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By kilax, April 10, 2016 3:46 pm

Highlight of the Week: Mixing things up at Fitness Boxing!

*Accidentally had the formula messed up for this calculation since… oops, maybe the beginning of the year? It just should have been a higher number. All fixed now!

Monday | April 4, 2016: 15 m ride + 8 m run + teaching strength class
Indoor Ride Time: 55:37, Pace: 16.2 mph avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good
Loc: VP Woods Loop, Temp: 32°/31°, Time: 1:09:38, Pace: 8:42 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, but tired
Strength: kettlebells and boxing pads, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good
Tuesday | April 5, 2016: rest
Wednesday | April 6, 2016: 6 m run
Loc: hood, Temp: 39°/39°, Time: 50:41, Pace: 8:27 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, pushed around by the wind
Thursday | April 7, 2016: 6.3 m run + 5 m ride + 10 mins strength
Loc: hood, Temp: 35°/34°, Time: 54:38, Pace: 8:40 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: pissed at the f*cking trains
Indoor Ride Time: 20:23, Pace: 14.7 mph avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: pissed off about work
Friday | April 8, 2016: teaching strength class + 10.2 m run (incl. 8×800)
Strength: kettlebells and boxing pads, Difficulty: esay, Felt: good
Loc: DPRT/Kilbourne Loop, Temp: 33°/37°, Time: 1:28:47, Pace: 8:42, Difficulty: hard, Felt: like I wanted to throw up my lunch, pissed at the wind
Saturday | April 9, 2016: 7.2 m run + teaching fitness boxing + 2.5 m run (w/Anne)
Loc: VP Woods Loop, Temp: 21°/24°, Time: 1:04:43, Pace: 8:59 avg, Difficulty: medium, Felt: unstable (icy)
Strength: Boxing and body weight moves, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good
Loc: Grayslake, Temp: 28°/30°, Time: 31:59, Pace: 12:47 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good
Sunday | April 10, 2016: 10 m run (incl. 6×1:00)
Loc: home to Bobbi’s, Temp: 39°/42°, Time: 1:31:04, Pace: 9:06 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good minus sore legs, then thirsty/about to bonk

Notes:

• My stomach has been getting upset during and after quite a few runs lately. I’m not sure if it’s the pace, my diet, getting over a cold, or maybe my body getting used to the new water I am drinking (out of the well). I’m definitely going to pay attention to it, and see what I can figure out. I think it may be because I was drinking our well water. I stopped drinking it and will see if I feel better now!
• This was a comical running week, due to the weather, trains and my own stupidity:
  • Thursday (train, weather & my stupidity) – I tried to run a 6 mile route during my lunch break and had to stop for a train at a, hmmm … let’s call it “not official” crossing. Then the train stopped completely, and I stood there for five minutes feeling like an idiot while I got hailed/snowed on. I eventually turned around and crossed the tracks at a different spot – and saw that the train was STILL stopped where I was trying to cross before. Ugh.
  • Friday (weather)  – Speedwork day! Also, snow and 20-29 mph wind day. I did as much of the speedwork with the wind at my back (cheater!) but I had to run in to it for a few miles to get home and it SUUUUUCKED. Okay, file this under “my own stupidity,” too, but this run made it clear to me – I am NOT going for a PR at the Wisconsin Half if the winds are horrible. It’s not worth it to me.
  • Saturday (weather) – What’s this? THE SUN?! Oh, what else is this? Black ice everywhere?! WTF! I think I hardly used my winter running stabilizer muscles this year so I shouldn’t complain but… that run worked them.
  • Sunday (weather & my stupidity) – I woke up with a headache from feeling dehydrated. This should have been a clue to me to guzzle water! My plan was to run north from my house, stop at a rest stop and fill up my handheld and run south home – until I saw the winds were coming from the south. Hey! I learned from Friday – run into the wind to start. So I did that, and brought my handheld and told myself I’d be fine – I’ve run 12 miles plenty of times lately without filling it up. Sigh. I should have worn my backpack, like last week. I ran out of water and was SO thirsty and starting to feel out of it/feel like I was going to bonk. And was soaking wet because it rained for all of my run. I cut the run short and ran to Bobbi’s for water and a ride home. Yay, Bobbi!
  • But, eh, every week can’t be amazing! How odd this week was makes me laugh!
• Fitness boxing was a lot of fun this week and I’m sad it’s the only time I can teach it this month! I do have three classes on the calendar for May though, yay!

Link to Training Week 337

Comments (17)

By kilax, April 9, 2016 7:03 am

This has been out since Tuesday and I haven’t purchased my copy yet. EEK!

I must remedy this immediately!

Comments (9)

By kilax, April 8, 2016 4:47 am

For whatever reason, when I leave to teach class just after 4:00 am on Fridays, Data cries at the front door to be let out.

