New Year's Eve

Today's Plan: run
I didn't want to run today. I didn't want to do anything today. But as I took Monday off, I was stuck with exercising in some fashion today. One should never take the first day of the week. Turns into a pattern as by the end of the week, I will be ready for a day off again when Monday rolls around.

Mother Nature finally realized that tomorrow is January and perhaps she should be seasonal.  It was 9 degrees when I went out to feed the horse. I came back inside and had breakfast.

After running to town (gotcha there, didn't I?) with the husband, I decided that it probably wasn't going to get any warmer and I better get out there.

18 degrees when I left the house. Leggings, an insulated layer and windpants plus two layers of fleece and a vest with gloves and I was ready to go. Today was a carrot and stick day: I promised myself a carrot and when I reached the carrot, I smacked myself with the stick!

 I had spent yesterday doing some heavy aerobics, so my thighs felt like mush. Ever have those days where you don't really feel in control of your legs? They found a rhythm and no matter what I thought, they weren't speeding up or slowing down.  The first half mile sucked. I think that is the technical term for it.  After that I kept promising myself that if I only did a mile, I would go back and do some yoga or weight lifting. To avoid that, to go home and be able to sit, I had to do two miles.

I was trying to avoid the wind, so my route was rather varied today.  After reading a trail running magazine, I am thinking about trying that. So when I saw a track leading off into a field today, I took it.

This is a great time of year to run in the fields, all is broken down and it easy to the holes before you run into them. Unfortunately the wind cut my excursion into the field short today. I will try again soon.

Turning around, I headed back towards home. Going down the hill to my house, I thought, I can go further. So I aimed at the half mile point beyond my house. Going up the hill to that point, I thought, why do I do this to myself? My legs felt like stone, my breath didn't reach deep into lungs, and the top of the hill seemed so far away.

I knew I could turn around where I was and still be over the two mile mark, but I had a specific point in mind and darned if I wasn't going to get there. Stupid OCD. But I made it, came home and stretched. Then I sat down!

Post Crazy....

I have to say here that I love Christmas and all it entails. I have spent the last two weeks soaking up Christmas movie classics and planning two (yes, not one but two) celebrations here at my house. I love the spirit of Christmas and while I agree with Charlie Brown that it is too commercialized, I also, like CB, wasn't going to let that ruin my Christmas. I make many of my gifts so I do avoid a lot of the retail mayhem. And, as a family, we don't go crazy. There are no TVs or cars bought and put under our tree.
I am what you would call a "crafty" person: there is no craft out there that scares me. I have made jewelry, soap, candles, and when the kids were younger, knit scarves and sewn fleece hats. Mistakes have been made, like the year I made the fleece hats and sewed the stretchy side of the fleece the wrong way and the hat wouldn't stretch to go around the kid's head. Or the poncho coat that I made that swallowed my sister in law. And my knitting doesn't go much beyond the scarves, I have carpel tunnel and tendinitis, so after two or three rows I need a break. And I am beyond horrible at keeping a gauge. But I digress.
This years gifts (jewelry, tea & potpourri) turned out excellently. The gatherings of the various families seemed to make everyone happy and the dinners (aside from squash gone bad) went on the table smoothly. And on Christmas night, I slept. And slept. I think the technical term is "crashed". And didn't have much get up and go on Friday either.
So, you ask, did I exercise? Were there any runs in those two weeks? Or was it just a sentimental snooze in between tasks?
The answer is yes, I did get some time and energy expended. However, Mother Nature, being whimsical as always, thought that rain would be lovely for Christmas weather. So not too many runs, but a couple in between the rain drops.  Fate, not feeling that losing my job and setting up for the holidays while searching for work was enough stress, also cursed me with that lingering malady, nasopharyngitis. Otherwise known as a cold. I have to say, it is very hard to do yoga poses, such as downward dog, when one's head is full and one's nose is dripping. I did my most "uprightest" yoga last week. And am very glad to be able to breathe through my nose this week.

12/15/14

Plan for the week: run, yoga, sprinkle in 7 day exercises
I know I complained (and complained) about having to do the 7 day exercises every, well, day, but  I am going to keep them in my rotation. They definitely toned me. I have to say that lunges can certainly make a runner. My thighs are so strong right now. Particularly on hills. If you have hills, as I do, I would suggest lunges, lunges, and then a few more lunges.
In one set of 7 day exercises 3 out of the 5 exercises has squats and lunges involved. I guess that really helped me. Three sets three times a week: I think I could even stay on Charby if she got excited at this point. Of course, I will have to keep doing them as I don't think I am getting on Charby until next spring. At which point she is sure to put me to the test. Back to the weather: I don't foresee any decent ground for a four-legged beastie to be exercised on anytime soon.
Mother Nature has been extremely capricious up here. Snow, rain, ice, mud, we have had it all. When I went out for a run one day this week it was unexpectedly lovely, everything had a sugar sprinkled and glazed look.

                                                The apples looked so cool with their glaze,
                                                            just ready for the plucking,

where the evergreens all looked as if Mother Nature 

had sprinkled confectionery sugar all over them.

Running outside does so much to uplift my spirits. I read an article recently where the runner said               " there's magic to be harvested, but you have

       to lace your shoes with at least the

slightest seed of a smile"

I have to say I don't agree with that. I can be having the worst day ever and go for a run and I feel so much better after just the first quarter mile. I have to focus on something other than my misery--or I may end up on my butt after I misstep. Once I am in the groove, my muscles moving smoothly along, my brain starts to work on the problem and if I don't find a solution, the endorphins at least kick in and it doesn't seem as bad. Even on a bad run day, where I have to use the carrot method to get me out to my destination, and I have side cramps and each footfall seems to take forever, I feel better when I get back: I did it through the awfulness and that can always make one feel better about oneself.

I think it just proves that we all run for different reasons. And have different ways of getting ourselves out there. But in the end, we all run. We all know the joy, the freedom of running away from our problems....and running back to face them, stronger for the journey.

12/8 My Week in Review

Last week was a....difficult week. It was the third week of my 7 Day plan and thank goodness. I was feeling the frustration of being locked into certain exercises and not having time to expand into other exercises. Time is not really an issue any longer as I  lost my job on Monday.
Even though I had more time, I was so overwhelmed that whenever I pulled up my blog to write, I couldn't sort out anything to say. Plus, I had been doing the same thing for three weeks. How much could I say about it?
I spent the week on the computer: looking at job sites, looking up career change information, doing tests to see what careers would fit my personality, thinking about college until my eyes crossed. Another reason my blog didn't get written. Today I went for my first long (my personal 5k route) run in weeks and it felt sooooo good.

I let it all swirl around in my head and this is what I think I learned this week:
   take the time to put in contacts in this weather. The metal of the glasses bites into my nose and eventually the glass fogs up and doesn't clear
  I would like to pick a career  path where I get to help people, not sell them "stuff"
  I'm a bit of an introvert (according to Jung--I think he could be right)
  Run on the white snow edges, it's safer than the ice and makes fun "crunchy" noises!
  I'm going back to school (how scary is that). I can go get a degree and still have 25 or more years to work
  There is always a silver lining. Sometimes a dark pewter lining, and you have to shine it up a bit, but it's there

I have always been a floater. When I ran out of money for college I simply shrugged my shoulders and went to work. I don't mind work, I've done a lot of rather arduous jobs. But now I think I'm going to make a plan, and pick work that satisfies me. We will see how that goes.


 

12/1

Today's Plan: Run with A set of 7day
From crisp winter we have settled on muddy spring today. I can only think of my spring runs for track in high school. I remember running back to the school with wet, dragging sweat pants. I am very glad I don't wear those anymore. The wind pants I wore today were much more practical. And lighter. The run went well, but again time became an issue. I was only able to get 2 sets of my 7 day exercises in. I am happy to say that I am definitely getting better at this set. I have to divulge a secret: I haven't gotten past one set of the other set. We will have to see tomorrow!

