tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14578331165638614942024-03-13T13:08:32.053-05:00How I complicated my life todayMy life amuses me. It will probably amuse you, too.Graciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641028266038110278noreply@blogger.comBlogger1613125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457833116563861494.post-51858409018647332782020-12-12T16:39:00.002-06:002020-12-12T16:39:25.997-06:00Recovery and moving on<p> My surgery recovery actually dragged on a little longer than I'd hoped. I was feeling pretty out of breath and fatigued for several weeks, so I guess I was really in a hole with the anemia bit. But by now I am feeling much improved and ready to move on. </p><p>If I needed proof that I felt better (and I do need proof, because I haven't been able to schedule a post-op because my doctor rudely up and moved clinics all the way to the westbank in Jefferson parish right after doing my surgery), I just have to look at my workouts. </p><p><b>Workout #1</b>, 12 days post-op on the city park practice track: Six to eight x 1000m at 10k pace with 400m jog. I did seven reps but was completely spent at the end. Splits:</p><p>4:00, 3:55, 3:55, 3:50, 3:54, 3:54, 3:57.</p><p><b>Workout #2</b>, 26 days post-op on the slow (and slightly long! It's actually inaccurate!) cinder track at Pontiff: Six x1000m at 10k pace with 400m jog (not sure why we dialed this back in volume). I could easily have done two more. Splits:</p><p>3:59, 3:51, 3:51, 3:47, 3:48, 3:46. Note that the variability was due to changing up who was leading each rep, but effort felt on point. This was a tad faster than my true 10k pace, though.</p><p><br />The Pontiff track is a unique one. It's cinder, as I mentioned, which is not a surface that begets speed. It's also usually a really bad surface: the dirt underneath gets damaged when it's muddy, and then dried with huge dents, gaps, and ruts. And it's muddy a lot, because Jefferson Parish cleverly designated this park as emergency storm run-off. So when the parish starts to flood, the pumps dump into Pontiff park! The park has a lot of green space that absorbs the water, plus it is purposefully built a bit like a bowl to retain the pumped water. It's a smart plan, but it means that the track is in horrible shape all the time. </p><p>Additionally, the track is well known to be a smidge long. The coaches in our group have actually wheeled it out to confirm this. There was a time when it was accurate, but during a park freshening up and track re-surfacing, that changed. I think what happened was that a new curb was added and it was built inside lane one. Anyway, it's a little off, and a little rough, but it's also rarely crowded, which makes up for its flaws! And the fact that I could run much better on a worse surface makes me confident that the improvement is real. I am ready to move on to regular training and I think I am finally well enough.</p><p><br /></p>Graciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641028266038110278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457833116563861494.post-36293059817280075482020-11-30T15:17:00.002-06:002020-11-30T20:07:53.009-06:00I finally had that surgery!<p> You probably know I have been pretty miserable for a long time thanks to a large mass in my uterus. </p><p>It all started when <a href="http://complicatedday.blogspot.com/2018/12/rocket-city-marathon-dud.html" target="_blank">I ran a really bad race</a> and couldn't put my finger on what went wrong. My friend and kick-ass runner Paige suggested I check an anemia panel, and bingo - I was not well at all. </p><p>Things only <a href="http://complicatedday.blogspot.com/2019/01/run-bayou.html" target="_blank">got worse</a>, and I realized that my "bad periods" were clinical hemorrhages, ha. In fact, I was losing so much blood that I couldn't keep up with production even of platelets, which compounded matters as I was bleeding internally and was covered in bruises. </p><p>I finally insisted on an ultrasound and <a href="http://complicatedday.blogspot.com/2019/03/mid-training-injury-and-illness-long.html" target="_blank">this weird mass showed up</a>. No one could tell what exactly it was, but there was always a concern for a leiomyosarcoma, which is a dire diagnosis. My symptoms were like it was a bad fibroid, though.</p><p>I saw a surgeon and she read my US as either a carcinoma or a large polyp. Either way, I needed surgery. She <a href="http://complicatedday.blogspot.com/2019/04/tumultuous-training.html" target="_blank">scheduled me for surgery </a>and a biopsy.</p><p>LOL for a million days, I didn't have surgery because I found out IN THE OR that <a href="http://complicatedday.blogspot.com/2019/07/baby-on-way.html" target="_blank">I was pregnant! </a>Biggest shock or my life and seriously, my doctor still insists it was not physically possible and that I am living proof God exists. She also jokes that she's the best doctor ever because she got me to stop bleeding without surgery. Haha. (She's not my doctor now because I chose to do my prenatal care closer to home, but I work with her still so we still talk!)</p><p>There were <a href="http://complicatedday.blogspot.com/2019/11/some-updates.html" target="_blank">a ton of scares</a> about this mass during pregnancy, and oh so many appointments, but really, it was all fine. Except during delivery. <a href="http://complicatedday.blogspot.com/2020/02/welcome-baby.html" target="_blank">That did NOT go well.</a> Despite predictions that the mass would not interfere with delivery, oh it did. The baby was fine - he was always fine, never in any distress or danger - but I almost died after he was delivered. But it's kind of too gruesome for a blog so if you REALLY want to know you can message me ;-)<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWSaBxuZkEYS-gllm1uzuN1svXtpcT2Oc8vLVfmCCri-2PjDwAGb3EawVYLbvVcuWgD4kroHNJXe3pERWlw-MIYZw3xHWpnJkqFO6dR9fg3Kc0yFOJgSyRz25EdU8kvsyOSWX8MtPFLHs/s2900/2697DCC1-0225-4F68-BA40-F63E117E02F5.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2900" data-original-width="2320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWSaBxuZkEYS-gllm1uzuN1svXtpcT2Oc8vLVfmCCri-2PjDwAGb3EawVYLbvVcuWgD4kroHNJXe3pERWlw-MIYZw3xHWpnJkqFO6dR9fg3Kc0yFOJgSyRz25EdU8kvsyOSWX8MtPFLHs/s320/2697DCC1-0225-4F68-BA40-F63E117E02F5.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Recovering with delicious coffee a <br />friend brought the day after surgery<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>And then, to my complete disgust, my symptoms came right back after the baby was born. I was doing ok as far as blood work went, because you generally have nice robust RBCs after childbirth, and I could tell. The pain and bleeding were bad, but not terrible, and although I saw a few specialists over the spring and summer, I opted to delay treatment. The issue always was that perfusion to the mass was so extensive that I could hemorrhage uncontrollably during surgery. <p></p><p><br />However, that rosy outlook changed when suddenly symptoms got very, very bad. Blood work confirmed it was surgery soon or a transfusion. Amazingly, I had already taken off work for vacation, so I just converted that to a sick day and got added to the schedule! My doctor ended up combining two procedures: one that cuts off blood supply that is usually used for polyps, and then a regular morcellation such as is done for fibroids. I had some complicating factors and about a 25% chance that she'd need to convert the procedure to a hysterectomy, but actually the surgery went very well, blood loss was not as bad as expected, and my recovery has been astonishingly easy. I haven't gotten the pathology back on the mass yet, but I assume it's just a very large (larger than a softball, actually, and my doctor estimated several pounds) benign growth or fibroid or something. I will probably need a hysterectomy later, but for now I am already feeling a million times better. </p><p>And that, friends, is the last chapter in the crazy story of how I felt like crap and ended up with a baby.</p><p>*Update*: I actually just got the path back and unfortunately it is inconclusive. It is classified as "cellular leiomyoma", which is benign, but two pathologists are concerned for a leiomyosarcoma, which is the type of aggressive cancer that the mass was suspicious for on my pregnancy ultrasounds. My doctor consulted with gynecology-oncology and the plan is ultrasounds every six months; at the first sign of any returning growth I'll have a hysterectomy immediately. I'm not happy that this is still hanging over my head! </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Graciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641028266038110278noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457833116563861494.post-4005491036454384692020-11-27T15:17:00.001-06:002020-11-30T20:01:53.265-06:00Old Highway 51 10-miler race recap<p> I RAN A RACE. </p><p>I definitely didn't expect to have a year go by between races, but thanks to pregnancy/new baby/COVID, I hadn't raced since last Thanksgiving. That's probably the longest break I've ever had between races. The last person to run a race in this house was actually David - he jumped into a little 5k his nephew was volunteering at back when the baby was only eight weeks old. The very next weekend we were in COVID lockdown! </p><p>When I heard this race was happening, I really wanted to run it, but as it turns out I ended up having urgent surgery just nine days prior to the race. I decided to wait until the last minute to register to make sure I was up to racing. In-person registration and packet pickup was the Thursday before the race, and a week since I had surgery. I felt very bad that morning on my run, weak and out of breath, but I ran eight miles, so I knew I could do ten. It just wouldn't be a very fast race. I registered for the ten mile race and registered David for the 5k. </p><p>The night before the race I realized the baby was coming down with a cold...again. He has been sick basically constantly since going back to daycare. He actually already had an ear infection, which has been simmering for a few weeks, so this was just added misery. Normally he is a great sleeper, but at midnight he awoke screaming in terror. He gets night terrors when he is sick, and I rushed in to comfort him. He was very uncomfortable, and when I tried to put him back in his crib, he cried. So I did something I never do, and will NEVER do again, and that is brought him to our bed. I didn't sleep a wink. He mostly slept, but he is a loud sleeper, he moves around a lot, and he also took up half the bed. He woke up at 4:30 and I gave him to David and told him I NEEDED a little sleep. So David took him to the other room and I got an hour! Thank goodness! </p><p>Luckily, the restless night didn't phase Audubonbaby, and we managed to get out of the house on time. The race was 45 minutes away in Akers, Louisiana, which is the middle of nowhere. We arrived in plenty of time for a bathroom break and a warmup, except the race director abruptly changed plans on race morning. I had used the bathroom, then stayed with the baby while David used the bathroom, then handed him back to do my warm up. The half marathon started at 8, the ten mile - my race - at 8:10, and the 5k at 8:20. But as I was warming up, I passed the start corral filling with runners. Some of the other Powermilers were in the corral, and I knew they were running the 10-mile, so I asked them if the start time was moved. Sure enough, I hadn't heard the announcement, but the director decided to combine the half and ten mile start! With ten minutes fewer to warm up, I ended up with less than a mile before the race, but at least I didn't miss the start. </p><p>I didn't know how to pace this race. I run my tempos in the 6:30s, and about a month ago I ran a four mile tempo at just under 6:30 despite that being the first continual tempo we'd run in many months (over the hot summer we do things like 3x1.5 at tempo). That was a confidence-booster, but it was followed by very bad anemia and symptoms and three missed workouts. I decided to stay true to my tempo pace/feel and see how I felt. I could always slow down. </p><p>When the gun went off, I let the large group of faster runners go, and ran conservatively. By the half-mile mark, I was in the position I'd stay in for the entire race, with the exception of one teammate passing me and me passing one other runner! Mile one was uneventful, and I felt normal. I ran right around 6:30. Same with mile two. But during mile three, alarm bells started to go off. I started to feel a very recognizable sense of fatigue and breathlessness. It was exactly how I felt at the end of the Rocket City Marathon, the race that prompted me to finally check an iron panel (and how I found out I was HELLA anemic!). My pace started to slow, then dropped off precipitously. Around that point I passed another woman, which put me as the third female in our start. I was pretty sure I was second now in the ten mile, because I knew my teammate Michelle was first in the ten mile and Stephanie was likely running the half marathon to defend her title from last year (when she was pregnant, I might add. Both women are Olympic trials qualifiers in the marathon). But just in case Stephanie was doing the ten miler, I wanted to make sure I was top three. Miles 1, 2, 3: 6:31, :28, :30</p><p>But my glory didn't last long, because Tom came up rapidly behind me and passed me like I was walking. This was not thrilling to me because Tom and I are similar in ability and I can usually hang with him or even beat him. That day I had NO response. Basically I was toast. Miles 4, 5: 6:34, :34</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvdIEk2w487M-2ny4ODjbvi9ruzW-wj-QFRXsogsO4k8bJKp0OUEKW_1zpUigJjdFkT4_JpS-J-Nr2Cau3u4ZlMRlyP3NP3qf0QoV9ywZSLIPKddhCs25JZcF4qiGH4VGzHMrYldwl2Yw/s1728/finish.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="1728" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvdIEk2w487M-2ny4ODjbvi9ruzW-wj-QFRXsogsO4k8bJKp0OUEKW_1zpUigJjdFkT4_JpS-J-Nr2Cau3u4ZlMRlyP3NP3qf0QoV9ywZSLIPKddhCs25JZcF4qiGH4VGzHMrYldwl2Yw/w400-h300/finish.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Then we turned around and bam, there was that headwind. I laughed because the strong headwind meant we'd had a strong tailwind on the way out, and I STILL felt that bad! Now that Tom had firmly passed me, I was running totally alone, but I did get a bit of a boost from the other runners still heading toward the turnaround. Miles 6,7,8: 6:45, :48, :52. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZxc-4LKDSG15idQZTkWRo8Ao0yopLq4EZbKU5XSZaOP78x41ijgSzFEcEstWplAvVST45OrKmduZjLR1g3nMKqjznZ15FXEbAMlme5yKCl4XIs8DGDOB9A8TCSq5wawJOnVGzIGRqiAc/s4032/IMG_1790.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZxc-4LKDSG15idQZTkWRo8Ao0yopLq4EZbKU5XSZaOP78x41ijgSzFEcEstWplAvVST45OrKmduZjLR1g3nMKqjznZ15FXEbAMlme5yKCl4XIs8DGDOB9A8TCSq5wawJOnVGzIGRqiAc/s320/IMG_1790.HEIC" /></a></div>And then I was really alone, and really fatigued, and really miserable, and I kind of gave up. Miles 9 and 10: 7:04, 6:48. Total time with the Garmin extra 1:07:07. I can't believe I ran a "7" mile in there! But I really am not beating myself up. I had JUST had surgery, and I was able to run faster in tempo workouts recently and in The Speed Project in worse conditions, so I'm pretty sure this was just an off day due to surgery and anemia. I will be back and faster soon!<p></p><p>Meanwhile, David and the baby ran the 5k, and David was second in his age group! All that stroller running he is doing is making him faster! I was second female and won a plaque, a wooden spoon, and a big andouille sausage. David also won a plaque and sausage, and that is my kind of award. I don't want a trophy or something. Give me something edible any day! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7aZWQ09UiuNsShV3JlpwuJBVciVpH-3X2Pz7IuyOLzKYsira1X98pIyqtyM1WGzJl2busHdsEL6kbA1pI24tw9XkLZD2PNdfNhCN00HykNK7N8t8GXRyO-NHJaiHC4UXtKNJm-mPZzDs/s1728/awards.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="1728" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7aZWQ09UiuNsShV3JlpwuJBVciVpH-3X2Pz7IuyOLzKYsira1X98pIyqtyM1WGzJl2busHdsEL6kbA1pI24tw9XkLZD2PNdfNhCN00HykNK7N8t8GXRyO-NHJaiHC4UXtKNJm-mPZzDs/s320/awards.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>Post-race was a bit weird because of COVID - awards were rushed and then we all dispersed - but we really enjoyed being out in the beautiful weather and seeing our running friends. I have to say I think David missed it as much as I did! Once I feel really recovered I will sign up for the next race I can around here. I got my rust-buster out of the way and I'm ready to run fast again.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Graciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641028266038110278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457833116563861494.post-11760289699056898932020-11-07T11:54:00.002-06:002020-11-07T11:54:21.089-06:00Weathering Zeta<p>New Orleans was in the cone of uncertainty for SEVEN storms this season, which is simply unfair, and Zeta finally hit us. It came ashore as a category two, but it moved past us blessedly quickly, sparing us the flooding that New Orleans always worries about. It was really just a wind event. We stayed (very few people left for a category 2), and - as predicted - lost power as the storm hit Wednesday evening. </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUbq8zULbknvaV2K8LwFnfjr1Ex_jlDCOhiLpNbCV47LKkAF7nKkSvntQkx9tMKK9C2r3qI6-q2rV9lwpcQ52t06YeWWJpqC61Umo30RyvMFf3PraHNe1FWfn_fIlnPoMwDJT-RC7XrFA/s750/IMG_0374.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUbq8zULbknvaV2K8LwFnfjr1Ex_jlDCOhiLpNbCV47LKkAF7nKkSvntQkx9tMKK9C2r3qI6-q2rV9lwpcQ52t06YeWWJpqC61Umo30RyvMFf3PraHNe1FWfn_fIlnPoMwDJT-RC7XrFA/s320/IMG_0374.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David took this picture of our street in the eye of the storm.