Wandering aimlessly...

ounce wrote:"It's hard to count to 4 when you're pushing hard."


I suggest you take your 10-key with you.  

Good luck on Saturday and get that Age Group ribbon!  Sounds like a low budget operation.


So Nancy, what is Natalie's appointment time at the hospital for the C section?  Maybe we 3 can estimate a time of birth for each of the bundles of joy?  Give us the surgery starting time and we'll put in the time guessing PT zone.  One guess per baby.  (There IS supposed to be just 2, right?  No third baby hiding behind the other 2?  )

I hope both come with the standard equipment.

ounce wrote:Since I don't know the time of surgery, my guess is:

Thing 1 - 10:42 a.m. PT
Thing 2 - 3:44 p.m. PT

I'm actually not sure what time the kids were born.  I just know they had to be there very early.  We got word at 8:40 that the babies had arrived and everyone was healthy.  Just learned the names.  Ayda Jo and Ian Lloyd.  No details on weights yet.  No photos yet.  I think they have their hands full.  

Marty is taking care of the farm in Kevin's absence.  I'm waiting here to greet the older boys when they get off the bus after school.  We hope to pop in for a very short visit this evening if Natalie is feeling well enough.

That's GREAT news! 2 more in the herd. Nice names, too.

We got to hold the babies last night.  

Ian weighed 5 lbs 12 oz and was born at 7:57 am.
Ayda weighed 5 lbs 11 oz and was born at 7:58 am.  

Looks like Ian is in charge.

Everyone is doing well.  We're hoping they can all come home early Monday.

***

2019 MAC Dash

1:29:49 22/43 Overall,  9/24 Female,  2nd local Female, 2nd AG (they sent a 69 year old ringer from Bend that kicked my butt!  She races all over the country and boy is she impressive.)

Swim 11:09 10/24 Includes some transition time.  Actual swim time 10:15.
T1 1:51
Bike 44:44 7/24 17.0 MPH
T2 1:36
Run 30:26 14/24 @10:18

This was a new course so I can't really compare my time with old times.  I knew I wasn't as prepared as I have been in the past and I knew that the run would be the toughest.  It was.  I was actually pretty pleased that I ran it as well as I did.  I haven't done anything much under 11:00 lately.  I would have liked to keep the actual swim time closer to 10:00 or under but I was pretty done.  Very pleased with my performance on the bike as that's where I spent the least amount of training time.  I didn't hurry through transitions as much as I could have.  I made sure I took time to refuel and take a deep breath.

I came home and just needed to crash.  Felt pretty awful.  I probably pushed a bit harder than I should have...  Feeling a bit better now.  My upper hamstring/glute was bothering me earlier in the week and it was not happy during the run and still isn't.  

So Fanny (39 years old) was the local that beat me.  She usually participates in the relay but opted to do it as in individual this year.  She's a biker.  She concentrated on triathlon this summer and this was her 4th or 5th.  Really nice lady.

I visited with the 69 year old ringer (Jeanette Groesz) a bit.  She is impressive.  We swam in the same lane and she was only 30 seconds ahead of me but I never saw her again!  She took off like a bandit.  I remember her from this race a few years ago and she's always winning races in Bend.  I googled her name and found out she placed 5th in her AG in the Worlds Duathlon competition in Denmark last year.  I guess I've got some work to do. 

Need to get some rest and continue to refuel.  I'm pretty beat.

***

Gary has stepped in and is getting the Parsley seed harvested this afternoon as Marty had a family funeral in Vancouver this afternoon.  It's supposed to rain tomorrow.  Once the rain stops we'll get busy and get the carrot seed and the last cutting of hay harvested.

Ultreya...

I would think that 11 lbs in 2 babies would be well received by the ob/gyn. Are they supposed to be identical?

I'm pleased that your pleased with your times, since I don't know doodly squat about times. Did the race director and the volunteers put on a good race?

Enjoy the healing!

ounce wrote:I would think that 11 lbs in 2 babies would be well received by the ob/gyn.   Are they supposed to be identical?

I'm pleased that your pleased with your times, since I don't know doodly squat about times.  Did the race director and the volunteers put on a good race?

Enjoy the healing!

Not identical...doesn't work when they are different sexes.  Definitely two eggs.