11/30

Today's Plan: run with 7day
I was getting a bit lost in my A and B sets for the 7day plan this week. I don't know why.  It just seems like a blur. As I made my plans for the day, I realized that I had not taken a day off this week. I wanted to start fresh on Monday, so I decided to take today off. Not that I got much rest. One cleaned, organized and redone library later, I had an attack of allergies.  Not only did I come up with a box of books to donate, I washed a couple loads of clothes to donate as well. After lunch I went to work on the cabinets under the kitchen and bathroom sinks.  After all the work I got the reward of watching the 4:25 football game.  All in all, a good day.

11/28 & 11/29

11/28: B set of 7day
11/29: run with A set of 7day
Friday's plan went well. I didn't have time to run, but managed to do the 7day exercises with a modicum of grace. It was, of course, Black Friday. I have spent years in retail, so I have never  really gotten into the consumer side of Black Friday. Right now the  job I have isn't effected by the chaos, and really, we were bored almost to tears Friday.
Saturday went exceedingly well. I think it is the first weekend where we worked inside and didn't have the stress of trying to get some big project done. The chimney is finished and fire is roaring routinely downstairs. The roof is on hold probably until spring, again thanks to Mother Nature. The forecasters are predicting several rounds of light storms, just enough to make it difficult to get the two or three days in a row needed. So we puttered and got some small tasks done and perhaps a nap on the couch with the dogs was had.
I did decide to attempt a run on the roads. I wanted to test how difficult it would be to run after a snowstorm. I know that at some point I will probably have to give up my runs due to the weather, but I had not planned on having to do it so early. It's not even officially winter yet!
The road passed the test. It involved a lot of focus on the ground and a lot of crossing the road to find the best footing. But I felt great that I got out there. I'm not shut down yet.

11/27

Today's Plan: B set of 7day
Mother Nature decided to rearrange my plans today. After dumping 10" of wet snow on us as a Thanksgiving present. a bit of clean up was in order. After the husband cleaned off the roof, it was my turn to deal with the roof rake.

In order to prevent the roof from falling in on Charby's hay, the cover-it needed to cleaned off. Now, before you ask, how hard could that have been? and think I just took the day off, you should know I am 5 foot tall on a good day. If I am tired and slumping I miss that mark.  The roof rake is 20 feet long. and the building is 30 feet long. And I had to manuever the tail end of the rake around trees, snowbanks and a rock wall. On the easy side. The other side had more mundane issues like stacked pallets and wheelbarrows. I think I will correct that next spring.

Once the hay was safe, I decided to do some stretching yoga to release my neck and arms. I have always said how much I enjoy yoga. But today I realized more exactly what is that makes me feel so good afterwards. 

One yoga teacher I had said " we don't do yoga in front of a mirror because you need to go within and realize, do I have the strength".* That is exactly it. There is a feeling of weightlessness in doing the positions correctly. My body feels beautiful and whether it looks that way or not is not important in that moment. No wonder I always wonderful after I perform yoga.

*Al Bingham, Yoga Zone, Ab Yoga for Beginners

Thoughts on Thanksgiving

It is Thanksgiving, and I am thankful: I am thankful that I live in a country where I don't have to worry about my home being bombed while I am at work, I am thankful that I live in a country that is not being invaded by an army led a dictator, I am thankful that I live in a country that is not being ravaged by disease. I am thankful that I have a home, a job, and a family and husband who love me.
Sometimes I think that amid the diverse and acrimonious politics and social unrest we sometimes need to remember what we have. It's not that our country is perfect. But we do have some aspects that are better than other countries who have active war and disease issues that make every day you make it through a blessing. Our blessing is that we don't have those worries. We have many issues of our own and a multitude of diverse ideas on how to fix them. Perhaps if we thought about the rest of the world's problems, ours wouldn't seem so bad and maybe easier to fix.

11/26

Today's Plan: run and 2 circuits of B set of 7 Day
I really needed to run this morning as it has been two long days since my last outing. Halfway into my first mile I wanted to throw the plan away and just keep running, it felt so wonderful.  The air was fresh, the sky was gray and I went up my first hill thinking about continuing my run and ditching the 7day. Then I realized how extraordinarily easy it was to get to the top and that I had not even thought about the hill as I climbed it.
It's not a terribly large hill, but it is early in the run. It can be a stumbling block when one is not warmed up. The hill is just over 300 yards long and about a 40% incline for the first 150, then a 25% incline for the last 150. The joke is that when one thinks they have topped it, the road continues to rise at 10% for yet another 100 or so yards. Just enough that your legs feel it but your eyes don't quite notice.
I knew I tend to get out of breath on the hill, so I drew in a large breath into my lungs at the bottom. That is the last conscious thought I had about running the hill until I noticed that I was at the top.
So I went back and did the B set of the 7 day. Because, obviously, it's making the difference.

11/25

Today's Plan: 2 circuits of A set of 7 day
That gets more confusing every time I write it. I have to say, 2 circuits made me sweat. It is time to clean my yoga mat. But I did complete the second set more quickly than the first. I am definitely getting better at the moves. I am getting sharper and have more concentration on doing them properly instead of just getting through them. I noticed that the first move of each set is the hardest. It's nice to get them out of the way and move on through the easier exercises. Of course, then you come around again and have to do them over. I didn't go for my run this morning, a lack of time and I wanted to ensure that I had time to do the 2 full circuits.
I went off to work empowered, happy and with a slightly aching abdomen......

11/24

Today's Plan: yoga
I decided to take a break from the 7 day plan and do yoga.  The 7 day plan is has been working me over and the yoga felt GREAT! Obviously my muscles needed the stretch.  I did it after work too, which meant all the stress from my day melted away. But back on the plan tomorrow!

11/22 &11/23

11/22: off
11/23: run with B set of 7day
My original intent on Saturday was not to take it off. But as I put it off, and off, and off throughout the day, somehow I just didn't get out there as I was supposed to. Some days rest is simply a better option. And it guarantees that one works extra hard the next day.
As I did. It was my first run since my fall and I was paying strict attention to where my feet were falling. But as Mother Nature is rather capricious, the road was no longer frozen. We are back in the 40s and even some 50s. My run went fine, but nothing extraordinary. I didn't go as far as I wanted since I had a deadline: meeting a friend for brunch and shopping. I certainly didn't want to be late for that. I was late heading down the drive for the run simply because we were putting the final touches on the chimney. Even had some woodsmoke trailing from the house last night.

11/21

Today's Plan: B set of 7day
It was the abs again today. Many of these exercises hit the lower abs, the ones that seem so hard to get working. No longer. I felt it all day at work. Which is a good thing, because I would hate to waste all that effort and not get results. I haven't been tracking whether I have lost weight or inches this week since I am not doing all the circuits yet.
This week I am only doing one circuit of the exercises. Next week I need to do two. The week after I will be up to full speed with three. I am going for a short run to warm up, which adds a bit more than they expect. They want me to do a two minute plank as a warm up. Oddly, that is not as much fun as you might expect. So if you don't hear from me after next Friday, you'll know I am too stiff to even type!

11/20

Today's Plan: run with A set of 7day
As I have mentioned before, we are putting in a wood stove this year. The best place for the chimney to go was up through the bathroom closet. On the upside, the bathroom floor will never be cold again with the stove right underneath it. Blissful.
I had to clean out the closet so we could take the shelving down before cutting holes in the floor and ceiling. While I was doing so I found that most of my first aid supplies had expired. And my band aids were all yucky. Either too sticky or not sticky enough. Why is this important?
I'm a klutz. I came by it naturally: my Dad had an ankle that threw him down repeatedly and he could make a glass of water set in the middle of a table fall over when he walked by. My Mom is worse. She and I have multitudes of little cuts and scrapes that appear from seemingly nowhere.
It was inevitable that I would fall while running I guess.  I was having a fabulous run, really feeling the groove. I am, however, not used to running on a frozen road. And I was watching where I was going, not  looking down at my feet. So when the rock I tipped my toe on didn't give, I went down.
I hit on my hands and knees, then managed to roll and hop up. I like to think I looked like one of those action stars rolling across the floor to avoid being shot. Unfortunately, I rather doubt it. The moral of this story? Always have a box of band aid on  hand. I had to wait until I got to work.
I did run the rest of the way home, it really didn't hurt very much. And the second day of my 7 day plan went much better. I was able to focus on doing the moves properly since I a frame of reference on how to do them. Still made me sweat!