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />The eye of Zeta passed directly over New Orleans. This was the first time in decades that a hurricane eye moved over the city, and it was my first experience being in the eye. We walked outside to calm, eery, orange skies. We could still see the sun overhead, but all around us were dark clouds and rain. The storm circled us, but we stood on the street with our neighbors in near-silence. When we felt the first licks of wet wind, we scurried back to the house, just in time for the other side of the storm to pass over. </p><p>It was over in just a few hours, but it left close to 80% of the city without power. We have a gas water heater and stove, so we were fine: I made pasta for dinner, and we read books by candlelight. We didn't get our power back until Friday night, so we ended up staying at my in-laws on Thursday. They live in an area with underground power lines, and never lost power. David took the baby over there (his daycare was closed) so he could work, and since the storm brought a cold front, we decided to sleep over. Our house has no insulation at all, and it was low 50s, so we knew the baby would be cold. We were lucky to get power when we did: many people didn't get it back until the weekend. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_G_4IO-iAh9lufieI4OAiKa8zPgNbDvBy5RXeZ9Lhs614xVqmX6aBgSFjoHUBVEfCVfTJcCuNtjyukD7jQF1R8AtSc3y3ciKiEWRpUqb4O-WGKmc3VqmH-1mcJfrUSUZ24AeV1Z94dDU/s4032/IMG_0373.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_G_4IO-iAh9lufieI4OAiKa8zPgNbDvBy5RXeZ9Lhs614xVqmX6aBgSFjoHUBVEfCVfTJcCuNtjyukD7jQF1R8AtSc3y3ciKiEWRpUqb4O-WGKmc3VqmH-1mcJfrUSUZ24AeV1Z94dDU/s320/IMG_0373.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This old church lost a window.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwckQWYPu_hUFgfgUlP1bPLmpfvy6wYYXcaaeCanprIifFCYoyQFiL-XNzRhu4sach5duihnMDvCji8rnl4KWR5PRIhXwmxJpMV68RMlYc2WWBoJyG50g8Yqj9OlzLs7J6OtuRqK20IvA/s3024/IMG_0368.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwckQWYPu_hUFgfgUlP1bPLmpfvy6wYYXcaaeCanprIifFCYoyQFiL-XNzRhu4sach5duihnMDvCji8rnl4KWR5PRIhXwmxJpMV68RMlYc2WWBoJyG50g8Yqj9OlzLs7J6OtuRqK20IvA/s320/IMG_0368.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I used some window shards to make a necklace pendant and earrings.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p>Damage to our street was minimal. The old church on the corner sadly lost a stained glass window (the church has been there since the 1860s when our neighborhood was part of the city of Carrollton in Jefferson Parish, prior to annexation to New Orleans in 1874. It has burned down twice and was destroyed in a hurricane once; the current building is from 1917) and - I am really most upset about this! - the wind absolutely smashed my hibiscus. I loved that tree, so I am very unhappy about that! </p><p>This year has been absolutely bonkers with hurricanes and storms and I am appalled that storm Eta has the audacity to turn our way. Hopefully this week isn't a repeat! </p><p><br /></p>Graciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641028266038110278noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457833116563861494.post-63835236916439015662020-10-15T20:59:00.001-05:002020-10-15T20:59:03.786-05:00Cruisin' the Coast, 2020 style<p> Cruisin' the Coast is a classic car show and festival that moves along the coast of Mississippi. David and I have attended several years together (David is a big classic car fan: his first car was a '66 Mustang), and always had fun, so this year we dragged the baby along. We only did one day - no overnight stay in Bay St. Louis - mostly because earlier in the week we were still trying to figure out where hurricane delta was going to land before we made any plans. As it turns out, the storm moved far west of the area (hitting poor Lake Charles for the second time in weeks!) and we ended up with beautiful weather. </p><p>We did our morning runs and treated ourselves to PJ's coffee for the road, timing the trip to leave at about 9:30am, just in time to let the baby nap in the car. Since it's a little over an hour to Bay St. Louis, it worked out pretty well, although he usually naps longer than that. Good enough! Once we got to Bay St. Louis, we headed straight out to see the cars. We are lucky enough to have David's parents' house to use as home base, and it's easy walking distance to the little downtown area along the beach. We walked over and were quickly overwhelmed: we hadn't seen this many people together in one place since Mardi Gras! Mississippi doesn't have a mask mandate, but the crowds were light, and were moving around and outdoors, so a low-risk activity. The bars, though - we could see inside, where the LSU game was on, and they were packed. Definitely different from the very strict life we're living in New Orleans! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXz5AgVMSnpn9djkk9egoLn7gNcwqTTmMRhHHEj-3wXNO0H8q2kqZgFeL6gnd9aeq0ulW_AXi0jVNpQ76WVWtNQBOeoysCcMUseNaHzNpXXicQTqd3OrEpXs1l7ratVd42-3zW8cNMujM/s4032/IMG_9975.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXz5AgVMSnpn9djkk9egoLn7gNcwqTTmMRhHHEj-3wXNO0H8q2kqZgFeL6gnd9aeq0ulW_AXi0jVNpQ76WVWtNQBOeoysCcMUseNaHzNpXXicQTqd3OrEpXs1l7ratVd42-3zW8cNMujM/s320/IMG_9975.HEIC" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjC6Vj-Fl7qQQ34OQ3FqewRUKLiQ_9WQHSYwbzPiTe4XV5jhbs-aNFFhPoJQfSf6IU-RjsBzSmvdtDjC5sTSpWtUDLlHhyphenhyphenr4HIgoB41y1J5YwyAt6z1u_0LIs1dR1hYvxfpkypbCJaYRk/s4032/IMG_9965.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjC6Vj-Fl7qQQ34OQ3FqewRUKLiQ_9WQHSYwbzPiTe4XV5jhbs-aNFFhPoJQfSf6IU-RjsBzSmvdtDjC5sTSpWtUDLlHhyphenhyphenr4HIgoB41y1J5YwyAt6z1u_0LIs1dR1hYvxfpkypbCJaYRk/s320/IMG_9965.HEIC" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymHDRK69lDgrFRa6Pc4IClx8wEKrncAfWEMCPk8XztKvPk4OVdZ8Ozt3iO-afqLOq49A69Y_ygTGKeuhSrx1c8qnizgnrLnCf8y5YBtbCzMYD6NR5TreyaOrfGG2TYWwKNqxfFCfOFl0/s4032/IMG_9963.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymHDRK69lDgrFRa6Pc4IClx8wEKrncAfWEMCPk8XztKvPk4OVdZ8Ozt3iO-afqLOq49A69Y_ygTGKeuhSrx1c8qnizgnrLnCf8y5YBtbCzMYD6NR5TreyaOrfGG2TYWwKNqxfFCfOFl0/s320/IMG_9963.HEIC" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivtlrusgW4sMkSFMrrDjQfwDsue1b7NbaXuAK7gpIL56G13kCnlIDUojAxBLDHsz9GUvdI5_MVHx64VOzF9PnDMqe17WI2XwAtNr_btKPZSktGazDbRQQreM-9TIET46Bj7q6Q3lMNW6s/s4032/IMG_9961.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivtlrusgW4sMkSFMrrDjQfwDsue1b7NbaXuAK7gpIL56G13kCnlIDUojAxBLDHsz9GUvdI5_MVHx64VOzF9PnDMqe17WI2XwAtNr_btKPZSktGazDbRQQreM-9TIET46Bj7q6Q3lMNW6s/s320/IMG_9961.HEIC" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiindrEABw4m7F_mRyUeEw9YDz53vcsXRLa6mxLYxbT2dFCMdBSWg67wUZIzFnOI6f9JyDdiXXPMRfGsBWJCJCzFMAiut36Q3Ht0V4CnWQ_sxTcLGqlZrVzd6W20hiLmNFMgDjwWrO6LaU/s4032/IMG_9958.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiindrEABw4m7F_mRyUeEw9YDz53vcsXRLa6mxLYxbT2dFCMdBSWg67wUZIzFnOI6f9JyDdiXXPMRfGsBWJCJCzFMAiut36Q3Ht0V4CnWQ_sxTcLGqlZrVzd6W20hiLmNFMgDjwWrO6LaU/s320/IMG_9958.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Audubon baby was in heaven. He is OBSESSED with cars and trucks right now, especially loud engines, and also adores people. He's very social, and crowds are his jam. To make things even better, many festers had their dogs with them, and he is also really into dogs! He was beside himself with delight! We looked at the rows of cars with sparkling paint jobs, shining engines under popped hoods, and refurbished interiors, and mostly we were just enjoying the atmosphere. I used to say I didn't like festivals and crowds, but darn it if I don't miss them! We grabbed burgers and beers from a street vendor, but since the baby ate half my burger (story of my life, he is a piggy wig), I was still hungry. Luckily there is now a Creole Creamery - a New Orleans favorite - in Bay St. Louis, and we stopped for an ice cream cone (the employees there were the only people I saw with masks all day: restaurant workers must still wear them in Mississippi). I got bittersweet chocolate torte ice cream and it hit the spot on a sunny day. We walked back in time for the baby's second nap, which we spent reading the morning's paper and having a cup of coffee. </p><p>Once he woke up, we headed back out for more car-viewing. David is a member of Greater New Orleans Camera Club, which has juried photograph contests on a biweekly basis. Next week's theme is "festivals and fairs", and David really wanted to take advantage of the "golden hour" before sunset to get some good shots. I hope he did - I haven't seen them all yet - and I didn't take too many myself (sorry). I was too busy talking to dog owners, all of whom were laughing at the baby's reaction to their dogs - he goes absolutely ballistic over dogs, kicking, gasping, clapping, eyes wide with glee. One woman with two young black labs brought them over for him to play with, and he was thrilled. When they left, he tried to run after them (which brings me to part where I have to explain that my not-yet-nine-month baby is, while not truly walking yet, taking steps. He will take 2 or 3 steps, but then he gets scared! And I, clinging to my freedom, do nothing to assuage his fears!). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzAeFFY77qeSXKTUJCgi0faBN413Fc44TUzzpFjbGHhpHaQ-qCCm9Z58emSl84ohwXleuJ6YUVGeTYRylUfglhfllMEEYVno74nxNxQ8LsYVg4ah5iV9seeAFKpt44KkGaFh0AhZlxjo/s4032/IMG_0002.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzAeFFY77qeSXKTUJCgi0faBN413Fc44TUzzpFjbGHhpHaQ-qCCm9Z58emSl84ohwXleuJ6YUVGeTYRylUfglhfllMEEYVno74nxNxQ8LsYVg4ah5iV9seeAFKpt44KkGaFh0AhZlxjo/s320/IMG_0002.HEIC" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCUBeUpKtgBN-5u_UeuUUmq2h4rtGkmvwj4kJc-QCU0SEKS1k4KS7GWapMI0PhtKpIuGIjXQwGomP7ioJ95D-ogKlUTY2J-DDPRUosSEsWBvl_QF0_EGf6L-wNNYh2WORPN68dBCzUzRg/s4032/IMG_0004.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCUBeUpKtgBN-5u_UeuUUmq2h4rtGkmvwj4kJc-QCU0SEKS1k4KS7GWapMI0PhtKpIuGIjXQwGomP7ioJ95D-ogKlUTY2J-DDPRUosSEsWBvl_QF0_EGf6L-wNNYh2WORPN68dBCzUzRg/s320/IMG_0004.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8oV7rfPbX0TOMalcapCQ2Bx4M1CZ5863MFuQ8xYpZx6-PaWRBiQmczEWrDBiPfcPlhVakEWwoW5sNxAJezE3sK_-5PjuWX7vv9IOBfzbdHfIIeRcysX4ohiHbKW1zoGzfcSOjdfvML-M/s4032/IMG_9995.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8oV7rfPbX0TOMalcapCQ2Bx4M1CZ5863MFuQ8xYpZx6-PaWRBiQmczEWrDBiPfcPlhVakEWwoW5sNxAJezE3sK_-5PjuWX7vv9IOBfzbdHfIIeRcysX4ohiHbKW1zoGzfcSOjdfvML-M/s320/IMG_9995.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl8WeJ4F8avUBjTcMzJsm2rNF8jXD3SS9vsFHznCy9OM_ccGaoPN-O26bBa2wT3rxKP_06EAUkTEAES51Aujw8UbjUm7eUEqKmKuWbVaQjcM4xwvA5FyWrwyBL4KU1xhcV_zkdzwPXCfI/s4032/IMG_9990.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl8WeJ4F8avUBjTcMzJsm2rNF8jXD3SS9vsFHznCy9OM_ccGaoPN-O26bBa2wT3rxKP_06EAUkTEAES51Aujw8UbjUm7eUEqKmKuWbVaQjcM4xwvA5FyWrwyBL4KU1xhcV_zkdzwPXCfI/s320/IMG_9990.HEIC" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi54d9Ogh4KLWP9A5sxOaHqf-DG91ityapi7lxQNQZC8_ZnsyQoL65sy5U_WgKR5Scw413UYpYJvx__jPbd9fYLjjvnNTC78kS73fKVctk9cOghXztqtZYsidBgsNdBQVkMWAx67pzCPPw/s4032/IMG_9988.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi54d9Ogh4KLWP9A5sxOaHqf-DG91ityapi7lxQNQZC8_ZnsyQoL65sy5U_WgKR5Scw413UYpYJvx__jPbd9fYLjjvnNTC78kS73fKVctk9cOghXztqtZYsidBgsNdBQVkMWAx67pzCPPw/s320/IMG_9988.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaj9Rah437gtc3tnfnuDlxS0s7S4wk1e5g7XR0Qt0WErOk7bgRgbbfmrNSbevU6mdPN3GYiPfcvzWtemKh5ls9w8u1c2GGY2OgQdxKnsycPSaLItktIdhlhQf7WuZjpA7moaBy2UunJ60/s4032/IMG_9983.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaj9Rah437gtc3tnfnuDlxS0s7S4wk1e5g7XR0Qt0WErOk7bgRgbbfmrNSbevU6mdPN3GYiPfcvzWtemKh5ls9w8u1c2GGY2OgQdxKnsycPSaLItktIdhlhQf7WuZjpA7moaBy2UunJ60/s320/IMG_9983.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>We left at around 6:30 to make it home in time for bed, and I fed the baby dinner in the car. It was a really enjoyable day trip - something for everyone. We all like classic cars, Audubon Baby got to see dogs, David got photo ops, and I got to be around PEOPLE. It's a tad unnerving seeing life at near-normal in Mississippi, but since we are low risk we didn't mind (the only concern is that we do both go to work, but both our workplaces have precautions that should protect the others who work there). And actually, Louisiana is in phase three now, so not that much different - it's just that New Orleans has been stricter than the state. But I expect to see us returning to some level of crowd activity soon. Meanwhile, it felt kind of good to see people in the street. It was good for my baby to be comfortable around others and to get used to people! I really wonder what the effect of strict lockdowns will be developmentally for these kids! </p><p><br /></p>Graciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641028266038110278noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457833116563861494.post-78062178966256453942020-10-13T16:16:00.001-05:002020-10-13T16:16:00.242-05:005k time trial: still pretending to race!<p>On Tuesday I was talking to my training partners at the track and one asked, "Are you doing the time trial?" And that's how I learned we had a 5k time trial on Saturday morning. </p><p>Of course I wanted to do it: I am grasping at any chance to race, or pretend to race, or test my fitness. I didn't think I was in ideal 5k shape, after all the short repeats we had done for mile training over the summer (the Tuesday before the time trial we did a workout that included 800s, and I felt like they were so incredibly LONG for a repeat!). But with so few chances to "race", I was game anyway. Unfortunately, I came down with a cold (thanks, daycare!). I felt crummy enough that I almost skipped the time trial, but I knew I needed to take the opportunity to see where my fitness was at. So I dragged myself over anyway.*</p><p>A group of us - maybe 12 people total? - showed up at the park for the warmup. Rich and Will had just finished marking the course. There is a certified 5k course in Audubon park with precise measurements which made this easy. Many races run the course, so we all knew what to expect (I remember running a small race one time that mis-measured the course. It was long, and the turnaround cone was past where it should be, and I knew immediately the course would be long: I knew <i>exactly </i>where that cone should be!). We did a little under two miles to warm up, and I also found a convenient bush...bathrooms are still closed at Audubon (I have no idea why: even the playgrounds have reopened by now, and I think we would all appreciate a bathroom!). Coach Jimi came out to time us, and right as we lined up, he was about to call the start, it began to rain. This was entirely unexpected: the forecast said 0% chance of rain! </p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigrG2q1yqCgsdwjH8sSR0FwGjwmL-jekiu3bwt-qRmkgRjuwopd7LTpm6aa4qvMHZtQx62kCbhVfcL3dlDwt7udeIABKc8JU1sXHiVH7cBMsIL9cqRps_O8flmFFTVmjyAM5qnkuCWVFI/s2048/TT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigrG2q1yqCgsdwjH8sSR0FwGjwmL-jekiu3bwt-qRmkgRjuwopd7LTpm6aa4qvMHZtQx62kCbhVfcL3dlDwt7udeIABKc8JU1sXHiVH7cBMsIL9cqRps_O8flmFFTVmjyAM5qnkuCWVFI/s320/TT.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rainy conditions for a TT<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />I was in a funny position at the start: ahead of my normal workout group, and following Jeff, Pou, and Paul - but following pretty far behind. We were immediately spaced out, given the wide range of our abilities and the small size of the group. I wasn't looking at my watch, just trying to run by feel, and hopefully key off other runners in the group. I was hoping to be close to Jeff and Pou, but as we settled into position, I realized Jeff was a lot more fit than I was, and was definitely out of reach. Paul and Pou were close behind him, so I was alone. The first mile beeped at 6:03, and I realized I had let the faster group pull me to much; I would pay for that, now! </p><p>It wasn't bad weather, but it was kind of warm, humid, and rainy, and footing was a bit slippery. We were, of course, dodging walkers and runners, but the rain actually kept the park a bit more empty than usual. So in a way, it helped us. As I approached the turn around cone, I saw Jimi was there calling out times. I missed mine because I was trying to navigate a sudden crowd of walkers, the turn-around, and my other teammates coming the opposite direction. Kir, local runner and marathon Olympic Trials qualifier, had come out to cheer and she was at the turnaround, too. I cheered on the teammates who were behind me, then re-grouped for the second half: the distance between Pou and I was shrinking. When my watch beeped for the second mile at 6:12, I realized I'd lost a lot of time at the turnaround point. Plus, I was letting those around me set my pace: they were slowing, and I was maintaining our relative positions instead of overtaking them. Bad racing! I'm out of practice! I picked it up and passed Pou, who didn't stay with me, and then worked on catching Paul, who was far ahead. At least I had Paul in my sights, because otherwise, this time trial was getting less and less like a race and more like a solo run in the park. I passed Paul before the three-mile mark, which I hit at 6:07, then leisurely jogged it in (well ok I picked it up a little, but not much). I definitely was out of gas, but I could see the cone up ahead and a glance at my watch showed that I was close to 19, and I definitely wanted to break 19. I sped up enough to hit my goal and crossed in 18:56. </p><p>That would be a PR if it was a real race, but it's not - I don't ever seem to get a fast 5k in a race. I have run under 19 in a 10k, in a workout, and in a time trial, but never a 5k race! I was glad to get under 19, but I'd like to run closer to 18:30, which I think it totally doable. I only need 5 or 6 seconds per mile. Honestly, slightly better weather or an actual race would probably get me 5 seconds per mile! So next REAL 5k I run, I hope to be able to shoot for something even faster, depending on my fitness at the time. </p><p>Next time I will also hopefully feel better. The cold I had got worse as the day progressed, and actually, I ended up taking a sick day the next week I felt so bad. Feeling crummy, plus being out of the racing habit, probably affected my strategy. I obviously made some mistakes pacing and following others. </p><p>The rest of the group had mixed results - Tom, Paul, Pou, and Jonathon were disappointed; Will and Michelle killed it. Jeff ran 17:55, his first sub-18! </p><p><b>Anyone else running any time trials during COVID times? Alone, or with others? How did you motivate yourself? </b></p><p>* I felt totally crappy, but it wasn't COVID - I got tested (I have to for work!)