Comments (9)

By kilax, December 30, 2016 6:16 pm

It’s a bit early to say what the exact difference is, but I definitely ran more (times and miles) alone this year than last year. Last year I ran 688.6 of 2260 miles with people. This year, I ran 192.1 of 1975 (so far) miles with people.

71.60% solo runs last year versus 89.38% this year.

103 runs with people last year, versus 34 this year.

Eek.

The question is… in what direction do I want that percentage to change, if at all?

Just me, and some ice.

I’m actually a very happy solo runner. I do miss the one-on-one time with close runner friends, though!

Comments (27)

By kilax, December 28, 2016 4:09 pm

On Monday I got to play photographer’s assistant and help Steven take Christina and Will’s maternity photos!

Note that I had my coat on! It was chilly and WINDY!!!

And last night I got to edit them!

Add those tasks to my “things I wish were my full time job” list. I greatly enjoy editing photos. And I enjoyed helping Steven out too. And spending so much time with Christina and Will this past weekend!

Five more weeks until the baby is due!!!!!

Comments (4)

By kilax, December 27, 2016 6:19 am

Highlight of the Week: Running in warmer temps again!

Monday | December 19, 2016: 8 m run + teaching strength class
Loc: RecPlex, Time: 1:25:33, Pace: 10:41 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: bored, but decent
Strength: one dumbbell + UNO, Difficulty: medium, Felt: good (disappointed in the small class size, but we had a lot of fun!)
Tuesday | December 20, 2016: 5 m run + 10 m ride
Loc: hood, Temp: 24°/25°, Time: 53:40, Pace: 10:43 avg, Difficulty: easy/medium, Felt: okay, frustrated w/the roads
Indoor Ride Time: 40:21, Pace: 14.9 mph avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: sore butt – need to ride more!
Wednesday | December 21, 2016: 1,344 yd swim + 7 m run
Loc: FitNation, Time: 30:15, Pace: 2:07 min/100 yd avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: great – enjoyed using my new headphones!
Loc: downtown Zion, Temp: 29°/30°, Time: 1:13:16, Pace: 10:28 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, but out of breath and hungry!
Thursday | December 22, 2016: 546 yd swim
Loc: FitNation, Time: 10:03, Pace: 1:50 min/100 yd avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: great, super frustrated with the headphones
Friday | December 23, 2016: teaching strength class + 1,008 yd swim + 5 m run (incl. 6×400)
Strength: one dumbbell and UNO, Difficulty: medium, Felt: okay
Loc: FitNation, Time: 20:48, Pace: 2:04 min/100 yd, Difficulty: easy, Felt: fine, frustrated with the headphones again
Loc: Lake Andrea, Temp: 34°/35°, Time: 49:49, Pace: 9:58, avg, Difficulty: medium, Felt: good, stiff in the beginning
Saturday | December 24, 2016: 3.9 m run + teaching strength class
Loc: hood, Temp: 34°/35°, Time: 43:11, Pace: 11:05 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, but DEAD legs!
Strength: whole body and boxing, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good
Sunday | December 25, 2016: rest

Notes:

• It was -10°F Monday morning! Ha! I wanted to get a longer run in, so I paid to use the nice but expensive for out of staters track by my house. Lucky me – they gave me the in-state rate! Woot!
• Tuesday’s run was a bit of a mess. It was warmer, and the sun was out (yay!) but it was SO FREAKIN’ WINDY and the roads by me where not clear/safe for runners yet, so there was lots of slower running in the snow. And one time getting sprayed by a truck. And my shoe randomly falling apart. Blah.
• My brother-in-law got me water proof headphones (and a new cap and goggles) for the holiday! I had a great swim on Wednesday with the headphones… then couldn’t get sound to come out of one earbud on Thursday, grrr. Which instantly made me mad, which defeats the point of swimming for relaxation! I called the company to ask for help and they decided to send me new headphones (which will arrive this week). I tried again Friday am (with different buds on the headphones) and had a similar issue (only now the sound would come and go from each bud), and had to stop a few times to get water out of my ears to hear the music. I ended up taking the headphones off to finish my swim. I can’t have music going in and out while I swim – that’ll make me batty. And like I said, I swim to calm myself, so I don’t want to get all worked up at the pool. I did read the customer notes on their Facebook page and the company recommended putting a bit of vaseline at the end of the buds to keep water from getting in your ear, so I will try that next!
• My Saturday run never synced to Garmin Connect, which, like the headphone issue above, made me way more irritated than it should have. I think it was because I updated my phone operating system but didn’t update the app. It seemed to work after I updated the app.
• I woke up Sunday planning to run but feeling WRECKED from shoveling, two strength classes, and sleeping horribly, so I took a rest day. That 2,000 miles for the year goal may be a stretch but we’ll see how the week goes!