11/19

Today's Plan:  B set of 7day
I have tried dance videos over the years in my search the perfect exercise. I am not terribly graceful and I have a problem following the more complicated steps: no matter how many times I rewind to watch it again. I felt the same way today.
This set of five exercises was aimed at the abdominals. Now, I do a lot of ab exercises. We all know I feel a strong core is necessary to be a effective runner. Three of the five were surprisingly easy for me. The other two, not so much. They used some parts of my abs that apparently I have not been using. And Atomic burpees. That's enough to make you pant.
These exercises have several steps, and getting into the positions is definitely part of what makes you sweat.  I would imagine that someone who knew what they were doing could do a circuit in a fluid 10 minutes, making three circuits a great half hour workout. I hope to get to that point. Right now I feel like I am watching Paula Abdul over and over as she explained the steps before making it look beautifully easy.

11/17 & 11/18

11/17 Plans: Off
11/18 Plans:Run with 7day Plan
So my plan for 11/17 went off without a hitch. Days off usually do. Tuesday was a rather nice day, and I didn't freeze as I went for my run. I did just over a mile as I had more in mind. In my magazine I am reviewing for October (yes, I will get it up there!) there is a 7 day exercise plan. As a part of my review, I thought I ought to try the plan. It has two sets exercises, 0ne set of 5 exercises for Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and another set of 5 exercises for Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. I think Sunday is for dying.
I did the first set of  exercises, which have 10 repetitions of the 5 exercises for 1 circuit. A full set would be 3 circuits. Beginners are encouraged to do 1 circuit and work up to 3. Thank goodness, because 1 circuit left me drenched in sweat. I have a feeling it will take more than 7 days to master this particular routine. Perfect timing with the weather as I will need a new challenge.

11/16

Today's Plan: run
I haven't been single in over 19 years. But once in awhile my husband has to go on trips for work. So right now I am single for 4 days. The first day is always fun, then I get bored and start to miss him. Right now he is in Fl, so at the moment I am just jealous of the weather.  Every time I talk to him he complains about being hot. While today is warmer than yesterday, that is still not anything I want to hear.  After getting up at 3:30 this morning to take him to meet his ride, I went back to bed on the couch for a bit. When I managed to wake up again. I took his car down to the mechanic's to be worked on while he was gone.
My original plan was to run home from the mechanic's as he is only 1.5m away. But I quite literally slept wrong on the couch and my sacrotuberous ligament hurt like a, well, it was uncomfortable.
(If you are wondering, yes, I had to look that up.) I tried to stretch it out, but all the stretches just hurt worse. Walking wasn't so bad, so I decided to stick with the plan. The worst that could happen would be that I would have to walk on the way home.
I ran up his driveway after parking the car and felt okay. So I went right instead of left and ran out a bit the other way before turning for home.  I did the carrot trick: I was only going to the first curve, but when I got there and was dithering if I was going to turn around I realized I was already on my way to the next curve. Funny how my feet make my decisions for me.
The hip was actually not an issue while I was running.  As happens quite often, my hip only hurts after I have been sitting for a bit. And I have been sitting most of the day, as I am enjoying my freedom by watching movie after movie.
Sad, you think? After all the work we have been doing--wood, roofing, yard cleanup--I am quite happy to do nothing! And this is day one. My day for whatever I want. Tomorrow I go back to work and the world starts again. It was nice to have one day with no pressures or needs.

11/14 & 11/15

11/14 Plans: yoga
11/15 Plans: run
Friday's plan worked out just fine. I got home from work and did a basic 20 minutes that were aimed at my abs. Saturday's plans, on the other hand, changed a bit.
I got home from work and was needed on roof patrol.  I have to say, it was cold. NOAA said it was 33 degrees, with a slight north wind. It felt far colder than that. The wind cut through all my layers (and I was layered and hatted and gloved) and felt like it was coming down from the Arctic tundra.
I wussed out and decided I wasn't going to attempt a run. I think being outside is worse because you know how cold it is. If you are inside and decide to go out for a run, you get all ready and just go. It's freezing but you are already down the driveway so you suck it up. Once you are out and already cold, it is hard to go in and change, knowing you are going to be running away from the warmth of your house.  I suppose some people would just run faster to get back to the warmth. Not me.
I did yoga instead. But, to be fair, I picked an older one that I haven't done in some time. It was longer than my probable run. The first time I attempted this particular routine, I almost didn't make it through the whole thing. So I think that it evened out in the long run. It was most likely harder than my run would have been anyway.

11/13: Learning the Curve Part 2

Today's Plan: Run
I took yesterday off due to my tiredness on Tuesday. I think it was the right thing to do as I feel like actually doing something now! Today I had a short day at work, so I chose to run afterwards as it is getting chillier and chillier out there. Not as bad as Colorado, but I think that weather is on it's way here.
 It was not a good day at work, and coming home to a run was a wonderful thing. Getting out there in the fresh air and focusing on making it up the next hill can really put problems in perspective. Or at least make you forget you have them. I seem to be doing a "progressive" week: started off at just over a mile, then just over two, and today I did just over three. Guess I know how far I will be running this weekend.
My "middle region" has been giving me fits this week, and I had trouble finding my stride again today. But as I ran down the dirt road and crossed onto the hardtop, it got easier. I decided I was finally relaxing and picked up my pace a bit. However, when I returned and hit the dirt again, once more I had problems. It then occurred to me that I can blame my town.
We moved onto this little dirt road in 1982. The town seemed to forget it existed except around tax time. In the 80s, there were only three houses on our road, so I am not sure I can blame them.
We were the last in town to get plowed, and that usually after my parents called the gentleman in charge of plowing to explain he had forgotten us again. We once had a spring storm that carved out a three foot chasm in the road just above my parents' driveway. It took several days to fix. Good thing we live on a loop so we could still get out!
Over the years, our road became more popular and now we have 10 whole houses on it.  They still drive by our road when plowing and come back when all the tarred roads are done to plow us out. But they grade the road a bit more often to get rid of the potholes these days.
Suddenly, however, our road has become a flurry of activity. They tarred the end of it. That was a surprise when I came over the hill in a run last week. Just an apron leading into our road. I'm not an engineer, so not sure how that helps. They widened the road a bit on that hill too.
But the big news was the granite they blasted out just above my parents old driveway. The road is at least twice as wide there now. Apparently, they are trying to prevent erosion and any other three foot chasms (we only ever had the one). Then they graded the road. And got a bit slap happy with it. The rocks rolling around my road right now are huge. It's like running on a gravel driveway and constant focus is needed to not twist an ankle. And they changed the crowning. I can't find my stride because running where I am used to it is not where the road is flat now. Argh.
Now I have to figure out where to run all over again. And I can't ride Charby on the road because of the rocks. Imagine having four bare feet on those rocks and carrying someone on your back.  Our back fields are slippery and wet due to the lovely wet snow we got two weekends in a row. Looks like she will be getting a vacation. Somehow I doubt she will complain.

11/12

Today's Plan: run
I think that all my weekends of work have finally caught up with me. I didn't want to do anything today.  Being Veteran's Day, I had it off. I had to go to town to resupply the house with food and other essentials.
I managed to drag myself to the car finally around 9:30 or so. After running around the stores, I got back home around 12. (I live in the country, it takes me awhile just to get to town.)
I decided to go for my run as soon as I got home and put everything away. I was afraid if I sat down I would never get up again. My run wasn't as  long as I hoped. Frankly, I spent most of it thinking about my lunch I planned on when I was done. I couldn't seem to find my stride today, my run just felt awkward. Strangely, my pace was good. I seem to be going about 30 seconds or so faster on my first mile, and the following miles are faster than my first. It makes me feel good knowing that my times are getting better, especially since I haven't been focused on that aspect. Now I just need to find my stride again. There is always tomorrow.