</p>Graciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641028266038110278noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457833116563861494.post-42783717358169365532020-10-11T11:54:00.000-05:002020-10-11T11:54:11.469-05:00Currently....<p><b>Currently...</b></p><p><b>Eating: </b>NOT SUGAR OR ALCOHOL. Because I had a couple of baby pounds to lose and I wanted to be back to pre-baby weight by the nine month mark. Makes sense, right? Nine months to gain it, nine months to lose it! I tried a rather drastic fast last month and it was a disaster. I kept bonking on my long runs and workouts. So instead I just cut out my empty calories - sugar (I have a terrible sweet tooth) and alcohol ('bye, wine! Boo hoo!). This isn't long term, just to get back to normal weight. I was about ten pounds overweight this summer, and fasting took off five measly pounds; since then I have lost three or four more, so I am doing well. But I think the weight includes more fat and less muscle than pre-baby, which my total lack of strength work supports.</p><p><b>Cooking: </b>I've been on a sushi bowl kick lately. I start with a bowl of rice and top it with avocados, asparagus, cucumbers, sesame seeds, and barely-seared salmon (or tuna, when the grocery store has a fresh catch). The night before I prep the vegetables and marinate the salmon in soy sauce, then make a siracha-mayonnaise sauce. We usually also add some more soy sauce on top. The crowning touch is these fun "seaweed snack" garnishes - they're the same as the seaweed wraps used for sushi, but sold in convenient bite-sized sheets. It's a fast, easy meal and tastes like a sushi roll! Normally I get my sushi raw, but since I don't buy sashimi-grade fish, a quick searing makes me feel like I'm slightly less likely to end up with a liver fluke. </p><p><b>Reading:</b> I just finished Into Thin Air by John Krakaur and I loved this documentation of his harrowing climb up Everest. This book is the subject of some controversy, as another climber disputes his version of events in his book, The Climb. I intend to read that next to get the full picture! I just requested it by interlibrary loan today.</p><p><b>Strengthening: </b>My ankles and feet. I have had terrible tendon and ligament problems since pregnancy, and now I wake up very stiff and arthritic. I have to hobble out of bed. I've been trying to do some strength and mobility work to help with that. I actually wonder if I truly have arthritis, since morning stiffness is such a tell-tale sign. My feet have always been problematic, so it wouldn't surprise me if I had early osteoarthritis. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrF_jTo5us25xR3fT31HwR4nAGN7IYftNVZx6Pm-eGZ8HIbluB1XPXxhGQpFqs8qviq2xSgb649UmK8UA-DKWgASkzYlTsljABvpysPUtLjbOohQEFzNd_N7lkNwllpy0iHR6zCqqxZ14/s4032/IMG_9913.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrF_jTo5us25xR3fT31HwR4nAGN7IYftNVZx6Pm-eGZ8HIbluB1XPXxhGQpFqs8qviq2xSgb649UmK8UA-DKWgASkzYlTsljABvpysPUtLjbOohQEFzNd_N7lkNwllpy0iHR6zCqqxZ14/s320/IMG_9913.HEIC" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ankle tendinitis :(<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p><b>Liking:</b> It's McIntosh apple season, and I'm eating at least three a day. I love me some McIntosh!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Bg6hqeukIgcUqj9_mn6IlKzwDdnOMeDEdTZbV__Ar2uWA2NnctfFOX0zpYQr6I71IINUNrMYXrbeEqoCcvA3OeYaSdRwpz2Xm_x4RLLMPHcjCfV9BUndjq9DrImHEjMk5vCwn4kP5So/s4032/IMG_9927.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Bg6hqeukIgcUqj9_mn6IlKzwDdnOMeDEdTZbV__Ar2uWA2NnctfFOX0zpYQr6I71IINUNrMYXrbeEqoCcvA3OeYaSdRwpz2Xm_x4RLLMPHcjCfV9BUndjq9DrImHEjMk5vCwn4kP5So/s320/IMG_9927.HEIC" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><b>Not liking: </b>This hurricane season has seriously annoyed me. We have been in the "cone of uncertainty" for SIX major storms, wreaking havoc on work, weather, and plans. Every time daycare closes we have to scramble for childcare! Luckily, they have all shifted and spared us, but I can't believe we're on Delta already. What a busy storm year this was! </p><p><b>Planning: </b>Audubon baby's Halloween costume that he can wear *nowhere*. And I haven't gotten very far, honestly! I'm very uninspired this year! </p><p><b>Wondering:</b> What to do about my health. I saw an interventional radiology specialist about my uterine mass (still hanging out there!). The plan was to embolize the arteries feeding it, and thus allow it to die back by eliminating blood flow. He did an MRI and I am not a candidate for that treatment. His advice is that I may not even be able to safely have a myomectomy due to size of the mass - it is submucosal (in the muscle) and takes up nearly the entire uterus. He recommended complete hysterectomy but perhaps do the embolization procedure about three days prior to reduce the risk of hemorrhage during surgery. The mass is very well perfused and the concern has always been too much blood flow for a safe surgery. </p><p>I have done nothing since then - no follow ups, no decisions. I just don't want to have a hysterectomy! And I also don't want the symptoms I am having! Argh, no good answer to this one! </p><p><b>Since I enjoyed Into Thin Air so much, any recommendations for similar true adventure stories? Any ideas for easy baby costumes for lazy parents?</b></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Graciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641028266038110278noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457833116563861494.post-2755898704068503322020-10-06T12:30:00.001-05:002020-10-06T12:30:07.808-05:00Franklin, TN: day five, home again!<p>Day five</p><p>On our final day, we ran on the jogging path by the hotel instead of going to a park. It was a wide, smooth, riparian path, and there were migrating Canadian geese all around. The weather was cool (mid-60s) and I could have run all day, but we had to get going so I called it at five. The baby got his nap in while we packed up, then when he awoke we headed to The Factory. It’s an old stove factory that now houses shops and eateries (basically a hipster mall, except it also has event venues and office and studio space). <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdEVtDqnv9ojA0sfqnSv3N6Dq3wstaVWuWlVMT976CxChB1cloKQNGbTj8kDTX_geE0agip-xqXYLIpk8Cti-qVSlFa28qCBfq1ddpB8Oi5i1eACylB2Qq0kNnA7-xFgeeM3YF5_XD0G4/s1035/IMG_9900.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1035" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdEVtDqnv9ojA0sfqnSv3N6Dq3wstaVWuWlVMT976CxChB1cloKQNGbTj8kDTX_geE0agip-xqXYLIpk8Cti-qVSlFa28qCBfq1ddpB8Oi5i1eACylB2Qq0kNnA7-xFgeeM3YF5_XD0G4/s320/IMG_9900.PNG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Factory<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />This was a really cool place, very smart and attractive use of the space. For example, one large hall was all adjustable size booths you could rent for short term shops or show rooms. We bought an ornament for our travel collection, and then wandered into a nearby store...</p><p>WHERE OUR LIVES CHANGED FOREVER. I saw this soft, floppy stuffed goat and mindlessly brought Audubon Baby over to feel it. He loves soft, plush things, so I knew he'd like to touch this. Ha. He immediately fell in love and I, sucker that I am, immediately bought it for him. He was so cute with this toy - shining eyes, huge smile, expectantly clapping his hands while the clerk rang us up. And since then they have been inseparable. We named the goat "Franklin" after the town he was bought in, and Audubon Baby thinks he's a dog and calls for him: "Dah! Dah!" if he can't find him. He drags him everywhere, and this little toy is saving us from an early walker...Audubon Baby is absolutely ready to walk, but it's hard to hold onto things and pull yourself up while holding a slippery, plush toy in one hand, so Franklin is sort of delaying his development. Ha ha!</p><p>After adopting Franklin into the family, we had a donut from Five Daughters Bakery, and honestly that just about changed my life forever, too. I mean... donuts should not be that good. I don't even like donuts and this was one of the best things I ever ate. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRkEfP-J1TOkVlWUVEsrzzmVpvJ63GFnFPcYc4sQTqiHufNiqRdQqcTiRorhG5FCjOLy4JY7HUJbwGL7BGFkdgACe5tDHImjLVjBQDxAZga2AUz52Bf-jQEY01AEL3LXr5H9DaU41-2ms/s2048/centennial.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRkEfP-J1TOkVlWUVEsrzzmVpvJ63GFnFPcYc4sQTqiHufNiqRdQqcTiRorhG5FCjOLy4JY7HUJbwGL7BGFkdgACe5tDHImjLVjBQDxAZga2AUz52Bf-jQEY01AEL3LXr5H9DaU41-2ms/s320/centennial.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He thinks he can walk (he's 8 months old and nope, he can't).<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>We next headed to Centennial Park in Nashville, a lovely park with a to-scale model of the parthenon! We spent a while outside on the pretty grounds, then explored the Parthenon building and museum. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9EkgbSXvpLbISIw1YiYpNB621uHsCjyGXJkHmqXQXIVrMLmk-WDVoI7URjo_AyTpeSh5u2Is5vCdq34YccUPx_Zg9tHrtOrFZE1Q6ZX1Cb6lEwOp3gRK_yBuVdiOMZCOk_I7UVskicpA/s2048/parthenon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9EkgbSXvpLbISIw1YiYpNB621uHsCjyGXJkHmqXQXIVrMLmk-WDVoI7URjo_AyTpeSh5u2Is5vCdq34YccUPx_Zg9tHrtOrFZE1Q6ZX1Cb6lEwOp3gRK_yBuVdiOMZCOk_I7UVskicpA/w400-h266/parthenon.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh43j-Lh9yMrm6cYT1fSzRza7LBZMA0RyOrZRF_Wo82Az2ln5UvXlh8_8OvuZztKhsX808MZw5b-rgALAGvFsJvtTDfr2QLQkqz5GoGkExP-ZuqTfK4_b05asC3dxUjWpCQcEYmKfb4zRY/s2048/goddess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh43j-Lh9yMrm6cYT1fSzRza7LBZMA0RyOrZRF_Wo82Az2ln5UvXlh8_8OvuZztKhsX808MZw5b-rgALAGvFsJvtTDfr2QLQkqz5GoGkExP-ZuqTfK4_b05asC3dxUjWpCQcEYmKfb4zRY/w266-h400/goddess.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giant statue of the goddess Athena</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Before we left for the airport, I sat by the water to feed the baby, and David and I had some chips. We had eaten some dinner leftovers before leaving the hotel and didn't really want lunch, so we just made do. We ended up being in the airport longer than we planned on - I just can't get used to how quiet everything is with COVID. Rental car drop off took five minutes; ticketing took 15 (in person ticketing with a baby SUCKS, it's a requirement for a free lap child, though!), and we were through security in ten.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxJH78aKmsCum1BjL7TrgouqSF-i_vBPlxWtHuNai1CP_NzvrzQG3y4sO0k5DfRM0W2aXRTfeYSxUVexBTGbA4A1PyOKrOk-SGjzD-HaGSSyFFobs8neMFeORGEGnEkf30xGyJ1IwJScY/s1057/IMG_9899.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1057" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxJH78aKmsCum1BjL7TrgouqSF-i_vBPlxWtHuNai1CP_NzvrzQG3y4sO0k5DfRM0W2aXRTfeYSxUVexBTGbA4A1PyOKrOk-SGjzD-HaGSSyFFobs8neMFeORGEGnEkf30xGyJ1IwJScY/s320/IMG_9899.PNG" /></a></div><br /> I killed time hanging in the nursing lounge: the baby could roam safely, and if anyone else came in we'd just pack up and leave. <p></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBrBnXIg2PRzNhyphenhyphenjRiVIm9plwqTmIJf2BvKJLJaNlGYCQ_ACYsJFQzNpz9WHxSWx2EScTDfdyM4iXcQK9MXWQGUaabWMnL3bV8W_prLYUQI_dr-zTOFfU4hjNT8eu0CCNeFZ3FDv-UwQo/s799/IMG_9901.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="548" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBrBnXIg2PRzNhyphenhyphenjRiVIm9plwqTmIJf2BvKJLJaNlGYCQ_ACYsJFQzNpz9WHxSWx2EScTDfdyM4iXcQK9MXWQGUaabWMnL3bV8W_prLYUQI_dr-zTOFfU4hjNT8eu0CCNeFZ3FDv-UwQo/s320/IMG_9901.PNG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's Franklin in his lap! </td></tr></tbody></table><br />The flight home was uneventful. The baby laughed and snuggled with his Franklin and the airline attendant gave him a pair of wings! She said it was for his first flight, but really it was his third flight since we dragged that baby to Dallas at six weeks for a business trip (yes, we're crazy). We took the wings anyway! And thus concluded a short, laid-back vacation in the COVID era: not what we envisioned, but still a blessed break from the daily routine. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Graciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641028266038110278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457833116563861494.post-69768358615653469612020-10-05T08:30:00.003-05:002020-10-05T19:21:28.264-05:00Franklin, TN: day four, hiking<p>Day four</p><p>Day four was our hiking day, so we skipped our morning run figuring we would get enough exercise anyway. Our original plan was to do a longer hike in the morning, a picnic lunch, and then a short hike in the afternoon. We ended up just doing one hike, because I wore sandals and got a blister! I was rushed in the Target on Monday trying to quickly grab appropriate shoes, and I bought two pairs just in case one didn’t work out. Well, one worked out great, but the other one that I wore to hike in ended up giving me blisters. Some might say perhaps don't hike in sandals?! </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUoKewWl14bS1vRzaS3GO6as9DaXAQEmJjtejPL2JkkD2B8djM7VpCFpfWla2M1D-I18UcOrEsbjG8VOOgdIqp1BXqipiRSfkrr0ushpa9OTWl4gYiZPrz3DUB6G8ze9EhyFUgriliM_s/s2048/hike1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUoKewWl14bS1vRzaS3GO6as9DaXAQEmJjtejPL2JkkD2B8djM7VpCFpfWla2M1D-I18UcOrEsbjG8VOOgdIqp1BXqipiRSfkrr0ushpa9OTWl4gYiZPrz3DUB6G8ze9EhyFUgriliM_s/s320/hike1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNemSTd-5QaU0i1DrvRdowI8l_rCxIBz6HLqVtzygfMlG4LA2cbs495OsbCJjcbbvqxFkuHZPNLi9rqfYY24JGFw38v5Ie8w7n5CwQSrhW7ph6HynJ46pFXn_5SKyYnrW39LD2EPrckU/s2048/hike2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNemSTd-5QaU0i1DrvRdowI8l_rCxIBz6HLqVtzygfMlG4LA2cbs495OsbCJjcbbvqxFkuHZPNLi9rqfYY24JGFw38v5Ie8w7n5CwQSrhW7ph6HynJ46pFXn_5SKyYnrW39LD2EPrckU/s320/hike2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />We let the baby take his morning nap while we drove to the trail. We parked at Percy Wagner Park and did the Moss Ridge Trail. It’s about 5 miles, and quite easy. I mean, I did it in flip flops with a baby in a carrier, it can’t be that hard. However, it did take a little longer than I expected, because I had to stop to feed the baby and change his diaper. I figured maybe two hours, and I think it took us an additional 15 minutes. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_pPczX1FTllm6X8kW73TYdqh_t9Km8wcLwXkxbkh5ll_-8jRvXISR39dkxweB9u_FySoxYuY7tp8q0CdZRfMgzLVOkn-OIQK-KhGK3OYLmHcFrzOdE6JXg-rL8Vax86yp13P4KOYf_IA/s2048/hike.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_pPczX1FTllm6X8kW73TYdqh_t9Km8wcLwXkxbkh5ll_-8jRvXISR39dkxweB9u_FySoxYuY7tp8q0CdZRfMgzLVOkn-OIQK-KhGK3OYLmHcFrzOdE6JXg-rL8Vax86yp13P4KOYf_IA/s320/hike.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feeding the baby in the woods<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>It's a very low-barrier place to hike. You can just show up and do a hike: the trails are wide and well-marked, with absolutely no way to get lost, and there are trails of several distances. </p><p>Plus, there are bathrooms and pavilions at the trailhead. I'd packed sandwiches and chips, and we ate lunch there, then played with the baby in the grass for a while. He’d been in the carrier for a long time, so he needed some exercise! We decided to head back to the hotel and play in the pool again, since he’d had so much fun there the other day. The pool had a 6” deep area that he could crawl in and he loved it. And we didn't hate relaxing by the pool, either. Then we went to happy hour for margaritas at a Mexican restaurant. We had nice seats outside in beautiful weather, so we ended up staying for dinner there and scrapping our original dinner plans. The baby was a huge hit - he is incredibly social and smiley and was making friends left and right. And the waitstaff were impressed by the way he plowed through his enchilada! We watched the football game later that night once the baby was asleep. I never thought I’d say a Cincinnati vs. Cleveland game was exciting, but it was a good game!