It was a good race.  A couple hiccups but it was OK.  They gave a good effort and did well with the short time they had to work with.  It was a different race and change is always hard.  They didn't have announcers.  In the past we had announcers in the pool, in transition, and at the finish.  They knew most of the participants so they provided a really fun commentary.  We missed that.  Maybe they'll be able to organize it for next year.  No photographer either but it's a small race so not really expected although it's been provided free of charge in the past.  A volunteer snapped lots of photos that he's happy to share.  They are already talking about change and improvements.  They are doing this for the community and are putting in a lot of time and are enthusiastic.  What more can you ask.  

Hamstring/glute is getting worse...hmm

Congrats on the new additions!  And congrats on the race!  Carol says that Bend is a tough place to "compete" and I think of it as the west coast "Boulder" so I'd say you are most definitely holding your own!

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:Congrats on the new additions!  And congrats on the race!  Carol says that Bend is a tough place to "compete" and I think of it as the west coast "Boulder" so I'd say you are most definitely holding your own!

Thanks Michele.  Twins are home and doing well.  They lost a bit of weight but have plateaued and are holding their own.  They are supplementing with donor milk and formula until Natalie is able to produce enough milk for them.  

Yes, Bend is definitely a competitive town.  I didn't think of it as being similar to Boulder but I guess that's a good comparison.  A few years ago I read that Bend had the highest number of specialist doctors per capita as they all wanted to live in Bend and enjoy the recreation opportunities.  It said that Bend also had the highest number of Olympic athletes per capita.  I don't know if those statistics were/are true but it's interesting.  I do know that several high level athletes are raising their families in Bend and as a result the high schools have awesome training facilities and are very successful.

***

I think the pain in my butt is a strained hamstring.  I made an appointment with a PT tomorrow to confirm my suspicions and give me some suggestions to get it healed and healthy.  I originally noticed it as I was transitioning into my run during a short brick workout last Thursday.  It wasn't bad...just there...and I only noticed it at the beginning of my run.  It was pretty painful during the transition into my run during the race and it didn't go away afterwards.  It now hurts when I walk and even when I swim.  I've got all winter to get it healthy and strong.

Self-diagnosis confirmed.  Strained Hamstring.  He doesn't think it's a severe strain and treating it early before it becomes a chronic issue should mean it will heal relatively quickly.  He gave me some mild exercises to work on this week to get the hips working better and get the blood flowing to the injured area.  He'll up the intensity and concentrate on the actual hamstring as appropriate.  He expects that two more visits each a week apart will be all that's required.  It's not super painful but since the race it's been a constant dull ache and it intensifies slightly when I walk or swim.  Haven't done anything more intense than that.

This is worse than tapering...  

nkrichards wrote:Self-diagnosis confirmed.  Strained Hamstring.  He doesn't think it's a severe strain and treating it early before it becomes a chronic issue should mean it will heal relatively quickly.  He gave me some mild exercises to work on this week to get the hips working better and get the blood flowing to the injured area.  He'll up the intensity and concentrate on the actual hamstring as appropriate.  He expects that two more visits each a week apart will be all that's required.  It's not super painful but since the race it's been a constant dull ache and it intensifies slightly when I walk or swim.  Haven't done anything more intense than that.

This is worse than tapering...  

Nice going, Dr. Nancy.  See if he'll prescribe you a TENS unit.  That thing has been such a wonderful tool for me to use over the past 6 years.

I don't understand this    ?

ounce wrote:

nkrichards wrote:Self-diagnosis confirmed.  Strained Hamstring.  He doesn't think it's a severe strain and treating it early before it becomes a chronic issue should mean it will heal relatively quickly.  He gave me some mild exercises to work on this week to get the hips working better and get the blood flowing to the injured area.  He'll up the intensity and concentrate on the actual hamstring as appropriate.  He expects that two more visits each a week apart will be all that's required.  It's not super painful but since the race it's been a constant dull ache and it intensifies slightly when I walk or swim.  Haven't done anything more intense than that.

This is worse than tapering...  

Nice going, Dr. Nancy.  See if he'll prescribe you a TENS unit.  That thing has been such a wonderful tool for me to use over the past 6 years.

I don't understand this    ?

Funny how this activity that I used to hate has become such an important part of my life.  I just feel like something is missing...