11/7-11/10

I had a rather busy weekend, so I think we will wrap it all up in one post. Friday I did some more yoga. I did free form again, but focused on stretching and lengthening poses instead of the strengthening poses I did earlier in the week. Saturday I went for an early morning run. It was chilly, but refreshing. Shortly after my run my family showed up.
This weekend was the roofing weekend! Well, half the roof anyway.
My brother brought his two boys up and helped strip one side of the roof.  I was amazed at how much they got done so quickly. I didn't have to go up on the roof to help, but I don't think I sat down very much that day. I cleaned, cooked and walked the fence line so Charby could get out of the barnyard. Had to run and get some supplies as well.
My husband's family showed up with the metal roofing shortly after lunch. It was wonderful to see them, but definitely added to the chaos. We unpacked the trailer while they ran off to see other local family members.Amazing how small my entire roof looked packaged up.
I did get to spend the day with my mom, who also came up with them, and watch my younger nephew sit in a recliner and play Mine Craft all day. His focus was astounding.
Sunday started the cycle all over again. Up at 6:30, made pancakes and got to work. Again with the running to town for supplies. Since the boys didn't need me immediately after  I returned, I went out to do some work in the barn. This included a lovely irrigation ditch, since last spring all the snow and ice that built up along the side of the barn melted and caused a river in the barn for several weeks. Directly across Charby's stall, no matter how I tried to block it. So this year I am being preemptive.
I have to say, wet clay mud is not fun to work with, it wouldn't come off the shovel, or me! And let's not talk about the tree roots in my way.
After changing into some clothes that did not have mud all over them, I spent the rest of the day helping with the roof. We were so close to done when the light went on us. Probably 5 more pieces across the end and we would be done. So that will be next Saturday afternoon. I didn't get a chance to run, but I think with the digging, and the lifting and the up/down the ladder a dozen times or more, I got plenty of exercise in for the day. By 6:30 we were sitting cross-eyed in front of the tv.
Monday I got up and ran in the chilly weather again. Forgot the the thick socks this time, but after half a mile, everything warms up and the vented toes are a good thing!

11/06

Today's Plan: run
I went back to my regular running sneakers and my legs felt much better the rest of the day after my run. Definitely needed the thick socks. It is getting chilly out there in the mornings. But no ice this morning.
I went back on the whey protein in my yogurt this week, only this time I started with a third of a serving. No bad reactions this time around. My real question is, how will I know if it's helping?
I started taking Glucosamine/Chondroitin early in the summer to help with any problems I might have with my knees or ankles. In August I finished the first bottle (I'd gotten a 2pack) and stopped taking it. In September I noticed that my knees in fact did feel worse and were more likely to hurt in between runs. Since I have started taking the glucosamine again my knees are definitely better.  I also take magnesium, which is good for bone and muscle health. I don't see the benefits as clearly, but it can't hurt!
There are so many suggested supplements out there, I really feel overwhelmed. If I can't see a noticeable effect, I don't want to take it. I try to eat enough natural and unprocessed food so that I can get a lot of the nutrients I need without supplements. (ignore the gum drops I was eating while starting this post) It doesn't always work. But it's the thought that counts, right?

11/05

Today's Plan: yoga
Like a normal morning, events took longer than expected this morning and I decided to do yoga instead of running. Now, keep in mind that running two miles is less than 22 minutes. I did yoga for 26 minutes before I realized I should really get ready for work. I was only 3 minutes late! That was the amount of time it took to feed Charby on the way out the driveway.
For some reason, running away from the house makes me nervous if I don't have a lot of time. I feel as if something were to happen, I would never get back in time. When I do yoga in the living room, I can quit at any point if I start to run late.
I enjoyed my yoga quite a bit today. I did what I call "free yoga" where I pull moves from my DVDs and put them in whatever order I feel like.  I have been resisting the idea of yoga recently, I just haven't wanted to do get down on the floor and do it. As a yoga lover, it was rather odd. I think I have just been feeling stale about the routines I do.  This morning, however, I got that well twisted feeling after I was done. Makes me look forward to doing it again.
I have the same problem with other types of exercise too. Just doing the same thing over and over can become old quickly. Running the same paths, doing the same DVDs, performing the same weight moves, using the same elliptical, can all be extremely boring. Whenever I don't want to do a particular exercise, I know I need to do something different. Not necessarily a different exercise, just find a different way to do it so I can enjoy it again.

11/04

Today's Plan: run & weights
We all know that I have been clamoring for Daylight Savings. And I was greatly disappointed in Mother Nature on Sunday as she dropped quite a bit of wet, heavy snow on us. This morning I got up, the sky was lightening, and I went running.
My sneakers are made for summer, with vents over the toes. I have a rather big collection of shoes and amid the selection was  a pair of LL Bean slip-ons with a solid, grippy sole. I thought I would try those so if I hit any patches of snow or water I wouldn't come home with wet feet. The sole looked like it would be good for cushioning impact and keeping me from landing on my butt.
I only went for a short run. I decided that if the shoes were going to be an issue, it would be better to not get too far out. They felt fine while running. I have noticed some soreness on the insides of my calves, stretching up from the ankles.  My knee was also unhappy this morning. I think I will go back to my normal shoes with thick socks. And I will jump over the puddles.

That would be ice on the bog! 

Learning the Curve

My mother is fearless.  When we had a rabid raccoon in the barn, she caught up two bricks and headed off after it. This is where I like to say that I am the one who grabbed it by the tail and threw it when it went after the dog--all the while screaming like a girl for my mom. My dad pointed out to her that smashing  bricks into an animal carrying a blood borne disease wasn't perhaps the best idea.  We did find another way to deal with the raccoon and had the Wardens take it for testing.
When we ride the horses on our road, Mom is fine heading down the center of the road. I take a bit more after my dad. He was a worrier. He comes by it naturally from a family of worries, so I don't let it worry me that I also inherited the gene.
I am more of a defensive rider.  I prefer to ride on the edge so that if a car comes I don't have to worry getting out of the way in a hurry. Cars have a tendency to fly down the road, especially around the corners. A horse is much harder to maneuver than a dog when when faced with an idiot in a vehicle.  I do like to plan ahead for any complications in most situations. Although most situations never require my well thought out plans, I feel better for having them.
My mother doesn't worry about getting out of the way, she'll do it when it's an issue. Of course, her horse was twice the size of mine--a draft Thoroughbred cross.  Cars would think twice before getting that as a hood ornament. And this is the woman who once slid across a New Jersey highway on a horse: horse shoes and pavement don't always get along.  After that, our little roads couldn't possibly bother her.
My horse has never wanted to walk on the edge.  I used to think she was just being contrary. She can be like that. Then I started running.
And I learned about crowning the road. For anyone like me who never gave any thought to this, they engineer the roads so that water runs from the high point (the yellow line) to the low point (the ditches).  Obviously this makes it safer during storms for drivers.
It also makes it hard to run (or walk with four legs) on an even surface. Running on the edge can be like running with one leg an inch shorter than the other. Hard to get a good stride going and painful when done.
I have figured out over time where the flattest place to run is on my local roads. It sometimes involves crossing the road several times during the miles. And I let Charby walk where she will now. I feel much more sympathetic towards her.

