Silent Saturday - The Other Two Yellow Cats

Three Things Thursday

1.   I am a creature of routine.  Three Things Thursday always appeals to me because it is short, simple and follows a routine.  Students like routine too and let you know when you change things. I try to give warnings but some kids just don't handle it well.  The first things a lot of kids do when they come in the room in the morning is look at the agenda to see what is happening.  Trouble is  more often than not I have forgotten to change it and it still reflects the day before.  But no worries - they often change it for me and our day is ready to start.

2.  I had another good workout on the treadmill. I never think - "Oh yeah, I am headed to the gym to run on the treadmill."  but I do often feel great afterwards.  I did remember my I pod today which helped ever so much.  Plus it was cold out and raining which made going to the gym ever so much more appealing.

3.  The playlist I listened to was from an episode of last year's Grey's Anatomy.  It was the musical episode which I loved.  But I read some reviews of it on line and most people seemed to hate it. They compared it to Glee which I don't watch so that didn't bother me.  I just enjoyed it probably partly because of the songs they chose. I liked a lot of the artists and songs which included:

Chasing Cars- Snow Patrol

Breathe - Anna Nalick

Universe and U - KT Tunstall

Grace - Kate Havnevick

How to Save a Live - The Fray

The Story - Brandi Carlile

TTT Bonus:

I am running a race this Saturday, another 5K. My goal will be to beat my last week's time for sure. It is for a great cause. I ran it two years ago and really enjoyed the whole atmosphere.  It is for families that are dealing with pediatric cancer. The race is in honor a family who had a boy who had cancer but is doing well.  They now raise money to help other families get through it.  As I said, very heartwarming.

The Next Dana Torres

Look out Dana Torres.  So you were the oldest swimmer in the Olympics?  There just may an even older swimmer in the next Olympics!  

The last time I went swimming I did 6 sets of 2 laps of freestyle (plus all my breast stroke laps.)  Originally I was doing one lap only!  I stated the other day that soon I was going to try 3 laps in a row.  So what did  I do today?  Hold onto your hats..........I swam 6 sets of 3 laps each of the freestyle. That my friends is 18 total freestyle laps compared to the previous 12. Pretty steep improvement right???? I figure with that rate of improvement I will surely be ready for the next Olympics.  You can all say you knew me when!

Seriously, I am very impressed with my improvement. I am still doing my job at the pool of making everyone else feel good about their technique but I am also beginning - just beginning to feel good about mine.  I still cannot imagine doing the freestyle for a quarter mile or a half mile or whatever distance it is you swim in a sprint tri (see how little I know) in  a lake with no walls or solid ends of lanes.  Today was bad enough when both walls were taken and I had to swim in the middle of the pool!  My biggest worry was that I would swim into a swimmer in a neighboring lane.  But 3 laps in a row! Whoever would have thought?  The time in the pool flies by.  If I wasn't going to work I would stay longer but I have increased my overall number of laps to a respectable but manageable amount for a slow swimmer.  I'm glad I have a lot of time until summer.

On the running front I had a great treadmill workout yesterday.  I went immediately after school but I had to be back at school for a parent conference. So my time was limited and I pushed it and had a terrific semi speedy workout.  The other bonus - when you go to a parent conference straight from the gym (smelly maybe?) the parents don't linger and talk and talk and you get home at a decent hour!

I rarely post about giveaways but I want at least one shirt from this company so I am.  But don't bother go look. It probably isn't to your taste.
 The giveway is on Juice Boxes and Crayolas blog.  I have a feeling one or two of these shirts will be on my Christmas list.

Let Them Play 5K

T and me before the race

Today I ran a race that never even made it onto my sidebar because I didn't know I was running it until this morning.  I decided I might as well to get November's race in. It was sunny and gorgeous out but it was also freezing.  The temperature was in the high 40s accompanied by a very brisk wind.  I played the "What should I wear?" game for quite awhile.  I ended up with capris, 3 layers on top and a baseball hat.  I considered a fleece headband and gloves as well as one layer on top. I was confident about the capris the whole time.  The hat turned out to be a good choice. I probably could have left the jacket off but I wasn't dying of the heat with it on.  

I liked this flat stretch.

It was  a pretty course with 3 hills.  I haven't run much this past month so I didn't know what to expect.  Plus I ran 6 miles yesterday which these days equates to a long run for me. I never run the day before I race but this time I did.  My first mile was around 8:55.  The second one was 10:05 (in a race???) and the third one was 9:40 I think.  The last .1 was in the high 8s again.  I did pass two women and stay there.  I was looking at my watch and saw that I was in danger of being over 30 and I did not want to be at all. As  it is my time was 29:43 which I think is my highest 5K ever.  But it was one heck of a lot faster than yesterday's run. I actually stopped and reset my Garmin and checked the settings as I thought it wasn't working. Nope!  I was really going that slowly.    

T ran with me and she was way up in front with the faster women. I haven't found any results on line and there may not be any. This was an inaugural race and it was very small. I felt badly they didn't get more people but the advertising wasn't great.  After I came home I found a different November race I did two years ago that I really liked. So I may end up with two November races. I also registered for a December race that looks really fun. 

I love having races to look forward to.  What do you have left for 2011?

We got a fleece hat and a water bottle.

Running and Cats and Dogs and a little Pumpkin Too

On Saturday I may have taken my pumpkin obsession a bit too far.  I had a pumpkin spiced coffee.  At lunch I had pumpkin cheesecake.  Truthfully I was disappointed with this, it tasted too much like pumpkin pie which I love but I wanted cheesecake, not pie.  I had a pumpkin muffin.  I may have had one or more of those Halloween pumpkin candies which I am almost sick of.  We went out to dinner with some friends of ours and I had unbelievable pumpkin curry soup ...........to die for.  This is a restaurant we frequent from time to time and we usually get some free things.  Last night we got free pumpkin spice cupcakes which were delicious!  Absolutely delicious!