So I've been thinking about goals moving forward.  I hate to admit that I can't quite give up on running another marathon.  That said I feel like I've really lost my running mojo.  These slow low HR runs aren't very satisfying and while I did run faster than my low HR pace in the MAC Dash it was embarrassingly slow compared to previous run paces even though the course was easier.  Hmm...what to do?

So here's some thoughts...

• I think I'll be frustrated if I try to run another marathon to soon.  I'm leaning toward a slow steady build up...meaning years not months.  Similar to the time I invested moving up distances to my very first marathon.  (two years)
  
• I think there is benefit to slower low HR runs as I rebuild my base but not to the extent that I exclude all faster runs.  Maybe drop in a tempo or speedwork run every now and then even if it's short or playful (fartlek like).
  
• Really struggling to choose a training theory.  Do I run less & run faster as in the past (3 days a week with lots of cross training)?  Or do I try something like Hanson's cumulative fatigue theory?  This is tough.  I feel like I need to try something new but I'm not sure my (old) body can handle running 6 days a week.  And while I'm happy to give up most of my biking time I do want to continue to swim 2 or 3 days a week.
  
• I really enjoy the Beachbody workouts that Marty and I have been doing together and we'll have more time over the winter.  That said...I'm getting a bit burnt out on repeating our favorite 8 week series and would like to try something with a bit more variety.  Struggling to find a different Beachbody series that includes the mix of weights, cardio, core, and stretching that we both like without a bunch of dancing and silly stuff.  I'll keep looking.
  
• I know that I need to incorporate more stretching into my routine.  Marty and I both talk about it a lot but just haven't been able to actually do it.  I need to find a short (10 minute or less) stretching routine that I can do in front of the TV before I settle in for my evening cup of tea.  And once I find it I need to actually do it!!
  
• Janice and I both really miss Pilates.  I've emailed Sara to see if she's willing to try and find time to do a semi-private session with us maybe once a week.
  
• I'm thinking about looking for several local (meaning within a couple hours drive) fun events rather than traveling to one goal race.  While I want to see improvement and feel encouraged I do think that a scenic, fun event even if it's slower may be a good option.  I don't want to set my sights on one goal and then get discouraged when it doesn't turn out as well as I'd like.  I guess what I'm saying is I really enjoyed the attitude I had at my Half IM in Victoria last summer.  I worked hard both during training and the race but I had realistic expectations and kept it fun.  Maybe finishing in the middle of my age group is OK.  It's easy to say I won't try and be so competitive.  Actually doing it may be a different story.
  
• I need a training schedule including races.  I thrive on the process of setting/attaining goals and like my life to have consistency. 
  

More questions/thoughts than answers at this point.  I do plan to sign up for Dr. B's Heartbreaker Half in February.  I'm looking at a series of four Half marathons (Willamette Valley in May, Bridge of the Gods in August, Columbia River (old) Highway in October, Ale run in Bend in November).  They are all scenic runs and I think all but the Willamette Valley course include significant elevation gain.  The Columbia River Highway event has been on my radar for a couple years but I've declined to register due to the elevation...ie it will be slow.  So I guess the question is will four (five with Heartbreaker) Half marathons be to much or will signing up for the series keep me satisfied to do them at more of a fun pace with realistic expectations.  

So...just to keep this a bit lighthearted I'll share.  My PT exercises include clam shells with a resistance band.  We did these A LOT in Pilates.  But...he told me to change the angle of my legs.  I only did two of the three sets last night as I was getting fatigued.  And boy are my buns talking to me this morning.  

Maybe instead a trying to find my running mojo I should stay with the theme of trying new challenges.


https://www.pppbend.com/general-info/race-description/

No downhill skiing experience at all.     Minimal time on cross country skis and my experience is on classic not skate skis but I think I could complete the course slowly.  I could manage the bike, and run.  I don't have a lot of kayak experience but think I could get it done.

We don't have any long trips planned for this winter and Bachelor offers a very reasonably priced ($249) "Ski in 5" lesson package that includes 5 lessons including equipment rental and lift tickets plus an additional 12 days lift tickets.  I guess I could make a decision after I completed the lesson package.  