11/1 &11/2

11/1 Plans: weights and yoga
11/2 Plans: run
I didn't have anything terribly exciting to say about yesterday's  exercises so I thought I would just do a combination blog today. Yesterday's plan went, well, to plan. I went to work in the morning and got home around oneish. I thought I might even get a run in instead of yoga, but then the rain drops started hitting the windshield. Oh well, I went home and did the weights and some yoga aimed at my abs.
This morning I planned a run.  I set my clock back before I even went to bed. Even though my husband said it was bad luck, I sniffed at him and didn't worry. Maybe I should have. This morning the sky brightened an hour early. Yay! But, knowing how excited I was to be able to run early in the mornings again, Mother Nature handed me (and my neighbors) another gift:

It snowed all day. In fact, it is still snowing. It's a lovely wet snow, weighing down the fence lines and making us clean off the dish several times in order to watch the football game.
So I did what any normal person stuck inside unexpectedly would do: I rearranged the living room and helped my husband build a chimney. (That is normal, right?)The living room was much easier than the chimney. My husband actually mentioned an idea to change our living room last week, which was astonishing as I am the reorganizer and he usually just groans. I let his idea percolate and since I had time today, and I was vacuuming and moving everything anyway......
We are still working on the chimney, but we got a good start today. Nothing more fun than cutting holes in the floor and ceilings. Until you realize that the chimney is going to hit a roof truss. *sigh*

Lying to Run

Everyone lies. From the harmless "gee, your hair looks great" to the more severe "I don't know what happened to the copier, but let me call the repair guy".  Hopefully that is about the worst people I know do. I try not to do anything more serious than that myself. I mean, unless I am forgetting to tell the husband something.
Except when I run. Turns out, I can be downright deceitful with myself.
I promise if I can get to a certain point, I can go back. Then I get there, and since I made it that far, I pick another point--if I can only make up the hill, then  I can be done. And then again. Somehow I can lie myself right through the whole run. One would think I would stop falling for that.
I also lie about my pace. When I feel like I am going as fast as I can and I want to slow down, I promise myself when I really can't go that fast anymore, I can reduce my pace. Some days I am amazed how far I can go before I have to go slower. Some days it only takes the next hill.
I did a poll among my friends to see who else uses the carrot trick. I found some other tricks that work well too. A good one is to use a running buddy. One friend runs with her 12 year old, so she has to keep going--no one wants to admit to their child they can't keep up . "If she goes with me I can push myself".
This worked out great for both of them.  Her daughter is having a terrific cross country season this year. And my friend did the Beach Raid in September.
Another friend uses constant dialog in her head the whole time. She also uses an audio Couch to 5K program, which prompts her when to run and when to walk. She says it helps to have someone in her ear telling her what to do.
I know a lot of people use music to keep the run moving. In my life, music is background noise. I always have it on.  I love music, especially anything with a beat. But I have a tendency to get lost in my thoughts and I miss parts of the songs. That happens when I run as well. (Frequently I am thinking about my next blog) So while I do love to run with music it is not a driving force for me to run faster or longer. I think it just sheer determination some days that keeps me going. Other days, it is just the sheer joy of being outside, surrounded by nature and feeling of my muscles smoothly working together.
How do you get yourself going? More importantly, how do you keep yourself going while out there?

10/29 and 10/30

Today's Plan: run
My runs for the last two days have been hard. Each step was so difficult, and the breath just wouldn't come. Good thing I am stubborn.  If I know I can do it, I won't give up. So I finished my runs. I just didn't enjoy them.
It took me a bit to figure it out, but I finally realized that I did it to myself (geez, I hate that). As I have been researching running and all it entails, I read an article about runners needing more protein than people who don't run.
I don't eat a lot of meat. I am not vegetarian, I just don't tend to eat  much. I eat salad for dinner most nights, and if my husband grills steak then I put some on my salad. Or I get chicken sausage and heat that up and throw it on the salad.  Breakfast is usually grain based, and lunch is a version of crackers, cheese and apple. Throw in a bunch of trail mix (at least that has soybeans and nuts for protein). The rest of my diet is, well, certainly not protein based. At least, I don't think Twizzlers have protein.
I decided that perhaps I should add some protein and therefore ordered myself some whey powder after doing some searching for the best options. I got flavorless. I think flavors in powders are never as tasty as they promise. Plus, I didn't want extra chemicals in there.
Monday morning I prepared lunch, putting the recommended amount of  powder in Greek yogurt.  It tasted fine, just made the yogurt a bit thicker. Monday was my day off, so I didn't really feel any different. Tuesday I went for just a quick run based on the sunset, and it was a little difficult. I just figured it was because I was pushing my pace to cover as much ground as possible before I couldn't see the ground. But my longer runs this week showed me that something was definitely wrong. It was as bad as running (close your ears gentlemen) during the week of my period. And every night my lower belly was definitely not happy.
Basically, while milk products don't usually effect me, adding milk based whey to yogurt was very disruptive to my digestive system. I was lucky I could still button my pants, as the bloat swelled. I am backing off  and will be adding it back in slowly. It will be just the yogurt for lunch the rest of the week and next Monday I will start by adding a little whey and work it up to the recommended amount. Probably should have done that at first, but who knew? I do like to just dive in.

10/28

Today's Plans: run
Just not a sufficient amount of daylight. I couldn't get out early enough to run before work, so I raced home after work.  Let the dogs out, changed quickly and headed down the driveway.  Managed a whole mile. *sigh*
I guess these kind of days are bound to happen.  Better to get out a little bit than not at all.  I felt like I was putting out a good pace, but don't really know because when I got home and looked at the tracker, I saw that Endomondo decided to do an update in the middle of my run. *sigh*
But the sky was gorgeous! I couldn't quite get to the top of the mountain before it all disappeared. So I took what I get.

10/26

Today's Plan: ride
The horse won out today. Although, since I went out first thing in the morning before breakfast, I'm pretty sure she didn't think she won anything. Saddle was very chilly at 7:30 in the morning, so not sure I won either. The bit was as well, which I tried to warm up in my hand before putting in her mouth.
I figured this week's mileage for running was not going to be much due to Mother Nature, and I really wanted to ride Charby. I never feel that she gets enough attention.  After my ride, I had breakfast (she wasn't the only one out there on an empty stomach) and went out to help my husband.
My brother got a wood stove from my parents when they went to pellets. He never actually used it and it has been, annoyingly for him, gathering dust and in the way ever since. So he offered it to us when cleaning out his garage. After some dithering, we said yes and the next thing I know it was loaded in my car.  I was afraid it would probably be gathering dust and in our way, but my husband has leapt into action.
This weekend we borrowed a wood splitter and went to work. Two cords of wood and some aching muscles later, our wood shed was 98% filled. And I certainly wasn't going for a run afterwards. But I am pretty sure I got an excellent workout: deep knee bends  to pick up logs, weight lifting as we stacked the wood, core work as I twisted while lifting.
Next we need to get the chimney built. More on that later!

10/25

Today's plan: run
And run I did. The sun came out today. It was marvelous!

Apparently, the sun inspired me. I had the best times for first and second mile in several months. I guess I was just ready to get out there this morning. After my run, I went to town and wandered through Hobbit Land with my friend again. The stream was rushing so loudly after the last few days that we couldn't even hear each other.

My dad and I have seasonal disorder. I believe it is because we spent so much time outside. From early spring to early fall, we were both out working the farm. Whether or not the sun was out. So come late fall and no sun or outside exposure, we both showed signs of SAD.

For me, I pretty much want to hibernate. Eat lots of food, and sleep. This is when I put on my winter weight, which I then spend the spring and summer trying to get rid of.  A vicious cycle  I am trying to break this year.  It is very difficult at this time of year for me to tell myself I don't need that extra cookie. I can just talk myself right into it, and maybe a few friends. 

Fortunately, running keeps the scale from yelling at me too much. It also gets me out in the sun more. Normally the second it gets chilly, I turn into an indoor chick. This year I don't see as many signs of SAD.  It could be the combination of both running and being outside more, but I am glad it is working!

