Long Time No Blog

March 17th? Seriously?

The past 2 weeks have been full. I'm sure I can't fill it all in. After the run at Pinnacle I tried to moderate my workouts because Saturday the 21st was our first Adventure Race of the year. Since J and I have really not been doing any (we did 1 last year and none the year before that), we are trying hard to get back in the game. Ozark Extremes Adventure Sprint Series seems a good place to start. A couple of slight missteps on the orienteering, due mainly to my impatience I'll admit, we still managed to come in 1st in our division ( 2 person co-ed) and 4th overall of male teams and solo men. Cool. During the following week I managed to get in a couple of short runs (3 miles or less) and a couple of strenth training days.

Sunday we got back into the endurance arena with a mountain bike ride. I wish I had a map to show elevation. We rode from our house in Leawood, thru Foxcroft to the Big Dam Bridge, up the switchbacks at Emerald Park, down the road at Ft. Roots, across the Main Street Bridge over to the Deaf School and up THOSE hills working our way North of Kavanaugh for a ways but popped back out in time to stop in at US Pizza for lunch , salad supreme yummy, and back down H street and Evergreen to get home ending with the climb up Mountain. Yowza. 22 miles that felt like 40. Hills, Hills and more Hills. Did I mention there were hills?

I am not working out today. Could, but not going to. :)

Indulgences, Repentance, and I'm not even Catholic

This weekend started off with trip downtown to volunteer with the Little Rockers Marathon. Kids who run/walk 25.2 miles before Marathon weekend get to run/walk/skip the last mile downtown and get a finishers medal. Fun stuff Maynard.

After packing everyone up and adding an extra girl to the 2 I had on hand, we dropped them at Gma's and headed out for Ft. Smith. Had to make an exercise pit stop on the way for a short but intense trail run at Petit Jean Mtn. It was supposed to be a 4 miler but the rain in the a.m. said we might get muddy, we might trip and hurt an ankle, blah blah blah according to J. I guilted him into a 2 miler steepness stakes chase down into the bowl on Cedar Falls trail and back up. I did some stair repeats at the top.
Saturday night saw us at an Italian place in Ft. Smith called Taliano's. I'm just sayin' folks, if you want a nice dinner- hit this place up. It's in a restored Victorian house, the food and service were both phenomenal and I think I'm still recovering from the butter infusion I got from my Salmon Amadine with buttery sauce. Ateries...hardening...
Sunday we got up and I had a sweeeet breakfast of an egg white/garden omelet and fresh fruit. Then we went out on the Ben Geren trails for about 10 miles. It was only about an hour of actual riding. There's a bit of something for everyone out there. Sweet technical curves, sweeping rollers and a couple of good nasty climbs. I wanted to repeat a section we did that had me brushing shoulders between trees for a couple of miles, very tight turns with endo penalty for depth perception misjudgment.
Then there was more indulgence. FOOD. I had a philly cheesesteak with onion rings. And drinks. A few of them. And breakfast at 1:45 a.m. I did manage to order an egg white omelet (but with the sausage, sigh)
Monday I did NADA. But I attempted to get back on the healthy eating wagon with limited success. Anyone know that you can make rice crispy treats with stale fruity pebbles and it's still awesome?
Today, has been a decent food day so far and plan to keep it as such. I punished myself with a trip out to Pinnacle Mountain. I ran from the visitor's center to the East Summit trail and went up. Usually we go down the west side but I decided to go back down the East side, it's harder. Then ran around the East Base trail (mostly ran it) to the West Summit trail, did it the same way and then finished around the West Summit Base trail back to the OT and the visitor's cntr running on and off. I don't know how many miles that was. It was about 2.5 hours of moving though. My legs are officially tired.

What did I do?

This week for workouts:

A 2.5 mile walk with hand weights and 15 min stationary bike workout
a 20 minute morning stroll with an hour of mixed walk/jog/incline work on the treadmill
a biggest loser bootcamp video workout
a 3 mile run with upper body/ab workout for 20 min

today's plan is a repeat of the hour long mixed treadmill workout. May reduce to 45 min with increased intensity and do some strength training


Weekend plans include a 4 mile trail run and a mountain bike expedition. We'll see if the weather allows.

Picture is worth how many words?

30th annual Run Thru History 10K in Vicksburg Military Park

We started the race by being late and having to run uphill about 1/2 mile to get to the start, just as they were singing the Star Spangled Banner. Nice timing. Just enough time to check shoelaces and turn on tunes. I was not ready for the heat or the hills! Now I can't wait to do it again.

yeah, not the time I had hoped for but...I felt great at the end and didn't want it to end just yet. I waited just a few seconds so Cari and I could finish together. As usual I came away going...I din't even come close to leaving it all out there.

After the race we stayed in the park, which is beautiful by the way and wandered thru the memorials, monuments and battle fields. It was a beautiful day but then the call of the wild was heard...the small one needed FOOD. Look how happy she is!


Until she realizes she can't possibly eat this.

Cari and Mike had no trouble finishing theirs. They were smart and shared a NORMAL size piece of pie. Rusty's Rocks.

Feeling it yet?

Tuesday- 45 minutes of moderate tempo riding on the trainer and a little light weight work during Biggest Loser watching.

Wednesday- 45 minute brisk walk outside holding 2lb pilates balls. My arms were TIRED.

Thursday- I'm headed out now for a short run and probably some upper body lifting depending on how the run feels. I'm shooting for 2 slow miles and then walking 1/2 mile. My legs have just felt so fatigued but I can't point to any workout that I can blame. I would rest today and tomorrow but I usually fare worse by resting too much than keeping a slow simmer going.

Friday afternoon we are headed for Vicksburg, Mrs. Ippi to visit our friends C and M who moved there a few months ago. We're going to do a run while we're there because well, we're weird. The 30th Annual Run Thru History at the National Park there along the River on Saturday morning. I hear tell it's a hilly wonder of a course. J will be running the 5K and C and I will run the 10K and the small one will be waiting for J so they can cheer us or tell us to "Hurry up so we can go home"

Weekend- a REAL one!

I did get that 60 minute treadmill workout in on Friday-it was good. Not pounding, can't walk the next day good-just thumping good.

The weekend weather was just plain ugly. It rained Sat a.m. then turned to snow and the ground was still wet even though the sun came out on Sunday. The mountain bike ride got nixed. Saturday I walked around a garden show with my mom for a few hours. Sunday I got in a VERY light cardio/strength workout while Joe was on the trainer.

Monday- 6 mile run/jog. Felt pretty good after mile 3. Typical.