Think I could make it to the bottom of the ski run in one piece?    Guess I'll never know unless I try...

nkrichards wrote:Maybe instead a trying to find my running mojo I should stay with the theme of trying new challenges.


https://www.pppbend.com/general-info/race-description/

No downhill skiing experience at all.     Minimal time on cross country skis and my experience is on classic not skate skis but I think I could complete the course slowly.  I could manage the bike, and run.  I don't have a lot of kayak experience but think I could get it done.

We don't have any long trips planned for this winter and Bachelor offers a very reasonably priced ($249) "Ski in 5" lesson package that includes 5 lessons including equipment rental and lift tickets plus an additional 12 days lift tickets.  I guess I could make a decision after I completed the lesson package.  

Think I could make it to the bottom of the ski run in one piece?    Guess I'll never know unless I try...

Yeah, sure.  Why not?  New challenges may lead to a yearning for the old challenges.

nkrichards wrote:

ounce wrote:

nkrichards wrote:Self-diagnosis confirmed.  Strained Hamstring.  He doesn't think it's a severe strain and treating it early before it becomes a chronic issue should mean it will heal relatively quickly.  He gave me some mild exercises to work on this week to get the hips working better and get the blood flowing to the injured area.  He'll up the intensity and concentrate on the actual hamstring as appropriate.  He expects that two more visits each a week apart will be all that's required.  It's not super painful but since the race it's been a constant dull ache and it intensifies slightly when I walk or swim.  Haven't done anything more intense than that.

This is worse than tapering...  

Nice going, Dr. Nancy.  See if he'll prescribe you a TENS unit.  That thing has been such a wonderful tool for me to use over the past 6 years.

I don't understand this    ?

Funny how this activity that I used to hate has become such an important part of my life.  I just feel like something is missing...

So I've been thinking about goals moving forward.  I hate to admit that I can't quite give up on running another marathon.  That said I feel like I've really lost my running mojo.  These slow low HR runs aren't very satisfying and while I did run faster than my low HR pace in the MAC Dash it was embarrassingly slow compared to previous run paces even though the course was easier.  Hmm...what to do?

So here's some thoughts...

• I think I'll be frustrated if I try to run another marathon to soon.  I'm leaning toward a slow steady build up...meaning years not months.  Similar to the time I invested moving up distances to my very first marathon.  (two years)
  
• I think there is benefit to slower low HR runs as I rebuild my base but not to the extent that I exclude all faster runs.  Maybe drop in a tempo or speedwork run every now and then even if it's short or playful (fartlek like).
  
• Really struggling to choose a training theory.  Do I run less & run faster as in the past (3 days a week with lots of cross training)?  Or do I try something like Hanson's cumulative fatigue theory?  This is tough.  I feel like I need to try something new but I'm not sure my (old) body can handle running 6 days a week.  And while I'm happy to give up most of my biking time I do want to continue to swim 2 or 3 days a week.
  
• I really enjoy the Beachbody workouts that Marty and I have been doing together and we'll have more time over the winter.  That said...I'm getting a bit burnt out on repeating our favorite 8 week series and would like to try something with a bit more variety.  Struggling to find a different Beachbody series that includes the mix of weights, cardio, core, and stretching that we both like without a bunch of dancing and silly stuff.  I'll keep looking.
  
• I know that I need to incorporate more stretching into my routine.  Marty and I both talk about it a lot but just haven't been able to actually do it.  I need to find a short (10 minute or less) stretching routine that I can do in front of the TV before I settle in for my evening cup of tea.  And once I find it I need to actually do it!!
  
• Janice and I both really miss Pilates.  I've emailed Sara to see if she's willing to try and find time to do a semi-private session with us maybe once a week.
  
• I'm thinking about looking for several local (meaning within a couple hours drive) fun events rather than traveling to one goal race.  While I want to see improvement and feel encouraged I do think that a scenic, fun event even if it's slower may be a good option.  I don't want to set my sights on one goal and then get discouraged when it doesn't turn out as well as I'd like.  I guess what I'm saying is I really enjoyed the attitude I had at my Half IM in Victoria last summer.  I worked hard both during training and the race but I had realistic expectations and kept it fun.  Maybe finishing in the middle of my age group is OK.  It's easy to say I won't try and be so competitive.  Actually doing it may be a different story.
  