</p>Graciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641028266038110278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457833116563861494.post-77192883249729517882020-10-03T15:28:00.001-05:002020-10-03T15:28:52.071-05:00Franklin, TN: day 3, grumpy baby day<p>Day 3. We debated our plans for Wednesday, because initially we had planned a hike on Thursday and rain was forecast for Thursday. So we thought maybe we would hike on Wednesday. However, the weather cleared, so we stuck to our original agenda. </p><p>We spent the morning exploring another cute park with a running trail. Not only did we get our runs in and another picnic breakfast, but the playgrounds were wide open, something that is not the case at home, and the baby got to go on a swing for the first time! The rest of the morning was consumed by his nap, and then we drove to Leiper's Fork for a distillery tour. It was an absolute disaster. Overall, we did really well fitting a lot of activities into this trip even though it was a very short visit, we had to drive pretty far to everything, and we had a baby with us. But this wasn’t a good idea. It was far away from our hotel, and the baby started to have a car meltdown. He doesn’t particularly love the car, but because New Orleans is so small he never has to sit in his seat for too long. He especially did not like it on this trip, because we did not think to bring a car mirror so he could see him and he could see us. Turns out that he really likes that! So the ride there was about 50% baby crying. That sucked. And then the distillery “tour“ was a small group in a very small room looking at a still while a folksy guy in overalls made dad jokes. And actually, I was appalled by the tasting. After the tour, we went to a very small tasting room. It was completely closed off, so no ventilation. There were 12 people in the room, and we were seated elbow to elbow. And then we had a flight of whiskeys and the guide instructed us to swish the whisk in the mouth, swallow, and then breathe out heavily three times. And we were in there for about 25 minutes. Like... seriously the highest possible Covid risk activity. I knew that in this area masks were not mandatory unless you were in a restaurant, but I obviously did not do my research very well. There is no way I would’ve taken that risk. We aren’t being hyper-vigilant about COVID19 (for example, we go to church, we are doing small group outdoor social activities, and I have gone to work every single day as an essential employee) but come on. There’s no reason to actively pursue activities known to spread the disease! So that was a fail. After the tour and tasting, we got lunch in the little town, and then drove to the Natchez Trace Parkway. Mostly we wanted to see this bridge! </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3-So0MpX-IYY_49N2Wht57qM76eNeN1N27H6eTG_d-9lKiG-VdLeYkO0vkYRUB3E3VXHDF_KlIyaj1Mmcvy7bBu6UiirWzjGJg-jKNevERr486SEonsG-IvXm2xobIwGy0Gyi5ijffhE/s2048/bridge2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3-So0MpX-IYY_49N2Wht57qM76eNeN1N27H6eTG_d-9lKiG-VdLeYkO0vkYRUB3E3VXHDF_KlIyaj1Mmcvy7bBu6UiirWzjGJg-jKNevERr486SEonsG-IvXm2xobIwGy0Gyi5ijffhE/s320/bridge2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJx9eF2UJ-w1hJ65lGSOtvA9958EJwSymDVi9biIlzapaxu4DK_Lm0fJiUVglBb3SoUK96t7p2uubKgxqFQZq26q-dkc_-dMapAEdEyw7TIN_GJLkj6Z8GhUT6m-cHweArSslW5Jm543E/s2048/bridge3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJx9eF2UJ-w1hJ65lGSOtvA9958EJwSymDVi9biIlzapaxu4DK_Lm0fJiUVglBb3SoUK96t7p2uubKgxqFQZq26q-dkc_-dMapAEdEyw7TIN_GJLkj6Z8GhUT6m-cHweArSslW5Jm543E/s320/bridge3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwO6wEAflL0bfyKF1whr1RG-8ACAaKG9T37s1SWxd48JweU1io28UsOK-pZ1CEHKlnlgIPtC8vWTyoeqEoQTYQZCYjCCc0RCVYCDK3vAZ0cGevAJAtFTCbbp99hAWJi5LOr6eNyIllUuo/s2048/bridge4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwO6wEAflL0bfyKF1whr1RG-8ACAaKG9T37s1SWxd48JweU1io28UsOK-pZ1CEHKlnlgIPtC8vWTyoeqEoQTYQZCYjCCc0RCVYCDK3vAZ0cGevAJAtFTCbbp99hAWJi5LOr6eNyIllUuo/s320/bridge4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQlw7Tvm-hCC4ZQlQB4XTjeKpguzEu7LfQ0e44kxt-2OLnYQuJfV4eYLtkKZTZF9du2-jXu5S82qgr4gBDhwr75XMxr0iXi1wyLVV7A82tNBpsUtCVQKAegN4awJzMDEUaEWEzpXiPU5M/s2048/bridge5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQlw7Tvm-hCC4ZQlQB4XTjeKpguzEu7LfQ0e44kxt-2OLnYQuJfV4eYLtkKZTZF9du2-jXu5S82qgr4gBDhwr75XMxr0iXi1wyLVV7A82tNBpsUtCVQKAegN4awJzMDEUaEWEzpXiPU5M/s320/bridge5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg30YpwChsozDv_S_0CHaCrbAbUxhABEtrGcmUHkr7Rb_e2qTzWTQ0snJZ3NdVQ5z0bWiCe3oPgE5wSc6Z0gwbi37tzyOhm1kImnHdCL817JyVK1vPhDoW0JBuLSV94uOXKrkSlFsAwkNs/s2048/bridge.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg30YpwChsozDv_S_0CHaCrbAbUxhABEtrGcmUHkr7Rb_e2qTzWTQ0snJZ3NdVQ5z0bWiCe3oPgE5wSc6Z0gwbi37tzyOhm1kImnHdCL817JyVK1vPhDoW0JBuLSV94uOXKrkSlFsAwkNs/s320/bridge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />And it is terrifying. Apparently it is a site of many suicides and suicide attempts, and I think the reason for that is that the railing is about waist height! Neither David nor I are particularly fond of heights, so it was a little nerve-wracking! We had given the baby a little car nap, but it was super short since he woke up when we stopped at the bridge. So he was kind of in a mood. This whole day was not really very baby friendly. And I have no problem with that, babies have to learn that they are not the center of attention all the time, but he was a little tired and cranky by the end of the day! So after some fun time in the hotel pool, he went to bed early and David and I sat quietly in the room trying to eat Thai food without making noise. I finally got some reading done since it occurred to me that I could read on my Kindle app, even though it’s not my favorite way to read (I don’t like reading on lit screens. I prefer books, but nothing beats a Kindle for travel!)<p></p>Graciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641028266038110278noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457833116563861494.post-34216455818833771082020-10-02T11:33:00.001-05:002020-10-02T11:33:45.433-05:00Franklin, TN: day 2 (my birthday!)<p><b>Day 2. </b>The next morning, we grabbed our very pathetic hotel to-go breakfasts (THANKS, COVID) and headed to Winstead Hill Park, site of a Civil War battle and home to a decent 0.75 mile running path. David and I swapped out baby watching and running, followed by a picnic breakfast and a quick exploration of the park. I was bowled over by the monuments erected by the Daughters of the Confederacy, which stated things like, “...willing to die for a cause they knew was right...” Yeah, not so much, Daughters. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRi0VZT65st6EdZnxbc1-WhblFBETcQqy93vzgywxxGAi3Ss9K_REE2pXi7HB9jJon9gUsbJWAlNE52ld-ITto9cpk3pEQt33sL2n1nxNMS3h-Qp5doLv34vvzZJxivAmOVc4sYRUdjGI/s2048/franklin1.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRi0VZT65st6EdZnxbc1-WhblFBETcQqy93vzgywxxGAi3Ss9K_REE2pXi7HB9jJon9gUsbJWAlNE52ld-ITto9cpk3pEQt33sL2n1nxNMS3h-Qp5doLv34vvzZJxivAmOVc4sYRUdjGI/s320/franklin1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from Winstead Hill<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKy0xSgTIfv3XtXDiiIkUJfPqomsUMxDmWlb5mTKmY-WjvkFem2tXjnIpfEnB2a7XE1JdHb_ZfYXNWD7DRsArP4Xe-RNw9exVOwdvs77G5SfOd8jsAg8JB95rpRHi1KyO9j53S5EsMJ0/s2048/franklin.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKy0xSgTIfv3XtXDiiIkUJfPqomsUMxDmWlb5mTKmY-WjvkFem2tXjnIpfEnB2a7XE1JdHb_ZfYXNWD7DRsArP4Xe-RNw9exVOwdvs77G5SfOd8jsAg8JB95rpRHi1KyO9j53S5EsMJ0/s320/franklin.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Running in Winstead Hill Park<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Before heading back to give the baby a nap, we swung by Target so David could get coffee from the Starbucks inside (all the local coffee we tried was very weak and honestly terrible) and I could buy shoes. As is my wont, I broke a pair of shoes the very first day, while still in the airport, and ended up replacing them with what turned out to be very comfy sandals, so no big deal after all. I have a tendency to break shoes while on trips and dates and it’s most awkward.</p><p>We once again sat silently in the hotel room before heading out to the next adventure, a visit to Arrington Vineyards. We ate the leftover pizza before we left, but I packed macaroni leftovers for the baby to eat for lunch. The vineyards were really nice. It was pleasant weather, and the grounds had picnic tables all over, so we could sit in the shade or sun as we wished. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwbp7iHJhgzJXcFVOPd14UP_8O-WJT2BTGjMtsz-vUb7kvDBF-3oCvKMyn7AWGA87cEa2O2NZnHHjNoS_veJYE4yNenQBNMO-URwR2JtLlkT4icdfYibyGua1Duw0bS3OHuScRXadO6Y/s2048/franklin2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwbp7iHJhgzJXcFVOPd14UP_8O-WJT2BTGjMtsz-vUb7kvDBF-3oCvKMyn7AWGA87cEa2O2NZnHHjNoS_veJYE4yNenQBNMO-URwR2JtLlkT4icdfYibyGua1Duw0bS3OHuScRXadO6Y/s320/franklin2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Vineyards</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>We started out with the red wine tasting flight, then elected to go with a bottle of rose, since it was somewhat warm. I had some baby toys, but we couldn’t really put the baby down to roam. The ground was too rough and dirty, with all the grass trampled near the picnic tables. One thing I didn’t bring was a picnic blanket - one of those baby surfaces that is waterproof but washable and has weighted corners to stay down. Not that Mr. Active would have stayed on it, but it would have helped a little! The rose was chilled and the baby mostly chill, so it was fun. In the afternoon, we headed into historic Franklin to look around. This cute area dates to the 1790s, and is a walkable few street with restaurants and boutiques. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmDU6GHEYNRUL_oMsqsPp2vrE0xuPWvMdlYXAsEcD79FPOw8isvT-GR6DrvI6JIQM9shpajs5rmwZ0KMdKrBztBiEvgCM_fD54wNCg1aN85ajKIBop0EKPK9cxWmEVLlnzyRb45ixtk4/s2048/franklin4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmDU6GHEYNRUL_oMsqsPp2vrE0xuPWvMdlYXAsEcD79FPOw8isvT-GR6DrvI6JIQM9shpajs5rmwZ0KMdKrBztBiEvgCM_fD54wNCg1aN85ajKIBop0EKPK9cxWmEVLlnzyRb45ixtk4/s320/franklin4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>We did some browsing and shopping and then hit up a happy hour at an Irish Pub. But we didn’t see anything we really liked on the menu, so we decided to get an appetizer that the baby could eat, and then go to another restaurant. I picked the Reuben baked potato, and ... it was a disaster. It didn’t sit well in the baby’s stomach, so we spent the entire evening cleaning up corned beef puke. It was so bad that I threw my shirt out when we got to the hotel! But anyway. We found a smooth grassy area for the baby to puke and play for a bit, then tentatively ventured to a restaurant for dinner. Luckily the puking was done, and we enjoyed a nice dinner sitting outside in beautiful weather. I actually got the baby more food, assuming he was hungry after all that barfing, which turned out to be the case. I had mahi mahi tacos and they were quite good! We got some quality crap TV time in that evening - huddled over the ipad, each wearing one earbud. We started watching some of “Selling the Big Easy", since it is a reality TV show about houses on the market in New Orleans. We started watching it because our neighbors were on that show (and by the way, it’s all fake. Their house was never on the market at all, they just wanted the work done to it that was part of the series). I don’t think the pricing on that show is accurate, however. I think they adjust the pricing depending on the market. So since New Orleans prices are so high, they reduce them to reflect their nationwide audiences market prices. There were some homes for sale with prices obviously below market asking prices: usually in the $20-$30k below range. But it was still a fun show to watch, especially seeing streets and neighborhoods nearby!</p>Graciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641028266038110278noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457833116563861494.post-14234182929485395102020-09-30T22:08:00.001-05:002020-09-30T22:08:31.432-05:00Vacation to Franklin, TN: Day oneYeah, no international travel this year for us...it's kind of sad to think that our 2019 trip to Italy might be the last international roaming we do for a while. But David and I both had use-or-lose time, so we decided to take a short trip to Nashville. Did we think it was safe? Nope. We were taking a risk. The Nashville area doesn't have a lot of COVID cases, but airplanes are straight up germ tubes. We decided to go anyway, even though that had implications in other areas of our life - for example, we won't be visiting David's family for two weeks, since his dad has high risk health conditions. We decided on Nashville because flights there were practically free - and then we actually ended up staying in Franklin, TN, instead. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgwAT_bzNNKEKg-46Bdv0aUcs3GjXhz0-XGIAfSWCjP70jHmgEJ3zWknMEAHdDLYpKPoyY6bmxnPGOrkqMzbr0QKnH1ifZYPFdWsjrykkB38NRx86HJ7pRs7wRBrzQehwSuXJfqRJ4vqc/s2048/nashville1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgwAT_bzNNKEKg-46Bdv0aUcs3GjXhz0-XGIAfSWCjP70jHmgEJ3zWknMEAHdDLYpKPoyY6bmxnPGOrkqMzbr0QKnH1ifZYPFdWsjrykkB38NRx86HJ7pRs7wRBrzQehwSuXJfqRJ4vqc/s320/nashville1.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">World's best little flyer<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">.</div><div><b>Day one</b></div><div><div>We flew into Nashville at about 11 am after an easy direct flight from MSY. David and I are pros at cutting flights really close, but with a baby in tow and reduced flight schedules, we didn’t want to risk missing our flight and having no alternatives. So we left ourselves a nice estimated 15 minute buffer. That was a lot of guesswork, though, since we were flying out of the new MSY terminal we have only flown out of it once before) and since these were COVID times. And of course, we ended up racing to our flight, anyway. We planned to use the old USAPark lot by the old terminal, since we have a non-transferable frequent flyer card there, and the website and many billboards blared, “Airline highway location still open!” Yeah, it was closed. So we had to go all the way to the new lot on Veterans anyway, and we arrived at the airport as our flight was boarding. Luckily we have PreCheck, and luckily (sadly) the airport was pretty deserted. The baby’s nap time hit right in the middle of the flight, but I tucked him in in his car seat and explained that he could take his sleep there. So he did. He’s good like that, and stayed asleep until we were ready to get into our rental car.</div><div><br /></div><div>With a refreshed baby, we hit Nashville and went straight to lunch for a local specialty, the hot chicken sandwich- which was ok. It was really greasy and hard to eat, but I like spicy food, and the side salad was delicious. I ordered the baby a macaroni and cheese side and realized that - now that he is 8 months and a hungry little boy - I would now be ordering for him at restaurants. He eats way too much to share my plate! We walked from the restaurant to the Frist Art Museum. We knew that just a few exhibits were open, but we were ok with that. It ended up being perfect - they checked a stroller out to us to make the visit easier with the baby, and we viewed their two open exhibits. One had a fascinating interactive feature: the words of a letter Ghandi wrote to Hitler imploring peace scrolled past from a huge projector. But actually, the “screen” was a sheet of water vapor called a fog wall. You could walk right through it. It was very impressive. </div><div><br /></div><div>After that, we explored downtown Nashville’s music row and waterfront, stopping for homemade ice cream (which was gross, but there is no bad ice cream). Before leaving, I insisted we go to a Honkey Tonk - I mean, when in Rome! Plus, when was the last time we heard live music?! We sat at a table and had a beer and the baby danced and clapped to the music, which totally enthralled the band, who probably hadn’t had such an enthusiastic audience in a while! This baby loves ballads and Latino pop (I don’t know where he gets his taste from, he’s weird, we use to laugh because when I was pregnant he would kick up a storm when he heard Pitbull's "Fireball") and thoroughly enjoyed himself. We finally headed to the car and he got a car nap in right on the brink of meltdown- success!</div></div><div>We stayed in Franklin since we had planned a relaxed, countryside trip, but the drawback was that everything required lots of driving. The other giant drawback was the the suite David booked wasn’t actually two rooms - it was just one big one with a kitchen/office area. That defeated the purpose - we needed the extra room to put the baby in to sleep. So that night, after pizza takeout, we set up an Alexa with white noise, pulled his crib into the tiny entryway, and sat in near total darkness for two hours before going to bed. Slight fail. Our baby is a good sleeper, but at night he likes it to be dark. The configuration had the TV within his view, so we couldn’t watch TV, and I couldn’t even turn on my bedside light until he was soundly asleep because it also flooded the room with light (as a consequence I read much less than I expected on this trip, and watched more sports on the iPad instead!).</div></div>Graciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641028266038110278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457833116563861494.post-76458419240207259752020-09-21T13:32:00.000-05:002020-09-21T13:32:05.029-05:00TSP DIY: FINISH! <p> In the early Sunday morning hours, I was really starting to struggle. I had a good break from running, but my stomach was causing problems. Everything I ate or drank went right through me. On a hunch I took a salt tablet - I had been religious with the Gatorade, but if I feel bad when I'm running in the Louisiana summer, I always turn to salt first. It helped a lot, but I couldn't eat any real food. I had coffee and skittles (never want to see another skittle again, by the way), then switched to a coke-and-Gatorade diet for the rest of the race. I also took two more salt tablets. Racing hard in upper 90's weather means dramatic sodium loss; even my Gatorade and salt tablet routine probably wasn't enough. At one point Kenny confessed he felt dizzy and I suggested a salt tablet. He took two, and felt like a new person in minutes. His response reminded me to keep eating salt! </p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg01wpiviCOobpir5Y-LUFgl8IM1OyE5Bp7SqM8XrHBaXbdHmD5z2ylerNt9ok0CvgnBPTkitMWDIA7ZjyxnFkML93QP47QbWs44bHHHUPugAkcDDNi6eyIkW3uw_c-vb8OkIAjOUWHolI/s4032/IMG_9460.HEIC" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg01wpiviCOobpir5Y-LUFgl8IM1OyE5Bp7SqM8XrHBaXbdHmD5z2ylerNt9ok0CvgnBPTkitMWDIA7ZjyxnFkML93QP47QbWs44bHHHUPugAkcDDNi6eyIkW3uw_c-vb8OkIAjOUWHolI/s320/IMG_9460.HEIC" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Setting up camp under the single shade tree<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />While we set up at the track - the same track where we hold so many workouts - I ran to Starbucks to pick up coffee. It was a bizarre feeling, entering the land of the living for a moment, then diving back into the insanity of the relay. We had divided into two teams, and each team planned to do 9 reps each before trading off to the other team. I was on team two, so by the time I got back with the coffee, team one was already up. My jaw dropped at the easy mid-60s they were dropping off sore and tired legs. The mood was subdued and tired at first, but then our support showed up. Sean with a karaoke set, doing play-by-play; Stephen DJing (he's actually a DJ in real life); high school coaches Drew and Casey handing out encouragement and advice; Wayne and Ivy, who had been there from the get-go. Our mood soared. If there is one thing I learned from this relay, it's how key your support team is. Ours was amazing, and their timeliness and responsiveness took a huge weight off our already burdened shoulders. <p></p><p>Team one wrapped up their repeats in about an hour, and we cheered - their speed had moved us up several places already. Now team two was up - and so was the sun. Whatever, I was ready! We had under five hours to go! I had the pleasure of taking the handoff from Kenny, who calmly and smoothly ran 67 and under for every single lap. I was nervous about what was left in my legs, but I shocked myself with an 82-second first lap. I didn't feel terrible! And for the first set, I stayed right there: 80, 83, 82. We were just cranking out the 400s - cheering, handing off, grinding. Shockingly, no one fell off pace or slowed. We finished our set and we had moved up another couple of places in the standings!