Link to Training Week 374

Comments (15)

By kilax, December 26, 2016 10:47 pm

I was so upset after I got home and found out Data completely ruined our new ($$$) tree skirt by pooping and barfing on it three times EACH while we were gone. Wah.

But then I felt better when I went outside to call for the outdoor cats and Khali started meowing from the woods and running toward the house, excited to see me*!

(Picture from last week. It was NOT light out when we got home, ha!)

At least someone is happy we’re home!

And I was happy to see some of the snow melted while we were gone! I like having it, but I was worried about the cats getting around with how much we had. I know – I need this plate I saw today:

*We’ll pretend that is what it was

Comments (9)

By kilax, December 24, 2016 7:14 am

Now feed me.

Just a little creepy to see two eye staring in at you, first thing in the morning. Ha ha.

Comments (4)

By kilax, December 23, 2016 6:14 pm

It warmed up, yay! But watch out… because the snow is sliding off of our tile roof in BIG (dangerous!) sheets!

No snow on that part of the roof because it’s all here:

We can hear it inside the house when the snow starts to slide off the roof. We race off to watch it fall and go everywhere. Data is not a fan of it. This afternoon a huge sheet came off by where he was sleeping and he was freaked out!

This seems really dangerous for someone walking by. Luckily, no one is. Otherwise we’d have to put up signs like they do in the city:

I seriously saw a gigantor piece of ice fly off of a high rise in Chicago and land on the roof of a car that was driving down the street a few years ago. Those signs are serious!

Owning this home continues to be full of surprises! I wonder what is next?!

Comments (12)

By kilax, December 22, 2016 6:28 am

• Today is Steven’s birthday! Happy Birthday, Steven! No big plans… because we usually don’t have big plans… and he’s sick. Poor guy. Hope he feels better ASAP! I asked Steven if I could post this cute picture of him from 1986 – he said yes – if I added a beard. Ha ha.

• I haven’t mentioned Khali and Snow lately but they are doing well and survived outside last week when it was so damn cold. We bulked up their houses by putting rigid insulation all around them, putting a platform over them, and packing the space between with blankets. Steven is currently building them something warmer!

• Our driveway sensor is now linked in with a speaker, so besides hearing a tune when someone drives down the driveway, we also hear the speaker say “oh great, who the f*ck is here now?” Ha!
• Alyssa’s (my older brother’s wife’s) mom is so sweet! She sent me this frame and photo from Nick and Alyssa’s wedding in June. It means a lot to me. We’ve taken a photo of all the sibs at each wedding, and now the series is complete!

Link to Random Thoughts Thursday 120

Comments (10)

By kilax, December 21, 2016 12:08 pm

Ha, today is officially the first day of winter*, but because of the brutal (weather-wise) end we had to fall, I am already conditioned to be excited about temperatures in the 20s and 30s. Today’s run felt amazing at 30°F!!!

And if last week was a preview of the winter we’re going to have, I need to change things up a bit. It’s not safe (because of road speeds) to run outside at dark in the winter where I live. It’s also not safe to run outside during the daylight if there’s a ton of snow in the shoulders. So, I see more driving to safe places to run, indoor track runs, and even (gasp!) treadmill runs this winter. Gotta do it for my sanity!