• I need a training schedule including races.  I thrive on the process of setting/attaining goals and like my life to have consistency. 
  

More questions/thoughts than answers at this point.  I do plan to sign up for Dr. B's Heartbreaker Half in February.  I'm looking at a series of four Half marathons (Willamette Valley in May, Bridge of the Gods in August, Columbia River (old) Highway in October, Ale run in Bend in November).  They are all scenic runs and I think all but the Willamette Valley course include significant elevation gain.  The Columbia River Highway event has been on my radar for a couple years but I've declined to register due to the elevation...ie it will be slow.  So I guess the question is will four (five with Heartbreaker) Half marathons be to much or will signing up for the series keep me satisfied to do them at more of a fun pace with realistic expectations.  

So...just to keep this a bit lighthearted I'll share.  My PT exercises include clam shells with a resistance band.  We did these A LOT in Pilates.  But...he told me to change the angle of my legs.  I only did two of the three sets last night as I was getting fatigued.  And boy are my buns talking to me this morning.  

I will I could help you on this, but you're clearly in the thick of the decision process. 

I think I have 2 or 3 marathons left in me.  I have 2 more official finishes to get 10 at Houston.  I think the 2021 race is the 50th anniversary, so that could be an end.  I'll be closing in on 64 in 2021.  I have many Half races to go or 50K's (because the time limit is sooo long). 

Once you get down to a couple of possibilities, then maybe I can help or confuse with your decision.

Wow - I gave up skiing about 7 yrs ago because of the fear of getting hurt (I grew up downhill skiing), but hey a new challenge is always good - so why not!

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:Wow - I gave up skiing about 7 yrs ago because of the fear of getting hurt (I grew up downhill skiing), but hey a new challenge is always good - so why not!

Yeah, that's the main reason I haven't taken the plunge and signed up for ski lessons.  I've always either had an overseas trip planned for the winter or an event coming up so I didn't want to risk an injury.  This may be the year.  I'm not getting any younger and I don't have any events scheduled yet.  

IF I decide to do this the plan will be to complete the 5 lessons and then make a decision based on my ability to get down the run in one piece.  If I think it's a possibility I'll continue to practice both downhill and cross country skiing.  If I...with my instructors input...don't think it's going to happen I'll talk to the kids.  They would be happy to put together either a pair or a team and make it a family event.  The problem is I want to do the whole thing and it doesn't make sense to me to have Marty or one of the kids do the downhill skiing for me and then do the rest of the race myself.  

I still haven't given up on the thought of just concentrating on running for the next two years and see where that will take me.  I've got some time to decide.  

Oh you can surely learn to ski - that isn't the issue at all.  For me, the issue was/is that I had been skiing all of my life and couldn't learn to control the urge to ski hard or fast or beyond my now ability.

Enjoy learning.  And XC skiing is great exercise and a good substitute for a run in the winter.

Wow has it been crazy here the last few days.  We're fighting the weather as we try and finish up harvest for the year.  We've been working long hours and it's been a bit more than stressful!  I put in long hours on the swather and then had to drive combine in the carrots both Thursday and Friday.  It's very stressful and even though it's "just driving" I'm exhausted by the end of the day.  We finished the carrots that were cut late last night.  It rained a few hours later.  We still have about 1/3 of the carrots left to cut...we stopped cutting when they put rain in the forecast.  We did cut all our hay earlier in the week and it got wet last night.  They are predicting more rain today and tomorrow.  They are actually talking about a possibility of snow.   There will be some financial loss but more importantly our work load will increase as we try and get the hay dried out so we can bale.  Carrot seed will be the highest priority as it's more valuable.  We could have some loss even in the standing carrots but hopefully not to much unless we get high winds.  The weather forecast does not look great...I think the next couple weeks are going to be challenging.  This will be a summer/harvest we talk about for years to come.  Remember the year that the twins were born...

The twins are doing well.  They are struggling with the usual twin issues...low birth weight...and are slow to gain weight.  This means that Kevin and Natalie have to feed them every three hours.  It takes an hour or more to feed them.  They are both exhausted.  The big boys are doing well and love their siblings.  Natalie's Mom is here helping especially with the big boys but Kevin tries to help as much as he can especially at night and then do what he can to help us on the farm during the day.  We're all going to be ready for winter.