</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsiqAbCaMMAFXjWCEJILQnoWBvcE_kf5nLP8bdkIaCDBJORzMNKPG1-qqokN2VgMSyOEJ30N6sKkCqOKYcd_WvDXG8iIiLrtX2ohX1DmkVXb9nKNNB36vJQ4LaOHwI_hSlQrvG7r8GtPk/s751/IMG_9492.PNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="751" data-original-width="746" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsiqAbCaMMAFXjWCEJILQnoWBvcE_kf5nLP8bdkIaCDBJORzMNKPG1-qqokN2VgMSyOEJ30N6sKkCqOKYcd_WvDXG8iIiLrtX2ohX1DmkVXb9nKNNB36vJQ4LaOHwI_hSlQrvG7r8GtPk/s320/IMG_9492.PNG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheering Josh on<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ-nyF1ZoUHtjIAVIRJdzSr_n9w_dJ51jsB3vVCqOG2uXStnL7cKse8YaIeVm8pFn0YgXNMypvd4FnFtP7FZdkDVWYQVHVpTSxulrVNq5hc5REuXYRGsLFyUvCvNU9IWpmcekXVeVHuM0/s4032/IMG_9461.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ-nyF1ZoUHtjIAVIRJdzSr_n9w_dJ51jsB3vVCqOG2uXStnL7cKse8YaIeVm8pFn0YgXNMypvd4FnFtP7FZdkDVWYQVHVpTSxulrVNq5hc5REuXYRGsLFyUvCvNU9IWpmcekXVeVHuM0/s320/IMG_9461.HEIC" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jeff hands off to Josh</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOKIy9MSkuwj7RbU3LxEEOIb3uKUhGjL18ijVtWOENihGzHbx3SmMRAiXQBUlJeBGVtN7cGNXlSDh2WW4pEPSLnj0HsPBg_N32BCELt8AEhlh-PCLkhruUyhTa7t5_RMRe9TCS1KuIRFs/s4032/IMG_9462.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOKIy9MSkuwj7RbU3LxEEOIb3uKUhGjL18ijVtWOENihGzHbx3SmMRAiXQBUlJeBGVtN7cGNXlSDh2WW4pEPSLnj0HsPBg_N32BCELt8AEhlh-PCLkhruUyhTa7t5_RMRe9TCS1KuIRFs/s320/IMG_9462.HEIC" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCfCB93F2ij0h9gX7sthRQv5UPrzTjW3yZnsRDgM-v3Pj8Qo6M3NMZyoKd8CXPemPYu6q7qrkGZ3y9otiM7xGPFJ38L3GZpDLK_kqCa6_QzjwEJkTuIWuVNKMJzPktBo3Feryji0bsqeU/s4032/IMG_9463.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCfCB93F2ij0h9gX7sthRQv5UPrzTjW3yZnsRDgM-v3Pj8Qo6M3NMZyoKd8CXPemPYu6q7qrkGZ3y9otiM7xGPFJ38L3GZpDLK_kqCa6_QzjwEJkTuIWuVNKMJzPktBo3Feryji0bsqeU/s320/IMG_9463.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jonathan handing off to Paul<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxVGc39HtLo5nIrb-n5C693TEIbEvgrh4-h-Y7KcWWprO3wpg-eL4rqjKXnFFWRE_jK8Eta8ynUwq8SwyeaBtLScz0MJvHSjvzS2nNsGF-EdXrc7C8C1ZVFX7FBV8h0bTOoi6iARXai5o/s4903/fullsizeoutput_6622_Original.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3262" data-original-width="4903" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxVGc39HtLo5nIrb-n5C693TEIbEvgrh4-h-Y7KcWWprO3wpg-eL4rqjKXnFFWRE_jK8Eta8ynUwq8SwyeaBtLScz0MJvHSjvzS2nNsGF-EdXrc7C8C1ZVFX7FBV8h0bTOoi6iARXai5o/s320/fullsizeoutput_6622_Original.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me handing off to Jonathan, who appears to have ditched the shirt by now<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Time was winding down, and now the families started to arrive. David and the baby came for a bit, but had to leave for nap time. It didn't matter, anyway. I tried to hold him and had to give him back: I was so weak and tired I thought I would drop him. And I couldn't feed him because I had just pumped, taking advantage of our off time while team one took over again! Poor planning - I didn't know they were planning to come by. Our second set was much like the first: Kenny to me. Me to Jonathan. Jonathan to Paul. Paul to Will. Will to Pou. Repeat. Every time I finished a rep, I'd catch my breath and drink something sugary and try to recover. By the time this set ended, I was starting to limp. My left hamstring has been slowly healing, but my right was now developing a nasty knot and I was afraid it would tear. I honestly thought I might not be able to finish the relay. But I had to - our strategy was working, and we were now in 5th place in our division!<p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijAtxQ9rAI1Pxftmoi3-lg6q_84_l_8Az7v5AGFivCbJ5OjGGgiS7g5CJR5_LfEXRn3R8fn_rqUkQq4xqoORoWUzWqMSok4IcXxVmCR_ItOAnGFIbk6xnTOTQQaY0wKa5ssHmBapw9PqU/s6048/DSC_3926_Original.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4024" data-original-width="6048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijAtxQ9rAI1Pxftmoi3-lg6q_84_l_8Az7v5AGFivCbJ5OjGGgiS7g5CJR5_LfEXRn3R8fn_rqUkQq4xqoORoWUzWqMSok4IcXxVmCR_ItOAnGFIbk6xnTOTQQaY0wKa5ssHmBapw9PqU/s320/DSC_3926_Original.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rich and Kevin<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9BQxJSni7bJG3HhSi5PuOd1J_X0yTed3-ck9xEb8co8SuAu3XgZ6ggyKdtN93rqFgM8NUxA919tCz6hlLZPDrkEswNYYrSUaypjkIvhTb6_8-GnmTHQcWtRGihPZZRiGSz0cO_oCKzNQ/s6048/DSC_3936_Original.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4024" data-original-width="6048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9BQxJSni7bJG3HhSi5PuOd1J_X0yTed3-ck9xEb8co8SuAu3XgZ6ggyKdtN93rqFgM8NUxA919tCz6hlLZPDrkEswNYYrSUaypjkIvhTb6_8-GnmTHQcWtRGihPZZRiGSz0cO_oCKzNQ/s320/DSC_3936_Original.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The team cheering me on!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />When team one took over again. they planned to do just three rounds of 400s and then hand back to us. We would do three each, too, and then the whole team would just go straight through until time was up. I had enough time during my rest for Jessica, Jonathan's girlfriend, to do some manipulation and work through some of the sticky hamstring muscle fibers (she is a PT). I think she saved the rest of the race for me: I was able to complete every one of my 400s. My stride was tightly restricted, and I was really almost limping, but I could finish. <p></p><p>Speaking of finish..."FINISH!" is still ringing in my ears from Sunday. Casey came out to cheer and hollered that at each and every one of us at each and every lap as we rounded the 300m mark! We all joked later that we heard "FINISH!" in our dreams that night. As we entered the final hour, we lined up single file on the track and took turn after turn. We saw some amazing laps in those final minutes: Kenny somehow STILL dropping easy 67s, Will powering through, Jonathan running a 400m PR. Pou heard the times around him and decided it was time to break 70 seconds - and did, on his final lap of the day. I heard him tell Paul that, and I decided it was high time I broke 80. Limping, hamstring pull, total exhaustion - those were excuses. Kenny ticked around the oval, shouted Go, and set me on my way of my very last lap. I ran 79. It was the best I could do - but I was under 80! </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEUiqZ14JIEK5COMzjBXvuf-WQqkt40ZB65XdWeEJXhAD5whyEVLYgYnu6eSaOM1L0UZMarMuce8VvVM7VdC3adKTqpgiakNrVyZQltWLrUrGufBScdgTPpnRS2KBjIlxq0P7rnp8m3vY/s750/IMG_9493.PNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="501" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEUiqZ14JIEK5COMzjBXvuf-WQqkt40ZB65XdWeEJXhAD5whyEVLYgYnu6eSaOM1L0UZMarMuce8VvVM7VdC3adKTqpgiakNrVyZQltWLrUrGufBScdgTPpnRS2KBjIlxq0P7rnp8m3vY/s320/IMG_9493.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FINISH!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />It was down to the final minutes, and we realized that Will would probably have the final lap. As he took over, we knew he'd have 10 or 15 seconds left. We made a split-second decision and told Will - who probably ran the finest that weekend - "Keep going!" Poor Will - he ran nearly a 600m final split as we all counted down. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ptPV-S5n7wwsxqB1Lkbbc1eGm_kPslFpE7WCpsSAhpeUEuDMfM4aBkr0VaOMFlWyOlKLTMiznV0kQDkVHkCu46eqdEH4rbP02jY8Ta_YWz9HvUwZZUdYMm-OuvI7Qep4gpt1-pXdWlw/s750/IMG_9491.PNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ptPV-S5n7wwsxqB1Lkbbc1eGm_kPslFpE7WCpsSAhpeUEuDMfM4aBkr0VaOMFlWyOlKLTMiznV0kQDkVHkCu46eqdEH4rbP02jY8Ta_YWz9HvUwZZUdYMm-OuvI7Qep4gpt1-pXdWlw/s320/IMG_9491.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Done!</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Done. Thirty-one hours and 15 seconds! We were elated but tired. We knew our times exactly thanks to the spreadsheets we maintained, but the TSP leaderboard was a disaster. We ended up not finding out our official place until Wednesday morning: fifth in the freestyle devision, eighth overall, first team from the USA. I am so incredibly proud of us. We completed this in terrible weather, with a bunch of misfit runners, and a lot of dedication. Every single runner performed beyond their expectations, and our team support was outstanding. And I was thrilled with my own running! I was worried I'd let my team down - instead gave them a tiny boost. My average pace was 46 seconds per mile faster than predicted, and even during the night legs I never ran over 6:40. It was a great team effort from everyone, runners, support, spouses, and the like, and I was proud to be a part of it! <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguaxej4xnYHZAFDwqZf7sf7ih52BtbcSTiTFTxGwNoj6MESwx6nTt_WKXz4NMbIjnvu5dT3EEMc1vxFgq13j4uiqnerpKosautkn_JBlOCJwfJclOtHJkrN5Z3yefzDQCGwQVdGAlyWQQ/s746/IMG_9495.PNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="501" data-original-width="746" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguaxej4xnYHZAFDwqZf7sf7ih52BtbcSTiTFTxGwNoj6MESwx6nTt_WKXz4NMbIjnvu5dT3EEMc1vxFgq13j4uiqnerpKosautkn_JBlOCJwfJclOtHJkrN5Z3yefzDQCGwQVdGAlyWQQ/s320/IMG_9495.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back: Jeff, Pou, Rich, Kenny, Paul, Jonathan, me, Josh. <br />Front: Will, Kevin<br />On the ground: Jeremy</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Would I do it again? Actually, YES. You'd expect some hesitation so soon after the race, but I would totally do it again. Next time? Top three, baby.</p>Graciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641028266038110278noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457833116563861494.post-21678568704294667592020-09-19T09:17:00.000-05:002020-09-19T09:17:04.486-05:00TSP DIY: The long, long night at the lake<p> Let me tell ya, I do NOT like running at night. And deep down inside, I didn't like our strategy. Normally, I am all about distance. But after a summer of training for a mile time trial (that I BOMBED), my legs were full of speed. I was feeling the short, fast stuff a lot more than a five mile tempo. Our team plan was to revert to 5-milers at night, with the idea that we would be able to run long in the cool night. The problem was that it just wasn't happening. It wasn't cool. It's never cool in Louisiana in early September. The temperature dipped below 80F for a few minutes, but the humidity stayed sky high. Even the weird windstorm couldn't drive the humidity away. And people felt like crap. I checked our standings as I got ready to try to sleep, and we were falling off. We were 6th in the early evening, but by night, we were 12th. <br /><br /></p><p>I decided to try to nap in my car, so after my last-of-the-night pumping session (and putting bags of milk on ice, as if they would stay cold in this heat), I pushed the seat back and laid down. With the windows down, and the really stupid wind, it felt kind of like a fan. I was definitely tired enough to sleep. But my car was parked on the route, and the runners and cheering support were keeping me awake! I got back up and wandered back to the house. I'm glad I did: I overheard others talking quietly and realized that they'd been cutting their runs to four miles. The wind had died down a bit, but it was still bad, and no one felt good. The bike support crew had identified an alternate route that avoided some of the worst wind, but it was not quite five miles. I checked the spreadsheet, updated my alarm, and tried to sleep on a bench on the porch. I think I dozed for a bit, but I was ready to run far before the next runner finished. I joined Jimi, our coach, up on the seawall. He was bike support and he told me that the wind was a lot better. Ha! As we waited for Josh, the wind inexplicably picked back up to about 20 mph. I couldn't believe it. Another run into the wind! Because of the seawall separating the below-sea-level neighborhoods from Lake Ponchartrain, we had decided that runners would start at the top of the sea wall and finish at the base, rather than anyone running up the steep hill. So when Josh came down the home stretch, his biker shouted, "Go!" up the hill. I hit start on my Garmin, tucked my head, and pushed into the wind. Man. It was harder the second time. And even when, two miles later, we finally turned off the lakefront, I didn't feel good. My dinner sat obnoxiously in my stomach, and it was dark. Jimi was a great biker - he kept my route as lit as he could, gave me directions, and kept encouraging me. A bad side cramp hit before mile four, and my last mile was slow and painful. I crept back up the street and handed off to Jonathan at the 4.74 mile mark at 6:37 pace. Eek. Getting slower wasn't part of the plan! But I had no time to sulk: my plan was GET SOME SLEEP before my 5:40 leg. </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWHaiSMOQGrkFHEd8Lc3yIXJ1uZ_dsDFpbgDuxecnFdydUnd3VgeqqOC7egECmscBRy9OmWape4J5DKtrirIIY5V8t2AxEFEc1AUoN7XTDqG2m18XRy4-KoT-ROqIc3gQxCQBB1CV2Uo/s750/IMG_9482.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="477" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWHaiSMOQGrkFHEd8Lc3yIXJ1uZ_dsDFpbgDuxecnFdydUnd3VgeqqOC7egECmscBRy9OmWape4J5DKtrirIIY5V8t2AxEFEc1AUoN7XTDqG2m18XRy4-KoT-ROqIc3gQxCQBB1CV2Uo/s320/IMG_9482.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The front lawn crew<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />There was a small group of runners and support people sitting on the front lawn as I walked back to the house. I lamented my difficulty as I talked to them and discovered that everyone was likewise suffering. But I got a huge boost when I reported my pace and was met with incredulity: "I don't think I could run that pace right now!" said Will, and he is approximately 90 times faster than I am. I was somewhat mollified by that. </p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfy9PLLsAAnjhQLDNTYX9FH4s1e4oWsLEPRCQGqR679utHXnPsYd-3Yk32d0z-PGxv0rAgGNjf9MiWy1Kc3QhicaJiiaVXbT6ZzVunXZoHcaiEt9hFzhtHCPGPxJWJsd07JjwNioAatlM/s3088/IMG_9453.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfy9PLLsAAnjhQLDNTYX9FH4s1e4oWsLEPRCQGqR679utHXnPsYd-3Yk32d0z-PGxv0rAgGNjf9MiWy1Kc3QhicaJiiaVXbT6ZzVunXZoHcaiEt9hFzhtHCPGPxJWJsd07JjwNioAatlM/s320/IMG_9453.HEIC" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Showers mid-relay? Heck yes! <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />I hopped in the shower in his parents' cute little pool house, threw my pajamas on, and saw Wayne's scrawny, sleepy body on the bench I'd planned to sleep on. I stuck my head into the house and glory be! For one thing, there was A/C. For another thing, there was a beautiful sight: an air mattress on the living room floor. I tossed my blanket and pillow onto the mattress and tried to sleep. </p><p>I think I did get about two hours of sleep in. It wasn't glamorous. I found out later that the air mattress had materialized at the house because Will's uncle had brought it over to throw it in the pool to try to find a leak in it. He never did find it, but I did! About ten minutes into my nap, my butt was touching the floor. I should've known that an unoccupied air mattress was too good to be true. My dozing was cut short when Paul stuck his head in. "Grace, you're in the hole. Josh is up next in a few minutes. You have about half an hour." Half an hour! My alarm wasn't even set to ring until 35 minutes later! While I was sleeping, the team had switched to three mile loops. My turn was up. And if any of you readers have breastfed, you know that before I was running one single step, I had to pump. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-NmNWFMyJJ1PDMVqrTT6sU-rQRTuQR4lIi8m9ltNabCCZ_5glFB1c82-TNd_ile9Vdb5wEFl2-RCyJO3aJSUd42skbQvfmsiAkvd6BTv0hKL1lRN01Kbc0A18KKjfN7haoxsaEB7rpL8/s3088/IMG_9454.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-NmNWFMyJJ1PDMVqrTT6sU-rQRTuQR4lIi8m9ltNabCCZ_5glFB1c82-TNd_ile9Vdb5wEFl2-RCyJO3aJSUd42skbQvfmsiAkvd6BTv0hKL1lRN01Kbc0A18KKjfN7haoxsaEB7rpL8/s320/IMG_9454.