So this morning, I had a bit of extra time and decided to open the door and let him look out (while holding him).

Right after I open the door, I think “Oh! I need to tell Steven about that bird poop I saw on the door step yesterday. There might be birds or something living there.”

So I’m thinking that, and holding Data, and we’re looking through the front gate… then you know what happens. Something starts fluttering around. Sounds like a bird, could be a bat, but I’m holding Data and he’s freaking the eff out because it’s right above our head.

Data’s squirming and hisses at me, and I’m desperately trying to close the door, without letting Data out, and without letting whatever was outside in.

What a great way to wake up!

But I was successful. Although Data was a little worked up when I left to go teach… and I went outside and looked around the door and have no idea what was there.

Eh, one more critter to figure out.

Comments (20)

By kilax, April 7, 2016 6:38 am

• I had a great time seeing my mom last Friday and Saturday night but MAN staying out late (her conference was an hour drive (one way) away) wrecked me for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. I am an early riser and am not used to that! Totally worth it, though.

• My mom met someone at her conference that lives really close to where we are going in Alaska in June. I asked that woman if she knew any runners that could run with me while I am there, since my family is convinced a bear is going to attack me when I am running (and maybe a local can help with that? ha). The lady said she does know some runners, so I friended her on Facebook and plan to make some dates for our trip!
• We had chimney caps installed last week. Yay! I like the way they look, AND this will keep things out of the chimney. Win win. Ha.

• Peoples visited again early (4:00 am) Saturday morning. It’s cute when he visits the balcony – he runs back and forth on the railing and Data follows him. Then he comes down on to the balcony and runs around… and Data follows him some more. Aww, besties! On Saturday night/early Sunday am, we also heard some interesting noises outside that may have been Peoples… some animal decided the bottom of the downspout needed to be taken off and dragged across the driveway. That was a creepy noise to hear in the middle of the night!

• My second cousin has recently fallen in love with Asics shoes and tipped me off that Kohl’s had the Cumuluses for $60! What a deal! I used a 20% coupon, and with free shipping, they were just under $50 a pair. Yay! I am happy I didn’t wait for a 30% off – I checked the day after ordering them and all the size 12s were gone!

Link to Random Thoughts Thursday 93

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By kilax, April 6, 2016 12:51 pm

Wow, I’ve blogged every day for the past one hundred days! I don’t think I’ve ever done that before!

I wasn’t initially planning a blogging streak, but I’ve stuck with it because it gives me some semblance of control while my life is feeling a bit chaotic. I know – two moves for someone who works from home a lot and doesn’t have kids? Doesn’t seem too chaotic.

But what makes me feel anxious (and chaotic) is not having control of my schedule, and I’ve (we’ve) had A LOT of that over the past few months. It’s funny – what are our instincts when something major is changing? KEEP AS MANY THINGS THE SAME AS POSSIBLE! Ha! Flexible, I am often not. But I am working on it.

New longer commute? No problem. Finding new stores and figuring them out? Okay, I can do this.

But I stupidly tried to keep other things the exact same after our moves – how much I work out, how much free time I have, how much we cook, how many movies we can watch a week, and so on. Some big things, some little things. All important things.

And my point is, things are up in the air as construction is on going at our house, and even though it’s ours, we’re still in a bit of a limbo. We’re not settled.

So it’s nice, with all that, for me to have this space as my constant. And to share things with you each day and interact with people, for fun. Thanks for reading!

(And me mentioning this means the streak will probably end soon – ha ha – that seems to be how things go!)

Comments (26)

By kilax, April 5, 2016 6:23 am

Steven says to me in bed this morning “There’s poop on my face.”

Um, what? I must have not heard that right. “What’d you say?”

“There’s poop on my face.”

Oh man, I’m thinking. What did Data do? I just fed him! He is going to be in so much trouble!

I turn and look at Steven.

Oh.

Ha ha. There is a poop emoji pillow on his face. Ha.

Ahh, the poop emoji. One of my favorite emojis. My mom was just telling me about how she was at an event recently, and as an ice breaker, everyone wrote a question on a piece of paper, crumbled it up, threw it in the center of the room, then everyone grabbed a random question to answer. Hers was (you guessed it) “what’s your favorite emoji?”

Lamely (ha ha, just kidding) she answered “the smiley face emoji” (zzzzzzzz, Mom), but she did the story about how she never thought there would be a good use for the poop emoji, until I used it in a text to tell her my septic tank needed to be replaced. Apparently, the group thought that was very funny. <— insert smiley face emoji.

Speaking of poop emojis, I can’t wait until our other bathroom is ready to use again. It will be nice to go back to having two toilets in the house. This must really be on my mind, because I actually dreamt we had a third toilet that I had just forgotten about. Ha!

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By kilax, April 4, 2016 6:28 am

These two beautiful white birds that belong to our neighbor like to visit our pond. We enjoy seeing them!