As far as running...
My hamstring is slowly improving.  It's still there but not 24/7 like it was right after the Dash.  And the pain level is much lower.  I ran an easy 3 miles on Tuesday so I could let the PT know how it reacted.  It was there but didn't aggravate it so that was good.  I didn't notice it when I swam on Wednesday.  Wasn't able to do my PT exercises Thursday or Friday.  I'll have time today and hopefully moving forward.  

Still undecided on goals moving forward but I'm leaning toward signing up for the ski lessons just to see how it goes...  I do want to concentrate more on running at some point in the future but winter isn't the best time for that so waiting till Spring would be fine.

Life goes on...

Well, I believe the twins will be fattened up in time for Thanksgiving.

Glad your hamstring is doing a lot better.

It never sunk in to me that most farming operations cease in the Winter.  Guess I didn't put 2 'n 2 together.  I have now.  I guess driving in Winter has to be special, too, but 4x4's make it easier?

I do have a heart question for you.  As you recovered, did your BP recover back to baseline without having your BP med increased?  Mine is trending downward from the mid 150's, since Sept 11.  This morning it was 128/73.  I'm tickled!

Thanks.

So much to catch up on!

First, congrats on the twins and on the race. It's an open question which will be more exhausting in the long run. 

If I were you, I'd keep working on building your fitness, playing around with a little speed and racing when the spirit moves you. That might limit you to half marathons and under for a while, but that's okay. It'll give you permission to push harder.

X/C skiing is a great workout, and Bachelor has some nice trails. Have fun with it!

And yes, the weather has been nuts the past few weeks. There are things we needed to do outside to get ready for listing that kept getting put off by rain. And when it finally stopped raining, frost?? In September?!? I can imagine it was even nuttier for you. Hope you didn't lose anything.

Please send a little rain to KY - at least enough to get the Ohio River running and the temps to drop out of the 90s.  Have it show on Monday and leave by Wednesday please.    Thanks.

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:Please send a little rain to KY - at least enough to get the Ohio River running and the temps to drop out of the 90s.  Have it show on Monday and leave by Wednesday please.    Thanks.

From the Louisville office of the NWS for Oct 6-8:
Sunday - Tuesday...

Rain chances finally return to the area late in the weekend.
Overall, it`s an event that could bring very beneficial, widespread
rains. Temperatures early next week will feel more like Fall. Highs
Monday and Tuesday may be limited to the upper 60s and lower 70s.

Anything else?

ounce wrote:Well, I believe the twins will be fattened up in time for Thanksgiving.

Glad your hamstring is doing a lot better.

It never sunk in to me that most farming operations cease in the Winter.  Guess I didn't put 2 'n 2 together.  I have now.  I guess driving in Winter has to be special, too, but 4x4's make it easier?

I do have a heart question for you.  As you recovered, did your BP recover back to baseline without having your BP med increased?  Mine is trending downward from the mid 150's, since Sept 11.  This morning it was 128/73.  I'm tickled!

Thanks.

Sorry for the slow response Doug.  This weather is making harvest tough!  Other than a bit of PT work and one swim last week I didn't get any training in. 

The hamstring is feeling better.  Surprising in that driving tractor aggravates it.  

Farming doesn't stop in winter but it does slow down.  We can occasionally get in the fields but always have repairs and maintenance to do in the shop and often have building projects when the weather isn't to terrible.  And I'm always behind on office work...end of the year stuff and renewing our relationships with lenders.  Driving isn't a big issue most of the time.  We do have the occasional bad storm when we choose to stay put but normally the roads are well maintained and travel isn't an issue.

I didn't pay much attention to my BP during my recovery.  BP was never a problem for me.  We concentrated on HR data and in the process I occasionally checked my BP but since it wasn't an issue I didn't pay much attention to it.  Sounds like you're making progress on good BP numbers!