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is so, so, so miserable<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>I raced to my car, struggled into a jog bra, stuffed the pump into the bra, and turned it on while I rushed to get ready to run. I ran back to the house (with all the people in and out, and the street construction, I was parked two blocks away) to use the bathroom, but it was occupied. I ended up giving up on the bathroom and heading to the transition area. I didn't have enough time to get a full pumping in - I carefully set the full cups of milk and the pump on the side of the road, turned on my GPS, and had just moments to spare. </p><p>I'm sure you can guess how this leg went: it was 5am, I was dehydrated yet still not pumped dry, I hadn't used the bathroom, and I was virtually sleepless. Pat was my biker. He'd been up all night himself, but he didn't let that disrupt his usual smooth demeanor. I followed him on the new three mile loop and was happy to see that the route had the wind as a tailwind along the lake and a headwind in the more sheltered neighborhoods. I still sucked. I felt terrible in every possible way. I stumbled in for 3 miles at 6:37 pace. Ouch. I handed off to Jonathan and saw Kevin standing alongside. He was incredibly cheerful. Apparently Kevin thrives on this kind of stuff and felt great! I collected my milk and trudged back to the house. After putting my milk away, I reviewed the changes to our plan. We had fallen behind overnight to 13th, and that wasn't how we wanted this race to go. We weren't heading back to Audubon Park, and we weren't doing any more five mile or three mile or even two mile legs. We were heading to the practice track at City Park, and we were going to run 400s for the rest of the race. We put our exhausted heads together and created two teams to switch off, allowing the other team to rest for about an hour. We'd trade off for six straight hours of track work. </p><p><br /></p>Graciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641028266038110278noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457833116563861494.post-32364302835357768762020-09-16T15:23:00.000-05:002020-09-16T15:23:44.424-05:00TSP DIY: Evening, and the first change of plans<p> I drove to my first leg, which started at Josh's house, and was in for a surprise when I arrived. The house was dark and quiet. Josh had told me his wife might be late, and texted me the alarm code. But - it didn't work. He either forgot his code or typed it wrong. I had a car full of food for other runners, some of whom would be transitioning here later, and I had to go to the bathroom, and I couldn't get in the house. At first I assumed his wife would come home, because Josh had said it was just a slim chance she would miss me. But as the clock ticked down, I repacked my car (I'd unloaded onto his porch) and got ready to run. Just then, Will and Paul showed up. Will had dropped his bike at the house earlier, and they were back to get it. They had news: plans had changed. The other runners had realized that the exchanges happening at multiple locations was too difficult. We were already having problems getting our runners to the right transition area on time. Will's parents lived near the lake, and we decided to use them as a home base, and just run loops from there all night. Cool! I was much relieved to hear that. But they also had bad news. I couldn't tell from that sheltered neighborhood, but a bizarre windstorm had whipped up. Josh was running in it, and I was about to, too. But before any running - I had to PEE. And I was in the middle of a tightly bunched neighborhood. Oh, well. Sorry kids. I pulled Josh's trash can close to his house and squeezed behind it. It would have to do! </p><p>I saw Josh approaching - looking like death! - and ran alongside Drew, my bike pacer. Drew took my phone and a bottle of Gatorade from me, and things immediately went south. Drew dropped back to discuss logistics of the change, and I didn't know the route. I hit a T-stop and had to double back to grab Drew for directions. And then - then the wind. Oh my word. We were dodging traffic and lights for a bit, so I didn't really register the intensity, but once we got onto the lake, we were being pummeled. Someone had said it would be a tailwind for me and guess what? They lied! It was so windy, and it was a side-headwind off the lake the whole time. I was laboring against the wind. Dirt was blowing in my eyes. It was so windy it was drying out my mouth. It was the first time I felt discouraged. I couldn't get my pace under 6:30. My route was a little over five miles, and by mile four, my stomach was cramping. I lumbered toward the handoff point and...no one was there. Drew's phone rang and I saw Paul just then. Jonathan had gone to the wrong transition point in the confusion of changed plans, but Paul gamely stepped up for an early leg. "Keep running a bit," he directed, as I approached. I ran alongside and realized he was still trying to get Garmin signal. "Got it. You're done," he said, and headed off into the wind. I was beat. And I'd only run 6:33 pace. And my car was five miles away, with all my food and things in it. </p><p>Luckily, Tyler was there for support, and he offered a ride. Ha. I messed that one up big time. For one thing, there was construction on the street, and Tyler had to make a tight U-turn. And he hit some of the barriers. I was dying of embarrassment, because it was my fault he scratched his car, and to make things worse, then I gave him the wrong address for his GPS and lead him miles out of his way! We finally retrieved my car, and I headed back to Will's parent's house. </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbtw5XrG4aEtJ4ULzkC9KGzjFBhneQJwLhXanEi612TBw2SXp1EIs1AnFBAFe-sZd-NcFheliVPqQX0sIzyImycR94bT2CWl2dtOhyTm9DvWYdEkWrJFK5Ff29K-BrQRhdviJGfsJLQDw/s1038/IMG_9483.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1038" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbtw5XrG4aEtJ4ULzkC9KGzjFBhneQJwLhXanEi612TBw2SXp1EIs1AnFBAFe-sZd-NcFheliVPqQX0sIzyImycR94bT2CWl2dtOhyTm9DvWYdEkWrJFK5Ff29K-BrQRhdviJGfsJLQDw/s320/IMG_9483.PNG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That back patio livin'<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />WOW. It was just what we needed. There big house had a spacious backyard where we could all spread out, a pool, and an outdoor pool bathroom. We could snooze between legs on various bits of patio furniture, and they'd ordered pizza. It's no small feat to pull off hosting eleven runners and half as many support crew in the middle of the night, with no notice, and with pandemic restrictions, but they managed to safely do so. Such hospitality! I grabbed some pizza (yes, more pizza) and, since it was now 9:30, decided to try to get some sleep before my projected midnight-thirty leg. </p><p>So, those projections: Josh had put together an incredible spreadsheet we relied on for the race. Originally, it predicted our leg start times based on the pace we had all told him we expected to run. But when it became clear that we were well ahead of pace, he changed the formula to reflect each runner's current average pace. The way TSP kept up the leaderboard was by following our Strava, which we all synced at the end of each leg, but we also kept our totals up to date for our own tracking purposes via a Google form that we reported to after each leg. It fed into the spreadsheet to calculate our average pace, updating our predicted leg start times as we went. It was a pretty reliable tool...as long as the plans didn't change. And of course, they did! </p>Graciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641028266038110278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457833116563861494.post-48135492089499266752020-09-11T13:30:00.001-05:002020-09-11T13:30:03.175-05:00TSP DIY: Day one, Audubon Park and City Park<p> We started the race in front of Audubon park and Jeremy kicked us off with a five-miler that ended up back at my house - our first home base. The guys had been trickling in and had tents, trucks, and coolers set up by the time he handed off to Rich. It was insanely hot. Insane. It hit the 90s before Rich started running, and stayed consistently high 90s for most of the day. The humidity was brutal. But we expected that, so after three legs we switched to 3 mile loops. Team members were out as bike pacers, and we needed them to navigate Saturday traffic to the park. I didn't run until almost nine, so I played hostess and kept the baby. I knew that once I handed him over for my first leg, he'd be all David's responsibility for many hours! </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwpBW15TtDodjIE0ptDomqy-W9RhSvHAqYRX-iBUdcXWAu219OZoIqeerGhyphenhyphenbWjHY4zzqW8dXJ0EelurxwGGTqgYiy9edXOJL0k5hc9J_tiFBc4-KYUdkcE8_XJJZh0gF_8CP7dZsOaXU/s4032/IMG_9419.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwpBW15TtDodjIE0ptDomqy-W9RhSvHAqYRX-iBUdcXWAu219OZoIqeerGhyphenhyphenbWjHY4zzqW8dXJ0EelurxwGGTqgYiy9edXOJL0k5hc9J_tiFBc4-KYUdkcE8_XJJZh0gF_8CP7dZsOaXU/s320/IMG_9419.HEIC" /></a></div><br />Prior to my first leg, I did something I've never done before...laced up a pair of VaporFlys. And this was a key move. Not only are the shoes *magic*, they make you think you're magic. There is something about believing that you have magic shoes that makes you perform like you have no limits. And that is what this weekend was all about for me. It has been over a year since I've raced for real, and I wanted no reservations. When I tied those shoes I told myself, "Leave it all out there. Every leg. Don't save anything." Maybe a stupid strategy for a 31-hour relay, but I truly believe it paid off. <p></p><p>Josh handed off to me in front of my house, and I took off to run the Audubon Park route I've run thousands of times. Tom and Kate paced me on their bikes. It took me about a mile to understand the Vaporfly - there is a lot more underfoot than I'm used to, or than their weight leads you to believe. And I think for that first leg, I didn't really appreciate them. They made much more of a difference later on, when my legs were exhausted. I'm not used to running just three miles, so my leg was done in no time, and I had a moment of panic when I saw 6:24 average pace. Too fast! You'll regret this! The day is still young! But no, that wasn't the plan. Leave it out there! As soon as I finished, I ate some rice and eggs, showered, and put the baby down for a nap. The whole nursing and racing thing was going to be a challenge, but it worked out better than I expected. My next leg would be in City Park, where we transitioned in order to use a 2-mile loop. The baby woke up from his nap just in time for me to feed him before I raced out the door. I had just enough time to park, change back into my racing shoes, and find a satellite before my turn. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXK_qcz7bq7ntvA6T3otgVHBumBnaG2vvMUZgUn2HBiuDyqiIbt5XVSHW0j3mWBMn-nUm_cKvB9YRSoS8xnDi4zg5yRM4bKiTPUf58T_uDQFq5168LjT6Rkl8CBe4aEmSJAFZXJ4lHgZE/s1620/IMG_9429.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1620" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXK_qcz7bq7ntvA6T3otgVHBumBnaG2vvMUZgUn2HBiuDyqiIbt5XVSHW0j3mWBMn-nUm_cKvB9YRSoS8xnDi4zg5yRM4bKiTPUf58T_uDQFq5168LjT6Rkl8CBe4aEmSJAFZXJ4lHgZE/s320/IMG_9429.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Josh ran up to our tent and I hit go, following Van on his bike around our familiar running loop. We managed the car traffic ok, and I was feeling fresh still. The sun was blazing down, but I shrugged it off. The whole team was running in blazing sun. I could, too. I didn't even pretend to run half marathon pace. It was early in the race, I had new shoes, bystanders were cheering, Van was pulling me forward, and I ran two miles at 6:07 pace. And it didn't hurt. I handed off to Jonathan and immediately ate something. Throughout the race, I would eat as soon as I finished, then drink Gatorade a few minute prior to my next leg. David showed up with the baby, and we hung out under the tent, watching the team go.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE711mr_RmyMKPOoiCElKZ8s0-LRX3gOyarZb4lOAUGRf28lyw1Kekf1Ub7SOanfgWpeuxXnI3C8CejHZCh0stT-_YV9G-ubQuTL0zxhZoDLTdP_KFJ90epIppkf8SFnRybEuBTiXF51Q/s4903/fullsizeoutput_6612_Original.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3262" data-original-width="4903" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE711mr_RmyMKPOoiCElKZ8s0-LRX3gOyarZb4lOAUGRf28lyw1Kekf1Ub7SOanfgWpeuxXnI3C8CejHZCh0stT-_YV9G-ubQuTL0zxhZoDLTdP_KFJ90epIppkf8SFnRybEuBTiXF51Q/s320/fullsizeoutput_6612_Original.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p> The team was on fire. Every last one of us cranked our legs out with astonishing speed, 97F temperatures and high humidity aside. We were set up under a canopy cheering each other on, and it was an amazing feeling to be a Power Miler. At some point, we modified the route to be two one-mile loops, so we could cheer the runners on at the halfway point. I watched Rich nonchalantly complete two milers in race-worthy times, Jonathan run a 2-mile PR, and Kenny show off his consistency. Tyler showed up with his bike, and then Tarak and Mark showed up with bikes...and speakers! Now our runners had music! <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTwXR8yUEPiaU-AQpbGFj98kXisG4bGTEIsLRjygj7R3XzT-NZ_ECufIb_1RDNYoAVSUuTVo-F7-0msd_w_o4LdFYu2coFDw9vQ5RAYbCSJl2p4amW_ykF1-jkLET2oICzCuKk_GlgyYc/s1122/IMG_9451.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1122" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTwXR8yUEPiaU-AQpbGFj98kXisG4bGTEIsLRjygj7R3XzT-NZ_ECufIb_1RDNYoAVSUuTVo-F7-0msd_w_o4LdFYu2coFDw9vQ5RAYbCSJl2p4amW_ykF1-jkLET2oICzCuKk_GlgyYc/s320/IMG_9451.PNG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my bike pacers<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>For my next two miler, I let the music set the tempo. I let the team's cheer power me. And I ran 5:57 pace. Yeah, 5:57. That is faster than my 2-mile PR. I was riding high, and I kept telling myself, "Let the shoes do the work." The funny thing is, that helped. I was wearing the magic shoes before telling myself that, but after just thinking those words, I could pick up the pace! I finished that leg and reminded myself that I was going to leave it all out there on every leg. I didn't let the fast pace scare me. At that point, our team was averaging 6:11 pace overall, and we were in 8th place on the leaderboards. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6F5msEZGpiAjga-nzzX1CSzE5ME53DnvMjUeQ8bK50g1NRpqL8VzRKfnkPa0rcrXSLRVw01svnmr7_O7NXqwRHP7YtphGKuoYkWNM-MzuZIZGMwtp0cNxqboJOA-kw-AmMjBburHBKXc/s3810/fullsizeoutput_65ef_Original.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2535" data-original-width="3810" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6F5msEZGpiAjga-nzzX1CSzE5ME53DnvMjUeQ8bK50g1NRpqL8VzRKfnkPa0rcrXSLRVw01svnmr7_O7NXqwRHP7YtphGKuoYkWNM-MzuZIZGMwtp0cNxqboJOA-kw-AmMjBburHBKXc/s320/fullsizeoutput_65ef_Original.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kevin<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi33tNFWkYOn96zoLv3AMcmmTObWbECjzBksaCT8_EyyyLole0Gcev-O6Q6JvEoG4Xt2cmgpJjfr4Ngvp5QW_nFBBcs3qmfX2XWWVaD1Wxc8iw3y9a0QNmkHm_KjaUQmj774zDr1JWiU5M/s6048/DSC_3862_Original.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4024" data-original-width="6048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi33tNFWkYOn96zoLv3AMcmmTObWbECjzBksaCT8_EyyyLole0Gcev-O6Q6JvEoG4Xt2cmgpJjfr4Ngvp5QW_nFBBcs3qmfX2XWWVaD1Wxc8iw3y9a0QNmkHm_KjaUQmj774zDr1JWiU5M/s320/DSC_3862_Original.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAL9AljxQE0pQBlxHf-7KDKflXyYm2b5xR66njyTA-IgDIswz1bDzsCjwRZcdasKvaeV3Qtct9X34qRDC65KRyBNnkffTeVe08wWkHJwCDXtrr0rcuSz0WA9f8o4S_cjW4038-u-x0OS8/s741/IMG_9486.PNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="741" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAL9AljxQE0pQBlxHf-7KDKflXyYm2b5xR66njyTA-IgDIswz1bDzsCjwRZcdasKvaeV3Qtct9X34qRDC65KRyBNnkffTeVe08wWkHJwCDXtrr0rcuSz0WA9f8o4S_cjW4038-u-x0OS8/s320/IMG_9486.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kenny<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>At some point, it hit feeding time for the baby - and I had to pump. I have a conveniently wearable pump, but it was weird as the only girl on the team. I just put it on and threw a T-shirt on (I was most obviously wearing jog bra only for the whole race. It was hot as blazes). But the dehydration that followed was a surprise to me. I know breastfeeding is dehydrating, but I normally just drink enough water to replenish, and it's no big deal. Mid race, when you are running in high 90's temperatures - and also just sitting outside in those temperatures between legs - it makes a huge difference. I felt a little fuzzy-headed and quickly took a salt tablet and guzzled water. My leg was up next. I shrugged off the dizziness and took over for Josh, running alongside Mark, Tarak, and their music selection. The sun scorched my scalp and flashed in my eyes. I dodged oncoming traffic, squeezed by a family on bicycles, and let my legs bounce off the firm pavement on Victory Avenue. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDwRtGvF51rpXP1jhWMXK7jDajhSRxu1TQSxlylXU-ay6S03CntDG2ccVKK4ltheqBngMvJTDp3W6ekFWC_HKMTvhhSVkPn3UyUqGrIQ2bMC-jD2NHFnujCxLb__pkQAnecLWaTzjzlQo/s750/IMG_9494.PNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDwRtGvF51rpXP1jhWMXK7jDajhSRxu1TQSxlylXU-ay6S03CntDG2ccVKK4ltheqBngMvJTDp3W6ekFWC_HKMTvhhSVkPn3UyUqGrIQ2bMC-jD2NHFnujCxLb__pkQAnecLWaTzjzlQo/s320/IMG_9494.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Freaking hot<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />"This is a fast surface. You know it from all the workouts you've done here. Take advantage," I told myself. I had a bad turn heading down the homestretch - there was traffic, I waffled, I cut too narrow, and I sort of lost my momentum. But I could see the PMTC flag up ahead, regrouped, and ran it in strong for a 6:02 pace. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0l-S-LFHJ7IOR0TDRfcreau-MIBZ1bQulDyVDSAoxLvxvb0-d4lQOoWM2UIwSwqVYAK7QV87HhmtLMO5h9Pm2swo9wpbdG7wy9wMVCynNOjidrUK094fxXb3uB3-2x5kJJ-1DJIL34ts/s6048/DSC_3864_Original.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4024" data-original-width="6048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0l-S-LFHJ7IOR0TDRfcreau-MIBZ1bQulDyVDSAoxLvxvb0-d4lQOoWM2UIwSwqVYAK7QV87HhmtLMO5h9Pm2swo9wpbdG7wy9wMVCynNOjidrUK094fxXb3uB3-2x5kJJ-1DJIL34ts/s320/DSC_3864_Original.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vaporflying</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><br />It was my final leg in the park, and we were moving to the lakefront. The plan was to extend the distance of the legs in the evening, so I had enough time to go home, make dinner, and feed the baby before my next leg. If I hurried! </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6db6GUokZ6JI0nLTWKGL59qTTxncrBNUeAQuE7KMBwQhLGgYELCZzSj5iQQGOzGZMucVHrXuRNfgX0IdIpabDC_ROHDPSRTIWw-z2h32UFnVt4odS3xE2b_UH6xkFNx8YoIGK2bAnt6w/s3088/IMG_9425.