Up and Running again

Wow how the time flies.  Leta and I (and the movers) packed the house, loaded most everything onto the truck and got it up to Fredericksburg.  What didn't fit on the truck, we moved in Erica's car and it 'only' took about 4 more trips.  We started early in the morning and went to late into the night.  But we proved you can pack and move an entire house in one day.  (Now unpacking that is another story!).

Sweet Sweet Penny

We had an "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times" week.  We had to put Penny down, as she had suffered a stroke and couldn't get up gy herself any longer.  She was loved and had a good long 16 years or so.  She was a princess and she knew it, although she infuriated me at times because she acted as if she was a cat.  She was the sweetest dog, and just knew everyone and everything was placed on Earth to meet her and be her friend.... Couldn't stay mad at her very long, that was for sure.  I think she even forgave me for taking her for a walk where she met her kryptonite.....those evil snowmen!


On the lighter side, I was finally made full-time at HEB.  Also, I've decided it is time to replace my bike.  Although I love it and it has served me well over the last 30 some years, it desperately needs work.  For example the rear tire is down to cords, the front brake lever bracket (that attaches the lever to the handlebar) broke and the front brake lever is now dangling down in front of the front tire.  Also I think I should have fenders, cargo rack, lights and a chain guard.  I stopped at the local bike store and they said it would cost $150-$200 to get it restored, and although the quality of the bike is great, it still would have old technology and the riding position wouldn't be as comfortable as the newer bikes.

I've also decided to enter the 2nd Annual Kruat run.  It is an 8k race, roughly 5 miles!  Yikes I really have to  Get Up and Get Running.  I have only have 3 weeks!  The best part of this race, it helps kick off Octoberfest in Fredericksburg!

2nd Annual Kraut Run

I haven't found  (see comment above about the progress of unpacking!) the bathroom scale yet, so I can't update my weight but my stats for August were:

I exercised 9 times

Ran/Walked  24.19 Miles  (Lowest monthly total for 2011 )
Pace averaged 12:41  (Fastest Pace for 2011)
Y-T-D mileage 260.11

Goals for September

•  Run 12 Times
•  30 miles total
• Training program for the upcoming Kraut Run
• Start and FINISH Luke Edward's baby quilt by the 9/23 (Baby shower on the 24th!)
• Get unpacked!

Chupacabra Days of Summer

In keeping the tradition of doing everything but what I need to be doing, (e.g. completing my exercise commitment for the day, or packing in preparation for our next move).  In fact, I think I started this blog when I should have been getting ready to move to Texas!  So without further ado....

You know its hot when the bank temperature signs apologize for displaying the current temperature!

I worked Tuesday fairly early and got home around 6:30 PM.  It had been (actually it still was) a very hot day in Texas.  So the house had been hot all day (even with A/C) and Leta had been "trapped" all day, as I had taken the car to work, so she was a bit stir crazy and more than a little ready to go for a drive and cool down in the car.  (It's a/c works GREAT and will frost your glasses when you get out of the car).  I think you know going for drives is one of our favorite things to do.  So anyhow (sorry apparently I write like I talk, rambling and all over the place!) I pulled into the driveway and before I could git out of the car, Leta was by my door saying "move over, we are going somewhere, I don't get where, but we are going." 

We cruised around the outskirts of town, when all of a sudden I noticed some movement just off the shoulder of the road, and Leta sees it at the same time and we both yell "Its a Roadrunner!"  and it was running!  What a cool bird!  Later (by now we were further out in the country) we are driving and see a large mostly black bird along the side of the road, and we both think it is a vulture, as they are so prevalent, but then notice it has a large white area on its breast and neck and a 'crown', and again as we go buy we both yell "I think that was a crested caracara!"   We also saw a Scissor-tail sitting on the fence, and innumerable deer, both white-tail, axis, and other exotics.

We really enjoyed the drive and looking for wildlife and examining every creek as we crossed the bridges to see if there was even a drop of water in a pool.    We think we are seeing so many animals, because they are moving earlier looking for water, and food, as most of the 'grasses' have died.  They are having lots of trouble with snakes (someone posted a picture on facebook of a seven plus foot rattlesnake they killed on their ranch) and scorpions, etc  

Also the other night, I got off at midnight, and on the way home we saw a bobcat run across the road!  Yes, we are sure it wasn't a dog, cat, coyote, raccoon, armadillo, opossum, or even a Chupacabra (a mytholigcal mexican animal, the name means goat blood sucker)! 

Yesterday, I had off and continuing the tradition of doing everything but what I should be doing we drove to San Antonio to Hancock Fabrics and Leta picked out material for 2 sewing Projects for me.  I want to make her a tote bag with 1 or 2 "Log Cabin" squares.  I even have checked out the book "Quilt in a Day" which has instructions to make a QUILT (with many squares, not just 2 ) so I figure I should be able to whip it out quickly!  Here is the material she selected for that project. 