On Thursday night, we had some other visitors. Coyotes. We heard them three separate times throughout the night.

Then on Friday, only one white bird showed up.

And Saturday.

And Sunday.

And today.

I am really hoping the other bird is off on official bird business. Because my animal loving heart REALLY needs to toughen up, if he/she isn’t!

Comments (5)

By kilax, April 3, 2016 1:58 pm

Highlight of the Week: Fast finish long run.

Monday | March 28, 2016: 8 m run + teaching strength class
Loc: VP Woods Loop, Temp: 42°/44°, Time: 1:11:08, Pace: 8:53 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: fine, annoyed with the wind
Strength: kettlebells and boxing pads, Difficulty: easy (observing boxing), Felt: good
Tuesday | March 29, 2016: 10 m run
Loc: DPRT/Kilbourne Loop, Temp: 51°/51°, Time: 1:25:47, Pace: 8:35 avg, Difficulty: medium, Felt: good, annoyed with wind, upset stomach
Wednesday | March 30, 2016: rest
Thursday | March 31, 2016: 15 m ride + 20 mins strength + 5 m run (incl. up ladder: 400, 800, 1200, 1600) + 5 m run
Indoor Bike Time: 1:01:46, Pace: 14.6 mph avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: fine, but too hot
Loc: hood, Temp: 62°/65°, Time: 42:12, Pace: 8:26 avg, Difficulty: hard, Felt: too hot then too windy
Loc: hood, Temp: 51°/55°, Time: 43:06, Pace: 8:37 avg, Difficulty:easy, Felt: good
Friday | April 1, 2016: teaching strength class + 7 m run
Strength: kettlebells and boxing pads, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good
Loc: VP Woods Loop, Temp: 45°/47°, Time: 59:45, Pace: 8:32, Difficulty: easy, Felt: okay, tired (didn’t sleep well night before)
Saturday | April 2, 2016: 5 m run + 15 m ride
Loc: hood, Temp: 31°/33°, Time: 44:23, Pace: 8:52 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, not horribly windy yet
Indoor Ride Time: 1:01:33, Pace: 14.6 mph avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good
Sunday | April 3, 2016: 15 m run + 15 mins strength
Loc: DPRT/Kilbourne Loop, Temp: 37°/49°, Time: 2:14:13, Pace: 8:57 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good

Notes:

• Ha ha, what a goofy weather week. Some runs were in shorts and a tank… and one run was in full winter gear, while it was snowing. Ahh, spring in the midwest!
• My long run was the first time since moving (so just over eight weeks) that I’ve used my hydration back pack – I’ve been too lazy until now! But some of the routes I want to run don’t have places to get water, and my handheld is barely enough for eight miles when it’s not hot, so backpack it is!
• March Recap! In March I ran 206 miles and cycled 104.25 miles. I taught 9 strength classes, 2 fitness boxing classes, 1 Burn & Buff class, and 1 indoor cycling class. I rode my bike 9 times outside of class (once outside!), and also did 6 strength sessions at home. My coldest outdoor run was 21°F and my warmest was 65°F. I did four doubles (runs) to get mileage in on my busier work weeks.

Link to Training Week 336

Comments (12)

By kilax, April 2, 2016 8:42 am

On her April Fools’ joke!

Snow?! Good one!

Ha ha, snow isn’t uncommon here in April and it will all be gone tomorrow. I’ll enjoy looking at it while it lasts today!

And I still have all my cold weather running gear handy, so it’s allllll good. To think, though, I was tentatively planning (earlier in the year) on racing for a half marathon PR today if I got my shiz together. I wonder how that would have gone in this weather – besides the snow it’s supposed to be REALLY windy. The cold temps would have been nice though.

Speaking of having all my cold weather outdoor gear still accessible – do you pack up winter and summer items when you aren’t using them? I didn’t at our townhome since I had a walk-in closet, but I think that’s something I might (have to) start doing now, to free up some closet space.

Comments (6)

By kilax, April 1, 2016 4:11 am

1. My mom being in Chicagoland for a conference (this weekend)! I’m hoping to see her once or twice.
2. Star Wars: The Force Awakens coming out on DVD on April 5!
3. Teaching fitness boxing, and teaching an outdoor cycling interval class with a fellow Efit instructor.
4. Using my “dump cart” to do some yard work! (I really enjoy picking up sticks… and we have A LOT in our yard.)
   
5. Dates with friends.
6. A visit to Dallas to see Gina, Steve and Luca, and to celebrate Luca’s fifth birthday!
7. A visit from my snister and her husband at the end of the month!
8. Contracted housework being done… maybe? Hopefully?!
9. Maybe hanging some artwork/photos up around the house!
10. That as of April 1st… I still have five weeks left to train for the Wisconsin Half Marathon. Phew!

What are you excited about in April?