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6db6GUokZ6JI0nLTWKGL59qTTxncrBNUeAQuE7KMBwQhLGgYELCZzSj5iQQGOzGZMucVHrXuRNfgX0IdIpabDC_ROHDPSRTIWw-z2h32UFnVt4odS3xE2b_UH6xkFNx8YoIGK2bAnt6w/s320/IMG_9425.HEIC" /></a></div><br /><p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">I rushed home, scooped up my baby, whipped up a homemade pizza, hopped in the shower, and fed the baby. I packed my car with a change of running clothes, food, my cleaned pump, a pillow and blanket, chargers for everything, and pajamas. At the time, my legs were projected to start at 7:45 and 1:45, and the next leg after that would be back at Audubon Park. My plan was to head home after my 1:45 run and sleep in my own bed before a 6:30 run the next day. But just in case, I packed for bed anyway. Honestly, the night plan worried me. I didn't like it at all. I knew from my Hood to Coast experience that night running is really hard. You can't see, you're tired, and your body is sending all kinds of signals that you should be asleep, not running. Nutrition is tough to manage: your body is also not used to taking in food at that time. And the route we had planned worried me, too. We had to leave the parks because they close at night. But our lakefront route had a bunch of different exchange points, and none of my legs started where the last leg left off. So I would need to be ferried from spot to spot. With eleven runners on the team, and limited support crew able to stay awake all night, how would we manage? So with trepidation I set out for Josh's house, my first transition point. </span></div><p></p></blockquote>Graciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641028266038110278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457833116563861494.post-29429792373594979392020-09-09T21:30:00.002-05:002020-09-09T21:30:28.060-05:00The Speed Project: DIY 31 hour relay<div class="separator"><p style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">To quickly explain the race, TSP DIY is a relay with few rules. You collect your team's total time via Strava, and you make up your own route and legs. You can have a team of any size, and your legs can be any length. You don't even have to be in the same place: you can virtually hand off (we used this method when changing base locations). You run for 31 hours and 15 minutes, and the team with the highest mileage wins. There are some specific categories, too, but we were in the Freestyle category which is essentially the open division.</p></div><p> You want me to recap 31 hours of running? Thirty one hours of relay, of working as a team, of making decisions on the fly, of scrambling to meet the competition, of fighting fatigue, storms, heat warnings, and dehydration, of watching some of the finest running I've ever seen? </p><p>It will be a long race report. Let's start from the beginning. </p><p><b>The cast of characters: The Power Miler Track Club</b></p><p>Rich: Reliable, consistently fast, a 2:28 marathoner with a chronic knee injury and a chipper attitude. Projected pace (our team coach recommended we aim for half marathon or a little slower for the race): 5:45</p><p>Will: A duathlete who is very fast and sharp when in shape. He's in shape: he ran a PR mile at our recent time trial. He comes from a large family of runners and his parents live near part of our proposed route. Projected pace: 5:45</p><p>Kenny: A masters runner with incredible track speed and a straight up beautiful form. He joined the club last year after being pestered to do so for years; moving into the city from the 'burbs made up his mind. Projected pace: 5:45</p><p>Josh: The brains behind our race administration, a Brooks guru, and a runner who has made giant strides since joining the team. Projected pace: 6:30</p><p>Kevin: We're never quite sure if it's Kevin or his twin Jason. Kevin is a physical therapist - just graduated! - and incredibly good at grinding out consistent tempos. Projected pace: 6:45</p><p>Paul: Pastor Paul is 57, mellow, team oriented, and prepared to suffer silently. In fact, he has a single tattoo that reads, "<i>amor fati</i>". Paul ran a sub-5 mile at age 50, so he's a weapon. Projected pace: 6:20</p><p>Mike: How a busy businessman like Mike got away for 31 hours is beyond me, but he managed. He also managed a lot of the delegating and directing for this effort, and his organization was priceless. Mike, or Pou as we call him, is a quietly effective runner and one of the most encouraging people I've ever met. Projected pace: 6:45</p><p>Jeremy: Jeremy was the one who got us into this mess. After reading about the relay in Tempo Journal, he proposed a team for 2020. We sputtered initially and couldn't field a team for the original date in March. The pandemic moved the relay to a "do it yourself" format, and suddenly it was more manageable. Jeremy pushed us to put a team together and represent the Power Milers. He also got a professional photographer for the event! Projected pace: 6:45</p><p>Jonathan: Jonathan joined the club as easily the slowest member, and I admire that. Because when I joined, that was me! It's a bold move, and it obviously pays off. Jonathan has made giant improvements and has been game for all our workouts, even though he is an ultrarunner: something our workouts don't cater to. I knew his ultra experience would be key. Projected pace: 7:00.</p><p>Me: Coming off a disappointing mile time trial, a left hamstring tear, and a threatening right hamstring strain, I was a liability. I think the rest of the team had understandable reservations: I missed a lot of the beginnings of our Zoom planning calls since they started while I was still driving home from work, so I was playing a lot of catch-up. I have a 7-month old who is still breastfeeding. I haven't really raced since Boston 2019, so my fitness was up in the air. BUT I have a secret weapon, and that weapon is that I am very good at suffering. It's like a hobby of mine. I would have made a great nun. Projected pace: 7:00. That pace...when we put together our race plan spreadsheet, I had to think hard about this. I thought my half marathon pace was probably around 6:50 at the time, but then I had to take time off for my hamstring, and we also all took the weather into account. A labor day weekend race in New Orleans was bound to be hot, so I added a few seconds for that, too. If all went well, I hoped to run closer to 6:55.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6zh_VljLecFBhHRCyYn1sKhzQiN29IrZIOTFgpAUNP0i7zF_eubhcDU5m_2exqR7jQ3LY-OmyjlRkBmOzrdZkvT4PR6GaxK_e5azZvDwAL68drdRCEJwGtwFlAeVVsuPmBz61egWbe-I/s4032/IMG_9419.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6zh_VljLecFBhHRCyYn1sKhzQiN29IrZIOTFgpAUNP0i7zF_eubhcDU5m_2exqR7jQ3LY-OmyjlRkBmOzrdZkvT4PR6GaxK_e5azZvDwAL68drdRCEJwGtwFlAeVVsuPmBz61egWbe-I/w240-h320/IMG_9419.HEIC" title="Our first home base: my street" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first home base: My street. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p><b>The race and race plan: </b></p><p>Our plan was to start in Audubon Park, where we had a smooth surface closed to traffic, and do some five mile loops before the sun came up (the race kicked off at 6am). We'd move to 3 mile loops as it warmed up, and then transition to City Park for the afternoon. Our thinking was that City Park might be cooler since Audubon can be extremely humid (lol, like what isn't humid in NOLA?). In the heat of the day, we'd do just 2-mile loops. As the sun set, we would then venture to the shadeless lakefront at night. The lakefront has been closed to traffic during the pandemic to reduce crowds, so it was a safe option at night when both parks are closed. The plan was for 5 mile loops overnight when the temperature dropped, although the low was 79 and humidity was still in the 90s! We'd move back to Audubon for some early morning stuff Sunday, more 3-milers, then finish up at the track back in City Park to crank out as many track 400s as we could. </p><p><b>Spoiler: that plan totally changed. To be continued! </b></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Graciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641028266038110278noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457833116563861494.post-78833422521096936062020-08-29T10:11:00.003-05:002020-08-29T10:11:53.938-05:00Mile Time Trial <p> After a long, hot summer of training, we finally ran our mile time trial and it was slooooow. I have oh-so-many good excuses. </p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>It was hot, feels-like-100 at race time (although I've raced miles in worse weather).</li><li>It was windy! With tropical storm Marco just retreating, and hurricane Laura heading in, we had a very breezy day. </li><li>I just wasn't in shape, thanks to the hamstring pull. I was able to ease back into running over the last few weeks, but only got in one mile speed session in the month prior to the time trial. I tried to do a few of the workouts, but re-pulled my hamstring. </li><li>I brilliantly started a diet, which is wreaking havoc on my running. </li></ol><div>So the race! Er, time trial. Time trial on the track with (non-certified) tape markings and stop watches and the rest of my team! Outdoor exercise without a mask is permitted and outdoor groups of 25 and below are permitted, so while we can't run regular races, this worked and was legal! We did a two mile warm-up and some strides and then spread out for a waterfall start. I lined up all the way out, since I am one of the slowest in the group. </div><div><br /></div><div>With a casual, "Go!" we were off, and I felt bad AT ONCE. I planned to sprint out of the gate to get into position, then settle into my pace, but I never could settle in. My chest was burning immediately. And it didn't help that we turned that first corner into a wild headwind. My first lap was my fastest, but it was still several seconds off my planned pace. The plan had been 1:22 for the first lap, 1:21s after that, and then GO on the last one. HAHA. None of my laps were even close to my goal. My first lap was 1:27 (including the extra 9m).</div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7gs2GRJN0eY-UqY86jkN3qEjy1nPOuaJNhIdtTseTzfpVAUllOY-2JKmS2cUi4j2Eutdcjmc3WSH9-IexQSmJQPb0Hcwv-BZT6rSavjpea1tF0D6xg7W7vDODZtJN915OjoEwPz9ER2M/s865/IMG_9267.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="865" data-original-width="733" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7gs2GRJN0eY-UqY86jkN3qEjy1nPOuaJNhIdtTseTzfpVAUllOY-2JKmS2cUi4j2Eutdcjmc3WSH9-IexQSmJQPb0Hcwv-BZT6rSavjpea1tF0D6xg7W7vDODZtJN915OjoEwPz9ER2M/w434-h512/IMG_9267.PNG" width="434" /></a></div><br /></div><div>I didn't DIE die in the second lap, but I was hurting a lot. The wind was really challenging: the track has woods blocking the slightest tailwind on one side, but wide open fields allowing hard headwind on the other. You can't win. I knew I was slowing down, but I was slightly cheered that I was not falling too far back off my teammate Jeff (although he was pretty far in front - he just wasn't getting even farther in front). But the third lap was a total struggle fest. My hamstring was making itself known in that "if you push me, I'll pop" manner, my gait was inhibited, and I couldn't breath at all. As soon as we got into the last lap, Sara passed me, and even her encouragement couldn't get me to sprint. I was just in slow motion. 5:43 finish with almost zero sprint. I absolutely couldn't stretch my stride out. My hamstring isn't there yet. And my fitness clearly suffered from the injury, as well. </div><div><br /></div><div>I should have kept up with my laps during the race to see exactly where and how I fell apart, but I didn't remember to do that, and I couldn't hear people calling splits after the first one. Probably because of the blood pounding in my ears! I think I could run under 5:30 if I was in better shape, and I am planning a time trial do-over: maybe after my upcoming relay, and once my hamstring is really recovered. I was happy to pseudo-race, but I am not happy with my time! </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><p></p>Graciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641028266038110278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457833116563861494.post-7792220998411542732020-08-21T15:44:00.000-05:002020-08-21T15:44:02.058-05:00Currently<p> "Currently" is a blog post theme some of my favorites have been using for a while, and I decided to hop on board! </p><p><b>Currently eating: </b>Peaches, sirloin pork chops, and tofu! I got some amazing peaches for $0.78 per lb, so I stocked up. I'm mostly eating them plain as a snack, but I plan to make some panna cotta with peaches next week. I also got some sirloin pork chops at the grocery. I prefer that cut to loin cut as it is much more flavorful! And lastly - I bought homemade tofu from our Asian market a few weeks ago and oh my word, it is so much better than store bought. I was at the Asian market buying a huge bag of random Asian foods for my sister for her birthday: this kind of gift is right up her alley, as she loves Asian foods and doesn't have a specialty store near her. </p><p><i>Related story: I also bought myself a bunch of produce from the Asian grocery, much of which did not have a label in English. When I got home, I Googled the names of the items off my receipt. Turns out that I bought a loofah! I threw it into a curry and it was just fine - like a mix of eggplant and summer squash in texture. I resisted the urge to make a bunch of "wash your mouth out with soap" and similar jokes. </i></p><p><b>Currently reading:</b> Lithium, by Walter Brown. It's the history of how lithium came to be used in bipolar disorder. It's actually less interesting than I expected it to be. </p><p><b>Currently drinking:</b> Old vine zinfandel. I don't know what's going on in California (besides there being no power), but the old vine is CHEAP these days. I am taking full advantage. After the baby goes to bed I get a glass of wine and read my boring book and I'm very happy. Old vine zinfandel is one of my favorite wines to drink on its own. </p><p><b>Currently running:</b> While our mile time trial is next week, I've had to keep my workouts tame to avoid aggravating my hamstring. I did 8x30 second accelerations today - from easy to mile pace - and was not thrilled that my legs feel heavy and I'm moving pretty slowly. </p><p><b>Currently wearing:</b> I bought these pink mirrored sunglasses and I'm loving the reflective look! Between these and my mask - you can't see me at all ;-)</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpE_5x7-Imtr1F8YrTfJeh1fzy4inNgKA_lE7zF3cYgkO7OgnKqZBvFoDwvk_BvFL1OL2LrmGVuBjqjJtobJ1iq0I_LmY-6sZBMN_gzH4pzLO08BrtLk4SsMGQwVpj9yZ8YCgw0A9egEU/s2320/IMG_9109.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="2320" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpE_5x7-Imtr1F8YrTfJeh1fzy4inNgKA_lE7zF3cYgkO7OgnKqZBvFoDwvk_BvFL1OL2LrmGVuBjqjJtobJ1iq0I_LmY-6sZBMN_gzH4pzLO08BrtLk4SsMGQwVpj9yZ8YCgw0A9egEU/w262-h262/IMG_9109.HEIC" width="262" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Also loving these beaded earrings I made this week. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b><br />Currently watching:</b> I really haven't been watching much at all. We sometimes watch something on Sunday night; it would generally be sports, but with the Pelicans out of the playoffs, I haven't been that interested in the rest of the NBA season. I did watch an episode of Unsolved Mysteries, which was fun, even though OBVIOUSLY THE HUSBAND DID IT OMG. </p><p><b>Currently waiting for: </b>The inner tubes I ordered for my bike to come in so I can get back on Snow White, my little single speed road bike. I got a flat when I hit a major pothole I misjudged, and my bike takes weird tubes with 60mm Presta valves. None of the local bike shops carry them (and actually, most bike shops have been sold out of nearly everything or only services current customers, ie you bought your bike from them, since the pandemic started). </p><p><b>Currently loving: </b>Our city counsel just voted to change the name of "Jefferson Davis Parkway" to "Norman C Francis Parkway" and I couldn't be happier to see the name of the president of the confederacy removed from our street signs. These Jim Crow era monuments are a blight on our city.</p><p><b>Currently hating: </b>Politics. Oh, my word, I am so tired of it all! </p><p><br /></p>Graciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641028266038110278noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457833116563861494.post-385304127831397942020-08-17T10:38:00.001-05:002020-08-17T10:38:10.404-05:00The Speed Project DIY<p>The PowerMilers are racing: a relay! We had signed up for The Speed Project, a crazy Santa-Monica-to-Vegas relay, before all the COVID cancellations. The replacement event is called "TSPDIY", and we've adapted. We're running a route of our own concoction for 31 hours. It's a set time, so we're going for distance!</p><p>The Speed Project doesn't have a lot of rules for a relay: you can read some really fun (and anxiety-inducing) recaps over at <a href="https://tempojournal.com/article/39-hours-on-the-road/index.html">tempojournal.com</a>. You make your own route, your relay legs can be any distance, and your team is basically on its own. It's even loser this year, as we're just running for time, and in fact your team doesn't even have to be in the same city. </p><p>We have eleven studs running for our team. And I'm one of them. Because you know what? </p><p>Yeah, there's a pandemic. </p><p>Yeah, I have a baby. </p><p>Yeah, I already did one relay and it sucked. </p><p>Yeah, my hamstring is iffy. </p><p>But I am ready to RACE, this sitting around doing nothing is getting old! I haven't run a race since Thanksgiving of last year, and I was running that one easy (highly pregnant and highly injured). My last real race was the Jazz Half in October, when I lumbered across the line in 1:39:xx, which felt like a victory at almost seven months pregnant. I'm looking forward to running for a reason, and it's been years enough since my last relay for me to be able to look back at it through rose-colored glasses. I guess it wasn't the WORST experience of my life. And this should be slightly less horrible: when I get a chance to sleep, it can be in my own bed, and I can take a shower, too. Of course, the relay is in early September, so we should still expect temperatures in the 90s and even overnight in the 80s, so that won't be ideal. Hopefully we are heat acclimated enough to deal with it for an estimated 290 miles: what our team predicts if everyone performs according to fitness!