10/24

Today's Plan: weights
I have taken a new position at work. Whereas before I worked 8:15 to 5;15 with a half hour drive, now I float all around the region at various times and various drives. It worked quite in my favor for the first few weeks, but this week they sent me a bit out of my normal path. So yesterday and today I worked 8:15 to 5:15 with an hour drive either way. Makes it difficult to exercise.Especially with the lack of light.  I know a lot of other people have this problem as well . So I ended up taking 2 days off this week, I just didn't have the time. I definitely have the guilt. Thankfully I have the weekend off so at least I can put some serious time and effort into my exercise, among all my chores for the weekend. And my team is playing, so we all know where I will be on Sunday :)

10/22

Today's Plan: yoga
It was a perfect fall day. If you believe in the fall day that we see in atmospheric scary movies: dark, gloomy skies, trees twisting in the wind and leaves swirling around the sky. Not to mention a rain you can't see through. It was the kind day you hope you wake up with electricity the next morning. Once in a while, on a lazy day, this kind of weather is fun. One curls up on the couch and watches said scary movie or reads a thriller, knowing all the while that they are safe inside where the weather can't touch them.
After three days, enough already! Especially since I had to work and did not get to laze on the couch with the puppies and a good book.  Even yoga is not much help to your mood when you haven't seen the sun in three days. I did it like a good little yogi, and now I am just hoping the sun will come out tomorrow!

10/20

Today's Plan: run
Counting the days until Daylight Savings. Got a lovely run in after work, just not enough time before work right now. Barely had enough time for the 2 miles before sunset, it was very difficult to see my way over the ground on the way back.  I was going to take a picture of the sunset from the mountain top, but the clouds had already moved in over the horizon. Apparently it will rain for the next 4 days in our corner of the world. Then there is the threat of snow on Sunday. Mother Nature is not being good to us. I'm not sure why I expected she would!

10/19

Today's Plan: run
Started off gray this morning, and I got off to a slow start. It's nice that it is cooler now, so if I don't get up and run first thing on a day off I can do it later without dying of heat stroke. My husband decided to build a new bed for us today. He's been thinking of it for awhile, the one we have is the one he was sleeping on 19 years ago when I met him. It has certainly seen better times, especially since our springer puppy went on a chewing spree with the foot board.
I helped him this morning peeling the bark off the posts, then he finished it. He made it out of white birch. I love birch and our town is filled with it. Except on my property. Not a single one. So he made me this. He's a keeper. I find it slightly amazing that tonight I will be sleeping on a different bed:

If Daisy shares, that is.

We have been working on the bedroom for a while, as you can probably tell.  I think if we can  get it painted, we will just about be there. 

So after I helped him and did some computer work, I encouraged myself to go for a run. It's been a lean week, mile-wise, and I wanted to get as much as possible under my feet. 4.3 miles I was back panting in my driveway. And ready to be extra hands making the bed.

                               

10/16-10/18

Thur's Plan: run
Fri's Plan: off
Today's Plan: run
It is the most dreaded thing to happen to a blogger: writer's block. Thursday night I pulled up the screen and realized I had nothing to say besides, yup I ran. And did some groundwork with the horse.
Pulled it up last night and realized the same thing.  Argh! Hair pulling ensued.
So today as I ran, I thought about why I like to run. Here is what I came up with (in no particular order):

• Feeling the tension and soreness evaporate from my body as I find my stride
• The autumn golds and browns of the tapestry of leaves at my feet
• The fields rolling out from the road, with vivid patches of red leaved blueberry plants and fuzzy beige seed heads of grass nodding in the breeze
• The sound of my feet hitting evenly on the dirt, my arms swinging regularly, my easy breath. It makes me feel powerful, the sense of the muscles I have strived for working in concert
• The trees. Pete Nelson has nothing on me. I love the shape of trees, standing straight or bent by the wind, the texture of the bark, the broad branches and the gnarly branches, the lacy pattern of hemlocks. No matter the season, the trees are a joy to look at
• The deep jewel tones of  green moss-covered stumps, the blinding brilliance of birch trees swaying in the sunlight
• Going just a little bit further than I thought I would
• Turning into my driveway knowing it was a satisfying, strong run

10/15

Today's Plan: run
I don't know if I have mentioned this before, but I am a procrastinator. I believe it's genetic--or learned behavior--as my mother is also. She denies it vigorously, but I lived with her. If I can admit it, I can out her.  I certainly didn't get it from my father. My lists, now that I got from my father.
Anyway, instead of running this morning, I napped on the couch. It was a perfectly lovely morning   for a run. But sleep claimed me and it was also lovely.
My plan then became to run when I got home, knowing I should be home by 5:30 and it doesn't get dark until 6:10ish. Of course, when I to work I learned I had to stay a bit later since someone else was going home early. That's what I get for being a procrastinator. I managed to get home early enough to do just over a mile.
When I went down to my nephew's game on Saturday I was complaining to my brother that I can't get out early enough, especially at this time of year, to run as far as I want. His answer was simply to run faster. I snorted and we moved on. But he was right. I have been slacking on pushing myself. I have focused on distance, but that doesn't mean my times should suffer. At least, not as much as they have. I run defensively now: I am "saving" myself.
For what? If I really overtaxed my abilities, what is the worst that can happen? I can slow down. I could even walk. Holding back gets me nothing, but I use it as an excuse to not push  myself. Guess after this moment of self realization I will have to work harder. Ignorance is bliss!

10/14

Today's Plan: run
Best laid plans.....We need daylight savings time now. Couldn't get a run in before work because it was dark.  I don't mind running in the gray, or the rain, but I am not wandering around in the dark! I do live in the country and we can hear the coyotes howl at night. I would be bite size.
So when I got home from work I did some yoga.  After a long day, yoga seemed like a better fit. One session later and I felt much better. Tired as all heck, I will definitely sleep tonight.  Stick one little holiday in there and people get all crazy when you reopen.

10/13

Today's Plan: ride
I had a lovely long lazy day catching up on my dvr'd series. Watched a little Marvel Shield, ran to town and got groceries. Watched a bit more Marvel (I had a lot of episodes), then vacuumed and did some rearranging of the house. Moved on to Bones (omg, they killed off Sweets!) and folded the laundry while watching. Started the pot roast while watching the last Bones.
Finally, I figured I better get out and ride before it got too dark and I didn't get out there. Charby is such a good horse. She is happy to see me, even when I pull out the saddle.  However, I think she needs a friend. She has always been so independent around other horses, but I think she misses the support.  She was fritzy as usual in the wind. I had to get down to straighten out a fence post, so I decided to do a perimeter walk with her. It is a good way to convince Charby that there is nothing out there besides us and the trees. Silly horse was crowding me, thinking that I was going to protect her.  A reason that I think she needs a friend. On the other hand, it's good that she thinks I'm herd and going to protect her.
Ten minutes into our ride, I took her out through the field and she showed me a new trick--for the first time in eight years, she reared on me. Just a jump and pop up. Every time she spooks and does something new, it actually increases my confidence.  There wasn't even a chance today that I was coming off, or even sliding a bit. That makes my reaction unruffled and Charby calms down quickly. I still made her work for another 20 minutes.  I'd like to say she was calmer, but no. She definitely needs more exercise. Not sure I do, but I guess I will be getting it.

Today's Plan: run as far as possible
32 degrees this morning. Am I the only one impressed that I still went out? I generally am not a cold weather girl. My mom would ride in a snow storm. I tend to give up riding as soon as it feels chilly. Now I am wondering what will be my breaking point for running. Will 25 degrees be OK but 23 too cold? I couldn't see my breath this morning, and after the first half mile I certainly wasn't cold. But I did wear layers and gloves.  I made it 5.64 miles, which felt pretty good. Got home and had a whole wheat bagel with my sister in law's fresh raspberry jam. That was incredible.  I had spent a good part of my run thinking about breakfast. I never eat before I go out, and sometimes all I can think about is getting home and eating my breakfast.
The sun warmed up nicely and I shed layers as I spent several hours preparing an area for our wood shed with my husband. Then we had to drag the wood shed--which was an ice fishing shack and then became the shed holding tools out back--in from the back field. That was an adrenaline filled ride. He pulled it with the tractor and my job was to make sure it didn't roll as we moved it along the hill.  If it had rolled it would likely have taken the tractor and the husband with it, so no pressure there! Sometimes it is amazing what the two of us can accomplish. After getting it in place (without TOO much excitement) he went to help the neighbor and I get to watch the game. So glad it is an afternoon game, I have yet to make it through an evening game. Now if only the refs would make the right calls!