To follow up on your strength training question from somewhere else...  I discovered strength/core work during marathon training for my successful BQ in 2013 but it wasn't heavy lifting.  It was all body weight stuff with lots of core work.  I did it 3 days a week right up until I started my taper.  It didn't seem to have any negative effect on my training runs.  Then we started Beachbody workouts and the program we did had lots of weight training in addition to body weight stuff, cardio, core, etc.   It was all free weights and I didn't go real heavy but I could often feel an affect the next day.  This was during my training for my 70.3.  I was also doing Pilates twice a week and Total Body Conditioning with Sara twice a week.  Sara's class was mostly body weight but we did use medicine balls.  She stressed movement, core, and stability in addition to strength.  So I was doing LOTS of strength work during that training cycle.  It did make training tough some days but I didn't worry about individual training runs.  I was concentrating on long term benefits not hitting a specific training pace.  I guess I was using a cumulative fatigue theory even though I didn't realize it at the time.  I did the strength work until I started taper.  I was pretty pleased with the results even though my training runs weren't always great.  I guess my advice would be to schedule your weight lifting and training runs so that you aren't doing a long or really important run the day after heavy lifting if it's making completing the run difficult.

That's all for me...I'm off to rake and bale hay.  We did finish thrashing carrot seed last night.  

Thanks, Nancy. I seem to remember asking you the winter farming question maybe a year or two ago.

As far as the intensity, I rarely ache the day after lifting. Maybe because I lift light enough to do 3 sets? Even though I increased the pounds, I can still do at minimum 3 sets of 7 reps (up to 11 reps max).

I'll play it by ear, but right now, I don't see a reason to stop. Maybe when I get into double digit runs and intervals that might change.

Thanks again.

Harvest if finished.  Irrigation is done for the season.  The last few days were COLD and we had to deal with freezing temps but we did what we could.  We slept in this morning even though we still have lots to do.  We all needed a mental break even if it was only for a couple hours.

I made it to swimming twice last week and also got in my final PT session and a few PT efforts at home.  No running or biking due to lack of time not injury.  Frustrated but maybe the break isn't all bad...

No school Friday and I knew Natalie would appreciate a break so I had the big boys (ages 2,5,7) down for lunch.  They requested homemade chili. 
I sent them home so Connor could nap and then we went to the pool for a couple hours.  Gary's 11 & 13 year old joined us.  Emma, age 15 was busy getting ready for the homecoming dance.  Finished the fun with ice cream cones at DQ.  It was warmer today so I picked up all 5 of the kids and we headed out for a short hike.  Izzy was really good to help with Connor both at the pool and on the hike.  Abby helped entertain the two older boys.  It worked well.  I had packed snacks which we shared at the viewpoint and then headed home in time for lunch and Connor's nap.  Both outings were fun.

Marty and I are headed into the mountains with the horses and mules tomorrow.  Gary's tent is on the slopes of Mt. Jefferson where some friends used it during deer season.  We plan to ride in tomorrow and spend the night and then pack up the tent and bring it out with us on Monday.  It will be chilly but the tent has a small wood stove.  I'll ride one of the older horses.  Marty will ride his new mule and pack a couple mules with all the gear.  It's been several years since we've had time to go on horse packing trips together.  I'm looking forward to it.

Life goes on...


Whoa...there was a lot going on while I was busy harvesting and entertaining the grandkids.  A sub-two hour marathon.  The end of the Nike Oregon Project. 

And look at the Nationals go.     I was never a baseball fan but started watching when Jacoby Ellsbury made it to the big leagues.  He is a local boy and a really nice kid.  He's not fun to watch anymore so we lost interest but Kevin is a Nationals fan from his time in DC.   Oh...and the Astros are doing well also. 

Back to the real world after a couple days in the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness Area.  8 mile ride in on the horses.  We spent the night in Gary's tent and then packed it up and brought it out for him.  It was COLD going in.  It was misty and foggy and the views were very limited.  Got to the snow level about half way in.  We woke to cold but clear weather.  The views coming out were much nicer and the sun felt good.  It's been 11 years since I've done much riding with Marty so this trip was a long one for me.  I did fine...better than expected...but I was tired and a bit stiff when we got home last night.  

I woke up Sunday morning with a stiff/sore back.  Riding the horse didn't help.  Not sure what the cause is/was.  It's not any worse but not really any better either.  Marty wanted to do a Beachbody workout this morning so I found one that didn't involve a lot of movement that would irritate my back.  I was cautious but did fine.  May try and sneak in a short run this morning if I can find the time.

Amazing how busy I am...things are supposed to be slowing down.