT was 167: supposedly my LTHR.
After the TT and the long cool down back to the house, I refueled again with spicy tofu on greens and two slices of toast. I then CRASHED on the couch — something I never do on weekend.
I guess I was tired.
So. Yeah. That was my day. You add that to the grocery shopping and dinner and you might be able to understand why now I am in my pajamas typing on the computer rather than at a club watching indie pop.
We all make choices, you know. And today, mine were clear. Yoga. Run. Rest. Fuel.
I do like my life. How lucky am I that the tough choices of the day surround lovely, lovely options?
[Side note: remind me to fill you all in on the epiphany that the 167 LTHR result turned out to be -- I plugged that in for my target zones and suddenly zone 1 is 141 or lower! Training is going to change my friend. Boy, is it going to change...]
Lake Superior in the winter is deceptively beautiful. The steam rising off the great lake and the icy rocks below were mesmerising. Unfortunately, the weather was uncooperative. The same atmospheric conditions that were responsible for the beautiful view were also the cause of frigid air temps that made the outside world almost uninhabitable.
Of course, that didn’t stop us from taking off and heading up to Two Harbors, Minnesota for a little rest and relaxation. Sure, some may think that “sane people” would have opted for Mexico — but James and I have never been ones to do the “sane” thing. No, the truth is, life has been a little crazy and we’ve both been desiring an opportunity to break away. We’ve also wanted to try our hand at cross country skiing and when the weekend started to approach, we both found ourselves available with some vacation time to spend.
We booked the trip midweek. We knew it was going to be cold. Predictions were for 5 degree high temps. But we also knew we are hardy, we have good outdoor gear. What’s a little single digit temperature weather going to do?
We found Larsmont Cottages in Two Harbors. They had a discount, off-season offer for their cottage suites complete with jacuzzi tub, fireplace and access to indoor pool, wood-fired Finnish sauna, outdoor all-season hot tub and on-site massage cottage. It seemed the perfect opportunity so we reserved two nights (with the option for a third) and a pair of skis and boots from REI.
On Friday, we headed off — only after first attending a 90-minute spin class. James was teaching and, while he took off from his full-time job on Friday, he still had to show up for class. We figured this was also a good thing because we’d get the opportunity to burn a few calories before heading off on vacation.
The trip up to the North shore was good. We stopped at Tobie’s for some “world-famous” carmel rolls. (They were seriously spelled C-A-R-M-E-L, and they were seriously good). We also ran into a coworker who was also headed up to Two Harbors for the weekend (how crazy is that?).
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As we got closer and closer to our destination, the temperatures didn’t seem as forgiving as we thought they’d be. A steady zero degrees showed up on the gauge in our car. But that didn’t keep us away.
When we finally got to Two Harbors, we were about an hour early for check-in. Therefore, we decided to try out our skis. We found a local snowmobile trail that had an adequate amount of snow. The temperature registered about 4 degrees and we headed out.
For my first time on x-country skis, I think I did okay. I really need an offical lesson, but I did my best to get by with the limited guidance that James could provide. I did my fair share of falling, but I had fun. The scenery as pretty and I didn’t feel as cold as I thought I would. We spent about 90 minutes skiing out and back before we decided to call it a day. The sun was setting and we didn’t want to tempt fate.
We checked in to our cottage about 5:30 pm. Soon afterwards, we headed to the wood-fired Finnish sauna. I figured, what better way to warm up from a cold outdoor activity than a hot sauna? Unfortunately, the fire needed a lot of stoking (luckily James was there to help with that). And we kept cooling off the rocks too much with the water that was left in the outer entrance. Oops. We did warm up some, but it wasn’t the sauna experience I was looking for. We headed back to our suite where a jacuzzi tub soak was a much more successful way to warm-up. After the soak, we ordered delivery pizza and sat around watching bad satellite TV and drinking red wine.
A funny thing happened at 9pm, though. The power in the entire complex went out! James and I just sat there in awe. We worried the temperature in the room would plummet. We called the front desk — a fix was on its way. We appreciated how dark it gets up north without the city lights. And, within an hour, the power was back. Weird.
The next morning, we took our time getting up. The rest was needed. And by 9:30 am, we decided to head out on our next cross country skiing adventure. Unfortunately, the weather was being even more uncooperative. While the forecasts where showing a negative 5 degree high, our temperature gauge in the car was showing a much colder reality. As we headed inward to Isabella, the tempature continued to drop hitting -19, -20, -21. At this point, I got scared. James and I both agreed that this wasn’t probably the smartest thing to do — so we headed back out towards the shore. At least there it was registering only negative 15…
Our second location choice was Tofte. James stopped at a local outfitter shop and got maps and advice. We headed towards a few beginner-rated trails and set out with the goal of only going out for an hour at a time in order to prevent frostbite or disorientation. The 1st kilometer out was tough. As good as we felt in the 5 degrees the day before, the sub 15 was much harder. My fingers hurt from the pain of the cold. We actually turned around to head back the car because they hurt so bad — but then, a funny thing happened, my fingers warmed up — so we turned around again and re-attempted the loop. It was 4 kilometers total and the cold was unrelenting. But aside from my fingers going cold on and off, the rest of my body felt good and it was nice to get a go on a groomed trail. Soon enough, we were back at the start where we popped in the car, turned the head up as high as it could go and drank down some fluids and fuel.
James offered that we didn’t need to go back out. That the hour it took us for the 4 kilometer loop (I know! We were slow!) was enough for the day. The car was still registering negative 15 degrees. It didn’t seem to be warming up. But I figured we were out there. We should give it at least one more go. So, that we did.
Again, my fingers hurt crazy-bad in the first 10 minutes. But after that, I warmed up and we were faster this time. We did 5 kilometers in an hour and we both felt smoother. We even passed a group of other skiers — so we didn’t feel COMPLETELY insane.
We got back to the car about 3pm to warm back up. That was our last go. It was still negative 15 degrees. We’d been crazy enough.
We got back to our suit about 4:10 pm. It gave us both enough time to shower and warm-up before our 5pm massage appointments which we were smart enough to book ahead of time. There is nothing like recovering from a sub-zero ski than an hour long massage complete with heating pads and hot towels. Num.
After the massage, we relaxed with some smoked fish, brie, crackers and walnut pate. There was bad TV, too. We also drank tons of water, a sip of wine and headed out to dinner to re-fuel even more from the day.
Dinner was just okay. It was an upscale restaurant at the resort. But they screwed up my risotto and didn’t comp us all that well. But what can you do? It was still a good day. We headed back to the suite, watched a movie and fell promptly to sleep.
Sunday was check-out day. We slept in, took our time packing up and left the cottage shortly after 11am. We slunk around town a bit, grabbed a coffee and then opted for lunch at Betty’s Pies.
Oh, boy — was THAT a good idea.
I had a smoked salmon sandwich (cream cheese, smoked salmon, onions and tomatoes on toasted rye). James had hash. We shared a five-layer chocolate cream pie slice. It was all heaven-on-a-plate.
Then we drove home watching the temperative gauge the entire way. It was still in the negative double digits. We’d made the right decision not to stay another day. As much fun as we had on Saturday, I’m not about to repeat skiing in those conditions anytime soon. The drive home was lovely. We stopped for one view — but it was too cold to spend anymore than 5 minutes taking picture. download Dane Cook: Isolated Incident movie10,000 BC