10/11

Today's Plan: off
My first Saturday off in three weeks.  So what do I do? Get up at 6 and drive an hour and a half to watch my nephew play soccer. He and his teammates made it worth my while with a 7-3 win. I then got to spend the day hanging out with my mom and family. Not a bad day at all. Even if it did rain during the game.  The sun never seems to want to come out when I go to a game.
I toyed with the idea riding the horse when I got home.  By the time I left the family homestead, stopped by Trader Joe's for some fresh veggies and drove up the highway, I was pretty much wiped out. So I went out and leaned on her while rubbing her face.  That seemed to satisfy both of us. Thankfully it's a holiday weekend, so I still have two days to play with her.

10/9

Today's Plan: Run
Here's the problem with arranging your day off around events instead when you actually need a day off from exercise.  Today being the 8th day since I took a day off, I had a hard time running. I wanted to run 3 or so miles, but I convinced myself after the first half mile that if I went back and lifted weights I only had to do 2 miles. Since I had only lifted once this week, I found this a fair trade off.
It is always good when I can make a deal with myself, and not feel guilty afterwards.

After work I met a friend in Hobbit Land. I believe it has an actual name but everyone in the area has always called it that. Wandering through the paths is a bit like entering Tolkien's world.  After an hour of walking and taking pictures (and gossiping of course), life felt peaceful.  No Golem or Frodo, but then, no orcs either. Another fair trade off.

An object in motion

                                   

I have said previously that I have hills everywhere I run, and really I do. If I go left out my driveway, immediate steep hill. If I go right a long hill after the first quarter mile. After the 1st half mile going left I have the choice to go up and then immediately down (up for the return trip) or down down down (up up up for the return trip). Continuing to the right, some long sloping hills that run through the old gravelpit.
The last few years, I let the hills intimidate me. It's one reason--a large reason--why I never got past a couple miles. I would walk up the first hill and run from the top going out the left. My excuse was that it was exactly half a mile from the driveway at the top to the tar of  the next road. And the hill I dubbed the Mountain, I never conquered that.
This year I embraced the hills.  I push harder going up the hill and relax on the way down.  I know that if I just keep putting one foot in front of the other, I can make it up the hill.  Even if a turtle could beat me.  When I run,I think of Newton's law of inertia:
                     An object at rest will stay at rest, forever, as long as nothing pushes or pulls on it. 
                         An object in motion will stay in motion, traveling in a straight line, forever, until something
                         pushes or pulls on it.
Ok, maybe not in those exact words. But I do think it is easier to keep going then it is to stop and then start again. Even on hills. Sometimes especially on hills.
                               I have a few tips for hills.
                               one: Don't look up! You know how they say don't look down? Well, looking up can be just as disheartening, and occasionally just as scary.
                               two: Breathe. Sounds simple, right? It's the first thing that goes, so make sure you concentrate on keeping it going in and out.
                              three: I run in the country, which equals soft shoulders. I run downhill on the shoulder to  keep the impact on my knees less. I don't run uphill on the shoulder. It's like running in soft sand. Why make your life harder going up a hill?

      So this is the bottom of my mountain. Sadly, it doesn't look as impressive in the photo as it does                                    when I'm at the bottom thinking about running back up it.

10/8

Today's Plan: yoga
What a lovely day: rain, wind, thunder, dark skies. It was a bit of a struggle this morning to convince myself I really did want to work out. I am going to watch my nephew play soccer on Saturday, and since I have to leave around 7:30ish, I plan to take that day off this week. Yoga today and running the next two days. So I couldn't skip today and I think that is the only thing that got me out of the recliner after my coffee. I picked a DVD I hadn't done in awhile, and my legs were shaking. I think that's a good thing, right? I lent that one to my mom years ago and she was not happy until I admitted that the first time I tried it I couldn't do it all the way through either.
It's good to have to work at harder exercises. Otherwise it gets boring. I always know that when I don't want to do an exercise that I need to do something different, that I have been doing that one thing too long.  I don't get bored with the running, but I definitely get bored with the routine paths I take. Same with yoga. Since doing the same movements work the same muscles, variety really is the spice of sports. After awhile, our bodies adapt to what we do repeatedly and we don't get the same amount of calorie burn or effort from the workout. Just keep telling yourself change is good!

10/7

Today's Plan: run
No idea how far or where I was going today. Those are the fun days. At the end of the driveway I just picked a direction: left. I want to increase my distance weekly. So the 2m run I usually do when I run left didn't seem far enough. So I went just a bit further, made it 2.65 miles today. Gotta love it when you run far enough to run into a rain storm and back out! I am always so impressed when I go out on ugly days, because I am often a fair weather exerciser. Weather had been my excuse for years. It's good to know I am making progress on that front. Also getting much better at being a morning person. Now if I could only stop procrastinating.

10/6

Today's Plan: weights and yoga
One more note about balance: used to be that when I ran I would get pains on the inner shoulder blade muscles. That has not been a problem since I started the weights. I do a lot of back exercises, at the suggestion of my massage therapist. We use our arms going forward so much that we don't strengthen our back enough. I added a rep to my lifting today. I think I have been doing the same thing for for too long and needed to step it up. I  find that with my running too. My times get slower since I don't push. Question is: do I care? Running is a joy, and while I definitely want to do more races and I am a rather competitive person, I want it to stay a joy. I figure this is a good time to work on distance and next spring I will worry about speed. Sounds like a plan :)

10/5

Today's Plan: long run
You know those days you keep telling yourself if you just get to a certain spot, you can turn around? I made a lot of promises to myself today.  First when I almost got blown backwards by a gust of wind, I promised that I would just run to the top of the mountain to take some photos. Then I realized that because of the layout of the mountain I needed to go down a bit further...and further...and then I was at the bottom. I didn't want to climb the mountain, so I convinced myself it was easier to continue in the 5m loop than to go back up. (I was in mile 1.5 of the 5. I really didn't want to go up the mountain)
I want to point out that it was gusty and rainy, the weatherman who promised that the storm was going out overnight to give us a nice morning was wrong. I am going back to the look out the window method.  There was one  particular hill I was worried about in running the loop this way.  I remember my mom trying to teach me to do hill stops on this hill with our standard Escort.  It did not work all that well.
I had to keep pep talking myself all the way to that hill. I made it up and I swear the sun came out. The weatherman was just a bit behind, I guess.  My 4th and 5th mile were actually the fastest of the loop. I felt like I could keep going forever--until I hit my driveway and my legs stopped suddenly.
After doing a bit of housework, I went out to ride Charby. The gusts of wind made her a bit flighty. Horses can hear far better than us, so hearing noises from far away carried by the wind and not having any idea of the causes can be startling to them. We had a bit of a tussle over whether we should canter or not (she voted yes, I voted no), but in general we had a good ride. It's such a pleasure to work with her.  She has such a personality that I don't people who don't ride realize. Horses are unique individuals and it can so much fun just to hang with them.