</p><p>Relay starts September 5th. I'll be ready! </p>Graciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641028266038110278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457833116563861494.post-42302306506738744832020-08-12T13:52:00.002-05:002020-08-12T13:52:57.167-05:00Training log - pausing <p> Everything is on pause right now as far as training goes. There are three reasons for this: </p><p>1. My hamstring still isn't 100%. It is fine for moderate to easy pace, but even just tempo pace hurt. I am actually taking time totally off right now to speed healing. </p><p>2. And I need my hamstring to be much better because<b> I am signed up for The Speed Project in early September!</b> More to come, but it's a 31 hour relay and clearly I can't be limping for 31 hours (at our projected pace, we'll run an average of 26.2 miles each on my team...although as the slowest member, I will probably run less). </p><p>3. And lastly, my symptoms from the uterine mass have simply gotten too severe to run. This is the worst it has ever been, so unless I can find a way to temporarily improve them before I have my procedure, all training and racing is in jeopardy. </p><p>Meanwhile, here is how last week went: </p><p><b>Monday: </b>Easy run, but skipped strides to protect hamstring. <b>7.2 miles.</b></p><p><b>Tuesday:</b> I was feeling good enough that I thought I could do the workout, which was 10x500. The very first rep warned me not to! I opted for an easy run instead, talking with Jonathon about the ultra he had just run over the weekend; it was good to hear an actual race report! I'd started the day with an easy 3 with the baby, so I got <b>10.25 miles</b> for the day. </p><p><b>Wednesday:</b> Hamstring felt fine;<b> 7 easy. </b></p><p><b>Thursday:</b> Still felt fine. <b>6.65 easy</b>. Baby slept in ;-)</p><p><b>Friday: </b>Cheerfully headed out for an easy 3x3 minutes at tempo pace, but re-pulled my hamstring in the first rep. I was very annoyed. It was just as bad as the initial pull. What a setback! I hobbled home with just <b>3.77 miles. </b></p><p><b>Saturday: </b>I took the stroller for<b> 6 easy miles, </b>but I could feel the old hammy. </p><p><b>Sunday:</b> We had guests, so I didn't want to leave for the long run, plus my hamstring was still hurting. I tried <b>five easy </b>and even that hurt, so I shut it down. I haven't run since then. </p><p>About 45 miles last week. Probably too close to the mile time trial to salvage it, but maybe time off will heal me up! </p>Graciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641028266038110278noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457833116563861494.post-20100729251570593832020-08-11T16:22:00.003-05:002020-08-11T16:22:56.426-05:00Health updates: maybe a plan<p> So much is going on, yet...I am posting so little. I've been really busy! </p><p>I have been going back and forth with my doctor about my uterine mass. We were hoping that blood flow to the mass would decrease once pregnancy hormones settled down, which would not only potentially shrink the mass, but would also make surgery safer (the area was inoperable right after birth due to risk of hemorrhage from the extensive perfusion). However, that unfortunately did not happen, and I am once again experiencing severe symptoms. </p><p>The short story is that I need a hysterectomy. It's the safest surgical option and the most definitive. Hormonal treatments don't work because part of the symptoms are due to the location, size, and damage in the area. I'm not a candidate for a hysteroscopy or myomectomy for the same reasons, and because of the risk of bleeding due to all the blood vessels feeding the mass. However, I don't want to do a hysterectomy yet. It's a major surgery with long recovery, and it seems so...extreme! Instead, we are buying time with a uterine artery embolization. This will reduce blood supply to the area and potentially shrink the mass, which will reduce symptoms, plus make any operation we might schedule a little safer. </p><p>None of my options here are ideal. I don't want to take hormones (which aren't actually effective anyway). I don't want major surgery. I don't want multiple minor surgeries and procedures that drag out over time. And I don't want my current symptoms! But some things in life are like that! No good options, so you just have to pick the best of the bad bunch.</p><p>I'm waiting on my insurance to approve the procedure, and then I will have the exciting prospect of scheduling this around my work and life. But I'm really, really ready to be done feeling so crappy. Even a small improvement will make me happy for now. </p>Graciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641028266038110278noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457833116563861494.post-26094272906013586962020-08-04T07:00:00.000-05:002020-08-04T07:00:05.234-05:00Shortened training week - injury!<b>Last Sunday, our monsoon weather made for very unstable footing during the long run. As has happened to me many times before, wet running strained my hamstring a little. It wasn't injured Sunday, but I was aware that it was under stress. I've actually torn it mildly during rainy runs before, most notably the <a href="http://complicatedday.blogspot.com/2018/05/sixer-or-how-i-pulled-my-hamstring.html">Bar-A-Thon</a>, where I almost certainly gave up a podium position and basically got 6-beer-drunk for no reason. </b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2tIXI8gB2AMNvOHpF6fVKsKl4d2rW23_BuTA-H9nwTh0RJalkJ6XH4kv6LdJb-cvaUoICjhptwxYGsnIHkpeajHSoCa3c3yeOYNiqjYsqKzMDSTJkmhxLHq2KxbDPtn2-iHiFGyaRkTc/s1600/IMG_8632.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; color: #888855; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2tIXI8gB2AMNvOHpF6fVKsKl4d2rW23_BuTA-H9nwTh0RJalkJ6XH4kv6LdJb-cvaUoICjhptwxYGsnIHkpeajHSoCa3c3yeOYNiqjYsqKzMDSTJkmhxLHq2KxbDPtn2-iHiFGyaRkTc/s320/IMG_8632.HEIC" style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 9.4588px; text-align: center;">St Charles Ave running</td></tr>
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;">Monday: </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;">I subbed "accelerations" for strides this week due to the sore hamstring residual from Monday, but the muscle still felt tight. I could feel a slight hitch in my step. <b>7.2 miles.</b></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;">Tuesday:</b><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.8235px;"> I went into this with trepidation: It was 300s at mile pace. Sure enough, pop! The exact same spot I always injure tore on the fourth rep. I tend to get a tiny little tear right in the belly of the muscle. If all is well, it heals quickly and I can usually run through it, recruiting the rest of the muscle fibers. But a worse tear can take many months to heal, especially if I strain the distal end of the muscle trying to spare the hurt area. The little tear heals, but the compensating strain is worse! This happened to me last year during Boston training, and it sucked. So this time, I totally shut the run down. I mean, I couldn't run anyway - I could barely walk!<b> 5.4 miles. </b></span></span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;">Wednesday: </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;">O</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;">ff</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;">Thursday:</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;"> Off.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;">Friday: </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;">Having taken 2 days off and worn a compression wrap around the clock, and FOR ONCE keeping my hands/massage tool/foam roll OFF the injured muscle, I felt good enough to test the injury with an easy stroller run. And it felt ok! Really, almost better!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;"> </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;">3 miles. One thing I check after these runs is for fresh bruising. The reason I know this is a tear, not a strain, is that as soon as I felt the POP a red bruise showed up. It darkened to blue, and then yellow, so any new bleeding and bruising would be obvious. And a warning flag to stop at once! New damage! All looked good, and felt good, so I was safe. </b><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;">Saturday</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;">: Another stroller easy run to check progress. I wanted to know if a long run on Sunday would be a totally terrible idea. I started to feel the hamstring at about 6 miles, but it was definitely on the mend. </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;">6.65 miles.</b><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;">Sunday</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;">: I risked it and went for the long run. I questioned my decision when I realized we were doing 15 (we have two training groups right now: the regular old group, and the "pre-marathon conditioning" group, who are getting into marathon-training shape. They are running longer, but I usually jump in with them because the COVID-era water stops are at their houses! They have kindly provided tiny water bottles in coolers since most of our old stopping spots aren't available anymore). But actually, my hamstring felt better and better as we ran, and I actually felt good for the whole run, probably because it was an unseasonably cool day. The temperature was only 80F when we started at six, and even though it was sunny, it just didn't feel like it got really hot. </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;">15 miles at a surprising 7:39 pace (it didn't feel like effort). </b><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11.8235px;"><b>So just 37 miles this week, but I am grateful I dodged a bullet with this hamstring. I am not sure I will do the workout on Tuesday: if it's another mile pace workout, I might sub an aerobic run or tempo intervals instead. Or skip altogether if there is residual pain. But I'm clearly heading in the right direction, and I think our mile time trial is still a go for me! </b></span></span>Graciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641028266038110278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457833116563861494.post-9551529222074510242020-08-02T16:46:00.003-05:002020-08-02T16:46:49.255-05:00Bring your baby to work dayIt finally happened - I had to bring the baby to work. I know many parents have been doing this for months, but somehow I escaped. This time, we had no choice. The daycare abruptly closed the infant room when an infant tested positive for COVID, and all babies were quarantined for fourteen days since the last day the sick baby was in the center.<br />
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The sick baby, by the way, is fine and was only tested because his grandma tested positive. But anyway, my baby was suddenly without care! Baby sitters are a no-no because he was in quarantine: because of his risk of exposure, we couldn't allow someone else into our circle. I couldn't get any time off on short notice, so I dragged him along with me to work. We - well, David! - had done "work from home" with the baby before, but it's a little more complicated to bring a baby to your busy pharmacy. But he's over 6 months now, so I figured he would be able to handle it. I dragged a little travel bed and some toys with me, and we gave it a go.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My counseling room/nursery</td></tr>
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I handled naps by putting him down in my separate counseling room. I could turn off the lights, but light streams in through glass windows in two doors, plus it's adjacent to our lobby, with people walking in and out (and the chime that rings whenever the door opens!). So his naps weren't great. He goes to sleep on his own, but he needs his nap routine to recognize it's nap time. I was worried about recreating that at work, but I read him a book, sang him his song, and he went right to sleep.He did wake up early, though, but he got in two solid naps both days I kept him, plus a third in the morning before, so I felt good about that.<br />
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Entertaining him was another kettle of fish. He is mobile, I had no playpen or way to restrict him, and the pharmacy is nothing but wires, outlets, heavy shelving, and toxic chemicals. Somehow I managed to keep him occupied, but he did interrupt a few calls with loud talking! He's a chatty one these days! Day two was tougher, as he was getting really bored, but we survived. He was a big hit with my coworkers, but he was happy to go home.<br />
Ways I entertained him:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Making silly faces while discussing very serious things with patients over the phone</li>
<li>Allowing him phone cord privileges</li>
<li>Stretching his lunch out over an entire hour...very slowly flying roast beef toward his mouth. His "airplane" was clearly a prop plane instead of a jet.</li>
<li>Putting him in an empty box. This occupied him for almost an hour, until I realized he was eating the paper tape off one flap.</li>
<li>Taping his toys to the wall and letting him pick at the tape with his teeny little fingers until he finally succeeded in tearing them off</li>
<li>Playing music on my phone and dancing with him while on a conference call</li>
<li>Giving him wrapped plastic utensils and letting him figure that out</li>
</ul>
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Luckily, I only had to cover two days at work: David kept him two other days, and next week I took off until he gets to go back to daycare. I'm really hoping this is a rare occurrence. For one thing, we have a department of defense childcare subsidy, but they only reimburse for days he actually attends. For another, daycare does NOT reduce our rates for time they are closed. And most importantly, figuring out the childcare solution is hard! </div>
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<br />Graciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641028266038110278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457833116563861494.post-57265852548392103682020-07-29T21:43:00.001-05:002020-07-29T21:43:52.198-05:00Mile race: it's August 25th<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;">We finally scheduled our mile time trial! End of August. So you know, likely to be hurricaned-out and also about 98 degrees. But it's good to know when the big day will roll around. August 25th!</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not cool, Saucony. </td></tr>
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;">Monday: </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;">Easy run. <b>6.5 miles.</b></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;">Tuesday:</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;"> Morning: took the baby for a 3-mile jog. I never do doubles, but we had a tiny amount of time and he needed to get out of the house, so we went for it. Evening: 12x400. I didn't have a big group like the last time we did this workout; it was just Ivy and I. Van and Sal started with our group but were about 5-7 seconds behind. Ivy ended up stopping after 8, so I was alone for the last four - really alone. I looked around the empty track and marveled at how quickly all the fast guys finished the workout, until I realized they'd only done 8-10! Given the extreme heat and the lonely workout, I was very pleased with my splits. The workout was "2-mi pace" but I was closer to 1-mile for many of them, but didn't feel like I was straining. Laps were 82, 81, 81, 83, 82, 81, 83, 82, 82, 82, 84, 81. <b>12.9 miles</b> for the day.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;">Wednesday: </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;">Stroller recover run. </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;">6.65 miles. </b><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;">Thursday:</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;"> Easy run. </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;">7.2 miles.</b><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;">Friday: </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;">Tempo intervals. This is a really easy workout: three 3-minute tempo intervals with 1 minute aerobic float in between. I ran (6:24/7:07), (6:20/6:57), and (6:09/7:51). I ran into David and the baby during that last aerobic minute, hence the slow pace :) </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;"> </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;">5.77 miles </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;">- crazy short workout!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;">Saturday</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;">: Easy stroller run. It was overcast, so I hit the shadeless levee. I heard a train coming up behind us and got to a good vantage point with the baby in time to get him out of his stroller to wave to the train. They blew the horn for him and he was very interested! I always like seeing (not getting caught by!) the train - I have a soft spot for train graffiti! </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;">8 miles.</b><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;">Sunday</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;">: It POURED on us. We had to modify our route to avoid flooding streets! We ran the bayou loop, which includes a lovely route along Bayou St. John, and finished up with some laps in Audubon Park. The rain was thanks to a tropical storm, and the wind and rain were lashing us for part of it! We survived with a waterlogged 7:47 pace for </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.8235px;">14.12 miles. I finally replaced my insoles for this run: the last pair of Kinvaras I bought were unwearable after the insoles scrunched up immediately after I started wearing them. I called Saucony, and they sent me the cheapest, most generic, rock-hard, awful insoles ever. But they were an improvement over 14 miles with wrinkled insoles!</b><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11.8235px;"><b>61.2 miles for the week. </b></span></span>Graciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05641028266038110278noreply@blogger.com2