*Happy Winter Solstice! The guy at the front desk at the gym this am excitedly greeted me with “I have good news! As of 4:44 am this morning, the days are getting longer!” Ha.

Comments (8)

By kilax, December 19, 2016 5:29 pm

Gah, December has been such a whirlwind, right?!

Two weekends ago, I had a four-day weekend in Texas with my otra familia:

This is the third year in a row I’ve gone with Luca to see Santa!

Steven couldn’t come, but we FaceTimed with him, and sent him some photos (including drawings by Luca).

I got to go to Luca’s school and have lunch with him.

Family pic!

Then after a short (and BUSY!) week (work, work holiday party, dentist, celebrating with Anne and Terry, house prep and shopping…), I had a four day weekend here celebrating an early holiday with Steven’s family:

Carbs, carbs, carbs

Me and the boys!

Up this week? Another celebration, Steven’s birthday, and Christmas with my family! I am having a lot of fun but I am so freaking worn out! I am definitely sleeping in on January 1st! (<— just kidding, if it’s nice, I will probably get up and run!)

Comments (6)

By kilax, December 18, 2016 7:38 am

Highlight of the Week: Exercising with family – a run with Steve (like a brother) on Monday and fitness boxing on Saturday with Andrew (brother-in-law)!

Monday | December 12, 2016: 8 m run (w/Steve)
Loc: McKinney, Temp: 36°/39°, Time: 1:17:11, Pace: 9:39 avg, Difficulty: medium, Felt: decent, just like I was getting a cold
Tuesday | December 13, 2016: 5 m run
Loc: hood, Temp: 15°/13°, Time: 51:57, Pace: 10:23 avg, Difficulty: easy, just slippery and slow in spots, Felt: good
Wednesday | December 14, 2016: rest
Thursday | December 15, 2016: 12 m ride + 2 m run
Indoor Trainer Time: 47:07, Pace: 15.3 mph avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, enjoyed being indoors!
Loc: treadmill, Time: 20:46, Pace: 10:23 avg, Difficulty: easy-ish, Felt: better in my second mile
Friday | December 16, 2016: teaching strength class + 1,218 yd swim + 5 m run
Strength: one dumbbell and UNO core workout, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good
Loc: FitNation, Time: 30:24, Pace: 2:30 min/100 yd, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good after I warmed up
Loc: hood, Temp: 19°/19°, Time: 52:37, Pace: 10:31, Difficulty: easy enough, Felt: good, happy to get a run in
Saturday | December 17, 2016: teaching fitness boxing
Strength: body weight, pads and gloves, Difficulty: easy (mostly observing), Felt: good
Sunday | December 18, 2016: rest

Notes:

• I am happy I got to start my week out with an eight mile run because I didn’t make much time for running any other day this week (ALL THE HOLIDAY PREP AND CELEBRATIONS!!!)! And of course, it was a treat to run with Steve, in Texas!
• On Monday, Gina, Steven and I went to see Meb speak! Meb told some of the same stories from the first time I met him, but he also talked about the Rio Olympics and how he’d still like to run marathons recreationally after his retirement next year. Meb’s such a great guy. If you ever have the chance to hear him speak, GO!
• On Thursday I ran on the treadmill for the first time in almost two years! I still stink at it, because, duh, I never use it. It’s a nice option to have though, at 9:30 pm when it’s single digits out!
• Our very cold days were followed by snowy days (then by very cold days again). For one of my runs, I ended up just running up and down my street (for safety reasons) – thankfully it’s just over a half mile long. I liked that better than the treadmill, ha.
• Andrew came to my fitness boxing class on Saturday! I can’t wait to hear how sore he is when he wakes up today. Ha! He says it was his annual “Kim is trying to kill me” workout, ha! I wish I lived close to Andrew so we could work out together more often!
• I also got a good workout from shoveling on Saturday! But that will probably not happen too often anymore now that we have a snowblower!

Link to Training Week 373