The second project is a blanket for baby Luke.  Here is the selection for the blanket (Stefanie wants a 'monkey' theme for Luke so we honored that!

Well I think I've stalled long enough and this post is probably getting boring so I think I better go find some socks and my running shoes and head out before it gets too much hotter.  Sorry!

July Update

Only a little late, but better late than never, right?

It has been very hot and it reflects in  my (lack of) running.  Although it started off pretty good.  I ran a 4 mile(!) run in San Antoniom (see race report here ).  After that I was "lucky" if I ran more than once a week, although I always managed to run at least once per week.    To combat the lack of 'getting' out there and "Just do it" (note to self nice tag line, maybe I should copy right it!) I signed up for a Presidential Fitness Challenge on the Active.com web sight (see here for more info), and the 10k training program.

Goals for August:
Participate and record Presidential Fitness Challenge work outs, (30 minutes of exercise, 5 times a week!)
Run 50 miles (highest monthly mileage ever)
Lose 5 lbs
Get house packed up and cleaned
Get yard cleaned up
Get moved
Blog and complete 3 sewing projects (quilted place mats, Leta's Log-cabin tote bag, and Luke's baby quilt)

Wow lots to do!  (speaking of which, I need to finish this post and go for a morning run!)

Happy trails to you!

Without further ado, here are the not so pretty stats from July.  Although the could have been worse

Miles Run - 26.02  pace of 13:30
Y-T-D miles -  234.29
WT - 194
LBS gained - 1.8 lbs
Y-T-D LBS lost - 26.0

Leta didn't get out and walk, too hot and sore.  But new apartment has a pool, trails and is across the street from the high school so we should have ample opportunity to work out. 
Y-T-D miles -  3.1
LBS lost - 19 (from her last Dr.s appointment)
Y-T-D LBS lost 

Missin It

Missin(g) seems to be my theme this week.  Leta and I are missing our friends, church and weather back in Michigan.  I'm missing the goals I set for the week(s).  Leta misses her girls.  And it just seems like were missin(g) so much that life has to offer....

Ok enough of the lamenting....  I was able to complete the Ready Set Go program with HEB (the online educational portion of the training to walk/run a 5k) and I was able to get out and run 3 times this week.  So there were some high spots.

Vital Stats
Beginning Weight - 196.0
BMI - 28.9
Miles Walked/Ran - 9.26

Y-T-D Miles Walked/Ran - 224.72
Ending Weight -193.7

BMI - 28.6
Weight Lost <Gain>- 2.3
YTD Weight Lost - 26.3

It has been hard

It has been hard this week.  I only ran once this week.  The four mile Freedom Day we ran on July 4th.  (You can see my race report here: http://notetoself55.blogspot.com/2011/07/freedom-day-4-miler.html ).  Like that Nike ad, I have had a million excuses not to run this week, and my eating was terrible.  All this bad stuff showed up in my numbers this week.  I gained 3.8 lbs.  Oh well this is a new week and I've already got 2.88 miles in and I didn't hate it.

I'm praying for lots of stuff right now, cooler weather, rain, that I continue to do well at work, and of course, that we hit the lottery!

Ending on a more positive note, I was able to fix our leaking faucet in the bath tub.  Took the washers in and was told "we've been in the business for 70 years and those are the worst we've ever seen!  But we got them replace and now the water doesn't drip (much less than the trickle that was flowing before the repair job!)

I didn't sleep well last night so I think I'll go take a nap, as I have to work to midnight tonight.

Vital Stats
Beginning Weight - 195.2
BMI - 28.8
Miles Walked/Ran - 4.0

Y-T-D Miles Walked/Ran - 215.46
Ending Weight -196.0

BMI - 28.9
Weight Lost <Gain>- <3.8>
YTD Weight Lost - 24

Freedom Day 4 Miler

Spent the night in San Antonio with Erica, so we wouldn't have to get up a hour earlier to make the drive into San Antonio to the race.  As we closed the door to leave Kerrville, Leta realized we didn't have keys and had just locked ourselves out of the house.  What a great start we were having!  After arriving at Erica's I made her a batch of the No-Bake cookies before we headed for the couch (me) and the chair (Leta) for a short night. We got up about 6 AM and headed towards the race, which was held at The National Shooting Complex.  What a great facility they have there, and what a great local for a race, as the course was about 90% paved roads (inside the complex and with no traffic to contend with).

Erica was flying to Detroit in the afternoon and I had to get to work in Fredericksburg by noon, so we were on a very tight schedule.  We planned on going to the race, staying for awards and door prizes, returning to Erica's apartment, taking quick showers, dropping Erica off and the airport and getting to Fredericksburg before noon.  In the confusion of planning what we needed to pack in the car, and when, I managed to leave the bibs behind in Erica's apartment.  I realized this about half way to race.  So we decided that since this probably wasn't the first time someone had forgotten their bibs after picking them up early, they probably had a solution for this eventuality, or if they didn't, we would "run for the fun of it"(??), that is, with out the official chip timing devices and just keep track of our own times via our watches.  Luckily, they were able to give us new bibs and it was not a problem at all!