When I got home the other day this guy greeted me by jumping on my car!  I guess I wasn't getting out fast enough.

Saturday when I ran it was obvious that hunting season in Vermont was underway.  Before I headed out my husband gave me a warning.  First thing I saw was this dog  with his hunting season vest on.

I also put my bright biking jacket on over my running clothes.  It was 20 degrees out so I had a fair amount of clothes on. There was ice on the trees and a heavy frost on the ground.  

Last weekend I ran in DC to very different sights. This weekend I was back home to my normal views.  Where I live the leaves have pretty much fallen off the trees but if you are in the valley there is still some nice foliage to see.

I went to visit Jameson and Teddy was over visiting. He seemed to want to curl up right next to me, the non dog person.  Jameson has ripped up his carpet and put down a floor. When I left he was doing the moldings.  

I am off to do a race today - rather unexpectedly.  I ran yesterday and have done nothing to get ready for this race but it will let me cross November off the list.  There aren't a lot of races that I know of around this month.  It won't be a fast one for me but it is going to be a gorgeous day.  All of the New York City Marathon Racers must be having a blast! Good luck to all of you!

Three Things Thursday

1. I got my swimming in on Tuesday for this week.  Have I mentioned that I am really enjoying swimming?  I still suck at it but  maybe a little less each time I go. I still do mostly breast stroke but increase the number of free style laps each time.  This week I swam 12 freestyle laps all in groups of two. Soon I am going to go for 3 in a row.  The gravity is not pulling me toward the bottom of the pool as strongly during my current two.  I think I could maybe do 3.  By summer who knows?   I am doing the whole (my version) rhythmic breathing thing.  It goes by quickly and starts my day out with a great feeling. I love my swimming day routine but right now I only want to do it once a week. I have not been on my bike  for a week and a half though!

2.  I ran on the treadmill on Wednesday.  Not a lot of fun but I did what I set out to do.  I also ran today with no Ipod.  That was really no fun but another 5 miles done.

3. I'm rereading a Jodi Picoult book, not my favorite but I always enjoy her books. This one is Second Glance and she autographed it when I went to hear her speak at a Barnes and Noble.  It's been awhile since I read a book that really grabbed me. But having just said that I really enjoyed the book about Matt Long.  It is a very good story and makes any injury I have had seem like something I shouldn't even mention it is so inconsequential.

Nothing too exciting here although being back at running is always exciting. I am considering  a race this weekend to get one in November but no definite plans yet.  Enjoy the weekend.  Mine starts tomorrow.  Now that is exciting! And I have plans for the day which are all about me!  Then evening plans that include my husband and friends.

Another Day of Cleaning and Time to Go Home

It is amazing what we accomplished in the last two days.  Things are put away, laundry is done, groceries are bought and things are looking good.

The weather today was great but first thing we were good cleaning bees and got back to being busy cleaning and organizing while waiting for the best guy in the world to come by with a car and take us to Target.  We bought all kinds of necessary things including a zillion hangars. But the big thrill for this small town girl was the shopping cart escalator.  Really?  That's what I said when I asked Emily how we got upstairs with the shopping cart.  Here is the proof.  Yes, I don't know anyone here so why not take a picture?

Once back "home" we were right back at it and I got to assemble a bunch of crates - oh joy - I am so good at anything mechanical.  Several swears later it was done.  Em wanted to go to Pilates again thank goodness so I got another run in, this time on a stunningly gorgeous day. What a great day for MCM especially after yesterday.  I took the same run since I love it and it was the right amount of time.  The Lincoln Memorial was much more crowded than yesterday.

I was happy with my run.  I feel like I have been talking a lot about how I like the run once I am done but the runs I have had here I have loved while I have been running.  Maybe loved is a stretch for yesterday but Friday and today were great. They felt good and I just had such joy during the runs.

New day new place

I didn't get a run in this morning - Em and I went for a quick breakfast instead.  But the taxi drove along my run route.  (  I have my own run route in DC. I love it. I love knowing where I am a lot of the time!)

Now I'm waiting at the airport after having both my bags thoroughly searched.  They didn't like the tube of Nunn hiding in my bag!  But I'll forgive them because they now have free Internet at National Airport!  I won't be sitting here long  before I have to board to fly to NYC to sit for a much longer time where the Internet isn't free.  A direct flight would have gotten me home so much quicker but getting here and back a harder way hands down beat not coming.   I'm glad I could come help Emily.  I don't think - truthfully - she could have done it without me. There was a lot of moving and lifting that you just can't do with crutches.  I don't see friends hanging in for the whole weekend needed.  I HATED leaving this morning - would like to stay for the whole month she is on crutches. I did get one more load of laundry done and folded - a simple task that is not so simple right now.  I wanted to buy her a 12 pack of diet coke as she was craving it and it is too much to carry (you think) but I ran out of time.  I needed to get to the airport for the extended bag search.  I got a text from her that she dropped her breakfast on the Metro floor. Sucky things happening continue on.  But there are good things too.  Tonight she is meeting a good friend for supper. Tomorrow night she is doing something awesome sponsored by Lululemon.  We both had gift cards to Lulu and stopped there last night after working out.  I may have gotten two new things.  

One thing I know - I will look at anyone on crutches with new eyes and try to think of what I can do even in a small way to help.