10/4

Today's Plan: weights and yoga
My father would be so proud, I actually watched the weather and planned around it. He said it was because he was a farmer, but personally I think he was just addicted to the weather. Dad watched it on the news morning, noon, and night. As soon as the weather man was announced, the refrain "weather!" would echo through the house so we would all know we better be quiet so he could hear. And if anyone else wanted to know it, they better get in there! It became a family joke.
Once the Internet was connected, he had the weather emailed to him from the local channel 6 three times a day. He still watched the news for it. Then LL Bean came out with the weather stations that were wireless so a piece outside told the computer inside what it was doing outside. He used all three methods.  When we cleaned out his office, he had notebooks full of previous years weather trends that effected the farming. Still, I think it was more for him than the farm. He was always disappointed that I was more fond of the "look out the window" way of knowing the weather. But today I knew it was going to be a rainy gray day, and planned accordingly. Weights in the morning and yoga in the afternoon.
I do feel the need to say that I am not going to the gym to do the weight lifting nor do I have any machines. I started doing weights for my upper body. I knew between riding and running my legs were just fine.  I figured I'd better work on the other half too. The magazine I am reviewing had an entertaining article about runner's bodies. The author, Rachel Toor, said she had a boyfriend who once told her she had the body of a T.Rex: big honking legs, tiny good for nothing upper body. She realized he was right when she tried to show 2 10-yr olds how to do a proper cartwheel and her arms were not strong enough.
Yoga does help with arm strength, planks and table poses certainly use my own body weight against me. But a strong core is important in both running and riding. Keeping your shoulders back and relaxed as you swing your arms rhythmically for the length of your run means having a strong back and arms. Plus, I just like to be balanced. And one never knows when one might have to do a cartwheel!
Article quoted from 9/14 issue of Running Times

10/3

Today's Plan: ride
"the best laid plans of mice and men".....When I went out to get Charby this morning, the first thing I saw was a dump truck rumbling down the road. Followed by a pickup. My horse isn't scared of vehicles, but a dump truck up close might do the trick.  Plus there is always the concern that a vehicle won't go slow enough and kick up rocks. A sharp ping on her butt might get someone a new hood ornament. I wanted to ride on the road because the dew is so heavy early in the mornings.  Wet grass is slick grass, especially when you have four feet going around corners and hills. Unfortunately, my ring is not particularly flat, or even.
Some days I am not flexible with my planning. If it turns out that I can't follow through on my plan when I attempt it, I will say I'll do something later but it rarely happens. Today I fed the horse, turned around and went back to the house. And put on my sneakers and went for a nice 2 mile run. Spent the day feeling pretty good about myself too!

10/2

Today's Plan: run
Still on the wagon. Even when I walked out and got a face full of misty rain.  Today was a good run, I had no idea how far I was going and ended up slightly over 3 miles. And quite a bit of hill work too.
Tonight I got the joy of getting my hair cut. Now, it really needed it so it was a joy just to chop some off. But I love going to see my stylist. Not only can she manage my hair, but she is perhaps one of the most athletic people I know. Cross-fit. Running. Tough Mudders. Weight lifting. She does all of that. So we always get a great talk. I know, everyone thinks you talk about  "girly stuff" at the salon.

9/30

Today's Plan: run
Back on the wagon again! Forced myself to start exercising again in the morning. It is amazing how well my day starts when I do that. I feel accomplished and that is a good way to go off to work. Then, when I am wiped out and faced with housework after coming home, I can relax knowing that I already went for my run. Another good feeling. It's like a two for one.
The weather was a boon too. After sweating all weekend, it was not hard to go out into the gray morning. We are losing 2 minutes at sunset every night now. How depressing. Soon I won't be able to run at night even if I wanted to. But that's ok, now that I am back on the wagon!

9/29

Today's Plan: yoga
Took the littlest training partner for a walk today. She was so excited to get out and sniff. I am not sure she even notices I am on the other end of the leash, unless I make her stop--or go. Yoga first thing in the morning is hard, so I thought a mile or so walk would warm me up. Running two days may be good for the running, but it definitely tightens me up. I was pretty much half way through the session before my heels would touch the floor in downward dog. And Daisy makes it look so easy.

9/28

Today's Plan: run

When I started, I decided to run every other day at the maximum. I am in my forties, and I have done a few not so good things to my body over the years. Carpel tunnel in the left hand, tendinitis in the right. Heavy lifting with both the farm animals and greenhouse plants. Raking blueberries on my knees for hours and then leaning over a blueberry winnower belt for more hours. A couple of decades working on concrete floors in various retail venues. The first time I threw my back out I was clipping a rose for farmer's market the next day. After spending several hours looking up at the sky I realized I probably had damaged my back when Charby had tripped the previous day and I pulled her up.

So I am a bit cautious about damaging myself.  But today the light went on. Running yesterday helped today's run greatly. I felt looser sooner. My time for the first mile was the best time I have had all summer for that particular mile. Thinking that I will try two days on and one off for awhile and see how that goes.

                                                      View from  this morning's run

9/25

Today's Plan: unknown
Today is the day where I want to do everything. I didn't know if I wanted to ride, run or do yoga.  Of course by the time I got home I was wiped out, and faced with making dinner and a sink full of dishes--my dishwasher broke a number of years ago and now I am the dishwasher.  Most days I don't mind, but not feeling it tonight.  Plus, I just wasn't feeling well. So I went out, brushed the horse (not that  she appreciated it as that delayed her dinner), made dinner and washed the dishes. Now I am done. And feeling guilty about  taking 2 days off in one week. Am I addicted?
I'm thinking I might be. I can be driving down a country road and think how nice it a run it would make. Driving up a hill, I decide whether or not I could conquer it (the first time up, that is. I can conquer any hill given time). I see a runner and wish I was running then too.  A large portion of my time is given over to exercise. How to do it. When to do it. Thinking about trying something new. Reading about exercise. Writing about exercise. I  don't think the question is whether I am addicted, but rather, should I be worried?!

9/27

Today's Plan: as much as possible
After another morning where I convinced myself I would run when I got home, another evening followed where that just didn't work out. How do I convince myself of these things? So there went 2 days in a row. *sigh* I need to push myself out the door in the morning. I do blame the season: as much as I love fall, it's hard to get motivated when you get up in the dark.
But you know how I keep saying I have those days where I can't decide what to do because I want to do everything?  Today I did! Before work I did my weight lifting. When I got home I ran. After a couple hours in the house, I went back out and rode the horse. I guess I did miss out on doing yoga. But after 2 days of inactivity, I feel much better.
Of course, summer returned this weekend. Everyone else seemed pretty happy about that. Except for the dingbat who went out for a run in the middle of the 75 degree afternoon. Keeping to the shade wasn't too bad but the hills in sun weren't as much fun as I had hoped. I ran further out than I originally planned to so I could walk on the way home and take pictures. I really can't resist the colors when I run by them!

I really don't like these trees (they just don't look like they belong in Me), 

but the colors can't be beat

Of course I don't like blueberries either, but I can certainly appreciate

the beauty of a blueberry field in autumn

I love texture, so I ventured into the woods for these guys:

9/24

Today's Plan: run
This is the time of year I wish I was an artist. I love the colors.  Light is just different this time of year. I love the slanting gold sunlight hitting the warm hues of the leaves.. There is the scent of woodsmoke from people warming up their homes with a fire in the air. It makes one think of chili or chowder with warm fluffy bread. Cool mornings and warm afternoons.
Speaking of mornings, it was plenty cool this morning when I opened the door. Forcing myself out there at 40 degrees took a bit of fortitude today. Once I stopped whining about the cold on my thighs, it turned out to be a good run. If one doesn't count the nose that was running faster than me. Am I the only one who runs with a tissue in hand?

9/23

Today's Plan: yoga
As I have said before, nothing soothes me like twisting my body into into pretzel shapes. My exercise over the years has followed a bit of a pattern. After about 8 months of solid regular exercise, I get tired and take a few weeks off. Last year I never reached that point. But last December I decided to take the month off. It's a hectic month, I just figured what the heck. I lasted about a week before I found myself face down on a yoga mat.
I get,oh, let's say, cranky if I don't do my yoga regularly. I feel guilty if I don't do my other exercises, and that tends to make me feel bad and therefore short tempered. But it is the lack of yoga itself that makes me cranky.  I don't know what it is about yoga. I try to read yoga magazines, but I am not really into the meditation and naturalistic lifestyle they talk about. But yogis must be right, because I feel better after yoga.
I think perhaps it is the long slow breaths, it certainly relaxes one and slows down your brain. That can only be a good thing at the end of a busy day. After a good session, I get the same feeling as after a good run: all my muscles have a delightful "we've been used" burn. And the endorphins are definitely released. Must be all the upside down poses!