Leta found the volunteer coordinator and was put to work cutting up fruit, cookies, and helping with the 1,000 (!) hot dogs they were grilling!  She also helped the lady at registration packing up her boxes.  When she was done, she found a folding chair and the best spot in the pavilion, that is a spot out of the sun, and with a cool breeze blowing in!  Because she volunteered she should get a shirt (they had run out!) and she got us a free entry to a future race!

The only suggestion I have to improve the race is more porta potties near the start, as I got in the line about 20 minutes to the start, and was still in the line as they fired the gun!   With so many people there (in excess of 750) and I being errrr "detained", Erica and I didn't find each and so we weren't able to run together.

They course started off on a long downhill and meandered around alot of the 700 acre complex.  Past MANY trap and skeet ranges.  There were water and gatorade stations at miles 1, 2, and, 3; along with Porta potties on the course.  Water was also placed  in coolers between the mile marker stations at various skeet/trap ranges.

Prior to the race, we were instructed not to leave the roadways, do to the danger of rattlesnakes!  I took this picture along the course and decided that, yes it did make me run faster!  If I would have seen a snake I really would have moved faster!

The course was mostly downhill, for the first half, meaning that it was mostly uphill for the second half!  And the last hill was a killer!  It was hot, even at 7:30 AM and my strategy became one of walk the uphills (although when I saw Erica waiting for me near the finish line to encourage me, I decided I really had to run to the finish line!) and run, on the downhills/and when in shade.

When I finally crossed the finish line an icecold wash cloth was handed to me, and it was wonderful!  There was a lot of food, drinks waiting for us, and we cooled down and snacked.  Prior to the race I saw that beer and hot dogs were provided, and I thought who would want a hot dog at 8:30 AM?.  Well after the race and finding Leta in the best location in the building, I started feeling a bit err "faint" and knowing I was replacing fluids, I thought maybe my blood sugar might be low, and a hot dog with the bun and condiments, with the protein and salt from the hot dog, and the carbs from the bun and condiments might help.  After eating, I did feel much better!  Poor Erica was not only feeling faint but also had "the worst conjunctivitis of my life".

We saw a runner, "the I Beat Cancer, Never Give Up" shirt guy, we both had noticed at races all over the state!  He took a picture of Erica and I after the race and it should be found on his web page, but I haven't been able to locate it yet.  BTW he is an inspiration, as I thought I would use him as my 'rabbit' during the Fredericksburg race, but even though, he is older, and stopped to take lots of pictures, he beat me!

Post race pictures were taken and then we raced (in the car!) back to Erica's, the airport and Fredericksburg, where I punched in at 12:15, one minute later than the company's 'grace period', but after talking to the managers, I don't think I'm in any trouble!

My chip time was  48:12 (12:03/mile) and I was 23rd out of 28 in my age/gender group, 621st overall,  and a PR! (as it was my first 4 mile race).  ;-)

Erica beat my time, as hers was 45:37(11:24/mile) 17th of 24 in her AG, 564 overall,  I also believe this was a PR for her.

The pond we ran by (nary a drop of water in it!)

Even Leta came AND had a good time!

We survived!

This was the 36th annual race was a good one and one we will definitely try to do again!

PS:  Leta did use some of her secret talents and was able to "open" the locked door when she got home!

June and it is Hot in Texas

Just a quick note about June, as I have to run and then pack and get to work, besides doing whatever chores I can get done.

I was named "Service employee of the month" a HEB.  The financial situation did not improve though, as we struggle to make payments on current bills and to keep Leta supplied with meds.  We just passed the 30 day mark since Leta's hearing so we are 1/3 to 1/2 of the way on hearing the determination from the administrative law judge.  (Note to self <Great name for a blog eh? ;-)> we should figure how many days since the original application.

Erica has signed us up for a run on Monday (July 4th) and it is a 4 miler!  So I really need to get going on my mileage.  I'll run today and tomorrow and then take Sunday off.  We volunteered Leta to help with the race (she will be working 'food') and  she earns a Tshirt (tech no less!) and an entry into a future race.  I may have to volunteer for a race or 2!

Here are the numbers for June:

Miles Run - 37.99  pace of 15:07
Y-T-D miles -  208.27
WT - 192.2
LBS lost - 4.2 lbs
Y-T-D LBS lost - 27.8

Leta walked 1.5 miles!
Y-T-D miles -  3.1
LBS lost - 4.9 lbs
Y-T-D LBS lost (from max) - 25.7